After trials and working up at Jervis Bay, Adelaide spent her early service on patrol and presence duties around Australia. In 1924 she joined the Royal Navy's Special Service Squadron for a flag-showing cruise through New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, the west coasts of Canada and the United States, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, and eastern Canada. She reached Portsmouth before returning through the Mediterranean, Ceylon, Singapore, and Thursday Island, completing a voyage around the world. The itinerary shows how a young dominion navy used a cruiser to demonstrate reach, train its crew, and represent Australia abroad.
Notable Point · 40:21-41:29
Adelaide's Special Service Squadron world cruise
Adelaide's circumnavigation with the Special Service Squadron demonstrated the reach and representative role of the young Royal Australian Navy.