The 1909 plan would give Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other parts of the empire more responsibility for their own sea lanes. A battlecruiser formed the heavy element of a mixed force built for convoy escort, deterrence, and hunting surface raiders such as Vice-Admiral von Spee's East Asia Squadron. New Zealand was prepared to fund and support the China Station formation, but it did not want to supply a wholly New Zealand crew because of its population size. That arrangement produced HMS New Zealand, while Australia operated HMAS Australia. These commerce-protection units could oblige an opponent to send substantial forces to deal with them. They were too small to fight a concentrated enemy navy.
Chapter · 1:42-4:51
Imperial fleet units were designed for commerce protection
The 1909 Imperial Conference scheme paired a battlecruiser with cruisers, destroyers, and submarines for trade protection, convoy escort, deterrence, and raider hunting.