Australian destroyers HMS Paramatta and Yarra visited the Dutch East Indies in 1910

The Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1910-1911 reported that the British destroyers HMS Paramatta (1) and Yarra (2) visited Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies between 9-11 November 1910. The Dutch newspaper De locomotief dated 20 September 1910 published an item dated Portmouth, England 19 September reporting that the two new Australian destroyers left for Sydney, Australia. Their crews consisted partly of 70 Australians trained at Portsmouth in gun handling. The machine- and boiler rooms were manned with British sailors while the Australians were unknown with handling oil fuelled propulsion.

Notes

1. D55.Part of River-class torpedo-boat destroyers which was a modified British River-class design, ordered on 13 March 1909, laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland on 17 March 1909, launched on 9 February 1910, commissioned on 10 September 1910, decommissioned on 20 April 1928, sold and became a floating prison, hull run aground in 1933 and in 1973 were bow and stern sections salvaged and used for memorials.

2. D79. Part of River-class torpedo-boat destroyers which was a modified British River-class design, laid down by William Denny and Brothers Ltd., Dumbarton, Scotland in 1900, launched on 9 April 1910, commissioned on 1 March 1911, decommissioned on 10 May 1928 and sunk while used as a target on 1932.