Built as a Second-class protected cruiser by the Pembroke Dockyard for the Royal Navy.
1891 Keel laid down.
30 January 1893 launched as the HMS CAMBRIAN one of the Astraea-class, seven sisters.
Displacement 4,360 ton. Dim. 104.24 x 15.08 x 6.4m. (draught), length bpp. 97.53m.
Powered by two 3-cyl triple expansion steam engines, 7,500 ihp. Maximum 9.500 ihp, twin shafts 18 knots, full speed 19.5 knots.
Bunker capacity 1,000 ton coal.
Armament: 2 – 6 inch QF, 8 – 4.7 inch QF, 10 – 6pdrs QF, 1 – 3 pdr QF and 4 – 18 inch torpedo tubes.
Her steel hull was copper sheathed.
Crew 318.
1894 Completed, building cost £250,000.
During 1897 was she in service in the Mediterranean Station.
1905 She got orders to proceed to the Australian Station and under command of Captain E, F. Gaunt she sailed from Plymouth via the Suez Canal to Australia were she on 22 December 1905 arrived in Sydney.
After arrival mostly used for routine duties and several times she visited New Zealand.
1906 She visited the Pitcairn Islands, and during her five day visit together with HMS FLORA, a torpedo party of the two ships blasted a boat passage in Bounty Bay.
Both ships revisited Pitcairn in 1907.
When in January 1913 HMS DRAKE sailed from the Australian Station for the United Kingdom, Admiral Sir George King-Hall hoisted his flag at the HMS CAMBRIAN.
She became the 15th and last flagship of the Imperial Squadron on the Australian Station.
04 October 1913, when the new formed Australian Fleet arrived in Sydney she exchanged gun salutes with that fleet.
13 October 1913 she left from Sydney and via Melbourne were Admiral Sir George King-Hall struck his flag she sailed to the U.K.
After arrival in 1914 decommissioned, and placed on the sale list.
When the First World War broke out removed from the sale list.
March 1916 Renamed HARLECH and converted in a base ship.
September 1921 renamed VIVID and used as a nominal ship for RN Barracks Devonport.
February 1923 sold to Young in Sunderland for scrap.
Pitcairn Islands 2010 $1.00 sg?, scott?
Source: Wikipedia. Ships on the Australia Station by John Bastock. Pitcairn Islands Stamp Bulletin 114
Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860-1905.