Antipodean War of Independence

The Australian Territories' unilateral declaration of independence in 1891, closely followed by that of New Zealand, prompted a swift and merciless response from Imperial military forces stationed in the Pacific.

The short-lived rebellion saw the formation of the Republican Defence Force, including the Air Corps. Pictured above is Captain Shaun Heyes at the controls of a "Dingo" fighter aircraft, one of the few that could be cobbled-together from limited supplies by the Sydney Airworks Company in the face of Imperial blockade.

Captain Heyes became the first Australian "ace", downing twelve Imperial aircraft before disappearing over the Pacific. Tales of his exploits were to become an inspirational rallying point for the Australian Insurgency which continued the armed struggle against Imperial rule following the suppression of the rebellion in the Summer of 1892.

With victory in the second Antipodean War, the town of Victoria was renamed "Heyesville" in honour of this legendary flyer.

A rare colour image of the "Dingo" in flight can be viewed here.

The Imperial Ambulatory Hussar

The Ambulatory Hussar was hailed as a triumph of Imperial engineering and design upon its introduction. However, the reputation of this fighting machine was to descend into infamy following the shameful use of mechanised troops against a peaceful political meeting in St Peter's Field in Manchester in 1869.

This engraving from the Times shows the strength of the national outcry over the use of the troops. The Prime Minister was shouted down by Opposition members in the House of Commons during an emergency debate, and the Press was highly-critical of Imperial Army Command for allowing "the deployment of armoured titans against a legitimate assembly of the very people they were sworn to protect".

Further images of this infamous mechanical contraption may be viewed here.

The Earl of Rosebery and his Bentley Sky Phantom

The photographic image above shows Archibald Philip-Primrose Rosebery, the flamboyant 5th Earl of Rosebery, at the controls of his beloved Bentley Sky Phantom.

Rosebery was one of the most famous society figures of his day; a succesful racehorse owner and author of political biographies, even enjoying a brief spell as Prime Minister from 1894-95.

Retiring from the Government citing boredom, he was to go on to succesfully woo the richest heiress in the Empire. This astute match, coupled with one of his horses winning the Derby, was to enable Rosebery to indulge his long-held fascination with aeronautics. He slowly built up one of the finest collections of vintage flying machines in the Empire, the envy of many a museum curator.

His pride and joy was the Bentley Sky Phantom, saved from scrap in 1901 and painstakingly-restored by his own hand, becoming the last airworthy Phantom in existence.

More images of the Bentley Sky Phantom, many of them in colour, may be viewed here.

Gibraltarian Gunboat

The Gibraltar Incident of 1866 saw the Secessionists employ small, highly-maneuverable Steam Gunboats to considerable effect, harrassing Imperial merchant shipping through the Straits.

Although manned by only one sailor, the Gunboats were armed with the equivalent of a small frigate's weaponry and proved to be much sterner opposition than had been expected by Imperial Naval Command.

Twenty-three of these small craft formed the Secessionist Fleet, carrying out hit-and-run raids on Imperial craft over a period of six months, across the Western Mediterranean and occasionally in the Atlantic approaches to Gibraltar.

The gutter press of the time was in uproar at the apparent inability of the Empire to defend her shipping from such "insignificant" enemies, and the successes of the Gibraltarian vessels, whilst small in scale, became a major embarrasment to the Government. The Prime Minister, Lord Stanley, was questioned by an angry Commons, and at one point it seemed that the issue might force an early General Election.

The Secessionists were only brought to heel through the dispatch of four pocket battleships to the region. These vessels, most notably the famous HMS Pollyanna, hunted down the Gunboats at sea, and crippled their onshore support facilities with heavy bombardment of The Rock.

The final crushing of the Gibraltar Secessionists came too late for the hapless Prime Minister. Although no General Election was called, the Tories felt Stanley could not continue to lead his party and he stepped aside, allowing Disraeli to take the helm.

Further photographic images of the Steam Gunboat may be viewed here.