HMAS Australia's whistle marked peace in 1927, fell quiet in 1957
A naval steam whistle from HMAS Australia sounded Canberra's first Armistice Day ceremony in 1927 and has been silent since 1957.
In 1921, a worker at Kingston Power House fashioned a crude steam whistle from scrap metal to mark work shifts. The naval whistle from HMAS Australia replaced it, salvaged from the warship scuttled off Sydney Heads in 1924.
Because it was built to project commands across a warship in battle, it was far louder. On November 11, 1927, it sounded Canberra's first large-scale Armistice Day commemoration, with Prime Minister Stanley Bruce leading the ceremony.
At 11am, the first blast began the ceremony. Two minutes later, a second blast signalled the Last Post and two minutes' silence.
The whistle operated until Kingston Power House closed in 1957. Today it sits silent on the old power house roof, alongside a World War II air-raid siren.
- November 11, 1927
- First ceremony date
- Prime Minister Stanley Bruce
- Leader present
- 1957
- Final silence year
- Sydney Heads, 1924
- Warship scuttled
Why it mattersIt's a tangible link to Canberra's early history and the nation's Armistice traditions, now falling into obscurity as the city moves on.
AustraliaA historic piece of Australian heritage sits unused in Canberra; restoring it would let the capital honour its Armistice centenary next year with an authentic, century-old voice.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
