In October 1914 seventeen troop ships left Port Melbourne for Albany, Western Australia. The ships were A1 HMAT Hymettus, A2 HMAT Geelong, A3 HMAT Orvieto, A4 HMAT Pera, A5 HMAT Omrah, A9 HMAT Shropshire, A10 HMAT Karroo, A15 HMAT Star of England, A18 HMAT Wiltshire, A20 HMAT Hororata, A21 HMAT Marere, A22 HMAT Rangatira, A24 HMAT Benalla, A25 HMAT Anglo Egyption, A26 HMAT Armadale, A27 HMAT Southern and A28 HMAT Militiades. Sixteen of the ships left between 17 and 21 October.
Although the departure of the ships was kept secret family and friends still flocked to Port Melbourne to farewell the troops. The ships departed from three piers - Town Pier, New Railway Pier (Princes Pier) and Railway Pier (Station Pier). The ships carried troops, nurses, supplies, weapons and horses.
See Anzac 2014-2018 Centenary for additional information:
HMAT Orvieto embarkation
Port Melbourne - First Convoy
Also
Troopships to move a nation
First World War Embarkation rolls - Australian War Memorial (In advanced search search for name of ship)
Troopships - Adopt a Digger project
His Majesty's Australian Transports - Desert Column (photos and information about the ships
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