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Sydney - Emden 100 GazeboPrint Page Print this page

04-December-2014
04-December-2014

Photographs supplied by Heather Saunders

The gazebo commemorates the 100th anniversary of the battle between H.M.A.S. Sydney and the German ship SMS Emden in November 1914 during World War One.   The Gazebo features interpretive panels telling the Sydney Emden story and crew lists from both vessels. 

Emden was a cruiser that, at the start of World War One formed part of the German East Asiatic Squadron. She was detached to stalk the shipping routes across the Indian Ocean and quickly became the scourge of the Allied navies. Between August and October 1914, Emden captured or sank 21 vessels.

In November 1914, nine Allied vessels were involved in the hunt for Emden, and the threat she posed led to a particularly heavy escort of four warships being allocated to the first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy. Surprised by one of these escorts, H.M.A.S. Sydney, while in the process of destroying the British radio station on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Emden was destroyed on 9 November 1914.

Location

Address:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, 6799
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -12.090304
Long: 96.884302
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Structure
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW1
Actual Event Start Date:09-November-1914
Actual Event End Date:09-November-2014

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 9th November, 2014
Front Inscription

Honour their memory
Sydney - Emden 100
Cocos - Keeling Islands 2014

Welcome to the Sydney - Emden 100 Gazebo. This place of reflection was erected in 2014 by the Shire of Cocos Keeling Island with the support of the Australian Government to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War battle between the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (1) and the German light cruiser SMS Emden, on 9 November 1914. 

The battle began just to the north of this site in the waters off Direction Island. It ended at North Keeling Island, some 20km away, when SMS Emden, battered and broken, was deliberately run aground to spare her crew the perils of sinking. 

The defeat of SMS Emden by HMAS Sydney was the young Royal Australian navy`s first victory at sea. 
The battle exacted a great cost. Emden lost 136 crewmen. Four of Sydney's crew died. 

Here we tell their story and honour their memory. 

Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au