Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 17
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[Page 17]
Chap ii
By mid October 1914 all the German Pacific stations were in our hands or those of the Japanese, their colonies had fallen, and von Spees squadron was dispersed and on its way to South America with the Australia and other ships in pursuit.
Australian waters were free from the menace of hostile warships, for with their bases gone the Germans were like rabbits without a burrow. Any appearance off a British port at once gave their position away and exposed von Spee to the risk of an action with the Australia, a risk which we had reason to know he wished mightily to avoid. The flagship often had occasion to use her wireless, a set easily the most powerful in those waters and easily distinguishable; and the Germans evidently knew it, for on nights when the Australia was silent we could hear them asking each other querulously "Where is FT? Where is FT?" - FT being then the Australia's call sign. Von Spee then like a wise commander betook himself to regions where neutral ports with stores and coal could be had were ready to his hand, and where no considerable armed force existed to next uphold an inconvenient neutrality.
This left the Sydney free to make ready for the greater task which was awaiting her, hand and she left Fiji for Sydney on the 10th October 1914, arriving home seven days later.
She crept into Harbour almost unobserved on the forenoon of the 22nd and went into dock. All hands that could be spared adjourned to their favourite hostelry to rest their gaze on beer after the sight of many horizons with never a column of smoke upon them.