Huge Russian Invasion of Australia Game?

[Tommy20]

While surfing the forum looking for games set in colonial Australia, I found this thread, which reminded me of a group project i read about a number of years ago. 
 
It was detailed on the now-defunct Australian Colonial Wars Yahoo Group, and featured a huge game involving a Russian landing in Australia.  The players did first-hand research on the period shore defenses, which they built to defend against a 28mm scaled Russian cruiser.

With the demise of Yahoo Groups, I can no longer find any info on this project.  Does anyone here remember it (or better yet, are those who participated in it here)?  If so, does any info on it exist elsewhere online?

[ChrisBBB]

Hi Tommy,

Your post brings up "Related topics" below it. The first on the list is this one:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=74295.0
Which, I think, will lead you to what you're after.

Chris

[George]

I recall their huge and VERY impressive Russian cruiser which dominated the gaming board.

[ChrisBBB]

Look in the 2015 posts:
http://captaindarlingsminiaturesemporium.blogspot.com/2015/01/

[George]

https://www.rbth.com/history/330300-how-australia-prepared-for-war-with-russia

This gives the background to the situation of the wargame.

[Tommy20]

George is on the right track.  This was a much larger game than the skirmishes in Captain Darlings campaign.

IIRC, there were a number of contributors responsible for the different forces involved,  not the least of which were the cruiser & defenses, Russian sailors & troops, plus a number of different territorial regiments involved.

[Khmorg]

Forgive me please, but I stopped sleeping. where can I see this legendary Russian cruiser??

[George]

I am fairly sure it was "Wargaming the Defence of Melbourne 1882". But I have been searching google for ANY reference to it and it seems to have been comprehensively removed. Not a trace anywhere that I can find. It was a really big game. large scratch built terrain of a coastal fort. and ships and boats.

I am amazed not even a ghost of it remains on the web, but I cannot find anything.

[FifteensAway]

Maybe try PMing Captain Darling here on LAF.  He is active on the board.  Maybe he might have further knowledge.  (If you haven't already, of course.)

[Tommy20]

I am fairly sure it was "Wargaming the Defence of Melbourne 1882". But I have been searching google for ANY reference to it and it seems to have been comprehensively removed. Not a trace anywhere that I can find. It was a really big game. large scratch built terrain of a coastal fort. and ships and boats.

I am amazed not even a ghost of it remains on the web, but I cannot find anything.

Yup, that’s the one.  It was a months long thread on Yahoo Groups, and apparently lost to the ages when they shut down.  I sincerely hope those who held tha game kept a record of the discussions.

[Poiter50]

Did the group not transition to IO when they took over?

Yup, that’s the one.  It was a months long thread on Yahoo Groups, and apparently lost to the ages when they shut down.  I sincerely hope those who held tha game kept a record of the discussions.

[ChrisBBB]

Sorry for my unhelpful replies - didn't read properly before typing from the hip. Only trying (and failing) to help! Good luck with finding what you're looking for.

[Tommy20]

No worries ChrisBBB, just not the one I was looking for…

Poiter50, I took a look at IO, but couldn’t find the group.  Of the 30 or so Yahoo Groups I used to frequent, only one or two even moved to IO, and the traffic for both dried up pretty much completely.  It was a shame, as there were some thriving communities that disappeared overnight.

[Captain Darling]

Hello Tommy20,

I got a message regarding this topic. I know the game of which you speak, it interested me because of my own project. It covered an Imperial Russian assault on Melbourne a brave decision on their behalf 😊. It was a group effort and a lot of work went into it. Think it was played in Melbourne. There was a Russian warship and fortifications pretty sure it was 1/56 scale. I’m sorry I do not have any pictures of it I have some of the historical information they put together though. Maybe contact the League of Ancients war gamers based in Melbourne they may have an idea.

I have a print out about the scenario background (no OOB) five pages long…


Also at the time I printed an eleven page historical background document…


I haven’t got an electric copies of either of these but I am looking for a new printer and once I get one I could scan them for those interested.

Here’s a couple of good articles on Imperial Russia and its Pacific interests in the nineteenth century…
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/UQ_213046/s00855804_1967_1968_8_3_432.pdf?Expires=1669692608&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ&Signature=C1MNn5J2JxFkTLv71MfK5GrvAOswt3iBXxsYlRG~I1SKsULcj9N2tSM5AcUu8OZ68PsIzqyxR-1RaPeZ6oKbNaLQiiqLL6vb5KbDfQKWFiRzdoCYNS7GA6syZLgWVZiV690jVyDzKkXaIlWFaqKKunZvZ6aA1OWH-BfwM5lShTi8GtkaCG1JGRpWnCZM0zEPQdazIsXbLALPNtDVXi6GBtBqKtv9z5T9yl4R0qZnjlpKcXVRThSdPYTWAorrv71nXgbobP9o1rfHwZ9aRpIO6fK0S2uZ2U4Dp5pNOJa1Q4NQzttd9lCZAie9eCCf67JUOrnDyiBr2jjtAtDdHeqZ2Q__

And…

https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/defending_colonial_sydney

I choose to set my hypothetical series of games in 1879 and my alternate history and forces are all detailed on Captain Darling’s Blog. Alas no big Russian warships in my games! The forces used are based on historical records which are listed as well!

Good luck on your search for pictures and more information on this game!

[Poiter50]

Didn't Eureka Miniatures do some Australian Colonial Navy guys with some weaponry at some stage?