 The 1st Division departed Australia from Albany , Western Australia on 1 November 1914 in convoy of 10 transports escorted by several British , Australian and Japanese warships . Initially bound for British @-@ controlled Egypt , with a stopover in Ceylon , the convoy had been delayed several times due to fears of interception by German warships in the area . These fears later proved valid when the German cruiser Emden was sighted off Cocos Island . As the convoy steered to avoid the threat , the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney , engaged the Emden with her heavier guns and after an engagement that lasted only twenty @-@ five minutes , the Sydney emerged victorious . 
