HMAS Sydney (D48) was a Modified Leander-class light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy. She was the second ship to carry the name Sydney. An aircraft carrier later carried the name as well.
John Augustine Collins became her captain on 16 November 1939. Joseph Burnett took command on 15 May 1941 and was still captain when the cruiser was lost.
On 19 November 1941, west of Western Australia, Sydney intercepted the German raider Kormoran, which was sailing in disguise. The action that followed destroyed both ships, and Sydney was sunk with all hands.
Sydney's gunfire left Kormoran sinking, and the raider was scuttled. Most of Kormoran's crew survived. In the same fight, Kormoran's guns and torpedoes sank Sydney.
The two ships destroyed each other that day. Sydney went down with every man aboard, a loss of 645 hands. With Burnett in command, the second Sydney ended west of Western Australia on 19 November 1941.