On the same day in 1974 when I saw the Pretoria Castle in Southampton harbour I saw an
old favourite in the distance and took this photo using a telephoto lens. She was built in 1960 for Orient Line and originally had a corn coloured hull. Here she is in the Suez Canal.
After the merger of P&O-Orient Lines she was painted with a white hull and I first saw her here in Aden in June 1965. We had just arrived out there for my father’s 2 year posting and when I saw the ships I couldn’t wait to go past Steamer Point every day to see what surprise was awaiting me
It didn’t matter that I couldn’t get her all the photo as I was so close. Some ship enthusiasts have been unkind about her profile but she was unique, fascinating and she had a huge fan base. I loved her.
As some of the P&O fleet were being withdrawn, she was converted to a one class cruise ship in 1974 and then she operated out of Sydney from 1981 to 1986. She was sold and went to Osaka in Japan to be a hotel, then a museum at Beppu until being sold to China in 1995. She became a hotel and tourist attraction in Shanghai until 2002 then was moved to Dalian. In 2004 Oriana was damaged in a typhoon and leaned over severely. She was beyond economic repair and was broken up in China in 2005 aged 45 – what a great innings.
I have great affection for the P&O-Orient Liners and will feature them all here in the new year.
this wonderful sight, the Australis of Chandris Line en route to Australia with British and Italian migrants. I wasn’t aware that she had changed hands so it was an unexpected treat to see her. Here is her rather glamorised post card saying she was largest single class ship in the world at the time
No.609 in my book. The Canton of P&O Line built in 1938 by Stephen, Glasgow 171.5m x 22.3m 20 knots and capacity for 480 passengers. She had an impressive war record, sailing 250,000 miles as an armed merchant cruiser and 21,000 miles as a troopship, carrying 6825 troops. This ship probably had the most profound effect on me as I watched her final departure from Singapore for the breakers in Hong Kong. I was 8 years old and became hooked on ship histories.
The World's Passenger Ships 