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Q.S.S.S. " New Australia" continued
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This
postcard recently came into my possession (August 2004) when I purchased
it from a collector in Miami. When I received the card I noticed that
the persons who sent it, dated the card 1st June 1953, approaching Malta,
the day before the Queen's Coronation. I, of course, with my parents
were travelling on the same voyage! so the card went from Port Said
to West Drayton, in Middlesex, then somehow found it's way to Miami
and finally back to England once again. |
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Menus
were printed daily for meals
Farewell
Dinner, 20th June, 1953the night before we made our first landfall in
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This little souvenir booklet was set up and printed on board S.S."New Australia" in the Printer's Shop, located on, or below, 'D'Deck. The booklet covered the voyage from Sailing on 27th May, 1953 to arrival at Sydney on 28th June, 1953. On
the inside was a discription of the route we would take, and the ports
called at. Unfortunately when at Port Said there was 'trouble' so we
were not allowed to go ashore.though
we still controlled the Canal and most of Egypt at that time.
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Daily 'Distance Run' Cards, the top left was the day we crossed
the Equator, for which I received the certificate opposite. |
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Judging
the Fancy Dress Parade aboard "New Australia", |
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"New
Australia", damage to her bow caused by the tanker (left). A
personal recollection of the incident is given below by James Andrew,
who sailed aboard her as Junior Engineer in 1957. These photographs,
and his recollections are used with his permission and my thanks. |
"New Australia" Engine Room |
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In leafing through the Shaw Savill site, I came across your article on the" New Australia". This ship holds some good and some bad memories for me, in that it was the ship I first sailed on, as Junior Engineer, (27th actually) in 1957. This was the last trip she did before we delivered her to Hambourg for refitting as the Arkadia. We left on the 16th August 1957 My job was on daywork, fixing taps, steam leaks, and a lot of repairs to the galley equipment, plus assisting in the engine room on leaving and entering ports. It was and eventful trip,in that we took migrants via Dakar W. Africa, and Durban, to Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney and then took on a lot of Aussie troops to take up to Singapore and Penang for the Malaysian conflict. We had problems in that we collided with a Swedish Tanker, the "France Stove", whilst dropping our pilot off at Thursday Island, on the north east corner of Australia. We had to carry out temporary repairs to the bows, welding plates over the gash, before proceeding to Dry Dock in Singapore. This created some problems, as the fresh water tanks became contaminated, and so supply was very limited, and we ran out of beer, which was criminal for the Aussie troops on board. On the return trip we picked up some disgruntled Migrants and some RAF Personnel from Woomera to return to the UK, via Aden and Suez, arriving about 1st December The photos, above, of the ship shows bow damage, the anchor off our ship embedded in the superstructure of the "France Stove", a couple of engine room shots. I stayed with Shaw Savill for 8 years and eventually took my Chiefs ticket,. I sailed on the Persic, Runic (I was in charge of the watch in 1961 when she went a-ground en-route from Brisbane to Auckland, and after 5 weeks of attempting to save her, we left her a great radar mark on Middleton Reef ) I also sailed on the Southern Cross, Suevic, and Gothic. I now live in Fremantle having left the sea in 1965, and taking on shore work. I retired three years ago. Many
thanks for the interesting web site and the other details of other
vessels too. |
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The "New Australia" was sold to the Greek Line on 13th January 1958 being refitted at Hamburg she made her Maiden Voyage as S.S. "Arkadia", to Montreal via Southampton on 24th May 1958. She is shown on a promotional postcard, left, in her new livery, complete with this 'trident' funnel logo.  |
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In 1954 HM the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh embarked on their first Royal Visit to Australia and New Zealand aboard the S.S. "Gothic" (shown left and taken from the booklet) which was converted into the Royal Yacht for the occasion. All school children were given a small souvenir booklet of photographs and itenerary which started from Sydney on 3rd February 1954 and ended at Fremantle on Thursday 1st April 1954. The booklet is inscribed that it was presented to "Michael Byard of Beulah School", as I was learning at home by NSW Correspondence Schools for children in the Outback! |
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