[Fairfield]

One of 4 built late 1950s by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead photographed in 1978 towards the end of her career from Erskine Bridge on her way up to King George V Dock in Glasgow.Luckily enough our local WSS Branch secured a visit to her and it was good to see this fine example of a Cargo liner largely unaltered even retaining a black hull.
Think sisters were:ADELAIDE,TASMANIA and WELLINGTON STARS.

[steve todd]

Auckland Star in Brisbane 1962

Steve

[flyer682]

Sorry Steve, but looks to me more like the ROCKHAMPTON STAR built in 1958 by Cammell Laird.

[Doug Rogers]

Originally Posted by Fairfield

One of 4 built late 1950s by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead photographed in 1978 towards the end of her career from Erskine Bridge on her way up to King George V Dock in Glasgow.Luckily enough our local WSS Branch secured a visit to her and it was good to see this fine example of a Cargo liner largely unaltered even retaining a black hull.
Think sisters were:ADELAIDE,TASMANIA and WELLINGTON STARS.

Nice picture Paul, there always was something imposing about most of their vessels.

[steve todd]

Yes David, you are probably right. It was a long time ago and memory's fade. Sorry about picture quality. They are copied from old colour slides and B&W prints that have spent years in damp lofts and have deteriorated somewhat. Got a few more of scenes and various ships if anybodies interested.

More up to date stuff when I was with Cunards Offshore Marine, Theriot Offshore and Zapata Gulf Marine are much better preserved.

Steve

[david smith]

The Auckland Star arriving Colon Anchorage, Panama.

[Wallace]

Great pictures fella's. 'Auckland Star' was the last of the Blue Star Line to wear the black hull livery, she and her sister 'Wellington Star' were at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool in August 1975 ,the last time the final two sisters were berthed together. ('Adelaide Star 'had just sold to the breakers) Will try and find the shots.
I was on 'Wellington Star's' last voyage which terminated in Sydney three months later with her sale. She was renamed 'Hawke's Bay 'and was to carry live sheep from New Zealand to the Gulf with Indian Crew. On arrival back in U.K. I joined 'Auckland Star' at Avonmouth , quite humbling to think she and her sisters were at one time the largest capicity handling ships in the world.

Wallace.

[ruud]

Ahoy,

Scanned this lovely piccie from this years WSS calender, with again lots of fine photos; the Auckland Star 1958


http://www.worldshipsociety.org/introduction/announce.php

[jpb1958]

Was this the voyage where she carried elephants?

[jpb1958]

Originally Posted by Wallace

Great pictures fella's. 'Auckland Star' was the last of the Blue Star Line to wear the black hull livery, she and her sister 'Wellington Star' were at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool in August 1975 ,the last time the final two sisters were berthed together. ('Adelaide Star 'had just sold to the breakers) Will try and find the shots.
I was on 'Wellington Star's' last voyage which terminated in Sydney three months later with her sale. She was renamed 'Hawke's Bay 'and was to carry live sheep from New Zealand to the Gulf with Indian Crew. On arrival back in U.K. I joined 'Auckland Star' at Avonmouth , quite humbling to think she and her sisters were at one time the largest capicity handling ships in the world.

Wallace.

Sorry, previous post was a bit too vague.
When you joined the Auckland Star in Avonmouth, was this the voyage where she carried elephants?
I was JOS on her and enjoyed every minute of the voyage. Left Avonmouth,
through the Panama Canal, across to Apia Islands and Suvan Islands (cant remeber which came first) on to Australia (Goodbye elephants), then to New Zealand, up to the Med, stopped at Gibralter and paid off in Liverpool. After 7 months away I paid off with the princely sum of £170.
After 2 weeks at home took the ship to Glasgow and back to La' pool and then sailed to South Africa and onto India where we left her to be broken up.

Best of times, best of people.

John

[Pat McCardle]

John,

I was in Avonmouth on Somerset when you were loading those elephants, plenty of noise coming from you's, 3 cows & 2 bulls? I believe they were for Melbourne zoo? One of the handlers got into a bit of bother on there when he was the worse for drink & the nightwatchman thought he was robbing the cabins or linen? I know there was a bit of a do that night as I remember the story being told in the 'Royal' the next day. Happy days hey?

BTW. You will have been to Apia, Western Samoa & Suva, Fiji

[jpb1958]

Hi Pat
Thanks for the reply.
It was actually 4 elephants. Cant remember the sexes of them. They were stabled on number 5 hatch right above the crew bar. About 3 days from the Panama they started stamping their feet, the zoo keeper said that they could smell the land!!
When we got to Apia the public wanted to come aboard and look at them. The zoo keeper wanted to change the diet and so he got on the local radio and said the entrance fee was sugar cane (or some such). I will never forget the sight of the local families lining up along the dock to come aboad with their kids holding the 'entrance fee' in their hands. The police were at the gangway keeping order. I remember them wearing a white kind of skirt and sandals and headache sticks!!
Your right about the keeper being drunk. Plenty of the 'Rummages' around too.
One night that they burst into the bar shouting 'Customs'. You never seen so many 'funny ciggies' disappear. LOL.

While in Avonmouth I remember that Elvis died then as well. (One of those where were you moments).

John

[Brian Dobbie]

Here she is entering Lyttelton 1976. I was serving on Fremantle Star and took this picture from her.
Seem to remember we had a party that night!!!

Brian

[ixion]

Does anyone know the approximate dates she was in the River Blackwater undergoing repairs. Any pictures from that period would also be nice