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PERTH

PERTH

Built 1897.

Melbourne Steamship Company, on the Sydney to Fremantle, via Melbourne, run. Wrecked Greymouth, New Zealand, November 1921.

1,799 gross tons, 1,126 net. Lbd 264' x 37' x 16'7".

Steel steamship powered by triple expansion steam engines producing 181 nautical horsepower. Built by S P Austin & Son Ltd., Sunderland for the Melbourne Steamship Co Ltd., Melbourne.

Was the first purpose built passenger - cargo vessel constructed for this concern. Operated on the run to Fremantle in passenger - cargo capacity taking in smaller ports along the way. Since, she traded regularly between Australia and New Zealand carrying timber. Bound for Sydney, she ran aground at North Tiphead, Greymouth , New Zealand, 21st November 1921. A total wreck

Information supplied by John Hoskin @ Flotilla Australia

Cheers and GB

Gordy
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Alistair Macnab

· Registered
Bank Line ships 1953 to 1968, Apprentice to Master
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There has been speculation on the purpose of the additional booms over hatchways on one or two of these Australian-operated ships and the photograph of the "Cycle" nearby where there are no extra booms but clearly sheaves dependent from the triatic stays over the hatchways suggests that they are perhaps used to erect canvas wind chutes to ventilate holds either for cargo purposes or for deck passengers in the tween decks. The types of rigged temporary canvas ventilators that old tankers used to rig to gas-free tanks.
 
D

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I think that I would agree with you on that Alistair - there are not enough of them and too low to be "Coaling Gaffs" ( see my comments 17/4 to Gordy Ross posting of SS 'Time' on 7/4), and beside that, this vessel was in a different trade.

Regards
DMR
 
B

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Hadn't those 1800+ vessels some capacity to set sails, in case the steam engine failed. It seems not the case here, but it ocurred to me anyway.
 
D

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Yes, Braz.Felix, one that comes to mind is the SS Ngatoro, owned by the Blackball Coal Co., chartered to and eventually sold to USSCo of NZ. I have a picture somewhere in my files of her with a sail rigged on both foremast and mainmast. She was built in 1910, and was initially a collier operating out of the West coast of the NZ South Island, and is described in "Union Fleet" (Ian Farquhar) as "being equipped with flying derricks suitable for transferring coal bunkers to large vessels."
She spent much of her time with USSCo operating between Tasmanian ports and the Australian mainland.

An interesting period of shipping history I feel.

Regards

DMR
 

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Cargo vessels
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Gordy Ross
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