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Aerial view of Outer Harbor
Title : Aerial view of Outer Harbor Aerial view of Outer Harbor
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Creator : Darian Smith, D., photographer
Source : B 68527, Port Adelaide Collection
Date of creation : 1960
Format : Photograph
Contributor : State Library catalogue
Catalogue record
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Copyright : This item is reproduced courtesy of Mrs Pamela Savage. It may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires written permission from Mrs Pamela Savage and the State Library of South Australia. To request approval, complete the Permission to publish form.
Description :

Aerial view of the wharves at Outer Harbor, showing the three liners - Orion, Oronsay and Strathmore tied up at wharves 4, 1 and 2 respectively. The photograph was taken 3 October 1960. All three ships belonged to the P & O Orient Line, a newly formed union of P&O and the Orient Line.

Orion was built for the Orient Line in 1934, was 23696 tons and carried 1691 tourist class passengers. During World War II the vessel was requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a troopship. In 1947 she was returned to Orient Line after reconditioning. Oronsay was built for Orient Line in 1950, had a tonnage of 27,632 gross and could carry 1,400 passengers. Strathmore was built in 1935 for P&O and was also requisitioned for service as a troopship during World War II. After reconditioning the ship returned to commercial service in 1949. In 1961 she was refitted as a one class ship, when she could carry 1,200 tourist class passengers. Prior to this she carried 497 first class and 487 tourist class passengers.

After World War II the pattern of migration changed with the number of non-British migrants increasing dramatically. The British Ministry of Transport in the effort to transport as many migrants as quickly as possible, gathered together as many pre-war liners as it could; their passenger capacity was generally increased. Ill-proportioned and inelegant as some of these ships were, they carried thousands of migrants safely to new lives in Australia. By 1957 the Ministry of Transport ships were no longer: the shipping lines had built new vessels and P&O, Orient as well as foreign lines were now carrying the migrants. The Sitmar Line was the main carrier from 1955, under contract from the Australian government.
Subjects
Related names :

Orion (ship)
Oronsay (ship)
Strathmore (ship)

Coverage year : 1960
Period : 1946-1979
Place : Outer Harbor
Region : Adelaide metropolitan area
Further reading :
Cooke, Anthony. Emigrant ships: the vessels which carried migrants across the world, 1946-1972 London: Carmania, [1992]
Rabson, Stephen. P & O: a fleet history Kendal, Cumbria: World Ship Society, c1988
Internet links :
Exhibitions and events :

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. Wooden Walls and Iron Sides August 2004-


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