SS Wandana at Port Lincoln in about 1923. Wandana was purchased by West Coast Shipping Company in 1913. She was part of the company's expansion to take advantage of the anticipated boom on Eyre Peninsula. Wandana was a passenger steamer and provided a smoking room and music room, as well as the promenade deck. She was also a highly manoeuvrable, an advantage in some of the smaller harbours on the west coast and the gulfs.

West Coast Shipping was in direct competition with Adelaide Steamship Company: Wandana was intended to double the frequency of the company's services on the west coast but Adelaide Steamship Company aggressively undercut shipping rates and also had more ships to throw into west coast and Spencer Gulf shipping. Wandana was placed in the Spencer Gulf trade, after an initial showing on the west coast. In the gulf she was in direct competition with ASC's Morialta and ran to the same schedule and timetable.