The Orient Line
The Orient Steam Navigation Company was
founded in 1878 as a joint venture between Anderson, Anderson
& Co. and the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. The
company was formed to exploit trading routes with Australia
and retained this role throughout its history, with additional
services to New Zealand starting in 1938. By the 1950's,
its liners were full of emigrants looking for new lives
"down under". We pick up the story at this point
and follow it to 1965 when P&O merged the fleet into
its own, signalling the end of independent operations
for this historic company.
All the accompanying pictures are taken
from our film.
|
Otranto
|
|
| Operating life: 1925
- 1957 |
| Tonnage: 20,032 |
| Passengers: 1,686 |
| Constructed:
Vickers, Barrow |
| Our footage: 1min
8secs |
|
|
Otranto was one of five liners of 20,000
tonnes built to replace tonnage lost during the first
world war. She survived the second conflict serving as
a troop ship, although three of her sister ships, Orama,
Orford and Oronsay were lost.
Our footage shows her passing Orion on her last voyage.
Rockets are fired and the shipsĄŻ horns sound to mark the
occasion.
|
Orontes
|
|
| Operating
life: 1929 -1962 |
| Tonnage: 19,970 |
| Passengers: 1,612 |
| Constructed:
Vickers, Barrow |
| Our footage: 3min
34secs |
|
|
The last of the five 20,000 tonne sisters, Orontes was distiguished
by her curved and more modern bow. She too served during
the war as a troop ship and was refitted by Thorneycroft
in 1947 prior to resuming her commercial service.
We have shots of Orontes in Adelaide, Fremantle and Aden
and a good sequence of her crossing at sea. The footage
closes with sad scenes of her last voyage to the breakers.
|
Orion
|
|
| Operating life:
1935 - 1963 |
| Tonnage: 23,371 |
| Passengers: 1,139 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our footage: 2min
38secs |
|
|
Orion was the first large liner to have one mast and the
first Orient liner to be painted in the new colours of buff
hull, white superstructure and buff funnel. After a short
Mediterranean cruise, she set out on her maiden voyage to
Brisbane in September 1935. Orion was the first Orient Line
ship to be released back to the company after the second
world war. She was used briefly as a hotel in Hamburg prior
to being broken up in Belgium.
We show her in Sydney harbour, at anchor in Aden and entering
Tilbury at the end of a long voyage. There are several scenes
of life on board.
|
Orcades
|
|
| Operating
life: 1948 -1973 |
| Tonnage: 28,164 |
| Passengers: 1,545 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our footage: 1min
40secs |
|
|
Our film features the third Orcades,
built after the second world war to replace her predecessor
which was torpedoed in 1942. She was a contemporary to Himalaya
and served on the Trans-Pacific route following the merger
with P&O.
We have scenes of her entering Hong Kong harbour and in
Malta during a Mediterranean cruise.
|
Oronsay
|
|
| Operating life:
1951 - 1975 |
| Tonnage: 27,632 |
| Passengers: 1,501 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our footage: 3min
38secs |
|
|
Like Orcades, Oronsay was built to replace a predecessor
lost during the second world war and was distinguished by
a thicker mast. Oronsay made the first experimental voyages
from Auckland to Vancouver and San Francisco, a route that
would later become the trans-Pacific service for the P&O
- Orient line.
We see Oronsay in Honolulu, Suva, Vancouver and leaving
Sydney harbour. There is a good sequence of her passing
Orcades at sea.
|
Orsova
|
|
| Operating life:
1954 - 1974 |
| Tonnage: 28,790 |
| Passengers: 1,493 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our footage: 1min
32secs |
|
|
Orsova was named after a long-serving Orient line favourite
and was launched the same day as P&O's Arcadia in May
1953. Orsova was then the largest liner with an all-welded
hull and the first large ship to dispense with the conventional
mast.
We have shots of her at anchor in the Suez canal and transiting
the Panama canal .
|
Oriana
 |
|
| Operating life:
1960 - |
| Tonnage: 41,915 |
| Passengers: 2,134 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow. |
| Our footage: 3min
6secs |
|
|
Oriana was the last liner to be built by the Orient Line
and the first British liner to feature a bulbous bow.
Her service speed of 27 knots cut the passage to Australia
from four to three weeks, but even as she was launched,
air travel was beginning to erode the passenger trade
on routes to the southern hemisphere. In later years she
was refitted as a cruise liner and operated in Japan and
China as a luxury hotel.
In early 2005 she was badly damaged by a typhoon that
struck her mooring in Dalian, China. In September 2005
she was towed to Zhangiagang where demolition began.
We see Oriana entering Colombo harbour, in dry dock just
prior to her first voyage, the maiden voyage itself and
various scenes of her at sea. |
