S.S. "ORONSAY" of 1951 a very popular ship both in Britain and Australia

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"ORONSAY" was built by Vickers-Armstrongs, she was launched 30.6.1950 and completed in 1951, the ship left on her maiden voyage from London to Sydney on the 16.5.1951. "ORONSAY's" design was similar to ORCADES although slightly smaller, she had 27.632 G.T.. Four months after her launching a fire broke out which lasted for nearly three days, so much water was pumped on board that there were fears that she would capsize, fortunately damage was not as bad as expected but her completion was delayed for over two months. "ORONSAY" was built as a liner for her Australian voyages but also with cruising in mind, she made her first cruise from Tilbury in the summer of 1952. In 1954 her profile changed slightly due to the addition of a "top hat" to her funnel to improve smoke dispersal. In 1964 "ORONSAY" like other Orient passenger liners came under P & O, her hull changed from corn to white. In 1972 the ship was cruising full time all year round especially from Australia, she became a one-class ship, in 1975 P & O announced that she would be withdrawn from service, she left Southampton for the last time on 4.8.1975, she sailed via Panama to Sydney from where she made her final cruise to Hong-Kong, on the 28.9.1975 she disembarked her passengers and proceeded to Kaohsiung to be broken up. "ORONSAY" always enjoyed great popularity both in Britain and Australia.

Comments

  1. alanJuly 2, 2013 at 5:22 AM

    LOOKING FOR VOYAGE ITINERY OF ORONSAY AUG 1961-JAN 1962

    ReplyDelete
  2. JimDJanuary 26, 2014 at 8:55 PM

    The bottom photo is the Orcades Not the Oronsay. The Oronsay had a rounded funnel extending to aft of the funnel housing not a slopping one. Also the 'goal posts' were on the forward sampson posts on Oronsay and the second set on Orcades. The area above the gathered boats where the ships gangway is mounted is not open on the Oronsay either.

    ReplyDelete
  3. VMFJanuary 27, 2014 at 6:20 AM

    thank you for the correction Jim and thanks for your comment

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2014 at 4:43 AM

    Does anyone know a L.R Patterson "Bobby" who was the concert promoter on the Oronsay Feb 1955?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gary TetlowMay 25, 2014 at 1:38 AM

    Does anybody on the Oronsay around the 1950's remember Ronald Tetlow, he was a waiter, married Patricia Baldwin

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMarch 24, 2016 at 7:00 PM

    Does any one remember my mum, Joy Bashford, she worked on the Oronsay as a hairdresser back in the late 50,s.

    ReplyDelete

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