Customs House and Brisbane River wharves

Photographer Samuel J Hood Studio (Australian, 1899 - 1953)

Datec 1930

Object number00035687

NameGlass plate negative

MediumEmulsion on glass

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

Brisbane River

DescriptionThis photograph depicts Customs House with its dome roof and an unidentified steam vessel alongside the Brisbane River wharves. The image was taken from SS ORUNGAL.HistoryThe Australasian United Steam Navigation Company (AUSN) was established in 1887 and acquired other competing companies, such as the Australasian Steam Navigation Company. In 1927 AUSN chartered the ORMISTON and ORUNGAL for the coastal freight and passenger service between Cairns and Melbourne. They were refurbished to accommodate 240 passengers in a single class. In November 1940, ORUNGAL was transporting passengers and cargo from Sydney to Adelaide and hit a reef and sunk near Barwon Heads. ORMISTON was used for a variety of coastal services after the outbreak of the Second World War and was torpedoed off the north coast of NSW in May 1943, but managed to reach Coffs Harbour. After being repaired she was used as a troop transport for the remainder of the war. Due to a dearth of passenger ships post-war, ORMISTON serviced the Sydney to Hobart route until 1947. Up until 1955, ORMISTON traded along the east coast of Australia and was then sold to a Greek company and was broken up in Italy in 1957. During the 20th century, the chairman of P&O also held extensive interest in Australasian United Steam Navigation, and the company became connected to P&O in 1946. AUSN from thereafter focused on cargo transportation between Australia and the Far East and continued to operate until 1975 when their last two ships were sold.SignificanceThe Samuel J Hood photographic collection records an extensive range of maritime activity on Sydney Harbour, including sail and steam ships, crew portraits, crews at work, ship interiors, stevedores loading and unloading cargo, port scenes, pleasure boats and harbourside social activities from the 1890s through to the 1950s. They are also highly competent artistic studies and views - Hood was regarded as an important figure in early Australian photojournalism. Hood’s maritime photographs are one of the most significant collections of such work in Australia.