Bell from AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE

Date1969

Object number00034192

NameShip's bell

MediumBrass, nylon

DimensionsOverall: 175 x 202 mm, 2.5 kg

ClassificationsVessels and fittings

Credit LineANMM Collection gift from Tim Robin

Terms

DescriptionThis bell is from the bridge of the Australian National Line vehicle deck container carrier AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE. The bell is made of brass and has a metal tounge attached to a nylon rope. 'Australian Enterprise 1969' is engraved on one side. Ship's bells were traditionally used for marking the passage of time, call the crew to action, and as a fog signal. When a ship is broken up, the bell is often a highly prozed momento of service on the ship. This bell was not used and was only ever a decorative item and - according to the donor - was always kept highly polished.HistoryThe AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE was a vehicle deck container carrier, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, Japan, for the Australian National Line (ANL). The vessel was commissioned on 27 August 1969 and decommissioned in 1986. The Australian design of the vehicle deck container ship derived from ANL's experience with vehicle deck ships on the Australian coastal cargo trade. The Australian Federal Government established ANL in 1956 to cater for the burgeoning demand for shipping space around Australian ports. It was formed as the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission with the passing of the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act. ANL commenced operations with around forty ships previously managed by the Australian Shipping Board, which had been formed by the federal government in 1946. In 1959, the ANL expanded their operations to include a ferry service, replacing the Tasmanian Steamer run route from Melbourne - Devonport. The first ferry to depart on this route was the PRINCESS OF TASMANIA, the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere, which was constructed in Newcastle in September 1959. Following the success of the Melbourne - Devonport route, the ANL commissioned a cargo carrier, BASS TRADER, which commenced service in 1961. The cargo ship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA was completed in 1964, and undertook its first voyage from Sydney - Hobart in 1965, and shortly afterwards included a route from Sydney - Bell Bay - Burnie as well. In 1969 the services were successful and the line introduced a Ro/Pax (roll on/roll off and passenger) service. The ANL again expanded their Australian passenger service in 1969 with the introduction of the passenger liner AUSTRALIAN TRADER, who operated a route between Burnie, Devonport and Bell Bay. The lack of a significant Australian-flag shipping service which operated internationally meant that Australia had to rely on vessels registered overseas to maintain its trade links with the rest of the world. In the early 1970s, ANL moved from primarily coastal shipping to an international shipping container company. The development of modular containers and ships opened the way for Australian-flag ships. Container ships allowed for higher cargo capacity, quicker turnaround times, high speed and greater automation. In 1984 ANL announced that they would not be continuing in the ferry business. The ceasing of the ANL's involvement in the passenger trade allowed them to concentrate solely on bulk freight and cargo. Despite significant union protest against the move at the time, the government sold ANL in 1998. The French company CMA CGM bought the naming rights of ANL Limited. In 2010, CMA CGM operated over 350 vessels (mostly container vessels) on all of the world's major shipping lanes. SignificanceAfter a 40 year hiatus, AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE was the first Australian-flag vessel to initiate regular overseas trade. The Australian National Line's (ANL) Eastern Searoad Service (ESS) serviced Yokkaido, Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. In 1975 AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE inaugurated ANL's first independant operation.