Builder's model of Orient Liner ORONTES
Arranged by
Orient Line
(1878 - 1966)
Date1929
Object number00055182
NameModel
Mediumtimber, metal, wire, paint
DimensionsOverall: 1300 × 560 × 4240 mm, 244 kg
ClassificationsModels
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with the generous assistance of the ANMM Foundation
DescriptionThis impressive 1:48 scale model of the Orient Liner SS ORONTES was built in 1929 in the model workshop of shipbuilder Vickers Armstrongs Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness north west England as part of the commissioning process for the 20,000 ton ship.
ORONTES, built 1929, was the last of five Orama class liners built in the 1920s for the Orient Line for its UK-Australian route. After fit-out and several short summer cruises from Britain, ORONTES left Tilbury on its maiden voyage to Australia on 26 October 1929. The model was presented as a showpiece to the Orient Line and also shipped to Australia where it was displayed in the windows of company's Spring Street Office in Sydney for many years.
During World War II ORONTES was requisitioned as a troopship for the Royal Navy, taking part in campaigns in North Africa and Sicily and transporting troops across the Atlantic and in the Pacific. After the war the ship returned to the London - Sydney service. It was converted to a one class ship to carry assisted immigrants and child migrants - with a capacity of more than 1100 each voyage. After an incredible 33 years' service the ageing liner was scrapped in 1962, superseded by more modern ships and, for immigrant berths, competition from the airline industry.
HistoryThe builder's model was built as part of the commissioning process for the Orient Liner SS ORONTES in 1929. ORONTES was built for the Orient Steam Navigation Co by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness, north west England, for the British-Australian route. It was launched 27 February 1929. After fit-out, sea trials in September and several short summer cruises around the southern English coast, Orontes left Tilbury on its maiden voyage to Australia on 26 October 1929.
The vessel has a strong association with Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the Australian ports that it frequented during a sailing life that would span 33 years, an economic downturn, world war II and the imperatives of an aggressive post-war immigration policy.
Presentation models such as this were built in the shipyard's model workshop, commissioned by the ship owner as a showpiece flagship to promote their operations. The model of SS ORONTES like the ship made its way to Australia. It was displayed in the Orient Line's Sydney Offices for many years. It was built at a cost of 856 pounds, (ref curator Vickers Archive Dock Museum Barrow-in-Furness) and represents the ship as built.
The new liner, described in contemporary reports as palatial and magnificent, bringing a level of luxury to the Australian routes that had previously been confined to Trans-Atlantic traffic, was widely feted on its visits to Fremantle and Adelaide in November, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in December 1929. It was opened to public inspection with ceremonial and charity luncheons, dinners, dances and a ball held on board.
At the official luncheon in Sydney the NSW premier applauded the Orient Line's commitment to the Australian service 'In 1909 they [the Orient Company] built five 12,000 ton ships for the Australian service, another very definite advance in communication between Australia and the motherland. The war caused a little halt, but afterwards, in pursuance of its policy, the company decided to build five 20,000-ton ships, of which the magnificent vessel in which you have lunched today is the latest. They showed their faith and their courage and enterprise by the fact that on these ships they have spent no less than £5,000,000. It is a compliment to Australia which we should be the first to recognise, and we do recognise it thoroughly. These ships bring us into more direct touch with the world, and we don't need anything more in Australia than a keener realisation of the importance of direct economic relations with the centre of the Empire'. He continued 'Not only has the company been a sort of pioneer in the passenger service... they were pioneers in the establishment of the system of refrigeration which has meant so much to the export of our primary product.' Sydney Morning Herald, 7 December 1929, p16
D.L Dowdell, general manager in Australia for the Orient Company, recalled that ORONTES was the ancient name of a river in Syria which flowed past Antioch into the Mediterranean. 'We feel confident' he said, 'that after a look around the ship you will agree that the ORONTES is very aptly named. The vessel Is the latest addition to the Orient family, and we have been blessed with four other fine daughters during the last five years. It is intended that these vessels should cater for all sections of the travelling public. For something less than three farthings a mile we carry a passenger from Sydney to London, providing him with safety and comfort, and full board during the voyage.'
SS ORONTES was the last of Orient Line's five 20,000 ton Orama class ships built in the 1920s for the mail and passenger service between the United Kingdom and Australia. It was Orient Line's second ship of that name. The first operated from 1902-1929.
The other four were ORAMA launched May 1924, ORONSAY, August 1924, OTRANTO June 1925 and ORFORD September 1927.
The five ships shared a general arrangement and design features, except that ORONTES was larger and had a raked stem, modern for the time. All catered for two classes of passengers, ORONTES had 500 first class berths (on decks A to F amidships) and 1112 third class berths (decks G to H). The dining and sports facilites were applauded for their design and comfort with cafes, lounges, dining saloons, a swimming bath, several tennis and numerous deck quoits and games courts, as was the spaciousness of the deck area and the third class facilities in general.
From 1929 to 1940 ORONTES carried thousands of migrants and travellers from England to Australia, and return. In the main they were Britons but also Europeans of various cultural backgrounds. By 1933 the third class accomodation was upgraded and the number of berths reduced to 518 tourist and 463 first class.
Famous passengers included the English cricket team on the way to the Bodyline tour in 1932. In 1939 the ship made one voyage across the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand.
In February 1940 the four-metre builder's model was the feature display in the street-front windows of the new Orient Line Offices in Spring St Sydney. In the early months of the World War II the ship was in its last months of cruising. On 16 April 1940 ORONTES was requisitioned as a troop carrier in the UK and refitted to accommodate 3,226 men. They slept in hammocks: 308 in the third class dining saloon and 1762 on F,G and H decks.
Its first voyage to Australia via South Africa drew enemy aircraft fire in the Downs off the coast of Kent . On the return voyage the ship transported troops from Australia for Singapore along with a cargo of Wirraway and Hudson aircraft, and en route, picked up troops in India for Europe.
During its seven year service ORONTES was involved in landings in north Africa, Sicily and Salerno, surviving intense aerial bombardment by German aircraft. The liner carried troops to Italy from North America via the Atlantic route, and from Capetown, the Middle East and Sri Lanka. In late 1943 ORONTES transferred to long distance trooping to India, Japan and the Pacific. In 1945 the ship carried French troops to Ho Chi Minh city (then Saigon) to reimpose French colonial rule. On its return to Southampton in May 1946 the ship was quarantined due to a smallpox case, with 4,500 troops on board.
In January 1947 ORONTES left Melbourne for Cushaven Germany to return Prisoners of War from Australian camps to Europe, including German internees from the SYDNEY KORMORAN engagement.
In April 1947 ORONTES was released from Government service having clocked up the most 'miles' travelled by any liner during the war @ 790,000km.
The ship was returned to the Orient Line service and refitted at the Thornycroft shipyard, Southampton UK to carry 502 first and 618 tourist 'B' class passengers. It was restored to its pre-war livery and served once again on the England to Australia route.
On 15 June 1947 the press was invited on board the reconditioned liner, when company representative FA Geddes adressed the group 'By prewar standards ORONTES is no longer a new ship, but the old standards have changed, ... we have to alter our ideas and ships must be made to have a longer useful life than they had before the war....' Among the major improvements were hot and cold running water in all cabins, a sprinkler fire system, and redesigned accomodations. [Neil McCart Passenger ships of the Orient Line, 1987]
Two days later ORONTES left Tilbury for Australia on its first post-war commercial voyage with more than 1100 passengers.
In 1953 in the context of Australia's post-war immigration push, the ship was refitted with an extra 250 berths to carry 1372 tourist one-class passengers. It joined ships including Otranto, Strathnaver and the New Australia carrying assisted immigrants for the Australian Government's 'ten pound pom' scheme and with assistance from the Apex club, the ' Bring out a Briton' scheme, and various migration schemes for children and young people sponsored by organisations such as Big Brother.
In 1960 the Orient Line formally merged with its majority shareholder the Peninsular & Oriental Line, P&O.
On 25 November 1961 SS Orontes left Tilbury on its final voyage to Australia, returning ex Sydney on 12 January 1962. Six weeks later, 5 March 1962, the ship arrived at shipbreakers JF Ordas in Valencia to be scrapped.
After 33 years service the ageing liner could not compete with the sleek modern fleet and competition for immigrant berths from the airline industry. In all its years as a passenger liner, excluding its war service, ORONTES had carried more than 75,000 passengers to Australia. (source email correspondence Rob Henderson P& O archives) During its Orient Line years 1929-1960 it made 71 voyages to Australia carrying 67,017 passengers. Overall between 1929-1962, including its P&O years ORONTES made 77 voyages to Australia carrying 75,195 passengers.
After the ORONTES was scrapped the builder's model became obsolete as a promotional vehicle and was transferred to Newcastle in 1963 for display in the regional offices of P&O's agent John Reid and Co. It was gifted to the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society in 1976.
20 years earlier it had featured in the street-front display windows of the newly opened, award-winning, modernist Orient Line building in Spring St Sydney. Contemporary photographs by the Hood Studio from February 1940 show the model featured with Orient Line's sailing schedule for April to Adelaide, Fremantle and Brisbane alongside - immediately before the Orontes was requisitioned for the war effort. In mid-January the ship had left Australia, embarked its passengers at Southampton then sailed for the relative calm of the Suez. Back in the UK it entered service as a troopship on 16 April 1940. By end April 1940 all seven of Orient Line's ships had been requisitioned for the war effort.
The photographs also show the etched glass feature display windows in ANMM's collection by Lynton Lamb, the British designer who worked with lead New Zealand born designer Brian O'Rorke on the brand identity, decoration and fitout of the new modernist Orient liners ORION (1934-1963) and ORCADES I (1937-1942). The new Orient Line building itself was designed by Edward O’Rorke of London and Fowell, McConnel and Mansfield of Sydney and won the Sir John Sulman award for a building of exceptional merit in 1943. In 1947 the Royal Australian Institute of Architects similarly awarded the building its bronze award for a building of outstanding merit. The war had prevented earlier recognition by the RAIA.
SignificanceThe model is significant for its associations with migration to Australia in both the pre and post WW II period; for its associations in the defence of Australia when converted to a troopship in 1940; for its associations as a link between Australia and Britain at a time when the majority of Australians continued to feel strongly connected to the United Kingdom; as a fine example of the model makers' craft in an age when ships were the largest and most technologically advanced machines in the world.
