Documents from the Athey family's return voyage from Australia to Singapore

Date1953-1954

Object numberANMS1335

NameArchive series

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Chris Athey

Terms

DescriptionThis collection includes material relating to the Athey family's voyage from Australia to Singapore, and back, in 1953-1954. The Athey family resided in Singapore for approximately six months.HistoryThis collection relates to the Athey family's outward bound voyage from Australia to Singapore in 1953 on SS NIEW HOLLAND and return voyage from Singapore to Sydney on SS TJIBADAK in 1954. The family resided in Singapore for approximately six months while Noel Athey worked there. SS NIEW HOLLAND was built by the Netherlands Shipping Company in Amsterdam and was completed in April 1928. It operated regular services from Malaya, via Singapore, Dutch East Indies, to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. During World War II NIEW HOLLAND was requisitioned as a troop transport ship. In 1947 ownership of NIEW HOLLAND was transferred to Royal Interocean Lines. NIEW HOLLAND commenced regular voyages from Singapore, sailing via Indonesia to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne until her final voyage to Australia in 1959. TJIBADAK, a 7,906 tonne ocean liner, was built in 1929 by C van der Giessen & Zonen for the Java-China-Japan Lijn (JCJL). All JCJL vessels were named with the Javanese 'Tji' prefix. In 1947 JCJL merged with Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) to form Royal Interocean Lines. TJIBADAK was scrapped at Hong Kong in 1959.SignificanceThis collection helps to provide a comprehensive snapshot of one family's adventures abroad and in particular to Asia. Ocean travel in this time broadened cultural horizons.