P&O SS STRATHAIRD Mad Hatter's Ball dinner menu

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P&O SS STRATHAIRD Mad Hatter's Ball dinner menu

Maker P&O (British, founded 1837)

Date1959

Object numberANMS1389[168]

NameMenu

MediumPaper, ink

DimensionsOverall: (Closed) 215 x 145 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Don Rouvray

Terms

DescriptionThis collection of souvenirs, pamphlets, menus, postcards, newspaper clippings, port information booklets, magazines, photographs and deck plans relates to voyages made by Don Rouvray and his wife V Harris from the 1950s to 1970s. Shipping lines represented include Royal Rotterdam Lloyd, Royal Mail Lines, McIlwraith McEacharn and P&O.HistoryDon Rouvray was born in South Melbourne in December 1931 and grew up in Elwood, Victoria. He joined Elwood Surf Lifesaving Club in 1952, and from the beach enjoyed watching ships sailing in and out of Port Philip Bay. Eventually he was able to identify ships by their funnels. Don became fascinated with ships early in life, owing to summer holidays with his family, where they would catch the paddle steamer WEEROONA from Port Melbourne to Queenscliff. In 1942 the US Navy requisitioned WEEROONA to transport troops around the Pacific Islands during World War II. In 1945 Don and his family travelled from Melbourne to Tasmania on the Huddart Parker liner NAIRANA, disembarking at Burnie. Don's first trip to Sydney was in 1949 onboard the SPIRIT OF PROGRESS. Whilst in Sydney Don and his parents enjoyed a harbour cruise on the showboat KALANG, and the Manly ferries DEE WHY and SOUTH STEYNE. They returned to Melbourne on the P&O liner STRATHEDEN (built 1937, sold and renamed HENRIETTA LATSIS 1964). In 1957 the family travelled by train for a holiday in Perth and returned to Melbourne on the McIlwraith McEacharn interstate liner KANIMBLA . Don enjoyed the shipboard activities on this voyage and remembers winning a prize in the fancy hat parade. The majority of photographs, menus and pamphlets in the donation relate to this voyage. During the Christmas/New Year period in 1959, Don visited Sydney again with a friend, returning home on STRATHEDEN. Don, who worked as a bookbinder, transferred from the Victorian Government Printing Office to the NSW Government Printing Office in March 1962. He travelled first class to Sydney on the Lloyd Triestino liner OCEANIA. Don also travelled on the P&O liner ARCADIA during Easter 1963, on the farewell voyage of the Orient liner ORION in 1964, the P&O liner CANBERRA in 1964 and the Orient liner ORIANA in 1965. During a Christmas holiday to New Zealand in 1963, Don travelled on the Union Steamship liner HINEMOA, before returning to Melbourne from Wellington on the Dutch Mails liner ORANJE. Don married in August 1965. His wife Verna Harris also enjoyed cruising, having sailed on the P&O liner SS STRATHAIRD (built 1932, scrapped 1967), Royal Rotterdam Lloyd liner MS WILLEM RUYS (built 1946, sold and renamed ACHILLE LAURO 1964) and Royal Mail liner RMS HIGHLAND MONARCH (built 1928, scrapped 1960) from 1959-1960. Don and Verna enjoyed numerous cruises together around Australia and the Pacific. They cruised on the P&O liner IBERIA in April 1969 and on the Sitmar liner FAIRSTAR in March 1976, travelling to the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. They sailed from Sydney to Fremantle on the Lloyd Triestino liner MARCONI in March 1971. In April 1972 they travelled from Sydney to Hobart on EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and returned to Melbourne from Devonport on PRINCESS OF TASMANIA. Their next voyage was a return trip from Melbourne to Devonport on ABEL TASMAN.SignificancePamphlets, ship menus, postcards and port information booklets have always been cherished mementos of a long sea voyage. This substantial collection of shipping line material and photographs was amassed by the donor and his wife on numerous voyages from the 1950s to 1970s. The collection has great research, interpretive and display potential and reflects changing activities, entertainments and conditions onboard passenger liners over a 20 year period.