Orient Line fan

Designer J Ganne (French)

Publisher Orient Line (1878 - 1966)

Date1920s

Object number00008783

NameFan

MediumWood, Ink on paper

DimensionsOverall: 255 x 25 mm, 0.05 kg

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from P&OSNCo

Terms

DescriptionThe links between the P&O Company and Australia go back to 1852 when the first mail steamer, P&O's iron-screwed CHUSAN arrived in Sydney from England via the Cape and Melbourne. In 1877 the Orient Line began regular steamship services to Australia.HistoryIn 1797 James Thompson initiated a ship broking company and by the mid 19th century operated sailing routes around the world. Scotsman James Anderson joined the company in 1828, with his nephew James Anderson joining in 1854. By 1869 the company was trading under the name Anderson, Anderson and Co. In 1878, keen to initiate a service to Australia, the company purchased a fleet of steam ships owned by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and founded the Orient Steam Navigation Company (shortened to the Orient Line). In 1879 the ORIENT, a ship purpose-built for the company, entered service on the Australia route. By the turn of the century the Orient Line had a close association with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), with the two companies sharing an Australian Government mail contract. This was a time of rapid expansion for the Orient Line with a succession of large 12,000 tonne steam ships entering into service in 1909. The Orient Line's fleet of five 12,000 tonne ships, ORSOVA, OTWAY, OSTERLEY, OTRANTO and ORVIETO, were delivered in 1909 to fulfill the lucrative mail contract to Australia following the withdrawal of its partner, the Royal Steam Navigation Company. P&O acquired a controlling interest in the Orient Line in 1919, but the firm Anderson, Green and Co managed the subsidiary as a separate entity until it was formally absorbed in 1960. The fleet was upgraded after the First World War with five 20,000 tonne ships built in the 1920s. The state-of-the-art ORION, with what became the Line's signature corn-coloured hull, was launched in 1935. During the Second World War, Orient Line's ships were requisitioned for service, and half the fleet was lost. In the 1950s three new ships, the ORONSAY, ORCADES and ORSOVA were built to replace these losses. With competition from air travel, the Line's ships were increasingly diverted to cruising. The ORIANA was the last ship ordered for the Orient Line and the last one to fly the Orient Line flag. P&O and Orient formally merged to form P&O-Orient Lines in 1960. SignificanceThe collection represents the history of P & O's 135 year involvement with Australian maritime history. It also includes a historical record of other major shipping companies which became part of the P & O group including Eastern & Australian Steamship Company; British India Steam Navigation Company; Orient Steam Navigation Company; New Zealand Shipping Company and Union Steamship Company.