Eastern and Australian Steam Navigation Company

Australian, 1880 - 1966

BiographyEstablished in 1880 after the Eastern and Australian 'Mail' Steamship Company Ltd (established 1873) was wound up earlier in that year after the Queensland Government did not renew its contract to carry mail between Queensland, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne.
Now operating as the Eastern and Australian Steamship Company Limited it concentrated its resources on the Australia to Hong Kong route, eventually spreading further east to Shanghai and Japan carrying passengers and cargo.
Facing fierce competition from China Navigation Company and Japan's Nippon Yusen Kaisha it was taken over by the British India Steam Navigation Company in 1918 which in turn was taken over by P&O. E&A continued to exist as an independent entity until 1946 when P&O and its subsidiaries British India Steam Navigation Company and Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand each acquired a quarter share with the Inchcape-owned Australasian United Steam Navigation Company retaining the balance. This arrangement continued for another 20 years until 1966 when P&O acquired E&A outright.

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