PORT DENISON (1) was
built in 1887 by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. at Newcastle
with a tonnage of 3506grt, a length of 375ft, a beam of 42ft
2in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was launched on 23rd
July 1887 for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co and completed
her maiden voyage from London to Australia in 39 days on the
7th September. When the decision to discontinue the carriage
of passengers was taken she commenced her final voyage for
the company on 13th June 1892 before being sold to J. Jover
y Costas of Barcelona and renamed Miguel Jover. In 1918 she
was sold to Hijos de Jose Taya S en C of Barcelona retaining
her name but only until 1921 when it was changed to P. Claris.
She was finally broken up in Italy in 1926.
PORT CAROLINE (1) was
built in 1889 by W Dobson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 3528grt, a length of 378ft 6in, a beam of 44ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Built to the same specification
as the Port Denison her passenger accommodation included a
ladies boudoir, a music room and a smoking room. She was equipped
with carbon filament electric lighting throughout the ship
and a 'surgeon' and stewardess were carried. The third class
accommodation for up to 500 passengers was described as 'unrivalled'
and prospective travellers were invited to inspect the cabins
at the London Docks. Suffering the same fate as the Port Denison
she was sold to J. Jover y Costas of Barcelona in 1893 and
renamed J. Jover Serra. In 1918 she was sold to Hijos de Taya
S en C of Barcelona and renamed Roger de Lluria with whom
she stayed for until 1922 when she was broken up in Spain.
PORT FAIRY was built
in 1887 by Wigham, Richardson & Co. at Newcastle with
a tonnage of 2581grt, a length of 330ft, a beam of 38ft 4in
and a service speed of 11 knots. She commenced her maiden
voyage from London to Sydney for Anglo -Australasian S. N.
Co. on 2nd January 1888 but, because she was predominantly
a passenger ship was sold in 1892 to J. H. Andressen Successores
of Oporto and renamed Doña Maria. In 1907 she was purchased
by Booth Steamship Co. (1900) Ltd. retaining her name and
undertook her first voyage for the new company in August 1907
from Liverpool to Manaus. She was sold for scrap in 1909 but
purchased by Ellerman Lines of Liverpool with Fred Smith as
manager. Renamed Italian she was deployed on Papayanni's Mediterranean
service until 1913 when she was broken up by Thos. W. Ward
at Preston.
PORT CHALMERS (1) was
built in 1887 by J. L. Thompson & Sons at Sunderland with
a tonnage of 41541grt, a length of 371ft, a beam of 46ft 1in
and a service speed of 11 knots. Completed after the decision
to discontinue carrying passengers had been made she remained
in service for Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. until 1896 when
she was sold to Federal S. N. Co of London, retaining her
name. She was sold to the US Government in 1898 for use during
the Spanish-American war as a refrigerated produce ship in
the Pacific and renamed Glacier. By 1920 she was owned by
Northern Fisheries Inc. of San Francisco with the same name
where she remained until 1941 when she was sold to Carabella
Steamship Co. of Panama and renamed Carabella. In 1944 she
was purchased by Cia. Continental de Nav. of Vera Cruz in
Mexico and renamed in the following year to Presidente Juarez.
She was under the ownership of Cia. de Exportacion Mexicana
S.A. in 1955 and in the following year was broken up by Thos.
W. Ward after 65 years service. Loaded with coal she suffered
engine failure off Hampton Roads and towed into Bermuda. From
there, and still fully laden, she was towed to Rotterdam by
Smit's tug Tyne where she was unloaded and sold for scrap
to Thomas Young & Sons of Sunderland but towed to Thos.
Ward's at Inverkeithing by Smit's tug Loire.
PORT ALBERT (1) was built
in 1891 by W Dobson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 4370grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 46ft 2in and a service
speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Anglo-Australasian S.
N. Co. she made her final sailing from London to Sydney on
2nd August 1894. About the same time Japan declared war on
China who had sent troops into Korea to intervene in a civil
war. Desperately needing ships to transport troops the Japanese
Government acquired the Port Albert and renamed her Kagoshima
Maru. The war ended in February 1895 but she continued to
repatriate troops until January 1896 when she was transferred
to Nippon Yusen Kaisha K. K. of Tokyo, retaining her name.
As new and larger ships joined the NYK fleet she was sold,
in 1910, to Harada Shoko, later restyled Harada Kisen K.K.,
of Osaka where she remained until January 1918 when she went
missing on a voyage from Saigon to Port Said.
PORT DOUGLAS was built
in 1891 by Sir James Laing & Sons. at Sunderland with
a tonnage of 4285grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 46ft 2in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Port Albert
she joined Wm. Milburn & Co on their Sydney service on
24th October 1891but only until the following year. On 24th
May 1892, during her second voyage from London to Australia
via the Cape, she was wrecked on the Cape Verde Islands. The
bulk of the cargo was recovered by the locals but attempts
to salvage her failed and in the September she was declared
a total constructive loss.
PORT MELBOURNE (1) was
built in 1892 by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 4670grt, a length of 372ft, a beam of 48ft
and a service speed of 11 knots. She wasn't classified as
a passenger ship but had the capability to carry 500 troops
in the 'tween decks. She commenced her maiden voyage for Anglo-Australasian
S. N. Co. on 19th November 1892. On 27th January 1899, while
on charter to the National Line of Liverpool, she was reported
missing during a voyage from New York to London with the loss
of 52 lives.
PORT HUNTER (1) was built
in 1892 by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 4794grt, a length of 372ft, a beam of 48ft
and a service speed of 11 knots. Sister of the Port Melbourne
she followed a similar career to the Port Albert. She remained
with Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. until 1st August 1894 when
she was purchased by the Japanese Government for use during
the Sino-Japanese war and renamed Riojan Maru. In 1896 she
was sold to Nippon Yusen Kaisha, retaining her name, where
she remained until 1910 when she was sold to Harada Shoko,
later restyled Harada Kien K.K. of Osaka. On 28th May 1921
she was wrecked 45 miles north of the Gaspar Straits during
a voyage from Dairen to Batavia.
WOODHORN was built in
1894 by L Thompson & Sons at Sunderland with a tonnage
of 1283grt, a length of 235ft, a beam of 34ft 1inft and a
service speed of 9 knots. She was actually owned by the Ashington
Coal Company of Newcastle with Wm. Milburn & Co. as managers.
A collier, she was used to provide the ships sailing out of
London with coal and stayed with the company until 1912 when
she was sold to B. Stolt-Neilsen of Haugesund, Norway and
renamed Tento. She became a war loss sometime during 1918
as by 1919 she was no longer listed in Lloyds Register.
PORT ELLIOT (1) was built
in 1894 by W Dobson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 3556grt, a length of 357ft, a beam of 44ft 1in and a service
speed of 11 knots. Launched on 20th January 1894 and completed
by the following March she was the first cargo only ship built
for the Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. to replace the passenger
ships. In 1906 she was sold to Adolphe Deppe's Cie Royale
Belgo-Argentine Société of Antwerp and renamed
Republica Argentina. She was eventually broken up at Genoa
during 1933.
PORT STEPHENS (1) was
built in 1894 by J. L. Thompson & Sons at Sunderland with
a tonnage of 3554grt, a length of 357ft, a beam of 44ft 1in
and a service speed of 11 knots. Sister of the Port Elliot
she was delivered to Anglo-Australasian S. N. Co. in April
1894 where she remained until 3rd October 1906 when, during
a voyage from Oamaru, NZ to Newcastle in New South Wales her
propeller shaft snapped and the rotating screw pulled it out
of the stern assembly. The ship began to flood and the pumps
were immediately deployed to dispel the inrushing sea but
were unable to cope and she was abandoned without loss of
life on 8th October.
PORT HUNTER (2) was built
in 1895 by J. L. Thompson & Sons at Sunderland with a
tonnage of 3552grt, a length of 357ft, a beam of 44ft 1in
and a service speed of 11 knots. Another sister of the Port
Elliot she was completed for Wm. Milburn & Co. but only
remained with the company for two years before being sold
to Gordon Steam Shipping Co. of London and renamed Dargai.
On 28th August 1914 she was wrecked on the English Bar in
the River Plate during a voyage from Hull to Montevideo. The
notorious tide race in the estuary caused the ship to slew
round onto the sandbank where she heeled into the mud becoming
fixed by suction and breaking her back. No lives were lost
and much of the cargo was successfully salavaged.
PORT DENISON (2) was
built in 1896 by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. at Willington
Quay, Newcastle with a tonnage of 3435grt, a length of 357ft,
a beam of 44ft 1in and a service speed of 11 knots. The fourth
ship of the Port Elliot Class she was delivered to Wm. Milburn
& Co. where she remained until 1907 when she was sold
to Bede Steam Shipping Co. of Newcastle with Frew, Elder &
Co. as managers and renamed Bedeburn. In 1918 she was sold
to Britain Steam Ship Co. of London and managed by Watts,
Watts & Co. who renamed her Chiswick. By 1928 she was
named Zigurds and registered in the USSR. She was purchased
by Italian owner E. F. Aguardo in 1932, renamed Santa Marta
and finally broken up in 1934 at Ravenna.
PORT ALBERT (2) was built
in 1897 by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. at Newcastle with a
tonnage of 3514grt, a length of 357ft, a beam of 44ft 1in
and a service speed of 11 knots. Built to the Port Elliot
specification she was delivered to Wm. Milburn & Co. in
June 1897. In 1906 she was sold to Marc, Wallenberg of Stockholm,
but owned by Aktiebolaget Sydafrikanska Handels Komp, for
the Stockholm - Gothenburg - South Africa service and renamed
Delagoa. Two years later the company extended its service
to the Far East and on 11th April 1910 she became a total
loss when she went aground on Minicoy Island, Laccadives during
a voyage from Singapore to Gothenburg.
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