Pre-P&O Years

Created in 1873, the Eastern and Australian ‘Mail’ Steamship business Ltd ended up being the merchandise of a contract amongst the Government of Queensland and four Uk and Australian merchants to carry mails between Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Queensland and Sydney (later stretching to Hong Kong and Melbourne). In 1880 the mail contract had not been renewed in addition to initial business ended up being later ended up. a brand new business had been created, The Eastern and Australian Steamship Company Ltd, because it had been now called, focused its resources regarding the Australia to Hong Kong route, fundamentally distributing further eastern to Shanghai and Japan holding people and cargo.

In old age, E&A encountered competition that is fierce Asia Navigation business and Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha, culminating within the takeover of E&A by Lord Inchcape in 1918. Despite Lord Inchcape’s place as P&O Chairman, while the publication of E&A’s details in certain P&O handbooks, E&A proceeded to occur as a completely independent entity until 1946 whenever P&O as well as its subsidiaries British Asia Steam Navigation business and Union Steam Ship business of brand new Zealand each acquired one fourth share using the Inchcape-owned Australasian United Steam Navigation Company keeping the total amount. This arrangement continued for the next twenty years until 1966 whenever P&O acquired E&A outright.

First manned by Uk and later on by Australian and Chinese crews, E&A ships played a prominent role in the growth of the Australian vendor aquatic. Through the inter-war years Eastern and Australian proceeded to use between Australia plus the asia, even though the delivery channels were somewhat changed. Vessels now sailed from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville to Rabaul, Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama. The fleet had shrunk to only three passenger/cargo liners, the ex-BI Tanda and the ex-P&O Nellore and Nankin by the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s. E&A was able to survive in to the World that is second War whenever its fleet had been switched to work between Australia and India beneath the guidance for the BI business. But, Nankin ended up being captured by japan in May 1942 plus in June and July of 1944 Nellore and Tanda, its only other ships, had been both lost to enemy action.

The P&O Years

E&A failed to be completely functional once more until following the reorganisation of shareholdings mentioned previously. In May 1946 the cargo liners kingdom Joy and Empire Dynasty had been bought through the Ministry of Transport in Britain and renamed Nellore and Eastern respectively as well as in January 1947 Nankin (ex-Mount Holyoke Victory) ended up being added. The fleet ended up being thereafter maintained by the transfer of vessels off their P&O Group organizations, except for Arafura that was built for E&A in 1954. Passenger/cargo services had been revived in 1965 by Aramac, previously New date asian women Zealand Shipping Company’s Remuera (originally Cunard’s Parthia) and replaced in 1969 by P&O’s Cathay that has been accompanied by her sibling Chitral in 1970.

1970 additionally saw the establishment of Australia Japan Container Line, an offshoot of Overseas Containers Limited (for which P&O had been a partner) also to which E&A’s cargo delivery passions had been moved as well as those of Asia Navigation business. E&A’s cargo that is remaining had been removed, and Cathay and Chitral were offered in 1975.

Archive Collection

The E&A records had been deposited on permanent loan by P&O to your nationwide Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Articles consist of a duplicate for the 1873 mail agreement with all the federal federal Government of Queensland, the memorandum and Articles of Association associated with company that is third1894) and account publications, 1894 to 1898 and 1937 right through to 1963. Yearly returns occur for the years 1920 to 1969, monetary makes up the years 1953 to 1963, and there’s a run of mins of board conferences from 1916 to 1969. Tonnage data between 1948 and 1969 comes with the agreement and specifications that are hull Arafura, 1952 to 1953.

The collection also contains very very very early documents of Australia Japan Container Line, including Board documents 1968-1970, ahead preparing and costing files 1966-1970, and files on relations along with other businesses of this exact same duration. For a list that is complete of product held during the Museum, it is suggested you consult the NMM catalogue straight.