SS ''Orcades'' was an
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
C ...
serving primarily the UK – Australia – New Zealand route. She started service as a British
Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer), usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail. The designation dates back to 1840. Any vessel d ...
(RMS) carrying first and tourist class passengers. ''Orcades'' carried many migrants to Australia and New Zealand
[Post World War II Migrant Ships: Orcades]
Museums Victoria and was later used as a
cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours know ...
, and is featured in the British Pathe films "I am a passenger" on YouTube. She also made several voyages from Canada (Vancouver). "Orcades" is the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
name for the
Orkney Islands
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) no ...
.
Built at the
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 202 ...
yard of
Vickers-Armstrong
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, wi ...
, ''Orcades'' (yard no. 950) had an identical hull and machinery to P&O's (yard no. 951), but differed in superstructure and interior layout. The vessel's near-
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
s were and
In 1952 ''Orcades'' was fitted with a 'top hat' funnel extension to clear smoke from the after decks. On 7 May 1952, she ran aground in
Port Philip Bay
Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...
half a mile off
Rosebud Pier,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Australia.
She was refloated and returned to service.
During the
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, wh ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia, ''Orcades'' served as an
accommodation ship
A barracks ship or barracks barge or berthing barge, or in civilian use accommodation vessel or accommodation ship, is a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sai ...
.
''Orcades'' was refitted in 1959 and 1964. In the 1964 refit, ''Orcades'' became a single-class vessel and her hull colour changed from "Orient corn" to white.
Gallery
File:Orcades c.1950.jpg, Orcades c.1950 from a promotional postcard
File:SS Orcades (1948) taken in 1959 in yellow livery.jpg, Orcades 1959 in yellow livery
File:SS Orcades (1948)- Port Said 1957.png, Orcades at Port Said 1957
Footnotes
Further reading
* Latimer, David W (2002) ''Passenger ships of the 20th century: an illustrated encyclopedia'', p. 259, Colourpoint Books
External links
Museum Victoria
British Pathe films "I am a passenger"on YouTube
1947 ships
Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness
Cruise ships
Ships of the Orient Line
Passenger ships of the United Kingdom
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in 1952
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