Tasmanian Steamers Proprietary Limited was a company that operated passenger ferries across the
Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The ...
from 1921 to 1959.
Union Company
Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand Limited was once the biggest shipping line in the southern hemisphere and New Zealand's largest private-sector employer. It was incorporated by James Mills (ship owner), James Mills in Dunedin in 1875 ...
and
Huddart Parker
Huddart Parker Ltd was an Australian shipping company trading in various forms between 1876 and 1961. It was one of the seven major coastal shippers in Australia at a time when shipping was the principal means of interstate and trans-Tasman tra ...
each owned 50%.
History
Tasmanian Steamers was established on 22 December 1921. Its ships experienced many difficulties over the next nearly four decades of operations; Amidst the ongoing
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, some of its ships were encountering intermittent attacks whilst at sea, having already witnessed
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. During the latter, one of its ships, , was an Australian
troopship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable to land troops directly on shore, typic ...
, and also serving in the same capacity with New Zealand for a brief time.
The company ceased passenger operations in 1959 after the
Australian National Line
Australian National Line (ANL) is a coastal shipping line established by the Government of Australia in 1956. It was sold in 1998 to CMA CGM.
History
Australian National Line was formed on 1 October 1956 as the Australian Coastal Shipping C ...
purchased its assets.
[
]
Fleet
*
*
*
*
*
Streets in the Burnie
Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...
suburbs of Shorewell Park and Malonga Park are named after the fleet.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Ships of Tasmanian Steamers
Bass Strait ferries
Defunct shipping companies of Australia
Ferry companies of Tasmania
Ferry companies of Victoria (state)
History of transport in Tasmania
1921 establishments in Australia
1959 disestablishments in Australia