The last SHP for 2010, hope you all had a great day yesterday and all have a Happy New Year .
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The
Adelaide Steamship Company was formed in September 1875 in
Adelaide, South Australia, by a group of pastoralists and businessmen, some whom already had steamship interests in the Spencer Gulf, namely Federal Wharf Co. Ltd,
Port Adelaide Dredging Company Ltd and Spencer Gulf Shipping Co. Ltd, and was incorporated on 8 October 1875.
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Their aim was to control the transport of goods between
Adelaide and
Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service. For the first 100 years of its life, the main activities of the company were conventional shipping operations on the Australian coast, primary products, consumer cargoes and extensive passenger
services.
During World War I, several
Adelaide Steamship Company ships were requisitioned, as were several other privately owned ships; Grantala and Warilda as hospital ships and Wandilla and
Willochra as troopships. Yankalilla and Echunga were also commandeered.
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In the 1930s and 1940s, the company diversified into the airline operations, towage, shipbuilding, and the shipping of salt, coal and sugar.
Adelaide Airways was formed in 1935, and purchased West Australian Airways before merging with Holyman's Airways to form Australian National Airways (ANA) in 1936. ANA was sold to Reg Ansett in 1957.
By the start of World War II, the company owned 30 ships. With World War II, the company was again forced to surrender nine ships to the Navy, including the
Manoora and Manunda which became an Armed Merchant Cruiser and a hospital ship. During the 1940s, a decline in trade necessitated the company to diversify and they began to acquire interests in other companies and projects. Consequently, after the war, the company diversified into towage, shipbuilding, and the shipping of salt, coal and sugar.
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On 1 January 1964, its interstate fleet was merged with that of McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd in a new company, Associated Steamships Ltd, in which
Adelaide Steamship Company held 40%. Also in 1964, the merged company developed the world's first purpose built container ship, MV Kooringa. Bulkships Ltd, in which
Adelaide Steamship held a 40% interest in 1965, acquired all the shares in Associated Steamship Ltd in 1968. In 1977 the company's interest in Bulkships was disposed of and
Adelaide Steamship Company ceased its connection with ship owning and operating. The company did, however, retain its interests in Tug boats and Tug boat operations and by the late 1980s,
Adelaide Steamship was one of Australia's oldest surviving industrial companies.
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