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BENDIGO (1922)
Service dates: 1922-1936
Official number: 145603
Shipping lines: P&O BRANCH LINE; P&O STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY
Ship type:
Passenger Liner.
Career
- 09.08.1922
- Ran trials and delivered as Bendigo for The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company at a cost of £939,366. Fourth of five ‘B’-class vessels, her name is taken from a town in northern Victoria, Australia. Later in the year, she lost a screw near Las Palmas, outward bound, returning to Falmouth where Baradine was sent to pick up her cargo and passengers.
- 16.01.1924
- Collided with collier Corcrag in the Thames off Erith, but suffered only slight damage.
- 1927
- Broke a tail shaft.
- 1929
- Refitted with Bauer-Wach exhaust turbines and Wyndham heaters and converted to burn oil fuel. This increased her speed by 10-15% and reduced fuel consumption by a similar amount. Passenger capacity now 586 one-class. Transferred to a four-weekly secondary service via the Mediterranean.
- 05.07.1929
- Sailed on first voyage after refit. Passengers included ex-MP Collingwood Hughes who made scathing remarks about the quality of emigrants travelling to Australia aboard Bendigo. Although the Captain denied them and Mr Hughes later retracted his statements, the comments had a lasting and damaging effect on the emigrant service.
- 1930
- Ran once on Australian mail service.
- 1931
- Ran twice on Australian mail service.
- 17.01.1936
- Last sailing to Australia.
- 05.05.1936
- Sold for £26,000 to T W Ward Ltd for demolition at Barrow.
- 06.05.1936
- Delivered.