ORVIETO (1909)

Service dates: 1918-1931

Official number: 129628

Shipping lines: ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD.; ORIENT LINE; ANDERSON, ANDERSON & COMPANY

Ship type:

• Passenger Ship

Passenger Liner.

Career

06.07.1909

Launched.

06.11.1909

Delivered as Orvieto for Orient Steam Navigation Company at a cost of £335,713. She took her name from a town in Northern Italy, on the river Paglia north of Rome. She and her elder sister Otranto were the only two ships ever built for Orient Line by Workman, Clark & Co Ltd.

26.11.1909

Maiden voyage London/Brisbane.

11.1913

First ship to use New Farm Wharf, Brisbane.

01.11.1914

Sailed in convoy from Sydney for Egypt carrying Australian troops.

15.11.1914

Embarked some officers from surrendered German raider Emden in Colombo for passage to Egypt where they were taken to prisoner-of-war quarters in Malta by HMS Hampshire.

01.1915

Requisitioned and converted as an armed merchant cruiser, but spent 10 months June 1915 to May 1916 on minelaying duties off the East Coast. She was the first Orient Line ship to be requisitioned after the outbreak of war.

01.1916

Commissioned as an armed merchant cruiser. She headed the 10th Cruiser Squadron at one time.

25.05.1916

Paid off.

07.1916

Re-commissioned. Served in the Northern Patrol.

23.03.1918

After refit in Liverpool went into service on North Atlantic convoy escort duties.

11.12.1918

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company acquires a controlling interest in Orient Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

1919

Management passed to a new company, Anderson Green & Co Ltd, not at that time owned by P&O.

01.11.1919

Returned to Australian mail service carrying first and third class only. She was never converted to oil fuel.

08.1930

Last voyage. Laid up off Southampton on her return.

03.1931

Sold to British shipbreakers for £17,000 and scrapped at Bo’ness.

Ship technical details (PDF)