OLD STEAMER DOOMED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 April 1928, Page 11

OLD STEAMER DOOMED

rnTTF, old steamer Rotomahana, for manv vears bearer of the proud title of ‘‘the ocean greyhound/' now lies at .Port Melbourne, in the hands of the shipbreakers. ' Her superstructure has been removed, the teak wood deck has been torn up, the funnel is gone, and only the shell remains of the vessel that was at one time the pride of the Australian coast. Special care was taken iby Messrs W. Denny and Brothers over the construction of the Rotomahana, for she was intended, it is said, as a pleasure yacht for a prince. The vessel was launched at Dumbarton in June, 1879, but, before she could 'be completed, her owner died, and she had to be offered for sale. Of 1777 tons gross register, and with a speed of 15* knots, the Rotomahana was eminently suited for a Royal yacht, and; there were fears that no ordinary purchaser would be found for her. The Union Steam Ship Company decided, however, to purchase her for their Australian and New Zealand service, and the vessel left Plymouth for Australia early in August, 1879. She reached Melbourne on'September 22, after having taken only 43 days on the journey, including calls at St. Vincent and Capetown.

The now steamer attracted much attention at Melbourne and Auckland and other Now Zealand ports, at which she called. Crowds visited her, and she was hailed as tlic “fastest and finest steamer of her kind afloat.’’ Aceommo- » dation in the first class has been provided for 140 passengers, and the saloon and other public rooms were much admired.

The “cabin-de-luxe’’ was known as the “bridal chamber.’’ It was a large state cabin on deck, and the agents announced that it had been furnished specially for the convenience of honeymoon couples, or for those celebrating a silver or golden wedding. The Rotomahana was kept on the run between Melbourne and New Zealand until 1894, when she was transferred to the service between Melbourn and Launceston specially to compete with the Huddart-Parker Line steamer Coogee. She remained on this

PASSING OF ROTOMAHANA

service for only a few months, when she returned to the New Zealand service, being for some time the ferry boat between Wellington and Lyttelton. In 1908 the Rotomahana returned to the Melbourn6-Launceston run, once more in competition with the Coogee. For two years these vessels were keen rivals, until the Coogee was withdrawn .from the service in 1910, and it is only fitting that both rivals will go to the same resting place off Cape Schanck, in 20 fathoms of water. It was not until 1921 that the Rotomahana was finally withdrawn from active service, -her place being taken by the now steamer Nairana. The Rotomahana was offered for sale by auction in April, 1925, under the condition that she was not to ibe used in the Australian coastal traffic. After some spirited bidding the ship was sold for £.1700 to Messrs Power and Davis, of Port Melbourne, who soon after began the work of breaking her up. Workmen employed on the Rotomahana made many interesting finds. Menus, wine lists and passenger lists there were in plenty, and several sets of false teeth were found in the innermost recesses of the -hold. There had been a notice prominently displayed in the steerage, requesting passengers, to remove their boots before retiring to bed, but this, with other notices, had been removed.

For two years or more the shipbreakers have gone about their work, and little of value remains to bo taken away before the steamer that was once the show vessel of the Australian coast goes to her last resting place alongside of her old-time rival, the Coogee. It has been generally believed that, .the Rotomahana was the first oceangoing vessel to be constructed of mild steel, but this is nnot. correct. Two years prior to the Rotomahana -being launched in 1879 the Allan liner Buenos Ayres made her appearance and she was the pioneer ship in -this respect. The Rotomahana’s engines- were considered at that period to be very powerful, developing, as they did, 2700 h.p. On her maiden run from the Clyde to the Cape she attained a speed of 15 knots, increasing this by a further, two knots between Africa and New Zealand.