A new merchant ship arrived in Melbourne on March 3, 1937, after a stormy passage of 40 days from Liverpool. The weather had been bad since the motor ship Essex was launched at the Clydebank shipyard of John Brown on September 17, 1936. She passed through the most severe gales experienced on the British coast for 50 years and had to battle extreme waves off Portugal. The storm caused more than 100 ships to shelter in Gibraltar, and the bad weather continued throughout the passage to Melbourne.
The ship was built for the New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd but was operated by its subsidiary, the Federal Steam Navigation Company, which it took over in 1912. The Federal SN Co., which was one of the great British shipping companies, had begun in 1895 when the King Line changed its name. New Zealand Shipping Co., however, had been a part of the P&O company from 1916.
The m.v Essex was designed for the transport of Australian food products to the UK and had more than 15,000 cubic metres of insulated space in 12 large compartments for chilled meat, fruit and dairy products. General cargo was also carried in the remaining space of more than 6000 cubic metres in the ‘tween decks forward and aft and in the No.6 hold. With a length of 192m and a measured tonnage of more than 11,000 gross tons, Essex was the largest ship launched into the Clyde in 1936 and, having a top speed of almost 20 knots, was one of the fastest cargo ships in the world at that time.
In June 1940 she was requisitioned for war service as a transport but was seriously damaged in bombing raids while in Malta during 1941 and 1942. Towed to Falmouth for repairs in December 1943, she returned to war service in November 1944. Essex was finally returned to her owners in 1946 and resumed commercial service to Australia.
Her name was changed to Paringa while managed by P&O from 1947, but when returned to Federal SN Co. management in 1955 she was renamed Norfolk. In 1962 she was sold and scrapped in Japan.
MAURIE HUTCHINSON
President, Peninsula Ship Society
T: 9787 5780
The Peninsula Ship Society meets at Hastings Yacht Club at 10.00am on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except November and December). Visitors are always welcome.
