Chandris Line's SS Australis
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- Опубліковано 18 вер 2024
- SS Australis formerly United States Line's SS America was sold to Chandris Line and refitted extensively. They increased her passenger capacity from fewer than 1,200 to 2,258. Some 350 additional cabins were installed and many existing cabins were given extra berths. Her maiden voyage was from Southampton on 21 August 1965 to Australia and New Zealand via Piraeus and Suez, returning to Southampton via the Pacific and Panama and Miami. Thereafter she sailed regularly from Southampton, occasionally Rotterdam, on this round-the-world route. On the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967, Piraeus was dropped as a port-of-call and she sailed southbound via Cape Town
She was in Chandris ownership from 1964 to 1978. This vidro focuses on her prime years with Chandris.
I came to Australia from the UK on this ship as a child in 1973, breaks my heart to see how she ended up. Still have fond memories of this grand old dame of the sea.
Waooo!!! What an ocean Liner!!!
I was lucky to get my first expirean on her in 1971 till 1975 as a crew member!
I loved her for ever!!!!
She brought many thousands of passengers to Australia and New Zealand from '65 to' 78!!!
I was 7 when when left Southampton for Australia in 1974. I remember crossing the Equator and particularly rough seas and to a kid, it was such an adventure. We still have the Welcome Aboard dinner menu.
Fond memories.
Sailed from Australia back to the Uk in 1974 - happy memories
I couldn't agree more with the positive comments about this great liner. I sailed on her from Auckland to Southhampton, via the Panama , January 1976. Thanks to those who have provided photos and videos.
Selwyn Leitch me too! We did the same route leaving AKL on New Year’s Eve in 1972. We didn’t stop at Acapulco which was disappointing and the journey across the Atlantic was terrible. Everyone got seasick...it wasn’t a pretty sight.
I sailed on her as a nine yr old in October 1970 from Auckland NZ to Southampton
Over the years I've become a big fan of the America/Australis as I've come to know more about her. She had quite a history and was an especially good-looking liner. I'm glad that this American liner went on to have such a long and successful career under the flag of Greece.
Andrew Brendan I'm the same here as well! She is like ship fans heaven and has a lot history to her name (in this case names).
I have researched this ship for several years now and the more I learn about her, the more I know how significant she was.
Great ship. Came out from Southampton to Aus as 10 pound tourists in 73. Me and the wife. Great trip but glad to get off...
my grand parents, father and auntie did it the same year
I sailed from Southampton to Auckland via CapeTown, Perth Melbourne and Sydney 20th November 1973 cabin 1069, I still have the ticket, Band on the Run was in the charts at the time
31/7/75 Auckland to Southhampton and what a trip 3 of us Guys 20 yr olds on E deck in 8 Berth cabin,met Aussie girls on the way and had the time of our lives!!
I sailed on this ship australis from Sydney, Australia to Southampton, UK
in the late 1976
to all the friends I made on this voyage
and specially to the Canadian nurse scholarship romance what goes on the ship stays on the ship
I sailed from Auckland to Southampton via the Panama canal on the Australis, it took 6 weeks, we arrived in late January 1975, The Atlantic part took 10 days, the weather was scary, force 10 gales.
Half way through I had my 9th birthday aboard, not quite as good as my dad who some years earlier crossed the date line on a Merchant ship on his 21st birthday and had 2 birthdays.
DAVID INCHBOARD
Sir this page is very nostalgic you have to check it out
facebook.com/H63-Maritime-ART-374320369382359/
This ship always had a warm and homey atmosphere, very , very comfortable.
Great video! I find it very nostalgic and I must admit I really like her as the Australis.
Thanks for the brilliant video! The Australis (ex-America) is my favourite ocean liner of all time, very sad what happened to her.
If you don't already have a copy, I would like to highly recommend the book "S.S. America, U.S.S. West Point, S.S. Australis---The Many Lives of Great Ship" by Lawrence Driscoll, published by The Glencannon Press, 2003. This book has lots of pictures and lots of information. I have many books about ocean liners and this is one of my favorites.
Andrew Brendan I’m thinking of getting this book for Christmas and I just want to ask if I should get it, are the pictures good and is the text readable for me to understand?
"Yes!" to all three part of your question, Matthew. Mr. Driscoll's book has many black-and-white-photos that are professionally done and some that appear to be or are snapshots from family albums but there aren't any bad photos. The print is clear and easy to read and there is a lot of history about the ship including construction and war service and plenty about her passenger days under the U.S. and Greek flags and then the decline and wreck afterward. This includes quotes from people who worked and sailed on the ship as crew, soldiers and passengers. Two of my favorite pictures are of the America/Australis taken many years apart and under different flags but from almost EXACTLY the same three-quarter view. I go back to the Driscoll book from time to time to look at the illustrations and read portions of the text. I've read that this book now costs a lot but if you like ocean liners and the Australis is your favorite then I think the money will be well-spent. If you go ahead and get the book please let me know what you think of it!
Andrew Brendan Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions! I think that I will get it for Christmas, it really sounds like a treasure of a ship book.
Not long now to getting my new book about the Australis aka America! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I was a Cadet in 1976 on this ship
James Zografos
Mr Zografos you must be Greek
I can tell it from your last name
You have to check my fathers page it is very nostalgic
facebook.com/H63-Maritime-ART-374320369382359/
I say Chandris did pretty well with her. It wasn't until she was sold to some other third-rate shipping lines that her condition began to deteriorate.
I disagree, although in the beginning chandris was very dedicated with their new flagship, over time, after 1970, chandris started to lose interest in Australis, and showed interest in other ships like Britanis, and Australis started to become an old and outdated ship (on a cruise a passenger comments on a modern ship moored near Australis: "nice new ship, but Australis still has class") in the public eye, so the ship over 30 years old had outdated interiors ( art-deco) and an old appearance, without many changes in its visual, marking the style of America of the thirties (reminder: when Australis was bought back in 1979 as SS Italis, the opportunity to modernize the ship with new engines came up dissel, and new appearance). I love this ship and for me America could still be sailing today in its constricted state, unfortunately it had a sad destination.
@@gabrielmakiolke Yes, but all things become old and outdated at some point. I'm not saying that America should have been scrapped, but that her condition would naturally have deteriorated as she got older. I just wish that the plan for her to become a hotel was successful, and that she didn't run aground, and break in two.
What happened to the America in the end could not be helped. It was just an accident that wasn’t meant to happen. I still find it tragic that she never returned to her former glory, but she was just another ship from another time and was showing her age by the time she was wrecked. But the memories of this ship are still kept alive to this day and I hope you could join a special group dedicated to the ship on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/713034382452590
@@matthewcox6615 Thank you for the link. Anyways, I completely agree. As sad as it was, she was certainly showing her age when she was wrecked. Same goes for the Aquitania. While it was sad to see her scrapped, she was in terrible condition. A piano was reported to have fallen through one of the decks, and it was said that her funnels were so corroded, one could stick their finger through it. She had been run into the ground. Of course, this isn't Cunard's fault, as they had intended to retire her in 1940, but they needed her for the war. The sad truth is, no liner lasts forever. There will be a day when even the Queen Mary 2 is obsolete. However, like you said, the memories of these great ships keep them alive.
The final image in this piece on the AUSTRALIS is mine. I took the photo in Lisbon in November 1977. The last voyage northbound of AUSTRALIS as a liner. Someone stole the image from my blog SHIPS AND THE SEA
I was on that cruise, I got on in Melbourne in October 77 and off in Southampton, great memories, met lots of people but didn't keep in touch with any of them unfortunately. I returned to Australia on the Mikhail Lementov in Feb 78, both ships have sunk which is a very sad ending to their lives, or would they have just been made into scrap metal.
She brought me to NZ :)
And she took me away as a 12 year old in March 1968 as my parents never settled in NZ, I often wonder how my life would have turned out in Auckland had we stayed.
Hi. Did you happen to arrive in Auckland on Christmas day 1969? My Grandfather came to Auckland on her on that day, and I saw it come into Auckland.
Sad to think what would become of this fine ship.
Great video, as usual. I always love your music...what is this song, and sung by whom?
Tflexxx02 it's called Tangerine. By the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. Sung by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly. 1942.
Tflexxx02 I'm glad you like the music. It sets the mood of the videos. Thanks !
♥
What does SS stand for? Steam ship? Looks too modern to be a steam ship.
It was indeed a steam ship!
@@johnlunnun9769 OK 👍
I had the wonderful experience of sailing on her right round the world! It was magical!
@@johnlunnun9769 wow! Quite an adventure.
A very accurate write up there. Seems opening photo must be 1976 when she was in bad need of doing up. Sadly she had an awful existence for her last 14 years finally finding peace under the ocean and not on it which was better than the wreckers yard. A beautiful ship l have been on several times in the sixties. ❤🛳️❤