SS AUSTRALIS - Timaru New Zealand

Newspaper clippings

 

I wish to thank David Shepherd from New Zealand, who has sent in these newspaper clippings as well as several photos that he had saved on the arrival of the SS Australis to Timaru New Zealand for her lay up.

I have left the images large to enable the print to be read, so please allow the page a short time to load ( I particularly like the aerial shot) . If you are truly interested in the Timaru Layup, the images are worth the read, and the small wait :) also included from David are some photos of the Tanker Athelviscount, which was supposedly going to bunker the Australis for her trip to New York, however as the below extract indicates, there were problems delivering the fuel to the Australis.

Extract from N.Z. Marine News (Journal of N.Z. Ship & Marine Society) Vol 29 No.1 1978
"Australis"
After being laid up at Timaru since 23rd December 1977, the Chandris liner Australis has been sold to New York interests, allegedly for conversion to a floating casino. The new owners are reputedly a syndicate of New York businessmen trading under the name "American Cruise Line". Her future will entail voyages based on New York and Miami, Florida. She was to have taken 3,000 tons of fuel oil from the tanker Athelviscount which berthed on the other side of the wharf, but in the event only 1,000 tons was taken directly and the ship sailed on 23rd April, calling at Auckland on 26th-27th April to complete bunkering. The voyage direct to New York was expected to take 20 days.
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Incidentally, the "Athelviscount" didn't last much longer. She went to Hong Kong arriving there 12 July 1978 to be scapped.

 

Australis in Timaru New Zealand - Courtesy David Shepherd	Australis in Timaru New Zealand - Courtesy David Shepherd

 

Athelviscount - contracted to bunker Australis in Timaru - Courtesy David Shepherd