History[]
The R.M.S Victoria shortly before launch.
The RMS Victoria was the first Eureka Class Ocean Liner, and the first Australian Mega Ocean Liner. It was built by New Holland Lines. The construction began in early 1905 and finished early 1907. With the new beginnings in the era of Ocean Liners, Australia too, played its part.
Maiden Voyage (1907)[]
The RMS Victoria crossed its maiden voyage from Sydney to Liverpool on the 10th of May 1907, and brought several new citizens back to Sydney.
World War 1[]
The Victoria was not converted to a troop ship during WW1, it continued to serve its regular routes and also helped with evacuations. An attempt to sink the ship was made by German forces, but proved ultimately unsuccessful.
Monarki Disaster (1917)[]
Following the Monarki disaster, more safety features were developed. Fire and smoke prevention measures were taken, and a fire on that scale would never occur again.
Later Years (1920 - 1934)[]
Following WW1, the ship began to fall behind in modern style, newer and bigger ships were being built, and the Victoria would soon make her final voyage on the 18th November 1934.
Dilapidated and Scrapped (1936)[]
Due to funds, the ship was left in a yard in Melbourne, and spent the next 2 years rotting away. Several people had stolen from the ship due to its lack of security, and the ship was found gutted by the time of its scrapping. After the scrapping of both the Olympic and the Mauritania, New Holland Lines too, decided to finally scrap the now 30 year old liner.
Legacy[]
The ship has gone down in Australian history as the “Pride of Australia” and has been featured in many books, movies, and tv. What was gutted from the ship before its scrapping has been featured in museums, and a restaurant in New South Wales opened containing china and furniture from the ship itself. Overall, the ship helped lay the way for Australian Shipping, and changed history as we know it.