SS Westralia (1896)

For other uses, see Westralia.

SS Westralia was a 2,884 GRT cargo and passenger ship. She served as a troopship in the First World War and was later converted into a hulk. She was sunk in the air raids on Rabaul on 20 January 1942.

History
Australia
Name	Westralia
Owner	Huddart Parker (1897–1927) WR Carpenter (1927–42)
Builder	Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland
Yard number	553
Launched	23 September 1896
Completed	January 1897
Identification	UK official number 106415
Fate	Sunk in air raids on Rabaul, 20 January 1942
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,884 GRT, 1 819 NRT
Length	327 ft (100 m)
Beam	41 ft (12 m)
Draught	20 ft (6.1 m)
Installed power	412 NHP
Propulsion	triple expansion steam engine, single screw
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h)

Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland, built her in 1897 for the Melbourne-based Huddart Parker line. She worked along the Australian coast and the trans-Tasman route.

In 1917, she was used a troopship, transporting the New Zealand 27th and 28th Main Regiment.^[1] She then resumed commercial service with Huddart Parker.

W. R. Carpenter and Company of Sydney bought her in 1927, had her engines removed and towed her to Rabaul for use as coal hulk, arriving in 1929. In the Rabaul air raids on 20 January 1942 she was bombed and sunk in Simpson Harbour.^[2]

Citiations

1. "New Zealand Transport Ships". Retrieved 29 March 2010.
2. Gamble 2006, p. 76.

References

• Gamble, Bruce (2006). Darkest Hour: The True Story of Lark Force at Rabaul: Australia's Worst Military Disaster of World War II. St Paul, MN: Zenith Press. ISBN 0-7603-2349-6.