WANAKA (3)
...shown here on Sydney Harbor

Australian

Built 1938

Length 287.7ft Beam 45.2ft Draft 18.3 ft 2259 Grt 1113 Net Powered by single screw 1x 6 Cylinder 0il engine 2s sa 593 NHP by Sultzer Bros of Winterhur. Service speed 12 knts.

1938 Launched from the yard of Alex Stephens & Sons of Glasgow and completed in February for the U.S.S.Co N.Z. Ltd and named Wanaka for use on their N.Z. Tasmania, Australia routes.

1942 Saw her taken over by the Australian Government as a supply vessel for the RAAF to supply airfields in the Pacific.
In December of this year she hit Eden Reef in the Great Barrier Reef and fell on her side killing 10 crew members on deck. With the aid of 2 salvage tugs she was later righted and taken to a Naval Dockyard for pumping out.
After this was completed she was towed to Sydney for repairs arriving with the RAAF Ensign proudly flying at her stern.

1946 She was returned to the U.S.S.Co for further service.

1965 She was sold to Letsena Navigation Inc of Monrovia and renamed Peter Elias and registered in Liberia.

1967 Purchased by Nansei Kenesetu Gyogyo Kisen and renamed Tainan Maru.

1968 She was broken up at Kaohsiung.

Information supplied by Gary Lane

Photo Credits: The late Don Ross Collection

Cheers and GB

Gordy