ORIENT-PACIFIC LINE R.M.S. "ORONTES" 1905 POSTCARD

Orient Steam Navigation Company / Orient-Royal Mail Line / Orient Line Started 1877 with chartered steamers to Australia. 1878 Orient Steam Navigation Co. formed by Anderson, Anderson & Co., in conjunction with Pacific Steam Nav.Co. In 1906 PSNCo. was acquired by Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. and the service became known as the Orient-Royal Mail Line but this arrangement terminated in 1909. In 1919 P&O Line acquired a controlling interest in Orient Line. 1938 The Australia service extended to New Zealand. 1965 P&O acquired the whole of the Orient Line shareholding and the company became a P&O subsidiary. 1966 The Orient Line name was dropped and thenceforward disappeared. This ship, the Orontes, was built in 1902. In 1922 it was sold for conversion to an exhibition ship and renamed British Trade; later re-possessed by Orient Line and renamed Orontes, in 1926 scrapped.