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| country = United Kingdom |
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| name=””‘SS ”Esperance Bay””’, later ”’SS”’, ”’HMS”’, and ”’TSS ”Arawa””’ |
| name=””‘SS ”Esperance Bay””’, later ”’SS”’, ”’HMS”’, and ”’TSS ”Arawa””’ |
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| owner = [[Commonwealth Line]] ([[Australia]]); [[White Star Line]]; [[Shaw, Savill & Albion Line]] |
| owner = [[Commonwealth Line]] ([[Australia]]); [[White Star Line]]; [[Shaw, Savill & Albion Line]] |
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| type = [[ocean liner]]<ref name=P&O/> |
| type = [[ocean liner]]<ref name=P&O/> |
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| tonnage = * {{GRT|14, |
| tonnage = * {{GRT|14,}} (in )<ref name=/> |
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* {{NRT|8,598}} (in |
* {{NRT|8,598}} (in )<ref name=/> |
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| displacement = |
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| length = * {{cvt|530|ft|8|in}} [[Length overall|overall]]<ref name=P&O/> |
| length = * {{cvt|530|ft|8|in}} [[Length overall|overall]]<ref name=P&O/> |
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Latest revision as of 02:43, 22 January 2026
British ocean liner
SS Esperance Bay, later SS Arawa and HMS Arawa, was a British merchant ocean-liner, launched in 1921, which saw service mostly between England and the Far East and Oceania until broken up in 1955.
While the ship was named for Esperance Bay, that bay had itself been named for the French ship Espérance (1781).[3]
Built by William Beardmore and Company for the Australian government’s Commonwealth Line, of Fremantle, Western Australia, and registered in London, the ship was named SS Esperance Bay and changed owners several times.[4] In May 1928, the ship and her four sisters, including Jervis Bay, were sold to the White Star Line.[1] In 1936, she was bought by the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line, of London, and was renamed SS Arawa.[4] Confusingly, her sister ship Hobsons Bay was then renamed as Esperance Bay.[5]
In July 1935, as Esperance Bay, the vessel took part as a guest ship in King George V’s Silver Jubilee review of the fleet at Spithead.[1]
Requistioned by the Admiralty in 1939, as Arawa the ship was converted to an armed merchant cruiser called HMS Arawa and served in the Second World War until 1941.[4][1]
In 1945, Arawa repatriated more than five hundred British subjects from Shanghai to England, most of them recently liberated from the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Centre. They included the future author J. G. Ballard and the future actor Peter Wyngarde.[6][7]
In August 1947, Arawa was put to work to re-open the route from England to New Zealand by way of Cape Town. She made her final voyage in 1954, after a collusion with Borde, and was broken up for scrap metal in 1955.[1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n “Esperance Bay (1922) Fact Sheet”, P & O Heritage, accessed 21 January 2026
- ^ a b “Lloyds Register ARA–ARD” (1938–1939), wrecksite.eu, accessed 22 January 2026
- ^ Edward Duyker, Citizen Labillardière (Carlton: Miegunyah Press, 2003, ISBN 0-522-85160-6), pp. 126–128
- ^ a b c “HMS/SS Arawa (140148)”, Hebridean Connections, accessed 21 January 2026
- ^ John M. Maber, North Star to Southern Cross (Stephenson, 1967), pp. 269–270
- ^ “Letter from J. G. Ballard on “Mr Chips,” Peter Wyngarde, etc.”, 2 December 1994, in JGB News No. 24, jgballard.ca, accessed 21 January 2026
- ^ “Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists, Class: BT26; Piece: 1215; Item: 46. SS Arawa, December 1945”, National Archives of the United Kingdom, Kew, England accessed 21 January 2026:
“SHIP’S NAME: Arawa
ARRIVAL DATE: 14 Dec. 1945
OFFICIAL NUMBER: 140148
STEAMSHIP LINE: Cunard White Star
REGISTERED TONNAGE: 14461 / 8598
MASTER’S NAME: T. V. ROBERTS
VOYAGE: From Shanghai Hong Kong Kowloon Singapore Suez to Southampton
Summary of British and Alien Passengers: 767 [Passenger list attached of 582 names of British passengers headed “EX SHANGHAI”]
