Braeside (1968)

In January 1968 my dad took me on a surprise trip from Melbourne to Sydney on Burns Philp's Braeside. She was a comfortable 12 passenger cargo liner operating on the Australia / New Guinea service at the time. It was my first voyage on a cargo ship and, of course I loved it. A highlight for me was being allowed to steer the ship several times (under the watchful eye of a quartermaster).

                                                      Gordon, the Purser's son (L) and me, both age 11                                                                                                          (Photo by G. W. Noble)

After we left the ship at 6 Walsh Bay, Sydney we flew home from Sydney's Mascot Airport to Melbourne's Essendon Airport aboard a TAA Vicker's Viscount. 

(Photo: Michael Robertson)

(Photo: Michael Robertson)

mv BRAESIDE

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built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow,
Yard No 718
Engines by JG Kincaid & Co Greenock

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Port of Registry: Glasgow
Propulsion: oil 2SA 6cy 4500bhp 13 knots
Launched: Monday, 21/03/1949
Built: 1949
Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel
Tonnage: 5867 grt | 3266 nrt | 7980 dwt
Length: 455 feet 4
Breadth: 58 feet 0
Draught: 24 feet 10
Owner History:
Burns Philp & Co Sydney
Status: Scrapped - 16/04/1974

1949 (Nov) first voyage to Indonesian
         and Malaysian ports.  The vessel was
         in the Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia
         trade for fourteen years. 
         1964 (Jan) Burns, Philp stopped calls
         at Indonesian ports because of the
         problems caused by Indonesia's
         Confrontation  policy towards
         Malaysia and Singapore
         1965 transferred to the Melbourne-
         New Guinea route
         1970 sold to a Panamanian subsidiary
         of a Philippines company r/n Sula
         1972 after grounding at Bassein in
         Burma the vessel was refloated and
         taken to Rangoon and left there
         1974 sold to a Liberian company,
         and resold to Taiwan ship breakers.
         The vessel was towed to Taiwan
         for scrapping.

In 1883 Burns Philp and Company Limited was formed by amalgamating the various businesses in Sydney and Queensland carried on in the names of James Burns and of Robert Philp and Company. With James Burns as chairman of directors the company expanded rapidly and lines of steamers were run from Australian ports to the many Pacific islands in the main, with Singapore Auckland and Hong Kong also as ports of call. Robert Philps was Managing Director of Queensland Operations. Diverse business interests included the Copra plantations and the pearling industry. Many vessels were registered at the main ports' of their most frequented call. South Seas Division was created after a complete takeover of their subsidiary Robbie, Kaad & Co, being re-titled and removing area (pacific) control from Sydney to the Fiji headquarters specific to the Islands' trades. Other subsidiaries as Hong Kong and PNG (Papua-New Guinea) Ltd as suffixes also existed. The changing times of 1960's with airline competition, Union demands for Australian crewing and an ageing fleet saw the Parent Company cease all Australian shipping operations by 1970. Notwithstanding, they held an established name in Australian Shipping History

(From: http://www.flotilla-australia.com)