9 October 1875          Adelaide Steamship Company

The Adelaide Steamship Company was registered in Adelaide on 9 October 1875 with a nominal capital of £100,000. The aim of the company was the trade between the colonies of both cargo and passengers. The first venture was trading between Adelaide and Melbourne and this service commenced in December 1876 with the steamer South Australia of 716 gross tons. On her maiden voyage, in spite of bad weather, she made the passage between Port Adelaide and Melbourne in 38½ hours. A sister ship, the Victorian, arrived from England shortly after and was put into similar service. With full passenger lists and plenty of cargo the company prospered. The next addition to the fleet was the Aldinga in 1877 and in 1882 the company acquired the Spencer Gulf Steamship Company so gaining its ships. Over the years more vessels were bought and the services extended to Western Australia.

 By 1950 there were twenty-six steamers and motor vessels with the passenger ship the Manoora as the flagship This was the period when the ‘Gulf Trips’ were popular with holidaymakers. With the decline in coastal trade in later years the company turned to other areas and the Adsteam Company had many diverse interests.

‘Development Coastal Shipping Services’, Australian Coal, Shipping, Steel and The Harbour, 1 November 1950, pp.31-31.
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