Australian National Line

The Australian National Line (ANL) was an Australian Government owned overseas and coastal shipping line that operated between 1956 and 1998, when the container shipping operations and naming rights were bought by CMA CGM.

Australian National Line

Former type	Sea transport
Founded	1 October 1956
Defunct	1998
Headquarters	Melbourne
Parent	Government of Australia

Corporate history

The Australian National Line was formed on 1 October 1956 as the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission with the passing of the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act.[1] The organisation took around forty ships previously operated by the Australian Shipping Board, which had been formed in 1946 by the Australian Federal Government.[2]

The Australian National Line and its predecessors acquired 20 ships made at the Whyalla shipyards in South Australia prior to 1970. Among them were freighters, colliers and bulk carriers for mineral transport. In June 1964, the largest bulk carrier ever produced in Australia was launched by Ruth Birrell, the daughter of the Chairman of the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission, P. J. Williams.[3]

In 1974 Australian Coastal Shipping Commission was replaced by the Australian Shipping Commission,[4] and in 1989 Australian National Line was established as a wholly owned government company.[5] In 1998 the French company CMA CGM bought the naming rights of ANL Limited from the Australian Federal Government.[6]

The Australian National Line was an early member of the Australian Shipping and Defence Council (now the Australian Maritime Defence Council) which was established by the Government of Australia in 1982.

Services

Historical

The company entered the ferry business in 1959, when Tasmanian Steamers announced that it would be withdrawing from the Bass Strait. Its ship the Taroona was becoming totally inadequate, only being able to carry 30 cars, which had to be lifted aboard. As no replacement was available, the Federal Government decided that the Australian National Line should take over, and it would be provided with a subsidy with an order placed with the State Dockyard, Newcastle. The new ship was named Princess of Tasmania, was the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere and the largest. She entered the Melbourne – Devonport route on 23 September 1959. The new ship and route were such a success for the ANL ordered a cargo only ship, to be named Bass Trader.

With the passenger numbers going so well on the Princess of Tasmania and cargo going very well also, ANL decided that a regular passenger service from Sydney to Hobart should be re-established. An order was placed with Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company. The new ship was christened Empress of Australia on 18 January 1964. Empress of Australia made her maiden voyage from Sydney to Hobart on 16 January 1965. The Empress of Australia operated from Sydney to Hobart and Sydney to Bell Bay/Burnie and back.

With the Princess of Tasmania going so well out of Melbourne, there needed to be more capacity on the route, so ANL ordered a new ship to be built at the State Dockyard. The new ship would be bigger, with smaller passenger capacity but more cargo space, an early example of the Ro/Pax concept. The new ship was launched on 17 February 1969 as the Australian Trader. On 24 June 1969, Australian Trader set out on her maiden voyage to Devonport. The new ship operated a rotation between Bell Bay, Devonport and Burnie.

On 27 June 1972 Princess of Tasmania left Devonport for the final time. ANL sold her to Bahamarine Ltd, Nassau and she left Australia on 7 October 1972. When the Princess of Tasmania left the route the Australian Trader swapped with her, and Empress of Australia replaced the Princess of Tasmania on the Melbourne - Devonport trade.

ANL were involved in the 1975 Tasman Bridge disaster in Hobart, Tasmania, as the owner/operator of the Lake Illawarra, the bulk carrier which collided with the bridge, and consequently sank.

ANL announced that Australian Trader would be withdrawn from service, being replaced by a new freight only ship named Bass Trader.

On the final arrival of the Australian Trader in Bell Bay the crew went on strike. The ship remained idle there for two months. Finally on 24 September 1976 they gave up and she sailed to Sydney, laid-up and was offered for sale. The sale was completed on 16 January 1977 to the Royal Australian Navy as a training ship.

In 1983 the Tasmanian government were seeking from the Federal Government funds to charter a supplementary ship, being either Scotia Prince, St Patrick II, Stena Baltica or Odysseus Elytis. This was rejected.

In 1984 ANL announced that it would not be continuing in the ferry business, and the Empress of Australia would be withdrawn in 1985 and sold. This was then put into the hands of the Tasmanian Government which subsequently formed the TT-Line with the Federal Government agreeing to buy a ship.

Current

The ceasing of the ANL's involvement in the passenger trade allowed them to concentrate solely on bulk freight and cargo. In 1998 the French company CMA CGM bought ANL's container shipping business and trading name from the Federal Government.

CMA CGM operate over 350 vessels (mostly container vessels) on all of the world's major shipping lanes. As part of CMA CGM, the shipping company is now a part of the world's third largest container shipping operator. ANL now employs over 450 staff globally and moves roughly 900,000 cargo containers per year..

Commercially, ANL still operates the more traditional north–south directional trades, plus nearly 20 relatively new east–west directional trades riding on the services of its parent - CMA CGM.

In line with its parent company, ANL has a major focus on the environment for its vessels, containers and office operations.

Fleet summary

This is a list of ships owned or operated by ANL between its formation in 1956 and privatisation in 1998.

Name	Type	Entered ANL service	Left ANL service	Disposition	Fate
MV Baralga	General cargo	February 1957	1972	Sold to Nilmore Ltd	Broken up 1980
SS Bilkurra	General cargo	February 1957	1969	Sold to Malaysian International Shipping	Broken up 1974
SS Binburra	General cargo	February 1957	1969	Sold to Malaysian International Shipping	Broken up 1974
MV Boonaroo	General cargo	March 1957	January 1971	Sold to Collin Navigation Co	Broken up 1985
MV Bulwarra	General cargo	March 1958	January 1971	Sold to Collin Navigation Co	Ran aground off Keelung and broke apart on 22 October 1971, total loss
SS Dalby	General cargo	January 1958	October 1969	Sold to Cronulla Cia Nav SA	Ran aground off Keelung on 14 November 1971, abandoned as total loss
SS Dandenong	General cargo	1957	1960	Sold to Jones Brothers Coal Pty Ltd	Broken up 1971
SS Daylesford	General cargo	1957	1960	Sold to Fung Shing Navigation Co Ltd	Broken up 1972
SS Delungra	General cargo	November 1957	April 1960	Sold to H & S Credits Pty Ltd	Broken up 1974
SS Denman	General cargo	March 1957	1965	Sold to Eddie Steamships (Philippines) Inc	Broken up 1970
SS Dubbo	General cargo	March 1957	May 1965	Sold to Australia Pacific Co (Hong Kong) Ltd	Broken up 1969
MV Edenhope	General cargo	February 1957	October 1965	Sold to Bougainville Trading Co Ltd	Broken up 1979
MV Elmore	General cargo	February 1957	January 1965	Sold to John Burke Ltd	Broken up 1987
MV Enfield	General cargo	February 1957	January 1965	Sold to Legaspi Oil Co Inc	Deregistered 2008 in Manilla, Philippines. Still afloat.
MV Eugowra	General cargo	February 1957	June 1969	Sold to Pacific Islands Shipping Co Pty Ltd	Broken up 1974
MV Euroa	General cargo	February 1957	March 1969	Sold to Keith Hollands Shipping Co Pty Ltd	Broken up 1980
MV Inyula	Bulk carrier	February 1957	September 1975	Sold to Octamaris Maritime Corporation	Sank in the Black Sea December 1977 in bad weather
MV Lake Barrine	Bulk carrier	February 1957	October 1975	Sold to Drillships Ltd	Broken up 1982
SS Lake Eyre	Bulk carrier	February 1957	February 1973	Sold to Century Shipping Lines (Hong Kong) Ltd	Broken up 1975
MV Nilpina	General cargo	February 1957	June 1971	Sold to Simanggang Sawmill Co Pty Ltd	Sank off Little Andaman Island on 22 June 1985.
MV Noongah	General cargo	February 1957	25 August 1969	-	Sank off Smoky Cape in heavy seas with the loss of 21 crew
MV Ransdorp	Tanker	March 1957	May 1958	Sold to Dent & Graham	Sank in the Tasman Sea on 18 March 1961
SS River Burdekin	General cargo	March 1957	1959	Sold to Indonesian government	Broken up 1971
SS River Burnett	General cargo	March 1957	April 1965	Sold to Australine Shipping Co Inc	Broken up 1973
SS River Clarence	General cargo	March 1957	1960	Sold to World-Wide SS Co Ltd	Broken up 1968
MV River Derwent	General cargo	January 1957	April 1959	Interstate Steamships Pty Ltd	Ran aground during Typhoon Wanda, refloated and scrapped 1962.
MV River Fitzroy	General cargo	March 1957	March 1963	Sold to Amakasu Sangyo Kisen K K	Broken up March 1963
MV River Glenelg	General cargo	March 1957	October 1960	Sold to Hang Fung Shipping & Trading Co Ltd	Broken up January 1963
MV River Hunter	General cargo	February 1957	July 1959	Sold to Albert Sims Ltd	Broken up 1960
MV River Loddon	General cargo	March 1957	March 1963	Sold to Amakasu Sangyo Kisen K K	Broken up March 1963
MV River Mitta	General cargo	March 1957	July 1959	Sold to Hang Fung Shipping & Trading Co Ltd	Broken up 1959
MV River Murchison	General cargo	February 1957	February 1963	Sold to Amakasu Sangyo Kisen K K	Broken up March 1963
MV River Murray	General cargo	March 1957	August 1959	Sold to Albert Sims Ltd	Broken up 1959
MV River Murrumbidgee	General cargo	March 1957	January 1963	Sold to Amakasu Sangyo Kisen K K	Broken up March 1963
MV River Norman	General cargo	February 1957	1959	Sold to Wallem & Co	Ran aground during Typhoon Wanda, refloated and scrapped 1962.
MV Talinga	Bulk carrier	February 1957	July 1970	Sold to Elios Compania Navigation SA	Ran aground during Typhoon Rose, refloated and scrapped 1972.
MV Timbarra	Bulk carrier	February 1957	January 1969	Sold to Montauk Maritime Ltd	Broken up 1973
SS Tyalla	Bulk carrier	March 1957	May 1957	Sold to Cambray Prince Steamship Co Ltd	Formerly repair ship HMS Dullisk Cove. Broken up 1962
MV Wangara	General cargo	March 1957	October 1966	Sold to Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission	Comveryed to a barge 1983
MV Windarra	General cargo	April 1957	October 1970	Sold to Collin Navigation Co	Broken up 1980
MV Yanderra	Bulk carrier	February 1957	November 1970	Sold to Collin Navigation Co	Broken up 1976
MV Yarrunga	Bulk carrier	February 1957	December 1971	Sold to Corona Navigation Co SA	Sank in the Persian Gulf 4 May 1975 after cargo caught fire
MV Iranda	Bulk carrier	1957	August 1977	Sold to Jollyboat SA	Broken up 1982
MV North Esk	General cargo	1957	June 1979	Sold to West Pacific Shipping Pty Ltd	Broken up 1984
MV Lake Boga	Bulk carrier	1957	29 March 1978	Sold to International Activity Shipping & Investment Co SA	Broken up 1984
MV Lake Boga	Bulk carrier	1957	January 1978	Sold to Tien Tai Shipping Co SA	Broken up May 1978
MV Illowra	Bulk carrier	1957	June 1970	Sold to Athenmar Shipping Co Ltd	Broken up 1982
MV Lake Illawarra	Bulk carrier	1958	5 January 1975	-	Sank after colliding with the Tasman Bridge
MV Lake Colac	General cargo	1958	1978	Sold to Maliac Shipping Corporation	Broken up 1979
MV Lake Macquarie	Bulk carrier	1958	January 1979	Sold to Project and Services Pty Ltd	Broken up 1982
MV South Esk	General cargo	1959	December 1972	Sold to Eastern Shipping Lines Inc	Sank in the South China Sea on 16 February 1980
MV Lake Macquarie	Bulk carrier	1959	June 1979	Sold to Bluewater Bay Maritime Inc	Broken up 1981
MS Princess of Tasmania	Passenger and roll-on/roll-off	September 1959	December 1972	Sold to Bahamarine Ltd	Broken up 2005
MV Mount Keira	Ore carrier	1960	June 1976	Sold to Agile Shipping Co SA	Broken up 1983
MV Mount Kembla	Ore carrier	1960	June 1973	Sold to Drillships Ltd	Broken up 1988
MV Bass Trader (1st)	Roll-on/roll-off	1961	April 1975	Sold to Halley Enterprise Shipping Inc	Broken up 1984
MV Merino	General cargo	October 1963	December 1964	Sold to Carpentaria Holdings Pty Ltd	Scuttled in the Arafura Sea on 17 December 1986
MV Jeparit	General and bulk cargo	1964	September 1979	Sold to Massis Charity Shipping Co	Broken up 1993
MV Musgrave Range	Ore carrier	November 1964	June 1977	Sold to Zea Shipping Co	Broken up 1983
MS Empress of Australia	Passenger and roll-on/roll-off	January 1965	1985	Sold to Sun Cruises Maritime	Sank in the Strait of Malacca on 23 August 1992
SS Darling River	Bulk carrier	1966	February 1979	Sold to Malcome Collins (Australia) Pty Ltd	Broken up June 1979
MV Australian Trader (1st)	Passenger and roll-on/roll-off	1969	January 1977	Sold to the Royal Australian Navy	Broken up 2004
MV Australian Enterprise (1st)	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1969	1 January 1986	-	Broken up 1986
MV Australian Endeavour (1st)	Container	1969	1 June 1985	-	Broken up 1985
MV Brisbane Trader	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1969	10 December 1986	Sold to Mastrogiorgis Shipping Co Ltd	Broken up 2010
MV Sydney Trader	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1969	1984	-	Broken up 1984
MV Tolga	Bulk carrier	October 1969 (leased)	1983	Returned to Arctic Shipping Co Ltd	Broken up 1994
SS Yarra River	Bulk carrier	1970	1982	-	Broken up 1982
MV Townsville Trader	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1970	November 1984	-	Broken up 1984
MV Darwin Trader	Container and bulk carrier	1970	1998	-	Still in service
MV Echuca	Container	1971	July 1976	Sold to Wan Hai Steamship Co Inc	Still in service
MV Allunga	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1971	1986	-	Broken up 1986
MV Mount Newman	Bulk carrier	1973 (chartered)	1981	Returned to Pacific Maritime Services Ltd	Broken up 1996
MV Alnwick Castle	Bulk carrier	1974 (leased)	June 1981	Returned to Ben Line	Broken up 1996
MV Tambo River	Bulk carrier	1972 (chartered)	September 1979	Returned to Northern Bulk Carriers Ltd	Broken up 1998
MSC Australian Exporter	Container	July 1972 (leased)	1990	Returned to Mediterranean Shipping Co SA	Broken up 1999
MV Lysaght Endeavour	Roll-on/roll-off	1973	10 June 1987	-	Broken up 1987
MV Lysaght Enterprise	Roll-on/roll-off	1973	1987	-	Broken up February 1987
MV Australian Emblem	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1974 (leased)	17 April 1988	Returned to Kawasaki Heavy Industries	Broken up 1997
MV Melbourne Trader	Roll-on/roll-off	January 1975	1988	Sold to Bulk Enterprise Ltd	Still in service
MSC Australian Explorer	Container	April 1975	1986	-	Broken up 1986
MV Stirling Range	Bulk carrier	April 1975	March 1980	Sold to Antigoni Shipping Co Ltd	Sunk 21 November 1983 in the Iran–Iraq War
MV Australian Escort	Container and roll-on/roll-off	January 1976	1989	-	Renamed Anro Melbourne
MV Bass Trader (2nd)	Roll-on/roll-off	1976	1997	Sold to Strintzis Lines	Still in service
MV Australian Pioneer	Bulk carrier	August 1976	1986	Sold to Shanghai Ocean Shipping Co	Still in service
MV Australian Prospector	Bulk carrier	December 1976	July 1979	Sold to Trikappa Ltd	Broken up 1999
MV Australian Venture	Container	1976	December 1996	Sold to Lavicer Investments Corp	Broken up 2006
MV Anro Australia	Container	February 1977	1997	Sold to Ruby Enterprises Inc	Broken up June 1997
MV Flinders Range	Bulk carrier	1977	2 January 1987	Sold to China Shipping Group	Still in service
MV Australian Purpose	Bulk carrier	December 1977	June 1979	Sold to Lavicer Investments Corp	Broken up 2006
MV Lake Barrine	Bulk carrier	1978	1986	Sold to Societe Mo Car SpA	Still in service
MV Lake Eildon	Bulk carrier	1978	1985	Sold to Queensland Lime & Cement	Scrapped 2008
MV Lake Eyre	Bulk carrier	1978	1984	Sold to Julia Shipping Pty Ltd	Still in service
MV Lake Hume	Bulk carrier	January 1979	1986	Sold to Clarry Shipping Ltd	Still in service
MV Australian Progress	Bulk carrier	February 1979	1991	Sold to Treasure Sea Shipping Inc	Broken up 2002
MV Selwyn Range	Bulk carrier	July 1979	1990	Sold to CSL Pacific	Still in service
MV Cape Hawke	Bulk carrier	1981 (leased)	December 1986	Returned to British Phosphate Commission	Broken up 1987
MV Baron Murray	Bulk carrier	August 1981 (leased)	1987	Returned to Otway Shipping Co Ltd	Broken up 2003
MV Cape Otway	Bulk carrier	August 1981 (leased)	1987	Returned to British Phosphate Commission	Broken up 2008
MV River Boyne	Ore carrier	1982	-	-	Still in service
MV River Embley	Ore carrier	1983	-	-	Still in service
MV River Yarra	Ore carrier	1984	2002	Sold to Canada Steamship Lines	Still in service
MV Australian Trader (2nd)	Container	1 February 1985	19 January 1997	Sold to Hub Line	Still in service
MV Australian Advance	Container	1986 (leased)	1988	Returned to United Arab Shipping Co	Still in service
MV Tranztas Trader	General cargo	1989	1998	Sold to Littleton Services Inc	Sank off Vietnam on 16 December 2010
MV Anro Melbourne	Container and roll-on/roll-off	1989	1992	Sold to Plixia Trading Ltd	Broken up 1998
MV Australian Searoad	Roll-on/roll-off	1989	1994	Returned to Pacific Intercontinental Co Ltd	Still in service
MV Australian Express	General cargo	6 September 1989 (leased)	3 February 1990	Returned to Nanyuan Shipping	Still in service
MV Australian Endeavour (2nd)	Container	1991	-	-	Still in service as ANL Australia
MV Australian Endurance	Container	1991	1996	Sold to Koala Shipping Inc	Still in service
MV Australian Enterprise (2nd)	Container	1997	-	-	Still in service as ANL Explorer

See also

• Commonwealth Line, another government-owned shipping company in operation between 1916 and 1928

References

• Ferry to Tasmania, a short History by Peter Plowman, ISBN 1-877058-27-0.

1. "Corporate entry: Australian Coastal Shipping Commission". Australian Science at Work. austehc.unimelb.edu.au. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
2. "Corporate entry: Australian Shipping Board". Australian Science at Work. austehc.unimelb.edu.au. Archived from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
3. "Biggest Australian Bulk Ship Launched". The Canberra Times. 10 June 1964. p. 13. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
4. "Corporate entry: Australian Shipping Commission". Australian Science at Work. austehc.unimelb.edu.au. Archived from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
5. "Corporate entry: Australian National Line (ANL) Limited". Australian Science at Work. austehc.unimelb.edu.au. Archived from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
6. "ANL - About Us". Anl.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.

External links

• ANL.com.au (official site)
• Australian National Line postcard gallery