SS Canberra

SS Canberra

Canberra in 1984
History
United Kingdom
Name	Canberra
Namesake	City of Canberra, Australia
Owner	1961–88: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. 1988–91: P&O Lines (Shipowners) Ltd. 1991–97: Abbey National March Leasing (1) Ltd. (leased back by P&O)
Operator	1961–66: P&O–Orient Lines 1966–71: P&O Lines 1971–86: P&O Passenger Division 1986–92: Canberra Cruises Ltd. 1992–94: P&O Cruise Fleets Services Ltd. 1994–97: P&O Cruises (UK) Ltd.
Port of registry	London
Route	Southampton–Sydney via Suez, thence Sydney–Vancouver (1973, Cruising)
Ordered	20 December 1956
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Cost	£17 million (1956)
Yard number	1621
Laid down	23 September 1957
Launched	16 March 1960
Sponsored by	Dame Pattie Menzies, GBE
Completed	May 1961
Maiden voyage	2 June 1961
Out of service	10–31 October 1997 (final voyage)
Identification	Call sign: GBVC IMO number: 5059953 official number 302649
Nickname(s)	The Great White Whale
Honours and awards	Falklands War
Fate	Scrapped at Gadani ship-breaking yard, Pakistan, 1997–98
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	1961: 45,270 gross register tons 1962: 45,733 gross register tons 1968: 44,807 gross register tons 1994: 49,073 gross tons
Length	820 feet (250 m)
Beam	103 feet (31 m)
Draught	35.5 feet (10.8 m)
Propulsion	Main: Two British Thomson-Houston (AEI) synchronous three-phase, 6,000-volt air-cooled electric motors providing 85,000 hp (63,000 kW); power supplied by two 43,180 hp (32,200 kW) steam turbine-driven alternators; twin screws Auxiliary: Four steam turbines, each driving a 1,500 kW, 440 V, 3 Phase, 60 Hz alternator and a tandem-driven 300 kW exciter for the propulsion alternators
Speed	Trials: 29.27 kn (54.2 km/h; 33.7 mph) 1961–73: 27.5 kn (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph) 1973–97: 23.50 kn (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph)
Capacity	150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) of cargo
Complement	1961–73: 548 first class, 1,690 tourist class, 1973–97: 1,500 one class
Crew	1961–73: 900, 1973–97: 795

SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of £17 million. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. She was launched on 16 March 1960, sponsored by Dame Pattie Menzies, wife of the then Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Menzies. She entered service in May 1961, and made her maiden voyage starting in June. In the 1982 Falklands War she served as a troopship. In 1997 the singer and songwriter Gerard Kenny released the single "Farewell Canberra" which was specially composed for the last voyage.