Australian National Lines
Encyclopedia
The Australian National Line (ANL) was an Australian Government owned overseas and coastal shipping line
that operated in Australia
between 1956 and 1998, when the container shipping operations and naming rights were bought by French shipping line CMA CGM
.
.
In 1974 Australian Coastal Shipping Commission was replaced by the Australian Shipping Commission, and in 1989 Australian National Line Limited was established as a wholly owned government company. In 1998 the French company CMA CGM
bought he naming rights of ANL Limited from the Australian Federal Government.
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. So an order was placed at the New South Wales Dockyard at Newcastle for completion of a new vessel in September 1959. The new ship was named Princess of Tasmania, and was the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere and the largest. She entered the Melbourne
– Devonport
route on 23/9/59.
The new ship and route were such a success for the ANL that they 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 Tasmania
should be re-established. An order was placed with Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company Pty Ltd. The new ship was christened Empress of Australia on 18/1/1964. Empress of Australia made her maiden voyage from Sydney
to Hobart
on 16/1/1965. 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 New South Wales
Dockyard. The new ship would be bigger than the Princess, with smaller passenger capacity but more cargo space, an early example of the Ro/Pax concept. The new ship was launched on 17/2/1969 as the Australian Trader. On 24/6/1969, Australian Trader set out on her maiden voyage to Devonport. The new ship operated a rotation between Bell Bay, Devonport and Burnie.
On 27/6/1972 Princess of Tasmania left Devonport for the final time. ANL sold her to Bahamarine Ltd, Nassau and she left Australia for the very last time on 7/10/72. 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.
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 24/9/76 they gave up and she sailed to Sydney, laid-up and was offered for sale. The sale was completed on 16/1/1977 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 they would not be continuing in the ferry business and the Empress would be withdrawn in 1985 and sold. This was then put into the hands of the Tasmanian Government which subsequently formed the TT-line
and got the capital from the Federal Government to buy a ship.
bought ANL's container shipping business and trading name from the Australian 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.
Shipping line
-History of shipping lines:Large-scale shipping lines became widespread in the nineteenth century, after the development of the steamship in 1783. At first, Great Britain was the centr of development; in 1819, the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic Ocean took place and by 1833, shipping lines...
that operated in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
between 1956 and 1998, when the container shipping operations and naming rights were bought by French shipping line CMA CGM
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
.
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. The organisation took around forty ships previously operated by the Australian Shipping Board, which had been formed in 1946 by the Australian Federal GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
.
In 1974 Australian Coastal Shipping Commission was replaced by the Australian Shipping Commission, and in 1989 Australian National Line Limited was established as a wholly owned government company. In 1998 the French company CMA CGM
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
bought he naming rights of ANL Limited from the Australian Federal Government.
Historical
The company entered the ferry business in 1959, when Tasmanian Steamers said they would be pulling out of the run. Their ship the SS TaroonaSS Taroona
SS Taroona was an Austrialian transport ship, built in Linthouse, a district of Glasgow, in 1934 by Alexander Stephen & Sons for the Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd. She was a steam turbine ship with a service speed of 18 knots but ran at 16 knots. When completed she weighed 4,286 tons; she commenced...
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. So an order was placed at the New South Wales Dockyard at Newcastle for completion of a new vessel in September 1959. The new ship was named Princess of Tasmania, and was the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere and the largest. She entered the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
– Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
route on 23/9/59.
The new ship and route were such a success for the ANL that they 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
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
should be re-established. An order was placed with Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company Pty Ltd. The new ship was christened Empress of Australia on 18/1/1964. Empress of Australia made her maiden voyage from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
on 16/1/1965. The Empress of Australia operated from Sydney to Hobart and Sydney to Bell Bay
Bell Bay, Tasmania
Bell Bay is an industrial centre and port located on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies just south of George Town.- Industry :It hosts an aluminium smelter and a power station.- Transport :...
/Burnie and back.
With the Princess of Tasmania going so well out of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, there needed to be more capacity on the route, so ANL ordered a new ship to be built at New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Dockyard. The new ship would be bigger than the Princess, with smaller passenger capacity but more cargo space, an early example of the Ro/Pax concept. The new ship was launched on 17/2/1969 as the Australian Trader. On 24/6/1969, Australian Trader set out on her maiden voyage to Devonport. The new ship operated a rotation between Bell Bay, Devonport and Burnie.
On 27/6/1972 Princess of Tasmania left Devonport for the final time. ANL sold her to Bahamarine Ltd, Nassau and she left Australia for the very last time on 7/10/72. 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
Tasman Bridge disaster
The Tasman Bridge disaster occurred on the evening of 5 January 1975, in Hobart, the capital city of Australia's island state of Tasmania, when a bulk ore carrier travelling up the Derwent River collided with several pylons of the Tasman Bridge, causing a large section of the bridge deck to...
in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania, as the owner/operator of the Lake Illawarra
MV Lake Illawarra
The MV Lake Illawarra was a Handysize bulk carrier of 7,274 tons in the service of the Australian National Line shipping company. This ship is known for causing the Tasman Bridge disaster when it collided with pylon 19 of Hobart's giant high concrete arch style Tasman Bridge on the evening of...
, the bulk carrier which collided with the bridge.
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 24/9/76 they gave up and she sailed to Sydney, laid-up and was offered for sale. The sale was completed on 16/1/1977 to the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
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 they would not be continuing in the ferry business and the Empress would be withdrawn in 1985 and sold. This was then put into the hands of the Tasmanian Government which subsequently formed the TT-line
TT-Line (Australia)
TT-Line Company Pty. Ltd. is a company operating ferries from Tasmania to the mainland of Australia since 1985. The company was separated from the department of Transport Tasmania in 1993, becoming a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of Tasmania.- 1985-1992 :TT-Line was...
and got the capital from the Federal Government 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 CGMCMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
bought ANL's container shipping business and trading name from the Australian Federal Government.
CMA CGM
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
operate over 350 vessels (mostly container vessels) on all of the world's major shipping lanes. As part of CMA CGM
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
, 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.
External links
- ANL.com.au (official site)
- Australian National Line postcard gallery