Built as a cargo-passenger ship under yard No. 574 by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness, U.K for the Commonwealth Government Line, Melbourne, Australia.
04 October 1921 launched under the name HOBSONS BAY. She had 4 sisterships the MORETON BAY, JERVIS BAY, LARGS BAY and ESPERANCE BAY (1).
Tonnage 13.837 gross, 23.230 dwt., dim. 167.3 x 20.7 12.3m., draught 10 meter.
Powered by four Parsons steam turbines manufactured by the shipbuilder, 9.000 shp., twin screws, speed 15 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 12 first and 738 third class passengers, in two, four and six persons cabins.
Crew 215.
Six holds only hold no 1 and 6 not isolated, the other holds used for the transport of frozen meat from Australia to the U.K.
Loading/discharging gear, two cranes and 23 derricks, one of 35 ton.
Building cost £1.300.000.
January 1922 completed. Registered at Melbourne, Australia.
28 February 1922 maiden voyage from London via Suez to Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney to Brisbane.
She was held responsible for a collision in the River Thames June 1923 with the steamer MARGIT SIEMERS and on 27 August she collided with the CHEMNITZ in the vicinity off Southend.
Due to crewing problems she spend some time as laid up.
Also there was not much experience in managing passenger liners by the Australian Government, even after reorganization and renaming of the company in Australian Commonwealth Line, the losses were mounting.
Early 1928 the losses were so high for the company that a buyer was sought for the five ships.
The British Kylsant Group was interested and bought the ships for less than two million Pounds.
The same year the HOBSONS BAY was delivered to her new owners the Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line in the U.K, the Australian crew was send home, and a British crew took over.
Passenger accommodation reduced to 635 passengers.
The five ships were kept in the service between the U.K and Australia.
1931 Extensively refitted and accommodation reduced to 550 tourist class passengers. Gross tonnage now given as 14.198 gross.
1931 The Kylsant Group collapsed, the five ships continued to operate with an uncertain future.
1933 A new company, the Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line Limited was formed by the Shaw, Savil & Albion Co and the P&O, the Shaw, Savil & Albion Co the main shareholder got the management of the five ships.
1936 The HOBSONS BAY was renamed in ESPERANCE BAY (2) after her sister was transferred to the New Zealand service and renamed ARAWA.
The sailings were reduced from 4 weekly to six-weekly intervals to Australia, till the outbreak of World War II.
ESPERANCE BAY was at that time in Australian waters and requisitioned 13 Sept. 1939, and converted in an auxiliary merchant cruiser in Brisbane. Got an armament of 3 – 6 inch guns, sailed via the Cape to the U.K were her armament was increased to 7 – 6 inch and 2 – 3 inch guns.
28 November commissioned as HMAS ESPERANCE BAY (F67).
12 Nov. 1941 returned, and converted in a troopship.
During her time as troopships she was attacked by German bombers and her steering gear was disabled, but by steering with her two screws she reached port. Mostly used in the Middle East and South Africa waters
She transported the entire garrison of the 11th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment to the Falkland Islands.
After the war and a refit, her passenger accommodation was reduced to 514 tourist class passengers and she came again in the service from London via Southampton to Malta, Port Said, Aden, Colombo, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney till the Suez Canal crises of 1956, when she was rerouted via the Cape for a few months.
1955 Her tonnage given as 14.343 gross, 8.417 net, 11.838 dwt.
April 1965 she sailed for her last voyage from the U.K to Australia, after her return she was withdrawn from service and sold to Shipbreaking Industries Ltd at Faslane, where she arrived on 06 July 1965.
Falkland Islands 1995 40p sg 739, scott 636.
Source: North Star to Southern Cross by John M. Maber. Passenger Ships of Australia & New Zealand by Peter Plowman. Shaw Savill & Albion by Richard P de Kerbrech. Some web-sites.