The P&O company purchased four ships from the Blue Anchor Line in February 1910 when the company went into Liquidation after losing their flag ship Waratah with all souls in July 1909, she just simply vanished off the South African coast without trace. The P&O Company set about ordering five new ships to join the four just purchased and was to call the new service the branch line service. All the new ships would be named after Australian towns or cities that began with the letter B. The branch line service was required to operate separately from the other P&O ships and had to carry white crews because the Australian regulations stipulated they must do so. The first ship to be launched was the s.s. Ballarat named after the gold rush town by the same name in central Victoria later to become the city of Ballarat. The Ballarat carried the Blue Anchor funnel colours as a mark of respect for a couple of years then changed to the all black funnel of the P&O Company. Launched on the 3rd of September 1911 at the cost of 176,000 pounds she had the following dimensions,
Length 500feet 2inches x breadth 69feet 9inches x depth 37feet 8inches with a draught fully loaded of 31feet 8inches. Her tonnage was 11,120 gross with a net tonnage of 7,055 she was powered by 2 quadruple expansion steam engines with 9,000 indicated horsepower giving her a service speed of 14knots with twin propellers. Passenger capacity was 302 permanent one class, and 750 steerage in temporary quarters.
On the 25th April 1917 the Ballarat was torpedoed by the German submarine UB 32 24 miles south from Wolf Rock in the English channel. She was sailing as the H.M . Ambulance transport A70 on a voyage from Melbourne to London with Australian troops and a cargo of copper, antimony, ore, and gold bullion along with general cargo. She was hit in the starboard propeller and the hull was smashed in that area, the hull started to flood and also the engine room but she took some time to sink. In the meantime the 1,752 persons on board safely evacuated the ship in a most orderly manner. Some general cargo and gold believed to be thirteen thousand bars were salvaged between 1956 and 1985 by a vessel the MV Driver Protector.
S.S BALLARAT.
S.S. Ballarat in same berth the Waratah used on many occasions.
S.S. Ballarat slowly sinking, note life boats lowered.
On the 25th April 1917 the Ballarat was torpedoed by the German submarine UB 32 24 miles south from Wolf Rock in the English channel. She was sailing as the H.M . Ambulance transport A70 on a voyage from Melbourne to London with Australian troops and a cargo of copper, antimony, ore, and gold bullion along with general cargo. She was hit in the starboard propeller and the hull was smashed in that area, the hull started to flood and also the engine room but she took some time to sink. In the meantime the 1,752 persons on board safely evacuated the ship in a most orderly manner. Some general cargo and gold believed to be thirteen thousand bars were salvaged between 1956 and 1985 by a vessel the MV Driver Protector.
S. S. Ballarat, men taking to the lifeboats.
