If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor BetterHelp. Click betterhelp.com/bigoldboats for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy with a licensed professional specific to your needs. Thank you for watching! What do you think of the Canberra?
Awesome video! I think the SS Canberra's design, like other P&O ships of the era, is excellent. A stylish bridge between the liners of the early 20th century and the builds of the cruise ships heading into the new millenium. My family came to Australia on a P&O ship called SS Himalaya in the mid 60s, so it is always extra cool when I see a new video on RU-vid about one of them.
I think Canberra was a good ship. I like the design but i prefer the Oriana personally. Fun fact: The reason P&O refused to sell Canberra to premier resulted in them buying the Rotterdam. At some point, please could you make a video on the 1959 Rotterdam? Great video as always. Keep up the good work. :)
It's totally okay that you don't want to be on camera. You are a true scholar of maritime history, and have something to contribute to popular knowledge. What you do is fun and educational, and is appreciated. Your voice is perfect for this medium, as well. Take good care, and continue to be well.
She was the last liner built by Harland and Wolff. I always thought the Oriana was awkward looking, but the Canberra was a perfect blend of classic and modern
I sailed on the second last voyage of Oriana, a loop of the Pacific from Circular Quay. Magic. But there were such rumours. The Goan staff were very worried. The Captain had served in the Falklands, and the king of Tonga had dinner aboard. I saw her later laid up in Sydney Harbour, so sad.
Canberra was a special ship, and her endurance proved that. She was a beauty, inside and out, and served her company as well as her country well. Great topic BOB!
The Canberra should have been kept as a museum or hotel, I remember it being launched. It had style and character, unlike today's floating apartment blocks !
You are a very telegenic, or "YouTubic" (attractive) person! You have NOTHING to hide. Your ship videos are all well researched and presented. Keep up the great work! (So sad all the old liners can't be repurposed instead of being unceremoniously scrapped! 😔😔)
In the early 90s i worked on her for several months. Even though it was a fairly short employ, i felt a true sadness when it went to the scrapyard. It took an age to start to get used to its size and know your way around. It was a proper ocean ship and not just a cruise ship. Went to many places on her, but i suppose the highlight was going to Rio and getting up early that morning to see us sail past Sugar Loaf Mt.
I find it amazing how long she survived. Deep into the 90s. Really an amazing story and an amazing ship. Thank you for your expert telling of her story.
What a terrific tribute to a truly iconic ship! One of my favorites of all time. Thank you! As a kid in the 70's I was convinced that her color scheme was based on the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo. She was a classic, for sure, and well-deserving of her many devoted fans! And getting to see you on-camera was an added bonus! Nice to be able to put a face to the voice. Your work is valuable and much appreciated!
I sailed on the Canberra on her third to last cruise in 1997, when I was 7 years old. It was a holiday I will never forget, a real adventure as I had never been on a holiday like this before. I remember being in the aft swimming pool with my brother sailing through the rough bay of biscay and having a great time, as she ship carved its way through the waves unlike the modern ships due to her ocean liner build. Whilst granted, very old and creaky at the time, this just added to my sense of adventure that left lasting memories.
I emigrated on the Canberra from Britain to Australia with my family in 1963. I returned to Britain in 1982 on holiday and watched her sail out of Southampton. Beautiful ship
I was a member of the Royal Australian Navy and joined the HMAS Canberra in the USA where she was built. During our time in the States, we meet up with the SS Canberra. After the HMAS Canberra had returned home to Australia, the Falkland's war started. While I was a little concerned Australia may be asked to help out, this never happened. As an amusing side story, an elderly friend of my mother, would regularly here on the news about SS Canberra and ring my mother about how concerned my mum must be. My mum would reassure her (again) that it was a different Canberra to the frigate I served on. Thank you for producing this RU-vid clip -a bit of nostalgia from my past.
After the Falklands Conflict, Argentinian pilots later said they didn’t fire on the Canberra because they thought it was a hospital ship. There were other white (with Red Cross logo) British hospital ships operating in the area. Canberra was actually full of British troops, and it had aluminium superstructure, so if it was attacked it would have been carnage. Canberra’s white colour saved its life.
All the hospital ships in the area, both British and Argentinian - if memory serves there were four in total - were clearly designated and had their positions publically declared, and kept updated, by both sides. This is required by Geneva convention, and everyone involved complied with it. It's also well documented. At no stage did the Argentine air force command have any reason to think that the Canberra could possibly be a hospital ship. What wasn't in the Geneva convention was the Argentinian army mounting machine guns on one of their hospital ships and using them to shoot at people. That's expressly forbidden. [Edit : I've since found my memory on the above ("machine gun") incident was at fault. The crew of the Argentine hospital ship in Port Stanley Harbour didn't directly shoot at combatants, instead they illuminated them with a spot light from the ship, so Argentine troops elsewhere could see and shoot at them. The detail of the action is meanjngfully different, but I'd still suggest this was not a legal use of a hospital ship. See later in the thread.]
@@jonathanj8303 Could you be so kind as to reference a source for me to look into? Having closely followed these events while in the service at that time, and having extensively studied the conflict since then, I have never heard of the incident you are referring to, nor was I aware of any Argentine hospital ships in the combat area. And I can't quite see how a hospital ship would be in a position to machine gun enemy troops. Defend against air attack perhaps, though that would still be illegal.
I love your channel and your videos. The personal touch of appearing on screen and your candour about therapy are real bonuses, and I'm sure your positive message reaches many people.
Your pronunciation of the ships name is interesting. Here in Australia there's no emphasis on the second syllable, so the 'e' virtually disappears. So in Australian English it becomes "Canbra".
I was born then, but spent a day on the ship in 1979 as my Uncle was an engineer on there and family could visit free when it was docked somewhere for long enough x x x
Matey! If I were as good looking as you, I'd never want to hide my face. you have nothing to be worried about, but I'm glad you've taken the plunge. this ship was such an icon and it was the first time I get upset about a ship dying, I was 21 in 1998, and this ship was seriously famous.
Always be a special boat to me. On 26th January 1964 she took me at the age of eight on a life changing voyage around the world to Australia. I cried when I heard the news she was to be scrapped.
Have you looked into the Aurora restoration project? Originally built as the Wappen Von Hamburg built in 1955, We stopped by on our way to Disneyland as it is only 12 miles off Interstate 5 being restored on a river canal. It's odd to be driving through farm fields and all of a sudden there is this large white ship! I know there was a sister ship as well. Rumor has it the original "Love Boat" inspiration was taken from the Wappen Von Hamburg. Might be a cool project to dig into.
The "Wappen von Hamburg" sailed formerly on the route from Hamburg to the island of Helgoland in the North Sea. So happy to hear that she still exists. Many greets from Germany.
So interesting to get an American (or Canadian) perspective on the CANberra (with the odd pronunciations!) StrathEDEN (as in Garden of ...) I was an entertainer on the Canberra in 1980 and was well aware of all the things that didn't work! Apologies for being picky about the pronunciation!
My Uncle Paul Green worked on the Canberra ad an engineer then. He met his wife Margaret Pratt there. I can’t remember what job she did on board though.
Realy enjoyed our Canberra cruise from Sydney to Singapoure,via Rabaual-Japan-China-& Hong-Kong,Had 4berth inside cabin on E/deck..Comming up for air large on multi-deck pools promiards,mid-ship & arft,Aliice-Springs lounge where passengers had siing-a-longs before lunch.Cricketer"s Tavern & Crows-Nest Lounge were Fab.Also
Love your videos!!! Keep it up. And it was nice to see you. It does seem difficult to go on camera online. I couldn’t do it myself. 👍🏻 to being brave enough to do it! 🙂
I love cruising. The Canberra looked amazing. It’s a pity that P&O didn’t approve of its sale to keep it in action longer. They don’t make ships with graceful lines anymore. Did the Canberra have en-suite bathrooms? When we sailed from Bombay to Tilbury in the HMS Strathmore, we had to use common bathrooms down the hall. Thanks for doing what you do.
Wow you've done so well. Your voice and seeing you today I'm shocked. Your voice doesnt match but that's a good thing right? I'm a fan, you do great work
I was a £10 Pom, my parents emigrated in 1966 and settled in Canberra, Australia. The ship Canberra was laid down on the 23-Sep-1957 and I was born on 23-Sep-1962. Just some minor coincidences I suppose. This was a very well presented video although I thought it was a bit odd when you introduced yourself as “me again” but I guess if that’s your name then that’s your name😂😂. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺
My brothers and I were just kids in the 1960s. We would watch the news paper when one of the P&O ships would sail into Sydney Harbour. We would catch the train into Sydney from Cronulla. Southern suburb. Get off the train at circular quay. Walk on board. As we walked on board, we would be sure to say, are our parents back yet. The crew would just shrug their shoulders. Lunches were Two high Open seating. My brothers and I would have lunch ordering two ice creams. Walk off the ship and catch the train back home. We Ate only once on the Canberra. Mainly the Oriana.
I sailed on Canberra for a Christmas cruise to the Canaries in 1993. I was one of very few non-British passengers. Nice cruise but the fact that so many of her cabins did not have private bathrooms and the cabins were very small, to me, doomed this liner. But the camaraderie of the Brits on board filled this cruise with fun. A wonderful experience, now lost to history.
My wife's parents sailed on her on her final world cruise. They absolutely loved her. However, it was clear from her ageing facilities, that she couldn't continue to compete effectively with newer ships. She was, however, a beautiful looking ship.
Whilst most northern Americans include the “e” when pronouncing the ship’s name (& the name of the Australian capital city) most Australians don’t emphasise the “e” and pronounce it as “Canbra “.
From a sis-female fan with absolutely no agenda, I just want to tell you you are such a gorgeous human! Thank you for continuing to make these amazing and fascinating videos! I especially loved the music in this one. ❤
As someone from the other side of the story its nice to know what the people know about the war obiusly war NEVER is the aswer and it serve as a distraction for the public . However nice story and a beautiful ship 👍
I have a certificate from the last time she sailed from Gran Canaria and I’ve just struck some Canberra matches to lite my fire !! How do I attach a picture??
HMS - His or Her Majesty's Ship (depends on if there is a King or Queen on the throne) refers to Navy ships. A variation in Commonwealth countries - HMAS His Majesty's Australian Ship or HMCS His Majesty's Canadian Ship. SS means steamship. RMS, as in the Titanic, means Royal Mail Ship.
The Canberra at first I didn't like her design. But much prefer her to the Oriana (1957) which looks worst (much prefer the 1995 Oriana which has some design aspect from the Canberra!), though overtime I come to appreciate her upon learning she was built by H&W and comparing her to both her predecessor and sucessor she is probably the peak of the P&O fleet in the later era of the liner.
I always thought that Oriana (57), to crib from Douglas Adams, looked as if she was "not so much designed as congealed". There was a reason for her unique profile - the idea was to make it more or less symmetrical so that any side wind when manoeuvring would act on bow and stern equally and not exert a turning force. I never figured out, though, why the two funnels (the rear one was actually galley uptakes, etc IIRC) were just not QUITE identical - that's what jarred on me the most !
lol, five seconds in I was thinking "Was that Thatcher? That ****" I was born in 1982 and I'm American, I don't know why she makes me so angry (well, I do know, but let's not discuss politics, Much like the retired actor on my side of the pond, there was probably some good, but we only remember the bad) (Lil' bit of politics: I'm not sure either Maggie or Ron and Nancy were net good for their respective countries)
They choose SS CANBERRA due to the capital city of whole Australia 🇦🇺 port of Gibraltar due to the lighthouses to and fro of meddeteranian and suez canal are under British this 2 port of between Alexanderia and Red Sea must come together very important to the history of British ........
“Ken-Berra”….. girl I’m screaming haha 😂 as a Canberran (as in, I live in the city Canberra), this highly amuses me! Oh and you’re a cutie! No need to hide your face! Your videos are amazing as always.
I joined Canberra the day she arrived back from the Falklands as an engineer and did the 6 week refit on her to get her back into service. I then spent the next three years as an engineer. As she went on machinery became ever more tired, resulting in the failure of her starboard main alternator through a massive short circuit, a day's cruising out of Sydney. Luckily we were able to continue cruising with both screws due her to flexible electrical configuration, while I and mechanics from the Cockatoo Shipyard in Sydney took the alternator apart. At the same time, her boiler casings were rotting and filling the boiler room with flue gases, and one of the aux alternators tripped leaving us blacked out in the south Pacific. But what a ship to be an intimate part of. Sad that she wasn't saved, but she was well past her best.
I sailed on her in 88 and 12 year old me was incredibly impressed by her. Although we slummed it in an interior cabin with no bathroom! Hard to imagine that on one of today's flagships . I always wondered what conversions were made to turn her into a troop ship and you seem like a good person to ask.
SS Canberra: "Oh, boy... I'm really exposed out here..." Argentinian Air Force: "Oh, that must be a hospital ship. Don't fire at that one." SS Canberra: "Actually, I'm not-I MEAN YES! I AM DEFINITELY A HOSPITAL! I PROMISE!"
I often watched both her and the QE2 sail through the Solent, either going to or leaving from Southampton. All through my childhood we would holiday on the Isle of Wight, and it was almost guaranteed we would see her at some point during our stay on the island. It was almost a tradition that we would go to either Ryde or Cowes on the island to watch her pass by. It was the end of an era when both she and then a decade later, the QE2 retired. Built to look stylish, and be functional, whereas today's cruise liners are simply built to be functional.
Interesting that I also watched both vessels but while they were in Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 We both had a similar experience but from the other side of the world 🌎 🙃
I just got back from a short break on the IOW. Could plainly see the shipping navigating their way round the island so reading your post had me imagining what a sight it would have been to see those old beautiful liners making their way through the Solent back in the day. Must have been an amazing sight
Canberra was put more in harms way than QE2 because the admiralty was worried about the detriment to moral if a ship bearing the name of the monarch was badly damaged or sunk. Both were excellent ships and I’m pleased to have been able to stay on QE2 in Dubai 2 weeks ago, I’m sad Canberra wasn’t preserved though. Canberra was the first liner to have her lifeboats mounted lower down near the water which is standard today. BTW you’ve nothing to worry about by appearing in person in your videos, I know from personal experience that self confidence cannot be manufactured with the wave of a magic wand but life has taught me I put up more walls around myself than anyone else ever did.
"Canberra was the first liner to have her lifeboats mounted lower down near the water which is standard today." No she wasnt, check out SS Imperator from 1912
I travelled on the Canberra in ‘83 and it was quite the remarkable glimpse into fading British ocean liner culture. It was a sort of time capsule of 1950s and 1960s mid-20th century modernism with traditional activities of a bygone era: horse races, deck cricket, fancy dress, black tie, etc… The dining room was particularly magnificent in its homage to Australia.
I love the Canberra. What a nice blend of the style of old ocean liners and the mid century modern look. I also can’t help but love that it’s a Harland and Wolff ship. Love your videos. I’m super grateful for your channel.
Great ship and I was lucky enough to do 2 cruises on her in the late 80's. Unfortunately today the cruise ships are getting larger with maybe 6000 passengers and more like floating shopping malls and amusement arcade's !!!
Sometimes I find it difficult to fathom just how far we've come in just the last two centuries, for example we now have direct flights to Australia 🇦🇺 from Great Britain and it's barely a century since flight was invented! What a massive progression and there's hardly any land on earth that hasn't been scoured. I won't broach the future politics of this but suffice to say it's been one hell of a ride and I hope our son has the full benefits of what's come before. #OurHistory 👍 ☘️
Thank you for this wonderful footage. I have loved the Canberra since I was a child seeing her in Sydney Harbour and later in Southampton whilst living in London. I have many artifacts from her service life amongst my liner memorabilia collection. With the greatest respect as an Australian, her name (and that of Australia's federal capital after which she is named) is spelled "Canberra" but pronounced "Can-buh-ruh". Many thanks!
As a fan of the Great Liners since a young age I was not to enamored with her design when I first saw her. However, she defiantly had a way of growing on me. After studying her 23:20 history I’ve come to love her. My late Aunt certainly loved her as she booked passage on her to Australia in the 60’s. She gave me a model of the ship which I wish I still had today.
I watched the Canberra sail down Belfast lough when it went out on its sea trials bit of a misty day then it cleared enough for us to view it from Co Antrim side of the lough , it looked majestic with its innovative design, one of the last passenger liners to be built at the yard, greater Belfast people will know what the yard was
YEEEEESSS!!! Canberra is one of my favorite ships and I've been waiting for one of my ship channels to do a video. I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm stoked. Canberra has such a cool story and is one of the most beautiful ships of all time. Thank you, Big Old Boats!
Living in Woolston I could watch these ships come and go on Southampton Water from our garage roof. The day she sailed up the Western shore returning from the Falklands my whole school walked down to see her in .The Band played Rod's I am Sailing and the soldiers saluted to it. I remember it being very emotional. A memory I cherish all these years later living in Perth Australia.
For people who think it is easy to preserve a ship like this it is not. Here in The Netherlands we have the SS Rotterdam from the Holland/Amerika line preserved in the port of Rotterdam. People estimated €6 million to fix her up. BUT due to the large amount of asbestos in the ship the total cost spiralled out of control. In the end it was a whopping....€256+ MILLION for a flowting hotel. Yes,the ship is stunning,but the cost of preserving this ship still lingers above her till this day.. That is why so few of these ships are saved from the scrapheap. It is mind blowing expensive.
Very true ... I was sad, when Canberras retirement was announced, but it was heartwarming to see her gracefully - as she had always been - in the media pictures, as she was taking a well received last cruise around the world. She looked perfectly maintained up to the last day in service! Even looking quite well, when she sailed on her own power to the indian scrapyard some weeks later.
