BHP Shipping

BHP Shipping

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Maritime transportation, Ship construction
Founded	1917
Founder	Captain William Halley
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Parent	BHP

BHP Shipping served as the Australian division of BHP specializing in maritime transportation and ship construction.

The division's beginnings trace back to 1915 when BHP chartered the SS Emerald Wings for iron ore transport between Whyalla and Newcastle. In 1917, BHP took a stake in the steamer SS Koolonga, fully acquiring it by 1918 and renaming it SS Iron Monarch. That same year, the BHP Shipping Department was formed under the leadership of Captain William Halley, previously captain of the Emerald Wings and Marine Superintendent. By 1921, BHP Shipping had evolved into a subsidiary shipping company.

Although BHP explored shipbuilding ambitions by 1923, initial efforts concentrated on producing steel hull plates supplied to key customers such as the Commonwealth Shipping Line. Responding to government appeals in 1939, BHP launched the Whyalla Shipyard featuring five slipways with capacity for vessels up to 15,000 GT. The shipyard's inaugural project was HMAS Whyalla. From 1941 through 1978, a total of 63 ships were constructed there, including fifteen commissioned for BHP’s own fleet. Additionally, BHP Shipping chartered other ships built at Whyalla.

Following World War II, BHP expanded its bulk carrier fleet to facilitate the movement of iron ore, coal, and steel goods. Vessel sizes grew until the 1980s when a downturn in steel demand prompted some ships to shift focus toward exporting coal, coke, and iron ore.

In December 1983, BHP Shipping was merged into BHP Transport Ltd. Before the 2002 BlueScope demerger, port facilities and shore-based operations were reassigned to refinery locations; BlueScope inherited several vessels. The remaining fleet continues under the management of BHP Transport and Logistics Pty Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of BHP.

Fleet summary

SS Kenilworth||General cargo||1941||1947||Returned to Commonwealth Government Shipping Control Board||Scrapped March1959 SS Iron Monarch (2nd)||Ore carrier||1943 March28||1972||Sold to Great Fareastern Ltd||Scrapped October1972 SS Iron Duke (originally SS Iron Duke II)||Ore carrier||1943 March28||1970 July||Sold to Pac Trade Navigation Co||Scrapped September1971 SS Iron Yampi||General cargo||1947 September1||1975 September26||Sold to Nissho Iwai Co Ltd||Scrapped November1975 SS Iron Kimberley||General cargo||1949 April4||1972 September||Sold to Wiltopps(Asia) Ltd|||Scrapped October1972 SS BellerbySS Iron DerbySS Iron WyndhamSS Iron Whyalla (1st)||General cargo|||1954 June|||1979 June1|||Sold to Selco(Hong Kong) Ltd|||Scrapped July1979}} SS Iron Knight (2nd)||General cargo|||1955 June|||1971|||Sold to Great Fareastern Ltd|||Scrapped October1971}} SS Iron SpencerSS Iron FlindersSS AgeSS Iron Dampier ((1st))' ' SS Iron Warrior (2nd)||General cargo||(1961 March)||(1975 February)||Sold to Hi-Firm Corporation||(scrapped July1975)} ' ' MV Iron Clipper ||(Bulk carrier)||(1964 December19)(chartered)||(1975 June)||Returned to Anglo-Pacific Shipping Company Ltd||(scrapped May1984)} ' ' MV Iron Cavalier ||(Bulk carrier)||(1965 November4)(chartered)||(1975 June)||Returned to Anglo-Pacific Shipping Company Ltd||(scrapped May1984)} ' ' MV Iron Parkgate ||(bulk carrier)||(1973 June)(chartered)||(1986 July7)||Returned Nytoncrest Pty Ltd||(scrapped July1985)} ' ' MV Iron Cumberland ||(bulk carrier)||(1974 June)(chartered)||(1986 November25)||Returned Glentara Ltd||(foundered near the Pitcairn Islands on14 June1987)} ' ' MV Iron Mittagong ||(ore carrier)||(1976 December8)(chartered)||(1982 March3)||Returned Bulkships Ltd||(scrapped December1982)} ' ' MV Iron Gerrigong ||(ore carrier)||(1976 December20)(chartered)||(1978 May26)||Returned Bulkships Ltd||(scrapped October1985)} ' ' MV Iron Bogong ||(bulk carrier)||(1977 August29)(chartered)
(1983 January14)(purchased)||(1983 February16)|sold China Dismantled Vessels Trading Corp|(scrapped March1983)} ' ' MV Iron Myarra ||(ore carrier)||(1980 May2)(chartered)||(1983 May7)||Returned Alcoa Australia||(scrapped October1983)}

Name	Type	Entered BHP service	Left BHP service	Disposition	Fate
SS Emerald Wings (later SS Iron Baron)	General cargo	1915 (chartered) 1919 October 20 (purchased)	1929 November 13	Sold to E B Aaby	Foundered near Texel on 11 October 1955
SS Southborough	General cargo	1915 (chartered)	1918 May	Returned to Hazlewood Shipping Co Ltd	Sunk by German submarine U-110 off Scarborough on 16 July 1918
SS Iron Chief (1st)	General cargo	1916	1928 April 1		Wrecked near Diamond Head on 1 April 1928
SS Omana	General cargo	1917 July 19	1917 July 21	Returned to Omana S S Pty Co Ltd	Scrapped July 1959
SS Koolonga (later SS Iron Monarch)	General cargo	1917 October (partial purchase) 1918 July 30 (full purchase)	1937	Sold to Madrigal & Co	Bombed by US Navy aircraft in Manila Bay on 13 November 1944
SS Iron Prince (1st)	General cargo	1919	1923 April 19		Wrecked at Cape Howe
SS Grelwin (sometimes spelled Grelwyn)	General cargo	1920 August	1921 February	Returned to Scott Fell Shipping Co	Unknown fate
SS Westborough	Steel cargo	1920 September	1924 March	Returned to Hopkins, Jones & Co	Sunk off Stavanger on 4 April 1943
SS Iron Knob	General cargo	1923 October 9	1955	Sold to Panatiotis Vrangos	Foundered in rough seas in the Indian Ocean on 15 July 1957
SS Iron Crown	General cargo	1923 (chartered)	1943		Sunk by Japanese submarine I-27 near Gabo Island on 4 June1942
SS Iron Master (1st)	General cargo	1923 October9	1957 July	Sold to Cambray Prince Steamship Co Ltd	Scrapped March1959
SS Iron Master (2nd)	Bulk cargo	1923 November16	1945 September13	Sold to Cambray Prince Steamship Co Ltd	Scrapped December1959
SS Iron Warrior (1st)	General cargo	1925	1957 June11	Sold to Onfrio Jacomino	Sank near Cheung Chau during Typhoon Ruby on5 September1964
SS Iron Chief (2nd)	General cargo	1930	1934	Sold to Essex Oak	Sank off Dover on13 June1963
SS Iron Baron (2nd)	Ore carrier	1936	1966	Sold to Australia Pacific Shipping(H.K.) Ltd	Scrapped1969
SS Iron King	Ore carrier	1936	1967	Sold to Golden Star Shipping Company	Scrapped1970
SS Iron Chieftain	Ore carrier	1937	1942		Sunk by Japanese submarine I-24 off Manly on3 June1942