State Shipping Service of Western Australia
| Company type | Government-owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Transport |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Discontinued and assets sold |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | North West Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Australia (sporadic) |
| Products | Passenger transport (until 1973), cargo transport, livestock transport |
The State Shipping Service of Western Australia was a transport organization operated by the state government, founded in 1912,[1] with the main objective of serving ports located in North West Australia.[2][3][4][5]
Initially called the State Steamship Service,[6] it adopted the name State Shipping Service in 1919,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and later was rebranded as Stateships in 1979.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
History
Established on 4 May 1912 by the Scaddan government, the State Steamships Service aimed to enhance coastal transportation following the withdrawal of the Adelaide Steamship Company.[1][3][4][6][5] Between 1913 and 1918, it was overseen by the Fremantle Harbour Trust.[7] In January 1919, it was renamed as the State Shipping Service (SSS),[8] and in November 1965, governance shifted to the Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission.[9] The service underwent a rebranding to Stateships in January 1979.[10]
In June 1995, an announcement was made by the government regarding the discontinuation of Stateships, which included selling off its remaining three vessels.[11][12][13] Subsequently, a private company provided a government-subsidized service running between Fremantle and the ports of Port Hedland, Broome, and Wyndham until its termination in 2013.[14][15]
The Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission, operating under the Department of Transport, remains responsible for handling compensation claims from former employees.[16]
Operations
Initially, the service facilitated the transportation of passengers, cargo, and livestock, with passenger operations ceasing in 1973.
At first, the service operated solely between ports in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. However, in 1964, it launched a sporadic six-week clockwise route encircling Australia. The maiden journey set sail from Fremantle on 11 March 1964, making stops at Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. This particular route was discontinued in July 1969 after completing 18 voyages aboard the vessels Kangaroo, Koojara, and Koolama II.
Ships
A photographic archive of the ships employed by the service is preserved at the Battye Library.
Among the significant vessels were:
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named50th_Anniversary - ↑ STATE STEAMSHIPS SERVICE - 4 May 1912 – 31 Dec 1918
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTheStateshipsStory - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedAdversities - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTheStruggleForControl - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedInauguration - ↑ State Steamships Service State Records Office
- ↑ State Shipping Service State Records Office
- ↑ Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act 1965 State Records Office
- ↑ Stateships State Records Office
- ↑ State Government Closes Stateships Premier of Western Australia 3 June 1995
- ↑ North-West residents to be consulted on services to replace Stateships Minister for Transport 5 June 1995
- ↑ Three former Stateships sold Minister for Transport 18 July 1995
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedABC - ↑ Shipping firm axes service The West Australian 25 August 2013
- ↑ Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission annual report for year ended 30 June 2016 Government of Western Australia