Mary and listers, Hi there I have found this URL. It lists, amongst many ships, the Austral. I have copied and pasted the introduction, plus the reference to the Austral. Sorry for the length however, I felt that it was important. Hope that this will answer some of your query Mary. Lots more to checkout if you wish to either copy and paste the url onto your internet site, or just click { HYPERLINK "http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/orient.html" }http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/orient.html The Fleets Orient Steam Navigation Company/Orient-Royal Mail Line/Orient Line Although chartered steamers were run to Australia in 1877, the Orient Steam Navigation Company, formed by Anderson, Anderson & Company, in conjunction with the Pacific Steam Navigation Company (PSNCo), came into being in 1878. In 1906 PSNCo was acquired by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and the service became known as the Orient-Royal Mail Line but this arrangement terminated in 1909. In 1919 the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) acquired a controlling interest in the Orient Line. The Australia service was extended to New Zealand in 1938. In 1965 P&O acquired the whole of the Orient Line shareholding and the company became a P&O subsidiary. The Orient Line name was dropped in 1966 and thenceforward disappeared. Routes. 1877 London - Plymouth - via the Cape (no call) - Melbourne - Sydney - Adelaide - Suez Canal - London. 1878 calls at Capetown introduced. 1881 Outward sailings to Australia were alternately via Suez and Cape of Good Hope. 1883 Cape voyages discontinued and the route became London - Gibraltar - Port Said - Suez - Colombo - Albany - Adelaide - Melbourne - Sydney. 1890 Naples added as port of call. 1919 some sailings extended to Brisbane. 1933 Palma and Toulon added to some sailings. 1938 Auckland added beyond Sydney. 1954 Trans Pacific route started - Sydney - Auckland - Suva - Honolulu - Victoria BC - San Francisco. 1958 Joint P&O-Orient Line introduced to Australia and trans- Pacific. Austral 1881 - 1902 in 1884 chartered to Anchor Line for 7 months (Liverpool - NY service), 1902 scrapped at Genoa – tonnes - 5,524 Cheers, Dawn, Watsonia, Vic.