In 2017 the Foundation launched a fundraising campaign to support the acquisition and conservation of this important ship model.
Gifts to the Foundation have enabled us to conserve this important builder’s model of the SS Orontes. Launched in 1929, it was one of the longest serving liners on the England to Australia route, carrying tens of thousands of British and European migrants to new lives in Australia.
The model was built for presentation to the owner and for many years sat in the Orient Line’s office window in Spring Street, Sydney, promoting the style and comfort of these inter-war passenger liners. As SS Orontes was sold for scrap in 1963, this model is now the only detailed record of the ship’s remarkable contribution to Australia’s history.