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ss. JANUS (B.I. Livery)

 

 


For more Janus photos please click here

Official Number Date Builder Tonnage L B D Fate
120765 1910

Palmers Jarrow , UK

4824 400.4 53.6 27.5

Transferred to B.I. 1913

Sunk as breakwater 1933

Capt Colin McDonald - Master 1910 to 1921

Passenger/cargo steamship built for Archibald Currie & Co's Australian and Indian Line, Melbourne in 1910. Employed on the Melbourne - Calcutta run she carried Australian Brumbies north and Indian produce and exotic animals on the southern run.

1914 03.01.1914 - Passed Goode Island lighthouse sailing west.
   
  23.01.1914 - Arrived Bombay
   
  A pleasant surprise, in the shape of a visit from Lord Brassey, was received by Captain Colin McDonald, of the
Britlsh-Indla liner Janus, whilst that vessel was recently lying at Bombay. Lord Brassey was characteristically keen to
learn of Australians, and generally of Commonwealth affairs, in which he continues to evince a deep interest. As Captain McDonald was for a considerable period in command of Lord Brassey's yacht Sunbeam in Australian waters, the interview was also productive of many pleasant mutual recollections.
   
  03.03.1914 - Arrived Adelaide
   
  02.05.1914 - Sailed Calcutta.
   
  09.05.1814 - Arrived Singapore, C McDonald Master.
   
  12.05.1914 - Sailed Singapore
   
  15.05.1914 - Sailed Java.
   
  22.05.1914 - Arrived Fremantle 12:10.
   
  22.05.1914 - Sailed Fremantle for Adelaide 15:40.
   
  28.05.1914 - Arrived Adelaide, C McDonald Master.
   
  31.05.1914 - Arrived Melbourne.
   
  02.06.1914 - Sailed Melbourne for Sydney.
   
  03.06.1914 - Passed Wilsons Promontory lighthouse at 04:50 sailing east.
   
  04.06.1914 - Arrived Sydney, C McDonald Master.
   
  09.06.1914 - Sailed Sydney for Newcastle.
   
  09.06.1914 - Arrived Newcastle from Sydney
   
  13.06.1914 - Sailed Newcastle for Melbourne.
   
  16.06.1914 - Passed Gabo Island lighthouse sailing west.
   
  16.06.1914 - Passed Wilsons Promontory lighthouse at 08:30 sailing west.
   
  16.06.1914 - Arrived Melbourne from Newcastle. Loaded:

For Calcutta: 36 Bales Wool, 29 cs biscuits, 8 cs jams, 63 cs canned fruits, 2 cs samples, 50 cs cordials, 220 bgs oats, 1 bg seeds, 1 horse (the race horse Widgiewa), 54 horses, 1 cow, 3cs m'dise.

For Madras: 6 cs biscuits, 5 cs cakes, 89 cs canned fruits, 2 cs pres. vegetables, 36 empty casks, 10 cks tallow (3 1/2 tons) , 55 cs apples ( consigned by C. McDonald), 89 horses,1 cow, 1 cs merchandise.

For Singapore: 40 cs biscuits, 33 pkgs machinery, 150 bgs oats, 25 bgs bran, 33 bls hay, 1 cs machinery, 5 cs hams, 25 cs honey, 17 cs pres. meats, 1 cs m'dise, 100 cs apples, 400 bgs flour (9 1/4. tons), 100 cs tinned butter,
3 cs cordials, 3 cs canned fruits, 1242 bls comp. chaff, 125 bgs oats, 30 cs con. milk. 10 bls hay. 50 bgs chaff, 5 cks tallow, 4100 bgs flour (102 tons), 779 bls chaff, 16 bls hay, 500 bxs soap, 23 horses.

For Port Swettenham: 35 cs cakes, 5 cs biscuits, 1 cs puddings.

For Jesselton: 19 cs biscuits, 1 cs samples.


For Penang: 4 cs biscuits, 1 cs jams, 1 cs samples, 20 bgs oats, 30 bgs bran, 30 bgs chaff, 10 bls hay, 15 cs tinned dripping.

For Moulmien: 3 cs cakes.

For Rangoon: 93 cs biscuits,22 cs canned fruits, 11 cs cakes, 10 cs flour, 150 cs cordials, 7 cs dried fruits, 160 bls comp. chaff, 185 bgs oats, 300 sks flour (28 3/4 tons)

For Pantianak: 5 cs tinned butter.

For Belawan Deli: 20 cs cordials.

   
 

17.06.1914 - Sailed Melbourne.

   
  04.07.1914 - Sailed Singapore For Madras and Calcutta.
   
  19.07.1914 - Arrived Calcutta.
   
  09.08.1914 - Sailed Calcutta for Colombo, C McDonald Master.
   
  11.08.1914 - Sailed Colombo for Fremantle.
   
  24.08.1914 - Arrived Fremantle from Colombo.
   
  26.08.1914 - Sailed Fremantle for Adelaide.
   
  28.08.1914 - Janus took fire in the Great Australian Bight, the blaze could not be controlled so Capt McDonald made for Albany. She arrived at the port in a massive cloud of smoke, finally with the assistance of the port authorities (and the flooding of the hold) the fire was extinguished but not before causing considerable structural damage to the ship. Subsequently the vessel was repaired and placed back into service. For a full account of the fire click "here"
   
  12.09.1914 - Sailed Albany for Adelaide.
   
  17.09.1914 - Arrived Adelaide from Albany.
   
  19.09.1914 - Arrived Melbourne from Adelaide.
   
  23.09.1914 - An article in a Sydney newspaper tells of the fellowship of seamen, despite the "new" war - Click here
   
  05.10.1914 - Arrived Sydney berthed at Morts Dock.
   
  05.10.1914 - At 19:00 the crew of Janus were again engaged in fire fighting, this time not in their ship - click here
   
  06.10.1914 - Moved to # 8 berth Wolloomooloo to discharge.
   
  Went in to refit in Sydney to repair the fire damage from Albany
   
  With the outbreak of WWI Janus undertook trooping duties and the supply of military horses to both France and Mesopotamia at various times over the next 4 years.

Click on a year below to see the history of Janus for that year

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