With Reuben Goossens
Please
Note: Photographs on this page are from the
author’s private collection and from Stan Evans, unless stated otherwise.
The China Navigation Company’s history in short!
The China Navigation Company’s (CNCo) and they have their origins in Liverpool when they were founded in 1816. The background is due to CNCo’s parent company being the well known John Samuel Swire (1825-1898) & Sons Ltd who in 1866 opened his first Far Eastern agency in Shanghai, and in 1872 he founded The China Navigation Company to operate a modest fleet of paddle steamers on China’s Yangtze River.
Within a decade, CNCo had expanded its operations up and down the China coast and had begun regular services to Australia and New Zealand. One of the company’s early successes was to take a monopoly of the previously junk-borne tramp trade in “beancake” – cartwheel-sized cakes of compressed soybean husk (the residue from making oil), which were carried from North to South China to use as a fertiliser. By the turn of the century, CNCo’s by then substantial fleet was covering a complex network of Far Eastern trades, backed up by its own well-established coastal and river feeder services. But after WWII the Australian passenger services became more and more popular.
The 1960s and 70s also saw China Navigation diversifying its scope of activities in two other very different directions. The first was cruise operations, based in Australia and New Zealand, which commenced in 1961. In the early 1970s, CNCo developed a niche market operating seminar cruises out of Japan and successfully dominated this market for almost 20 years. CNCo continues today as a major shipping company but no longer as a passenger operator, but container ship operations and has a massive fleet. However, Australians and new Zealanders will remember the days of the CNCo passenger, services, including the delightful twins passenger cargo ships, the MS Changsha and Taiyuan and of course the ship being the highlight of this feature, the delightful MS Kuala Lumpur!
Introduction.
MS Kuala Lumpur departed Southampton for her delivery voyage to Hong Kong on October 7, 1960, and upon arrival there she entered the Taikoo Shipyards where she received a refit making her ready as a Cruise and a seasonal Muslim Pilgrim ship from Singapore, Malaysia to Jeddah. Obviously she was the perfect ship for these kind of voyages, having accommodation for large numbers in comfortable dormitories. A beautiful Mosque was also installed in one of the holds as well as a separate fully Halal certified kitchen was installed, in order to cook traditional Malay style cuisine, food that was 100% (Halal) “fit to eat” for Muslims.
For cruise duties she would accommodate 198 First Class passengers and only her spacious First Class section, but all deck space would be operational. Whilst during her Pilgrim voyages she would accommodate 242 in First Class as well as 1,669 in Third Class or what was originally the more basic troop and educational style accommodations. Whilst previously the air-conditioning had only been in her First Class cabins and public rooms, air-Conditioning was now extended throughout the ship.
MS Kuala Lumpur seen as the traditional Pilgrim liner
MS Kuala Lumpur the Pilgrim Liner.
Above and Below: MS
Kuala Lumpur is seen with Malaysian Pilgrims
Photo’s provided by Stan Evans – Newcastle
Australia
Kuala
Lumpur on a voyage to Jeddah
Photo provided by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
MS Kuala Lumpur the Cruise Ship.
MS Kuala Lumpur is seen here departing Fremantle for her
maiden cruise in September 1961
Photograph by a great friend, the late Richard McKenna
The MS Kuala Lumpur
Photo by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
However, China Navigation decided that it was time for the Kuala Lumpur to return to Australia and in October 1962 she headed for Sydney where she would operate a series of cruises that were marketed under the banner of “Kuala Cruises” and she now featured the green funnel with a wide yellow band with the Swire group logo on it. She departed Sydney for the first of this series on October 28, 1962. At one stage she even operated an “International Boy Scout cruise” around the Pacific Islands. Besides voyages to the Pacific, New Zealand and Asia, she also operated coastal cruises to the Great Barrier Reef region.
A
postcard featuring the Kuala Lumpur with her new funnel
The following are some of her ports of call during one of her grand circle voyages: Melbourne, Sydney, Rabaul, Yokohama, Kobe, Manila, Port Moresby, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Suva, Apia, Nuku’alofa, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney and then commence the Asian sector again.
This would create the following cruise
sectors and even further opportunities: 1. An Asian grand circle Voyage from
Melbourne or Sydney. 2. Single Trans Tasman sailings from Melbourne or Sydney.
3. Round cruises Australia to New Zealand and the Pacific. 4. A Pacific cruise
from Auckland. 5. Round grand circle Asian voyage. 5. Single Trans Tasman
sailings to Melbourne or Sydney.
Kuala Lumpur
*****************************
Stan
Evans’ Cruise of the Whitsundays
“In
1968 a friend of mine, Lindsay Harwood, and I were fortunate enough to have
time off at the same time for holidays from the hospital where we worked, thus
we got together and decided to go on a cruise. Both of us had been on
cruises but never together. Thus we booked on the lovely MS Kuala Lumpur for a
twelve day cruise sailing from Sydney to the Whitsunday Islands and the
Queensland Coast and return. In all we spent a good six days in the ports
we visited, and with the Kuala Lumpur sailing at a leisurely speed of just 13
to 14 knots, she took three days each way from Sydney to the Whitsundays and
homeward.”
Our cruise cost the princely sum of $364, which to today standards seems to be extraordinary good value for money. I suggested that my recently-widowed mother, Mrs. Zeta Evans, join us on the cruise and she travelled as a single passenger in a two berth cabin that was adjacent to our cabin. We were allocated a twin bedded, inside cabin with private facilities (cabin 441) adjacent to the lobby and close to the main public rooms. Interestingly none of the cabins on board had a loc on the door, thus there was no way of security at all. However, whenever anyone approached their cabin, be it by day or at any time during the night, in port or at sea, a head would emerge from the stewards serving room and “check one out.” They must have had some sort of system, which indicated that someone had opened the door of one of their allocated cabins.”
This was a special party for just ten passengers with the ships senior company
Image provided by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
As we
toured the ship together we were struck by the pristine condition of her decks
and all her fittings and the utter cleanliness of every area, both inside and
on deck. I do wish some of the newer passenger ships were as attentive to
cleanliness and presentation as the Kuala Lumpur was. We were impressed with
our cabins and as we strolled through the public rooms and deck spaces.
But all too soon during the exploration of our ship we heard the all too familiar gong and the announcement “All visitors ashore” (two things [a gong] no longer heard these days). This was always an exciting time as it heralded that departure time was immanent. We assembled out on deck with the usual streamers linking passengers and their friends ashore, and then there is that magic moment when one is aware that the distance between the hull plating and the wharf is widening and one realises that the adventure has begun. To be honest for me personally, the most magic moment of any cruise is always that moment when one crosses the gangplank from the shore to the ship and every experience is a new one to be relished. MS Kuala Lumpur sailed at 4.30pm and backed out of the Quay and then picked up speed, past Fort Denison, round Bradley's head and down that wonderful harbour towards the heads and the open sea. At the heads she lifted her bows to the light swell and rolled slowly and gently as we turned to head north to the Whitsundays three days away. Then, as the central coast of NSW dimmed in the early dusk we headed to the dining room for the first of those wonderful dinners. There was no entertainment that night as the passengers were still settling into their accommodation and new ship-board routines. Most retired early.”
Stan’s Mother, Mrs. Zeta Evans and cruise mate
Lindsay Harwood playing a game of deck tennis off the Queensland Coast
Photo by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
“The
cabins, which were the first class section of the ship, and was used as the
senior officer’s accommodations in her previous life as a troop ship,
were quite spacious and well fitted out. The private bathroom was tiled
and spotless. All cabins were on two decks: The upper deck cabins were the
original first class cabins and the ones on the deck directly below contained
the original second class cabins. However, these cabins were identical,
although these had to share toilet and bathing facilities. The passageways to
the cabins were clad in gently patterned dark green Formica, which was quite
reflective, and the flooring was clad in rubberised non-slip type flooring.
All
deck areas were available to passengers and these included two wonderfully
covered and open promenades as well as the spacious sports decks on several
levels, as well as the forecastle deck, well ahead of the bridge and around the
foremast. This area was very popular with passengers, especially upon
arrival and departing a port. There was a moderately sized swimming pool up on
sports deck, but as the cruise was in the Australian Winter (July), this was
not used a great deal, except for a few, and sunbathing around it as well as
out on deck.
As the
ship was also used as a pilgrim liner for part of the year, she also had huge
dormitories available for this class of passenger. These areas were always
open to the cruising passengers, and they were quite light and airy. Exploring
them was an interesting pastime. They were equipped with two and some three
level bunks, and also bench-type tables for meals. During our cruise, one of
the dormitories became the haunt of a group of bridge players who only seemed
to emerge from their seclusion for meals, even when in port. Although they were
accommodated in the general cabins with the rest of the passengers, they were
relocated to the dormitory as their bridge playing would have totally
monopolised space in the Drawing Room. Such was their devotion, or should I say
their obsession, that we rarely saw them.
The
two main public rooms which I remember best are the Drawing Room, which was in
reality the Main Lounge, and the Dining Room. These were two most
attractive and comfortable rooms. They were painted in pale green with white
trimmings and had such wonderful English traditional country-home style
furniture. There were other public areas as well but they are lost to my
memory in the mists of time.
The Cruise.
The first three days of our
cruise we experienced superb balmy sea-days and enjoyed the gentle rolling of
the ship, as well as the warmth of both the sun and our fellow passengers as we
talked and played on the sports deck. This was punctuated only by calls to the
dining room for yet more of the bountiful wonderful food that was on offer.
Afternoon tea was served in the Drawing Room and that was one of the most
wonderful affairs and all I can say, it was “ever so British.” A
selection of teas was offered, accompanied by the usual dainty cucumber
sandwiches and a selection of wonderful little cakes served by the ships
immaculate staff. To me, these wonderful sea-days are the stuff of
dreams. In the afternoon of the second day we made an unscheduled stop at
the mouth of the Brisbane River to off-load a sick passenger onto an
appropriately-manned cutter and then continued north to the Whitsundays.
Stan Evans - seen on board MV
Dawn Princess October 2009
The Engine Room.
During
this run from Brisbane to the Whitsundays, I was invited to attend a tour of
the engine room. I well remember the stifling heat and smell of hot oil as the
door from the promenade deck to the engine room was opened. But as we descended
the several levels of those huge engines it became cooler and cooler until it
was quite cold on the floor of the engine room where cool, forced, air was
circulated constantly. After a brief, but detailed explanation of those
massive, throbbing engines, I was taken down along the shaft tunnel to the very
stern of the ship. There could be heard the thrashing of the propeller and
the rush of water around the hull. My officer-guide told me that at that
moment, we were many feet below the waterline and that only one and a half inches
of steel was between us and that thrashing propeller. It was a rather
sobering moment. I was also able to tour the bridge and have the navigation
instruments explained but this was a general tour for all interested
passengers. Sadly, because of security reasons, these types of tours are
no longer possible these days. I also remember that a notice appeared on
the notice board in the lobby asking if anyone would be interested in a rowing
boat tour around the ship while in transit to the Whitsundays. I noticed
next day that five names had appeared on the list, but there was general
amusement when, that night during dinner, the captain explained over the
communication system that such a trip in a rowing boat would not be possible
with the ship proceeding at 13-14 knots. It later turned out to be the
work of one of the officers but it was a great joke to play.
Ports of Call.
Our first port of call was Hayman Island (not far for Mackay). We anchored for the day and went ashore in the open lifeboats where we had the full facilities of Hayman’s excellent resort at our disposal. Lunch was a superb BBQ that was cooked by the ships Catering Department right on the pristine beach. We re-embarked about 5pm, again using the ship’s lifeboats. The breeze had stiffened considerably, and by now and those in the bow of the lifeboat got rather wet as the spray came over the bow. But it was all great fun. Our second port of call was a day on Brampton Island (near Airlie Beach & Shute Harbour), which was conducted much in the same way as Hayman Island except that we had lunch at the actual resort and had a feast!”
A
fine stern view of the Kuala Lumpur as she is anchored off Hayman Island in the
Great Barrier Reef region
The
pristine Kuala Lumpur is seen here anchored just off Hayman Island in the Whitsunday Islands
In the distance, just to port (left) you can see the Sitmar
liner, MS Fairsea
“Our third port of call was Townsville where we stayed two full days. On the first day we did a tour of Townsville and the surrounding area in the morning and were at-leisure in the afternoon. On the second day we were all taken over to Magnetic Island and there we toured and had sufficient time to go for a swim, and ate all day before returning to the ship. We then sailed for the tropical city of Cairns late that night and entered port about 9am the following day where we were to spend another two full delightful days. On the first day we toured Cairns and surrounds and on the second day we were all taken out to Green Island for a most momentous day. Coming back it was quite rough and several of our passengers were terribly sick. Thank goodness Mother, myself and my friend were all good sailors and thus, thankfully were not indisposed at all!
Having had a wonderful time in Cairns we began our return voyage back to Sydney and enjoyed another wonderful three full sea-days before our final disembarkation.”
Above and below: MS
Kuala Lumpur is seen berthed in Townsville
“Entertainment on board in those
days did not include all the huge theatre shows and casinos etc., like we have
on today's cruise ships. But, I remember a wonderful dance exhibition put
on by the ships Pilipino crew members and even included the famous
“clicking bamboo poles dance.” Many passengers tried this but ended
up with rather bruised and sore ankles. There was also a wonderful Pilipino
band on board and they would perform at various concerts and at night there
would be the ever popular dancing. They mostly performed in a delightful venue
that used to be the “Verandah Cafe,” but it had now been
converted as a general entertainment and dance venue. In addition there
was a wonderful crew concert, and another that was put on by the passengers
themselves, a sort of “Amateur Hour.” One passenger was a classical
pianist and this person gave a wonderful classical concert one afternoon in the
Drawing Room. In addition movies were shown in the Drawing Room on a number
of occasions during the voyage. We played cards every now and then, and of
course, many, many hours of deck sports, as well as the ever popular indoor
game of “Horse Races. In some events we competed with either the officers
or the general staff. But the most wonderful parts of the whole trip were
the interactions with fellow passengers and the officers and crew and just the
ship itself as she conveyed her happy and carefree complement of passengers
onward on their journey. The Kuala Lumpur was a grand little ship, a happy
ship, and she is a memory to be cherished.”
A fellow cruiser, Michael Grigor going in for a swim
Photo by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
Photo provided by Stan Evans – Newcastle Australia
Thank you Reuben for allowing me to record my recollections regarding my cruise on MS Kuala Lumpur and remembering her has given me great joy and happiness.
Stan Evans – Newcastle, Australia.”
*****************************
Obviously Stan Evans had a superb time on
this superb British built ship. But what was so noticeable was the excellent
maintenance on board, for there was not a scrap of rust to be found anywhere
and she was simply spotless and as Stan stated and it is so true, modern cruise
ships sadly are not as well looked after as they used to be! The Kuala Lumpur
was credit to her owners and certainly her superb crew!
Kuala Lumpur’s end has come.
In Conclusion.
What wonderful memories many of us have!
Memories - MS Kuala Lumpur seen during her final days cruising
*Photographer unknown – sent in by a supporter. Please
see photo notes at bottom of page
As I have already made abundantly clear the MS Kuala Lumpur was indeed a special ship, and the author has one great disappointment, for I never sailed on her, but I did visit her on two occasions. Both times was in Auckland New Zealand. The first time was in 1962 and then again 1963, just before I came to live Brisbane Australia to work with the GSA of Chandris Lines. But sadly I never saw this delightful ship again. However, my agency in Brisbane did sell countless passengers to sail on her and they all came back totally satisfied, just like Stan Evans!
Please Note: I
hereby wish to thank Stan Evans for his cooperation and
providing his cruise review and excellent photographs and items of memorabilia
for this feature for a ship we both greatly love and admire! Stan has kindly
assisted me with other projects and as you will discover from other pages, he
has a great love of classic liners, be they great liners, or those that are
little known. However, these little known ships are still important as they
have touched countless lives! Thank you Stan!
Memories
– A great sight, the Kuala Lumpur
seen entering Sydney Heads
Photograph by Stephen Berry
I trust you have enjoyed reading this page
about this much loved passenger ship, and if you have sailed on her, then I
would like to hear from you! Should you have a story about your voyage or a few
photographs, I would greatly appreciate some, especially those of the interiors
and out on deck. Please email me!
Return to … Part
One …
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MS Changsha & Taiyuan - MS Anking & Anshun
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