ssMaritime.com

With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian

 

Memories of the JVO

 

MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

Chapter Three

A New Service

JVO at the Javakade (the Java Wharf) Amsterdam - 27 May 1948

After a much-needed overhaul, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt re entered the Amsterdam to Indonesia service, Passenger numbers steadily declined, especially after violent actions by Indonesian's fighting for independence. Once again, the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt would be used to carry troops, but this time it would be Dutch troops returning home to the Netherlands from Indonesia.

Arriving in Surabaya 15 July 1948

By 1950, the political climate in Indonesia had changed so much that the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt was withdrawn from the East Indies service. The Netherland Line decided to place her on the migrant service to South Africa and Australia. On Saturday 2 September 1950, she departed Amsterdam for her first voyage to Australia, one that would make her a popular visitor to Australia and New Zealand for the next twelve and a half years.

JVO in Sydney Australia 14 October 1950

The success of this venture would see the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt placed in the Amsterdam Dry-dock for refitting by her original builders. Additional eight double-banked lifeboats were added on the fore part of boat deck. Now at 19,787 GRT she accommodated 1,414 passengers in a one-class configuration. Her lounges were restored to their original state with laundries and iron rooms added to her passenger facilities. All cabins were fitted with a washbasin. As the standard of cabins on Johan van Oldenbarnevelt was not that of her running mate, the newer Oranje (famed for serving as a hospital ship for the Australian Navy during the war), her fares were slightly less, but food and service remained the high standard that The Netherland Line was known for. Trails were run on the 8th and 9th of January 1952.

An early colour photograph of the JVO

She departed Amsterdam for Australia on Wednesday 23 January 1952. A voyage with a troublesome start, as a series of fires was discovered on board. The first whilst berthed in Antwerp with another off the Isle of Wight. She returned to Amsterdam were a further two fires were extinguished. With arson being suspected, when she finally departed again, she carried a number of Dutch Maritime police. However, no further incidents occurred and no arrests were ever made.

JVO during her fourth Guise

 

The Johan van Oldenbarnevelt continued on the Australia run, with occasional voyages to Canada and the USA, until late 1958 before her major overhaul.

 

Chapter 4 - New Lease of Life

Return to JVO Index

If you have enjoyed this article, and you feel you might have something of interest to add, be it a story photographs, I would appreciate hearing from you - info@ssmaritime.com

 

Use the Back button on your browser or Close the Page to return to the previous page
or go to our ssmaritime.com INDEX

 

Who is the Author of ssMaritime?

By Kosta Specis & Hun-Eng Tan

Mr Goossens started in Passenger Shipping in May 1960

  

Email Me …

info@ssmaritime.com

 

PLEASE NOTE: I receive hundreds of requests for Passenger/Crew Lists and Sailing Schedules. I hereby wish to advise that I am unable to assist due to time restrains and as most shipping companies have long gone these lists/schedules are no longer available. I regret to advise that any request for these will no longer be answered regardless of the circumstances presented!

ssMaritime

--Our Cruise Pages are located at--

Cruise-Australia.net

Discover Cruising at its Best

 

 

Please Note:

Photographs on ssMaritime and Cruise-Australia are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seem a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.

This notice covers all pages, although, we have done our best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

 

 

 

ssMaritime.com is © Copyright - 2008 Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

 

melbourne dry cleaners
melbourne dry cleaners Counter