ssMaritime
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian
The Paul Oliver Story
Ex Oriana crewmember, Paul Oliver has spent
years on the Oriana, and he has kindly provided us with his story. Earlier,
Paul sent us an excellent series of photographs of Oriana berthed at Pyrmont
awaiting her departure for
Oriana at anchor during a South Pacific Cruise
I joined the SS Oriana, as a Seaman, on 8th
November 1976 at
My first job was in the ‘Boat and Hatch
Gang’ where we would maintain all the lifeboats, keeping them clean and
tidy, painting, and keeping them in good order whilst at sea. We also had to
check on the rations that were stowed in the lifeboat lockers. When the ship
was in harbour, we would prepare the deck cranes and open hatches for the
dockworkers. Our first task when the ship sailed was to check the lifeboats for
stowaways. On future voyages, I worked as a Bridge Seaman, Fire Gang crewman,
and finally the Night Gang.
We had great times in the ‘Pig’
(Pig and Whistle crew bar) with Band nights, Disco nights and Sods Operas (the
crew put on a show). Even though passengers were barred from crews’
accommodation, it did not stop them from coming along to the ‘Pig’.
Some of the crew organized clubs on these nights and got a variety of
crewmembers to join in. Basically, they sat together in groups with different
themes and enjoyed the entertainment in the ‘Pig’. There was the
‘Al Bacardi Club’ (entrance to this club was the consumption of a
pint of Bacardi rum), the ‘Junk yard’ and ‘Club
Gorilla’ plus a few others that I can’t remember. I was a member of
‘Club Gorilla’. Invitation cards were made so that we could invite
any female passengers we met.
Paul Oliver sitting directly behind
the “Club Gorilla” sign
The crew had a few strange characters amongst
crew, and ‘Roman John’ was one of them. When he wasn’t
working, he would get dressed up in a Roman toga, sandals, and laurels on his
head and carried a large silver goblet. John liked to think that he lived in
the Byzantine period of the
We called at several ports of call en route to
Above and Below:
1977, Oriana departs
Above: the ships crew enjoy the
departure from on the fo’c’sle.
I did the Mediterranean Cruising after 3 days
leave returned for one month on 17 Sept. 1977. I flew out to
I managed to get a Deckhand job with Sydney
Harbour Ferries in June 1980 and two years later, I sat for my Masters
certificate. I have been working as a Ferry Master ever since.
Sydney Farewell’s ss Oriana
Page 7: Dalian
Oriana the building of a liner
Page 1: The building of SS Oriana
Page 2: The launching and fitting out of SS Oriana
Page 3: Sea trials and Oriana’s maiden voyage