SS Awatea 1936-1942

The SS Awatea was built in 1932 for the Union Steam Ship Company by Vickers Armstrong Ltd.  Built for the trans-Tasman service it was known as the "Queen of the Tasman Sea." At 161 metres long the Awatea could carry 560 passengers at a speed of 23 knots, making it one of the fastest liners in the world at that time.

The ship completed 225 Tasman crossings during its commercial career, which ended in 1939 when she was pressed into service as a troopship following the outbreak of World War II. In 1941 she was modified for use as a high-speed troopship and renamed HMT Awatea (His Majesty's Transport).

The Awatea's final voyage was in November 1942, when it took part in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. It was attacked by German and Italian aircraft off the cost of Bougie (now Béjaïa), Algeria on 11 November 1942 and sank. Fortunately the crew were all safely evacuated.