SS Rotomahana 1879-1928

The SS Rotomahana was built by William Denny and Brothers on the Bank of the River Leven, in Dunbarton, Scotland in 1879.  It was the first ocean going vessel in the world to be built of mild steel.  It was purchased by the Union Steamship Company shortly after construction and first sailed from London with 100 passengers on 5 August 1879. It arrived in Port Chalmers, having sailed via Cape of Good Hope and Melbourne, on 1 October 1879. The Rotomahana was highly decorated, so much so that on its first landings in ports across Australia and New Zealand large crowds are reported to have visited it.

The Rotomahana had a long career transferring passengers around and between Australia and New Zealand. It sailed on the Wellington-Sydney route for 15 years, then the Wellington to Lyttelton service and finally the Bass Strait route between Melbourne and Launceston, Tasmania. It was finally withdrawn from active service in 1921. During its life the Rotomahana was known as the "Greyhound of the Pacific."

It was laid up in December 1921 and purchased by Melbourne shipbreakers, Power & Davis, in 1925. It was stripped of the superstructure, had the wooden deck and funnel removed and finally the hull was sunk in Bass Strait near Port Phillip Head in 1928.