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All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Paul Timmerman; photographs on this page made during ship visit in 1988. In 1956, P & O ordered a new flagship from the Belfast based yard Harland & Wolff (famous for building the ill-fated liner Titanic among others). The ship was to be of 45.000 gross tons, a length of 814 ft and a beam of 103 ft. Both inside and out, she would be most modern. Her machinery was to be placed aft, her funnels also. She was to have twin funnels, placed side-by-side. A most uncommon design in these days, seen first in the Shaw Savill Liner Southern Cross (also built by Harland & Wolff by the way).
Pacific restaurant, E deck Canberra was to have two other special features: first, for her superstructure, about 1000 tonnes of welded aluminium was used, saving ca. 1500 tons deadweight, and making an extra 200 cabins possible. Second, her lifeboats were not placed on the boat deck, as was usual in these days, but would sit in recesses in the superstructure. For safety reasons (distance to be covered to the waterline is much less) this is common practice when building today's mega cruise liners. Of course as a pleasant side-effect this would increase deck space significantly.
Her first keel plates were laid in September 1957, and half a year later, her name was announced: Canberra (apart from being the name of Australia' s capital city, this is also an aboriginal word meaning ¨ meeting place by the water ¨). She was launched in March 1960, with more than 10.000 onlookers watching her slide into the Musgrave Channel. Trials started in April 1961. Because of the weight of her machinery being placed aft, her bulbous bow lifted almost clear of the water when sailing at full speed. This was rectified by filling her forward part with concrete as a counterweight.
Then, on June 2nd 1961, Canberra left Southampton for her maiden voyage, fully booked. All went well until a problem with one of the ship's condensers caused a delay in Aden, where a complete power failure occurred. With no airconditioning, passengers were informed they could sleep on deck if they wanted. Canberra finally reached Australia, about a day and a half late, as underway the condenser-problem had reoccurred. She continued her maiden voyage calling at Auckland, Honolulu, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles before crossing the Pacific again. Via Wellington, Sydney, Colombo, Aden and Suez she returned to Southampton, having steamed 42,000 miles! When she arrived in Southampton in September 1961 her maiden voyage had been a great success, cutting the passage to Sydney by a week.
Crows Nest Piano Bar, Games deck Continued on Canberra page 2.......
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