SS Australia

Built in Scotland in 1875, the four masted SS Australia along with its twin the SS Zealandia was contracted to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company of New York. From 1876, both ships carried out the mail service between San Francisco and the colonies of New South Wales and New Zealand. The SS Australia was sold to an American company in 1885 and used as a transport, running to the Philippines. In 1905 she was chartered to the Russian government to transport supplies from the US to Siberia but was captured on 26th August by the Japanese in Petropavlovsk Harbour.