Pre-WW2 cargo ships

Nothing illustrates the total change in ship appearances between the 1930s and the era of the Container ship ( Box boat) and the  Roll- on /Roll-off ship ( ro/ro) of the post 1970s than  does the line up of the pre-WW2 cargo ship.  Here is the forest of derricks, the tall plumes of coal smoke, the  digital funnel of the early motor ships, even the furled sails of some ships, still sail assisted.

Some of the ships are piled on the foreshore after a cyclone. Another is high and dry on a reef. Some are carrying or loading army troops while any ship whose demise date is between 1939 and 1945, was probably became a war loss.

For costs and availability of obtaining any of these photos without watermark, as an electronic file, as a print from the original negative (where available) or as some other format, contact the Maritime Records and Research Centre’s Curator on mrrc@shf.org.au or 02 9298 3850, quoting the full file name and giving details of format wanted.

Copyright for the majority of these images from the collection is vested in the Sydney Heritage Fleet. For the remaining images every attempt has been made to ensure correct attribution. If any originator of an image notes an error the Sydney Heritage Fleet would welcome any notification and will remove that image or modify its attribution.

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