S. S. Australis Homepage.
Picture of S. S. Australis was sent by Nick Goad (ex crew member). S. S. Australis photo courtesy of Mike Lindsey.

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My name is Ken Ironside and I was the gym instructor on the Chandris Lines flagship S. S. Australis in the mid-seventies. I originally built this site to try and find the hundreds of crew and passengers that I met during the years I worked on the ship. If you were on the ship as a passenger or crew member at any time in her history, Photo of ex-gym instructor Ken Ironside taken in 1974 I would love to hear from you, so please use the e-mail address which you can find on every main page. You will discover a wide range of interesting photos and memorabilia from ex-crew and passengers. Click on any of the links to the left or in the menu below this introduction to visit pages on the ships history, from her launch right through to the wreck as the American Star in 1994, or view photos of the Captain and crew from the period that I worked on the ship. As you finish reading through the complete history of the America\West Point\Australis\America Star, it's sad to think that she went aground on the West coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands whilst being towed to Thailand in January 1994 (full story in the history part 2 section). By August of that year half of the wreck had collapsed into the sea,. Her final resting place is exposed and desolate, time is running out for her. Soon the sea will take her forever..... a fitting end for a fine ship.

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 Don't forget to look at the recent update page, when the date changes: This site was last updated on: 03 - 06 - 2017

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Regretfully I am "running down" the S. S. Australis website due to increasing family and health issues.

I may occasionally update the site if I receive a great story/photos from ex-crew only, if it is a new contact.

I know there are still stories to share from ex-crew all over the world, who haven't yet been in touch.

I am deeply moved by the interest and wonderful contributions from numerous passengers and crew over many years.

A HUGE THANK YOU.

Warm regards.

Ken.

You can send messages to me on this e-mail address:

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Picture of Maurice Horsburgh. Maurice Horsburgh was an entertainer on the ship in the seventies and used to take part in lunchtime and evening shows in the Main Lounge and the Smoke Bar (i.e. Let's
have a Nightcap with Mo). He had been living in Queensland, Australia for the past 30 years. Mo was also a member of the Queensland Accordion Club.


Mo sadly passed away on the 14th July 2015. Late of Elanora, Queensland Australia. He was aged 86.

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