Auckland Star

[Dave Gallie]

Started life at sea in 1969 on the Auckland Star sailing from London to Australia via Cape Town and Durban. First Australian port was Fremantle then Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, all discharging before picking up cargoes of fruit at Melbourne and Beauty Point in Tasmania. It was then straight back to the UK.

People I remember were Chunky Parkhill (an Australian Chief engineer), Peter Cain (2nd Engineer), Fraser Darrah (3rd Engineer), Joe Freers (4th Engineer) and Dave Geekie (5th Engineer).

Did a few more trips on her as junior and one as 2nd Freezer.

Great ship, steam powered with 2 Pametrada steam turbines supplied from 2 Babcock boilers, all pneumatic boiler controls by Baileys. refrigeration was the usual I think 5 x 4 J.& E. Hall equipment.

Interestingly this ship is a sister to the Tasmania Star of 1950 but the Auckland wasn't completed until 1958 due to industrial problems, or at I think that was the situation.

Dave Gallie.

[Ian Potter]

Hi Dave, I sailed on the Auckland Star as SoS, joining her in Malta and laying her up in Genoa during late 1973..

[Mike Hall]

Hi,
Fraser Darrah runs his own website titled "Blue Star Line ".
this site might help with some of the mates you are looking for.

Mike