Australian National Line

Australian National Line was formed on 1 October 1956 as the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission with the passing of the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act. The organisation took about forty ships previously operated by the Australian Shipping Board, which had been formed in 1946 by the federal government.

In March 1969, ANL commenced operating services to Japan in a joint venture with K Line.

In 1974, the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission was renamed the Australian Shipping Commission in recognition of its international role, it continued to trade as ANL.

Privatisation

ANL was converted into a public company in 1989 via the ANL (Conversion into Public Company) Act 1988, although it remained government-owned. In 1991, the Hawke government announced its intention to privatise ANL following poor financial performance. The Keating government passed the ANL Guarantee Act 1994 and commenced a restructuring of ANL in 1995 to prepare it for sale. A deal to sell it to P&O collapsed after the Maritime Union of Australia threatened a national strike in the lead up to the 1996 Australian federal election.

In December 1998, the Howard government sold ANL's liner shipping business to CMA CGM with two ships: Australian Endeavour and Australian Enterprise. In May 1999, the bulk shipping business was sold to Auscan Self-Unloaders, a subsidiary of Canada Steamship Lines, with two ships: River Torrens and River Yarra.

The residual assets of four leased ships on long-term sub-charter; alumina carriers River Boyne and River Embley and Bass Strait vessels Searoad Tamar and Searoad Mersey, were placed in the custody of the Australian River Company Limited. Searoad Tamar and Searoad Mersey were sold in June and September 2005 to their charterer, Patrick Shipping, while River Embley and River Boyne were sold to Singapore for scrap in May and August 2012. The Australian River Company Limited was wound up in 2015.

Services

Historical

The company entered the ferry business in 1959, when Tasmanian Steamers announced that it would be withdrawing from the Bass Strait. Its ship the Taroona was becoming totally inadequate, only being able to carry 30 cars, which had to be lifted aboard. As no replacement was available, the federal government decided that the Australian National Line should take over, and it would be provided with a subsidy with an order placed with the State Dockyard, Newcastle. The new ship was named Princess of Tasmania, was the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere and the largest. She entered the Melbourne to Devonport route on 23 September 1959. The new ship and route were such a success for the ANL ordered a cargo only ship, to be named Bass Trader.

With the passenger numbers going so well on the Princess of Tasmania and cargo going very well also, ANL decided that a regular passenger service from Sydney to Hobart should be re-established. An order was placed with Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company. The new ship was christened Empress of Australia on 18 January 1964. Empress of Australia made her maiden voyage from Sydney to Hobart on 16 January 1965. The Empress of Australia operated from Sydney to Hobart and Sydney to Bell Bay/Burnie and back.

With the Princess of Tasmania going so well out of Melbourne, there needed to be more capacity on the route, so ANL ordered a new ship to be built at the State Dockyard. The new ship would be bigger, with smaller passenger capacity but more cargo space, an early example of the Ro/Pax concept. The new ship was launched on 17 February 1969 as the Australian Trader. On 24 June 1969, Australian Trader set out on her maiden voyage to Devonport. The new ship operated a rotation between Bell Bay, Devonport and Burnie.

On 27 June 1972 Princess of Tasmania left Devonport for the final time. ANL sold her to Bahamarine, Nassau and she left Australia on 7 October 1972. When the Princess of Tasmania left the route the Australian Trader swapped with her, and Empress of Australia replaced the Princess of Tasmania on the Melbourne to Devonport route.