Sea transport has mostly been a challenging industry in Australia, sourcing sufficient freight to support a regular service due to a relatively small population concentrated in the 5 main cities, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Prior to 1900 Darwin was little more than a frontier outpost, and it was not until 1911, when the township’s name changed its name from Palmerston to Darwin did it start to grow significantly.

Since the Gold rush days, the tendency had been to build road and rail to the hinterland rather than coastwise between major cities. This policy created a situation whereby there was little competition to what coastal shipping already existed, even the foreign ‘Mail Ships’ operating between Europe and Australia, did not pose any real competition to Australian shipowners.

However, with the passing of WW1 the situation started to change in Australia; the impact of the global conflict, followed thereafter by ongoing industrial friction and unrest due to strengthening unions, particularly in the maritime sector, greatly compromised Australian coastal shipping, causing it to become vulnerable and to function less effectively. The competitive edge shipping had once enjoyed quickly diminished and provided opportunities for a rapid expansion in interstate road and transport infrastructure. Rail links between major coastal cities were established during the early 1900s and absorbed much of the passenger and freight traffic shipping had hitherto monopolized.

The Adelaide Steamship Company was one of the pioneering Australia Coastal shipping companies. The company was established by a group of South Australian pastoralists and businessmen in 1875, initially to provide sea freight and passenger services between Adelaide and Melbourne, and for the next 100 years it successfully provided conventional shipping operations around the entire Australian continent.

The first ship of the new company was the Flinders, 521 grt, with accommodation for 112 passengers, built at Sunderland in 1874 and arriving in Adelaide March 1875. The Flinders was soon followed by another new vessel the Franklin.

In 1876 the company’s leading promoters, seeing merit in expanding their own independent shipping services by amalgamation of their respective interests, formed the Spencer’s Gulf Steamship Co. Ltd., primarily trading in South Australian coastal waters, later merging with the Adelaide Steamship Company in 1882. About this time there was severe competition and rate cutting between Adelaide Steamship Co. and rival steamship companies serving the southeast coastal ports of Australia. It was the ambition of Adelaide Steamship Co. to gain a foothold in this trade. By end of 1882 Adelaide Steamship Co. had bought out William Whinham, a wheat speculator and shipper, acquiring three additional steamships as part of the deal, in addition to the previous mentioned acquisition of the Spencer’s Gulf Steamship Company which included the 605 grt Investigator still being built in the UK. With the acquisition of Spencer Gulf Steamship Company, Adelaide Steamship Company gained six ships for £90,000. They now had complete domination of the Spencer Gulf, Southeast, and Melbourne steamship routes.

There soon followed the acquisition of Anderson & Marshall, and with the purchase secured a foothold in the West Australia trade. With this transaction, they procured two additional steamers, three coal hulks, a ketch tender and company moorings in two ports. The Adelaide Steamship Company’s services now extended from Melbourne, the entire southern coastal ports, round to the northern section of West Australia. Adelaide Steamship Co. even bid for the Darwin Postal contract, but this was unsuccessful, being thwarted by the South Australian Postal services.

Despite local disputes developing in the West Australian trade, especially following the discovery of gold, initially in the Northern Territory, followed soon after in the Kimberley, Pilbara and finally the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie fields, the company still enjoyed sustained growth. Initially Adelaide Steamship Company was the only company operating to these fields, but such a monopoly could not be permitted to prevail and did not continue for long.

However, amid this boom there was more than sufficient trade for all, including the foreign mail ships belonging to overseas lines. Nevertheless, by the end of 1899 territorial rights and the freight rates and passenger fares was regulated by the Australian shipping industry.

For the next 100 years Adelaide Steamship Co. successfully provided conventional shipping operations circumnavigating the entire Australian coast, serving all major cities from Derby in the northwest to Cairns in northern Queensland. Adelaide Steamship Company was to become Australia’s largest shipping enterprise over ensuing years and was supported with a robust network of agency and freight offices in all states throughout the Commonwealth of Australia.

Adelaide Steamship Company was liquidated and restructured twice during its lifetime, this was for corporate restructuring to allow for more efficient and profitable operations of the company, first in 1900 and subsequently in 1920.

During WW1, several Adelaide Steamship Company ships were requisitioned by the Admiralty, these included the Grantala and Warilda for conversion to hospital ships, and Wandilla and Willochra as troopships. Yankalilla and Echunga were also appropriated by the Admiralty. When these ships were returned to Adelaide Steamship Co., at the end of WW1, Adelaide Steamship Co. controlled most of the steamship trade in South Australia and covered most of the Australian coast.

By this time their existing fleet was a was a combination of both old and new tonnage, hence older ships were progressively sold off and three new motorships were procured, Mulcra, Momba and Mundalla. Later joined by another motorship, the Minnipa which was purchased for the Gulf trade, and in 1931 the Moonta was also an addition to their fleet. The Morialta also joined the modernized and expanding fleet following WW2.

Previously, in January 1915 Adelaide Steamship Co. had acquired Coast Steamships Limited, and kept it running as a subsidiary, with its own identity until 1968. However, following the war years, during the late 1940s, Adelaide Steamship Co. experienced a decline in trade and began to acquire interests in companies and projects other than shipping.

The Adelaide Steamship Co. directors had over estimated the effects of the opening of the Transcontinental Railway would have to their West Australia operations, believing it would have a severe impact on their coastal trade, and took steps to quickly dispose of two of the newer vessels. This error, eventually forced them to purchase two new ships the Manunda, 9,155 grt and able to carry 312 passengers in 2 classes. A similar ship the Manoora joined her as a coastal cruise ship soon after.

In 1964 its interstate coastal fleet was merged with that of McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd. in a new venture, Associated Steamships Ltd. in which Adelaide Steamship Co., held 40%. Bulkships Ltd. in which Adelaide Steamship held a 40% interest in 1965, acquired all the shares in Associated Steamship Ltd. in 1968. In 1977 the company’s interest in Bulkships was relinquished, and Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd. ceased its connection with shipowning and operations as of that time.

The company did however maintain a connection to the tug and towage sector. The dawning of containerization, improved rail facilities and the introduction of regular interstate air travel, following the periods of high operating costs due to the global fuel crisis of 1970s, all no doubt, contributed to the decision of Adelaide Steamship Co. to dispose of its interests in Australia shipping. Nevertheless, a standing ovation is appropriate, following the last curtain call for such a legendary Australian shipping icon.

Adsteam Marine the rebranded marine towage remnant of Adelaide Steamship Co., became an international towage company operating tug and towage services in Australia, the Pacific and the United Kingdom. In May 2001 Adsteam Marine, acquired the towage services of Howard Smith, (its competitor of earlier years on the Melbourne and Sydney routes). As Adsteam Marine it became a partner in the consortium known as Flinders Ports which in 2001 took out a 99 year lease of the facilities of Ports Corporation (previously Department of Marine and Harbours). Flinders Ports now operates seven ports across South Australia. In March 2008 Adsteam Marine was acquired by Svitzer, a global towage contractor, which is part of the Maersk maritime conglomerate, and so morphed into oblivion in Australian shipping annals.

However one memory of this once great company still exists.

The 1931 built Moonta later in life became the landlocked casino ship and tourist attraction Casino Le Lydia in Le Barcarès, France.

The Moonta was launched in June 1931 Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark for the Adelaide Steamship Company. She started service with a six-day itinerary, disembarking in Adelaide and ending in Port Lincoln, usually with four or five calls along the way. Moonta became well known and beloved for her excellent service and relaxing voyages, being called the perfect ‘romantic holiday’ ship. After serving in World War II Moonta continued her Australian coastal service until 1955, when she was sold to the Greek Hellenic Mediterranean Lines for cruising. With this her new owners doubled her passenger capacity and renamed her Lydia. She remained in Greek cruise service until 1966 when Hellenic Mediterranean laid her up.

In 1967 SEMETA, a company based in the French resort towns of Leucate and Barcarès bought Lydia to be the maritime symbol of a new innovative hotel opening that year. The new Casino Le Lydia was taken to Marseilles, where her propellers and engines were removed. The ship was then landlocked onto a beach in Le Barcarès, the first building in a planned tourism complex.

In 1974 a Japanese company bought Casino Le Lydia and added several new features to her. In 1997 the ship ran into trouble when the government closed her down due to new Safety of Life at Sea regulations that came out that year, even though Casino Le Lydia was now considered a building. After lying derelict for three years the Partouche Group bought and restored the ship. Her features now include a casino, restaurant, bar, discotheque, a pool with a waterslide, spa, as well as an exhibition center.

The former Moonta lives on, now over 90 years old and the last remaining vessel of the Adelaide Steamship Company.