Historical information

According to the shipslist.com, the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand had 3 ships called Koranui.

Koranui (1) 1883 1885 taken over with Black Diamond Line fleet, 1889 wrecked Blind Bay. 448
Koranui (2) 1914 ex- Cleopatra (A.Kirsten, Hamburg), 1920 war reparations and renamed, 1953 to J. Hagen, Noumea, renamed Neo Hebridais II. 1,266
Koranui (3) 1956 1976 sold to Maldives, renamed South Pacific. 3,722

The buoy is most likely coming from one of the last two on te list.

Significance

The lifebuoy is a essential piece of equipment on a ship; as it has the name of the ship written on it it is often a memorabilia kept after the ship has changed name or has been broken up.

Physical description

Ring shaped life preserver from SS Koranui divided into four sections alternating between red and white colourings.

Inscriptions & markings

Black writing on white sections of buoy: "S.S. KORANUI/MELBOURNE"