This is a ship model of the SS Orotava, a British Screw Steamship built at Barrow-in-Furness, county of Lancashire, by the Naval Construction and Armaments Company (NC & A Co.) in 1889. The gross tonnage was 5552.10 tons, length 430 feet, breadth 49.3 feet and depth 34.2 feet. It was built for the Pacific Steam Navigation Company (of 31, James Street, Liverpool) and used as a passenger liner. The vessel was launched in 1889 and made two voyages for the Pacific Steam Navigation Company during 1889. Then, under the new management of the Orient Line, its first sailing was 6th June 1890 from Liverpool to Australia via Suez. During the Boer War (1889 – 1903), Orotava served as a troop ship, but apart from this, it remained in the Orient Line’s Australia service until 1906. On 14th December 1896, the Orotava sank at Tilbury Docks after being serviced on her return from Australia, becoming unstable and taking in water. Five men lost their lives. The ship was then raised to dry dock and repaired for service again, and an investigation was launched into the cause of the sinking. Between 1901 – 1906, the name Orient-Pacific Steam Line was used due to the close ties between the Pacific and the Orient lines. In 1906, the Pacific Steam Line Australian service was taken over by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., and the alliance between them and the Orient Line was dissolved in 1909. Orotava then served the West Indies service of the Royal Mail Line. In World War 1 (Dec 1914 – June 1916), the vessel served as HMS OROTAVA, an armed merchant cruiser. It was broken up in 1919.The model shows a visual description of the SS Orotava, which was used for commercial and government purposes from 1889 to 1919. The model is also an example of ship model-making, a skilled craft enjoyed for hundreds of years, demonstrating the evolution of ocean vessels. Ship model: SS Orotava. The model, without a case, has four masts and two funnels, and is mounted on a small timber base. The SS Orotave was a British passenger liner, launched in 1889. Inscriptions are painted on the hull. "OROTAVA" painted in white on each side of the bow. 'OROTAVA / LONDON" painted in white on the stern.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship model, ss orotava, naval construction and armaments co., n c & a co., pacific steam navigaiton company, passenger liner, orient line, orient-pacific steam line, royal mail line, hms orotava