Historical information

The photograph, taken in the 1950s, is of the passenger liner Cyrenia berthed at Port Melbourne. TSS Maunganui (later Cyrenia) was originally owned by the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand and carried the Royal Mail to Sydney and San Francisco. It was a troopship during World War 1 and 2. In 1948 it was sold to Cia Naviera del Atlantica in Piraeus and was renamed Cyrenia. It was sold to the Hellenic Mediterranean Lines in 1949 and commenced a service from Genoa and Piraeus bringing Greek and Italian emigrants to Australia. She was broken up in 1957.

Significance

During the post-war years, between 1952 and 1974, more than 200,000 Greeks arrived in Australia. Most arrived on ships such as the Cyrenia.

Physical description

A mounted black and white photograph of a passenger ship berthed at Port Melbourne. A duplicate photograph has been mounted on chip board.

Inscriptions & markings

CYRENIA 1950