NEW STEAMSHIP SERVICE.

The Queenslander, Brisbane, Saturday 27 January, 1906.

NEW STEAMSHIP SERVICE.

BRISBANE TO WESTERN

AUSTRALIA.

The decision of the interstate companies

to extend the service of their Western

Australian steamers to Brisbane will be

looked upon with gratification by all.

Queenslanders, and the hope is expressed

that the results will justify the undertaking

and encourage the companies to run their

steamers still further north. A regular

direct service twice monthly will be maintained 

from Brisbane to Western Australia, via Sydney, 

Melbourne, Adelaide, and Albany. This is a 

most important feature in connection with the 

Australian coastal service, as it will be the first 

attempt to have direct communication between 

Brisbane and West Australian ports.

The service is to be maintained by the

steamers Riverina and Bombala (Howard,

Smith Company, Limited), Yongala and

Grantala (Adelaide Steamship Company,

Limited). Although this service is at

present a bi-monthly one, it must be 

remembered that the interstate companies

have the regular steamers, such as the

Wodongu, Wyundra, Aramac, Arawatta,

(A.U.S.N. Company, Limited), Gaibo and

Buninyong (Howard Smith Company,Limited), 

Marloo and Wollowra (Adelaide Steamship 

Company, Limited), running in a regular 

service twice weekly from Queensland ports, 

connecting with the large steamers Kyarra, 

Kanowna, Coolgardie, and Bumnubeet at 

either Sydney or Melbourne. The whole of 

the steamers with one exception are fitted 

with refrigerated chambers, which make it 

possible for fruit, &c, to be carried from

the hot climate of Queensland to Southern

and Western Australian ports. The steamers 

are purely Commonwealth vessels, and

it is hoped that this new departure

will meet with success, and that in the

near future the results will justify the

service to the Northern ports of Queensland.

The new service was inaugurated on

Friday week by the arrival of the Adelaide

Steamship Company's steamer Yongala.

The vessel, which is in command of

Captain Rees, came from Fremantle, and

Albany, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, 

en route. At Sydney Captain C. C. Mackenzie, 

of the Innamincka, joined the steamer, 

and acted as pilot to Brisbane. The Yongala 

is a new steel screw vessel of 3664 tons gross, 

1825 tons net, and this is the first voyage to 

Queensland waters. The steamer was designed 

from specified plans arranged in Australia to

meet passenger and cargo requirements,

Yongala was moving into a new phase of operations and reference is made to 'purely Commonwealth vessels'. This reminds us of the competition presented by ocean liners operated by companies such as the Blue Anchor Line, servicing ports Sydney, Melbourne and Port Adelaide en route to South Africa.