Coast to Coast: The Great Australian Coastal Liners by Peter Plowman

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Some fading to spine. Interior and binding are still excellent.

A history of the great Australian coastal liners.

There was a time when the only way to travel between the major cities located around the coast of Australia was by ship. From the earliest days of European settlement up to the middle of the twentieth century, ships were the backbone of Australian trade.

Up to the end of the nineteenth century, these ships were primarily intended to transport cargo, with scant attention paid to passengers' requirements and comfort. With Federation in 1901 came the development of a new type of coastal ship, intended to transport passengers in comfort, with cargo of secondary importance.

During the first ten years of the 20th century, the size of coastal passenger vessels increased at a steady rate, along with improvements in their passenger accommodation. The 12-month period from September 1912 to September 1913 would see no less than 6 large liners built for the major Australian coastal trades.

In 1961, the last two coastal liners, Kanimbla and Manoora, were sold to foreign owners, and the coastal trade, as it had been known for many years, came to an end.

Includes maps and illustrations, some in colour.