Katoomba
Ship Number
437
Vessel Type
Passenger Ship
Built
Belfast
Slip Number
6
Launch Date
April 10, 1913
Delivered
July 10, 1913
Owner
Mcllwraith McEachern & Co.
Weight
9424 grt
BP Length
450 feet
Breadth
60 feet
No. of Screws
Triple
Speed (approx)
15 knots
Propulsion
Official No.
132443
Registered
Melbourne
Fate
Scrapped
Katoomba

[Seen here as Columbia in 1952]
Launched on Thursday 10th April 1913, One funnel, two masts, triple screw and a speed of 15 knots. this was a vessel that endeared itself to the travelling public over the years. She was designed to carry 550 passengers and a crew of 170 on the Sydney - Freemantle route and had genera and reefer cargo space.
 
In June 1918 she was requisitioned as an Imperial transport and sent to New York via the Panama Canal to take American troops to Europe. She returned to the Australian coastal service but during the thirties ran Pacific cruises which were immensely popular. After serving as a transport during World War II she was sold to Cia Maritima del Este (Greek Line) in July 1946.
 
Between 1947-1949 she was under charter to Cie Generale Transatlantique (French Line) and sailed between France and the West Indies.
 
In 1949 she was refitted at Genoa, converted from coal to oil burning, fitted with extra lifeboats, painted white and renamed Columbia. There was accommodation for 52 first and 754 tourist class passengers.
 
In 1954 she came under the management of Neptune Shipping Company, Panama and in 1957 made several voyages from Liverpool to Belfast and Quebec. She was damaged in collision with the Home Line's Homeric at Quebec on 18th August 1957 in fog, and on 2nd October 1957 started her last crossing from Quebec to Southampton. She subsequently sailed to Piraeus where she was laid up until 22nd August 1959, when she sailed for Nagasaki, Japan where she was scrapped.  [Pacific Liners 1927-72 by Frederick Emmons] [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P. Bonsor, vol.3, p.1655].