In 1916 the Australian government set up its own Shipping board, for the transport of Australian export goods to Great Britain and other countries, using ships that were captured from the enemy (mainly German flagged ships, that were in Australia at the opening of WW1). With the end of WW1 the ships were transfered to what became the Australian Commonwealth Government Lines, or more commonly known as the Australian Commonwealth Lines. In 1921 a large modernization of the fleet begun with the entry to service of five passengers and cargo ships known as the Bay class, the most famous being the SS Jervis Bay
In 1928 the ailing company was purchased by White star Lines through its subsidiary company of Shaw Savill & Albion, and the ships were moved to the British registry, and in 1931 with the collapse of the Pirrie-Kylsant empire the ships were moved to a new company the Aberdeen & Commonwealth Lines (in itself a subsidiary of the Shaw, Savill & Albion company), and the five Bay class ships were painted in the Aberdeen lines colors of green hull.
In 1939 the Jervis Bay was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into an armed merchant-cruiser and as such was sunk in the Atlantic by German cruiser Admiral Scheer on the 5th November 1940.
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Thank you Kim for the crest
"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"