The Queensland Steam Shipping Company (QSS Co) was a shipping company of Australia from 1881 to 1887.

History

In 1881, the British India Steam Navigation Company was operating a regular mail steamer service from Brisbane to England via the Torres Strait and it wishes to provide coastal services to connect with the mail steamer. The Queensland Steam Shipping Company was formed by the

British India Steam Navigation Company British India Steam Navigation Company ("BI") was formed in 1856 as the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company. History The ''Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company'' had been formed out of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, a trading partn ...

with Charles Parbury, James Burns and McIlwraith McEacharn & Company with headquarters in Brisbane. The company was registered in London in August 1881. Initially the company offers a service from Brisbane to

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airport ...

, Townsville,

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

, Port Douglas and Cooktown. In September 1882, the company spent £25,000 to purchase the ''Tasmanian Wharf'' in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

to extend their services to Sydney. Later the company extended their services to Normanton, Burketown, Thursday Island and New Guinea. On 30 May 1884, two of the company's ships, the ''Archer'' and ''Taldora'' collided in Moreton Bay. Although it was a serious collision, fortunately there were no deaths or serious injuries. The Marine Board inquiry censured Captain Lowries of the ''Archer'' for making in error of judgement in navigation. The shipping company was amalgamated with the Australasian Steam Navigation Company with their respective vessels in 1887 to form the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company.

Ships

The company's first ship was the ''SS Gunga'' (189 tons net). Later ships were: * ''SS Corea'' (606 tons gross, 382 tons net, built 1883) * ''SS Archer'' (694 tons gross, 440 tons net, built 1883) * ''SS Polly'' (194 tons gross, 89 tons net, built 1883) * ''SS Truganini'' (203 tons gross 130 tons net, built 1876) * ''SS Gympie'' (126 tons net, purchased 1883) * ''SS Warrego'' (1,552 tons gross, 857 tons net, built 1883) * ''SS Maranoa'' (1,505 tons gross, 805 tons net, built 1883) * '' SS Barcoo'' (1,505 tons gross, 745 tons net, built 1885) * ''SS Taldora'' (232 tons gross, 126 tons net, built about 1881-1882)

References

{{Queensland Steam Shipping Company Transport companies established in 1881 Defunct shipping companies of Australia History of transport in Queensland Australian companies established in 1881 Transport companies disestablished in 1887 1887 disestablishments in Australia 1887 mergers and acquisitions