SS Loongana

built in 1904 and scrapped in 1934
History
Owner	Union Steamship Company of New Zealand (1904–1922) Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd. (1922–)
Builder	William Denny and Brothers
Launched	1904
In service	1904-1934
Fate	Scrapped 1934
General characteristics
Tonnage	2448 tons
Length	300 ft (91 m)
Beam	43 ft (13 m)
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)

SS Loongana was a Bass Strait passenger ship initially owned by Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. In 1922 she was transferred to Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd. SS Loongana was in service between 1904-1934 and was the first ship registered in the Southern Hemisphere with steam turbine propulsion. During the 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster she crossed the strait in 12 hours and 46 minutes at 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph), carrying rescue gear from Victorian mines.

Loongana is an Aboriginal word meaning to be swift or to fly.

Sources

• Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9.
• Clements, Graham (2005). "Bass Strait Passenger Ships". In Alexander, Alison (ed.). The Companion to Tasmanian History. Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies, University of Tasmania. ISBN 1-86295-223-X.