page_title: Orient Steam Navigation Company
section_title: Early 20th Century
hierarchical_section_title: Orient Steam Navigation Company / History / Early 20th Century
caption_attribution_description: Reproduction ID: G10736 Maker: Bedford Lemere &amp; Co Date: 1909 Materials: gelatine dry plate
context_page_description: The Orient Steam Navigation Company, also known as the Orient Line, was a British shipping company with roots going back to the late 18th century. From the early 20th century onwards an association began with P&O which became 51% shareholder in 1919 and culminated in the Orient Line being totally absorbed into that company in 1966.
context_section_description: A close association with the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company began at the turn of the 20th century with the two companies sharing an Australian Government mail contract. Each company had a vessel sailing from England to Australia every two weeks, resulting in a weekly service of fast mail ships. This was at a time of rapid expansion for the Orient Line, with a succession of larger ships being built. All had names starting with 'O', such as Otway, Osterley, Orsova, Otranto, Ortona and Orvieto – a quintet of 12,000-ton ships – entering service in 1909. The First World War saw all of the company's ships commandeered for war service, with several losses. Those that survived returned to the England – Australia service in 1919.
  For many years, Sir Kenneth Anderson and Sir Frederick Green (1845–1927) alternated annually as Orient Line chairman, until Greens sold out their interests to Lord Inchcape when P&O acquired a 51% controlling interest in the Orient S.N. Co. in 1919. A new firm, Anderson, Green & Co. Ltd., acquired the other 49% and then managed the Orient Line on its new owner’s behalf until the subsidiary was formally absorbed into its senior partner in 1966 following P & O's acquisition of the balance of the shares. Anderson, Green & Co. Ltd. then became a shipbroking firm until renamed Anderson Hughes following further rationalisation in 1975.
caption: SS Otranto in 1909
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