SS FAIRSTAR ex. HMT OXFORDSHIRE
Photographed leaving Ocean Terminal Kowloon - July 1982
Built for the Bibby Line by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Glasgow in 1955.
During the 1950s the OXFORDSHIRE sailed to Hong Kong as a troop transport. With the British withdrawal east of Suez and the growth of air transport, the role became redundant and in 1963 she was chartered out to the Fairline Shipping Corp. of Liberia (part of the SITMAR group). Following a conversion to a passenger liner she was sold to the Fairstar Shipping Corp. Liberia and employed on the assisted migrant trade from Europe to Australia. In 1973 she became a cruise ship based in Australia. Purchased by P&O Lines in 1988 the popular ship continued cruising out of Australia until 1997 when she departed for the ship breaking yards at Alang India after 42 years service.
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