Australian National Line

The company entered the ferry business in 1959, when Tasmanian Steamers announced that it would be withdrawing from the Bass Strait. Its ship the Taroona was becoming totally inadequate, only being able to carry 30 cars, which had to be lifted aboard. As no replacement was available, the Federal Government decided that the Australian National Line should take over, and it would be provided with a subsidy with an order placed with the State Dockyard, Newcastle. The new ship was named Princess of Tasmania, was the first roll on/roll off ferry in the southern hemisphere and the largest. She entered the Melbourne – Devonport route on 23 September 1959. The new ship and route were such a success for the ANL ordered a cargo only ship, to be named Bass Trader.

With the passenger numbers going so well on the Princess of Tasmania and cargo going very well also, ANL decided that a regular passenger service from Sydney to Hobart should be re-established. An order was placed with Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company. The new ship was christened Empress of Australia on 18 January 1964. Empress of Australia made her maiden voyage from Sydney to Hobart on 16 January 1965. The Empress of Australia operated from Sydney to Hobart and Sydney to Bell Bay/Burnie and back.

With the Princess of Tasmania going so well out of Melbourne, there needed to be more capacity on the route, so ANL ordered a new ship to be built at the State Dockyard. The new ship would be bigger, with smaller passenger capacity but more cargo space, an early example of the Ro/Pax concept. The new ship was launched on 17 February 1969 as the Australian Trader. On 24 June 1969, Australian Trader set out on her maiden voyage to Devonport. The new ship operated a rotation between Bell Bay, Devonport and Burnie.

On 27 June 1972 Princess of Tasmania left Devonport for the final time. ANL sold her to Bahamarine, Nassau and she left Australia on 7 October 1972. When the Princess of Tasmania left the route the Australian Trader swapped with her, and Empress of Australia replaced the Princess of Tasmania on the Melbourne - Devonport trade.

ANL were involved in the 1975 Tasman Bridge disaster in Hobart, Tasmania, as the owner/operator of the Lake Illawarra, the bulk carrier which collided with the bridge, and consequently sank.

ANL announced that Australian Trader would be withdrawn from service, being replaced by a new freight only ship named Bass Trader.

On the final arrival of the Australian Trader in Bell Bay the crew went on strike. The ship remained idle there for two months. Finally on 24 September 1976 they gave up and she sailed to Sydney, laid-up and was offered for sale. The sale was completed on 16 January 1977 to the Royal Australian Navy as a training ship.

In 1983 the Tasmanian government were seeking from the Federal Government funds to charter a supplementary ship, being either Scotia Prince, St Patrick II, Stena Baltica or Odysseus Elytis. This was rejected.

In 1984 ANL announced that it would not be continuing in the ferry business, and the Empress of Australia would be withdrawn in 1985 and sold. This was then put into the hands of the Tasmanian Government which subsequently formed the TT-Line with the Federal Government agreeing to buy a ship.

The ceasing of the ANL's involvement in the passenger trade allowed it to concentrate solely on bulk freight and cargo. In December 1998, CMA CGM bought ANL's container shipping business and trading name from the Federal Government.[10]

Commercially, ANL still operates the more traditional north–south directional trades, plus nearly 20 relatively new east–west directional trades riding on the services of its parent - CMA CGM.