SS Ocean Queen (1908)

In late 1890s Albert Ellis, who worked for the Pacific Islands Company Ltd, discovered rich phosphate rock deposits on several Pacific islands, including Nauru and Makatea. Soon, the Pacific Islands Company was transformed into the Pacific Phosphate Company, with their founders Baron Stanmore and John T. Arundel investing into phosphate trade and establishing a virtual monopoly on phosphate shipments to both Australia and New Zealand. Mining started in 1906 in Nauru, and the company needed more vessels to transport the cargo.

Ocean Queen was laid down at William Gray & Co. shipyard in West Hartlepool and launched on 8 December 1908 (yard number 760),[2] with Miss Arundel, of Kensington serving as a sponsor.[3] After successful completion of sea trials on 10 February 1909 Ocean Queen was handed over to her owners on the same day. The ship was able to achieve and maintain an average speed of 12.0 knots (13.8 mph; 22.2 km/h) during the sea trials.[4] The vessel was primarily intended as a bulk carrier, designed to the specifications of the Pacific Phosphate Company Ltd, but also accommodations for a large number of first and second-class passengers in houses on the spar deck were built. Additionally, electric lighting, refrigerating machinery, and cold chambers, and the ventilation were installed to suit the tropical climate where it was intended to operate the vessel.[4]

As built, the ship was 338 feet 0 inches (103.02 m) long between perpendiculars and 43 feet 6 inches (13.26 m) abeam, a mean draft of 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 m).[1] Ocean Queen was assessed at 3,188 GRT and 2,828 NRT.[1] The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 348 nhp triple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 24-inch (61 cm), 38-inch (97 cm) and 64-inch (160 cm) diameter with a 42-inch (110 cm) stroke, that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to 12.5 knots (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h).[1]

After delivery Ocean Queen was immediately sent to the Pacific and left Hartlepool on February 26. The ship called off at Antwerpen to load some machinery to be delivered to several mining locations in the South Pacific, and Plymouth which she departed on March 10, 1909. The ship passed Cape Town on April 7, eventually arriving in Sydney on May 4.[5] Among the passengers arriving from England on the vessel there were John T. Arundel, his private secretary and his three daughters, Dorothy, Lilian, and Sydney Arundel. Ocean Queen was scheduled for a five-month long voyage, visiting Ocean Island, Pleasant Island, several islands adjacent to Tahiti where a new venture was to be opened, and also envisioned a visit to Honolulu.[6] After loading general cargo for the islands and 1,200 tons of coal, the vessel departed Sydney on May 26. After calling at island ports, Ocean Queen loaded phosphates at Ocean Island and sailed on to Hawaii arriving at Honolulu on July 23. The vessel left Hawaii in early August and took course to Tahiti and Makatea, and from there she was scheduled to visit Nauru on October 5 to take her first load of phosphate for Australia.