SS AUSTRALIS LIGHTED passenger ship 34" LUXURY LINER
FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY MUSEUM QUALITY SHIP MODEL
- BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM QUALITY MODEL
- Dimension approx.: 34″ (long) x 5″ (wide) x 11″ (high)
- APPROX SCALE 1/350
- LIGHTED - POWER SUPPLY NOT INCLUDED
- This beautiful model is already built, NOT a kit.
- Handcrafted from finest wood and metal fittings.
- Open die cut side hull windows, NOT painted like those built by most other companies.
- The model is 100% hand built by artisans from scratch
- Hand-painted to match the actual ship.
The SS Australis, a Chandris Lines flagship, retains a significant place in Australian immigration history as the last ship to carry government assisted immigrants to Australian shores in 1977. She had the largest passenger capacity of any post World War II immigrant ship to regularly visit Australia and many passengers fondly remember her grandeur and remnants of Art Deco style.
Originally named America, the immigrant ship Australis was designed by William Francis Gibbs and built for the North Atlantic trade – to travel between Europe and the United States. When launched on 31 August 1939 (by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt), she was the largest passenger vessel to have ever been constructed in the United States and provided luxury accommodation for 1202 passengers in three classes.
In the midst of World War II, she was taken over by the US Navy and converted to an American troop ship capable of carrying 8175 soldiers. Realising the impact on public sentiment should America be sunk, the American government quickly renamed the ship the USS West Point. During the war, she visited ports in Europe, Africa and South America and was frequently attacked by Japanese forces.
After 12 years on the North Atlantic trade following the war, she was sold to the Chandris Line in 1965 and christened Australis, being converted to a fully air conditioned single class ship for the Australian migrant trade. A large portion of her original interior styling was maintained, and she remained adorned with many murals and Art Deco floor coverings during her immigration years.
Now you can get this beautiful model in your own home or office. You can find many details of the model such as: All windows, doors, and portholes are cut out precisely thanks to hand-built hollow superstructure and hull; Open promenade decks visible through superstructure windows; Lattice grating on ducts and vents; Detail lifeboats hung from launching davits; Delicate railings on forecastle, aftcastle and top superstructure; Rigging and stay-lines on all masts and smokestacks. Furthermore, we applied multi-layered paint to match the color of the real ship.
Our master craftsmen handcraft these nicely detailed models from scratch using historical photographs, drawings and original plan. They are built to scale with top quality wood such as rosewood, teak, and mahogany. This replica is 100% handcrafted individually using plank-on-frame construction method and are similar to the building of the actual ship. She has been applied multi-layered paint to match the color of the real ship with highly-detailed such as: laser cut doors and window so you can see thru superstructure, thanks to a hollow hull and hollow superstructure. Each model requires hundreds of hours to finish and must go through a demanding quality control process before leaving the workshop. Due to te delicate nature of these models, small parts parts may dislodge during shipping and is not considered defective or cause for return. This replica is mounted on a solid wood base and ready to display.
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO OWN A PIECE OF MARITIME HISTORY AT GREAT SAVINGS!!!
