The SA Oranje was originally built for the Union Castle Line as the mailship Pretoria Castle. Launched on the 19th of August 1947 by Mrs Issie Smuts, wife of the then Prime Minister Jan Smuts, this 28 705 ton steamer was 227,8 metres in length with a capacity of just under 900 first and tourist class passengers. In 1966 she was sold to Safmarine and in 1969 transferred to the South African registery. Renamed SA Oranje, she served with Safmarine until 1975 when she was sent for breaking up in Taiwan.
|
