The Amazing Voyage of the SS Amazonia

Mon, 31 March 2025 (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm)Australia/Adelaide

Greeks Of Egypt Middle East Society Of South Australia Inc Hall
56 Richmond Road, Keswick SA, Australia

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Description

SS Amazonia, 1924 -1925 – Celebration 100 years

A Festival Hellenika event presented by Spiros Sarris (President of the SA Friends, Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens)

Although the primary purpose of the Amazonia’s journey was to load wheat and flour from Bunbury (WA), the operators of the vessel decided that they would take on paying passengers to help ‘offset costs”. The one-way journey to Australia was promoted to passengers as one of luxury; however, it was anything but!

The passenger list comprised 166 individuals of various nationalities including: Albanian, British (including Local British Subjects, Cypriot, Egyptian, Greek, Turkish, “Mikrasiates/Anatolians”, and “Italian” (including “Dodecanesians, Aegean Islanders, Rhodians, etc)”.

There were approximately 45 Albanian nationals and 110 ethnic Greek males (albeit travelling variously with Greek, British, Albanian, or Italian travel documents). Interestingly there were only 3 female passengers, an infant, and two “pre-teen scholars”.

Upon arrival at Fremantle there was some confusion as to the intended destination of the Amazonia, many thinking it would continue to Melbourne and Sydney. Eventually about 80 disembarked at Fremantle, the remainder at Port Pirie.

The vessel’s tortuous journey was not without incident for its passengers. The press announced the arrival of the vessel with colourful headlines and phrases, some of which, in the politically correctness of today, would be banned. The story is most fascinating.