ELLINIS TRIBUTE

A brief tribute to a classic liner of yesteryear. RHMS Ellinis, formally Matson Lines, Lurline.

[MichaelKing-ittb]

My wife’s family emigrated to Australia as a ‘£10 Pom’ in 1965 when she was 3 yrs old. She often mentions the Ellinis. She says she can still remember the smell!

[AngelaWaters-zj]

Hello John, what a truly wonderful video. Thank you very much. It really brought wonderful memories back to us. My husband and I as a newly married couple set sail on “The Ellinis” on 1/11/1969 in Southampton sailing to Sydney arriving 3/12/1969. What a fantastic time and experience we had. We also met two other newly married couples on that first day sitting at the same table in the dining room. We are still great friends to this day. We now live in Brisbane.
Thank you again John for all your hard work producing this video. Best wishes. Ángela & Dominic Waters .🚢🎸🎶

[rodsinclair]

We sailed on the Ellinis in May 1973 from Adelaide to Southampton, and like almost everyone has said it brought back great memories of an era that has gone forever. The five week voyage as a young boy with my two brothers and my mother and father was a huge adventure and I loved it. The ship, I believe was on a round the world trip and had a lot of Hippies aboard, one of whom jumped overboard at night on the passage between Melbourne and Sydney. It wasn't discovered until the morning some hours later. I don't think he would have lasted long in the shark infested waters. As children we dined at a different time to the adults, but we had a great steward who looked after us. A couple of years later we emigrated to South Africa and as we sailed out of Southampton aboard the Edinburgh Castle who should we see also in the dock, but the Ellinis. Thanks for the memory; though it did bring a tear to my eye as my parents have now passed away.

[iankennedy]

Thanks so much John for this lovely video, I travelled to Wellington on board this fine ship in 1967 with my Mum and Dad, my older and younger brothers, I was 13 years of age, boy what an experience.

[GeoffreyReid]

In 1978 I was a doctor on the Ellinis.. There was another doctor named Eric Hedberg who it transpired was probably a serial killer (See "A needle in the heart murder" by Canice Sutton.) We cruised from Australia to Japan then through South-East Asia and back to Australia.. It was a wonderful trip although the weather from Melbourne to Sydney was horrendous through Bass Straight. We also had to operate on a patient off the coast of China. He had a perforated gastric ulcer and needed a laparotomy to save his life. He was an American Greyhound bus driver named Warren Meeker and I would love to make contact with him again. We had the ship slowed and turned into the waves to reduce rolling but still had to tie him to the operating table with rope so that he did not fall off. It was one of the scariest things in my medical career, but he did very well, so well that we kept him on the ship in Taiwan and sent him back to the USA from our next port Hong Kong.

[howardevans]

After being a Ten Pound Pom in 1962, as a 9 year old kid, I and my family spend some amazing weeks on the Ellinis in 1965 as it made it's way from Sydney to Southampton via the Panama canal. had an experience at that young age that you just won't find today. originally went to Australia on the P & O Stratheden via the Suez canal, so ended up circumnavigating the globe by passenger ship before I was 10 years old. I remember fondly all the sights and smells of the different ports and countries. What an amazing experience for a child. This beautiful film has allowed so many people to recall their times on board. Well done, many put a big smile on my face today

[robbodt]

Travelled from Southampton to Wellington in 1967. Wonderful adventure for a 10 year old boy aboard. Thank you for this tribute. Wonderful ship.

[StephenShord]

We sailed on this ship arriving in Fremantle on 24th September 1970. There was my Father, Mother my two brothers and myself. My father passed away a few years ago but we made W Australia our forever home. I really enjoyed the trip on the ship. After a number of holidays in the UK I think my parents made the best decision to emigrate to Australia

[skip]

My family and I emigrated to Australia, from Ireland, in 1969 when I was just turning 12 years old. We were £10 moms also. We sailed from Southampton on the 7th of January 1969 aboard Ellinis, stopping at Las Palmas, Cape Town and Freemantle before arriving in Melbourne 4 weeks later.
After moving to Sydney and living there for almost 4 years we returned to the UK/Ireland in November 1972 when I was 15. We sailed from Sydney, again on RHMS Ellinis, via Auckland, Tahiti, Panama Canal, Curacao and New York, arriving in Southampton on the 7th of December 1972.
They were the most memorable journeys of my lifetime and the happy memories of my time on board Ellinis, the places we visited and the friends I made will always be in my heart and will be with me forever. Thank you for putting up this video.

[tonysavage]

Just came across this and brought back a few memories. I was on the very last trip from Sydney to Southampton in 1978. I recognised a couple of crew members in the photos. I still have a couple of souvenirs stashed away somewhere.
If I remember correctly the Women’s World Discovery Tour were on board also. Great times.

[Puzzoozoo]

I recognized the decks, and various rooms, as when was 11 when with Mum and Dad I immigrated to Perth in 31 October 1968 stopping at Grand Canary, and Cape Town, and to this day - I'm now 63 [and back in England, - we all returned home in 1979] - she is still the biggest ship I have ever set foot on. Memories of a long sea voyage adventure for a little boy.

[johnshobbrook]

John, Many thanks for a warm and considerate video. I was the Ellinis' photographer from February 1968 until early 1969. Captain Ikiadis and then Captain Nicolaou were the ship's masters. Conscription call-up for the Vietnam War removed me from a much loved ship.

[shelleymoore]

Oh, thank you Mr. Dunlea for this lovely film of Ellinis. I was a passenger along with my Dad and Grandmother from Australia in the 1970's, and we spent 5 glorious weeks coming through the Panama Canal route. She was a beautiful, wonderful ship with a personality all of her own, and like the song, I wish I could turn back time and travel on her again. The film moved me to tears, it was brilliant, like Ellinis !!! x

[meekhinglim]

My heart sank each time when I know a fine ship is to be scraped .

[davesmith]

We came to Australia arriving here in September 1968. My mum and dad my brother and sister and wow I loved the Ellinis for a young boy of 15 it was a big adventure I remember so much about it and the trip we had to go via Cape Town and stopping in Cape town did the tourist thing as we did at all our ports of call and there was a few of them too. This video bought back so many great memories and a tear or two to my eyes. Mum always use to say the crosses on the funnels were kisses and we would all be safe on the Ellinis which we were. The cabin on main deck was awesome looking out the port hole was a great pass time at night and during the day. And ofcourse being on the ship for 6 weeks there was a lot of exploring to do to pass away the days. My brother had his 13th birthday as we said the Great Australian Bite very calm it was. To sum up I guess to mum and dad possibly more so the Ellinis was a ship of dreams bring us to a new life in Australia. I am still here in Queensland and now at 69 I still remember so much about our voyage on board the Ellinis. So thank you for showing us the wonderful video. If any one else has any videos of the Ellinis I would love to see them specially any for our trip from South Hampton to Australia Leaving the UK in August 1968 arriving Australia September 1968. Thank you

[michaelthurgar]

What a great memory. My Family sailed from Southhampton on the 4th January 1968 and arrived in Melbourne 1st February. I was 12 at the time and explored the ship as much as I was allowed. Had a fantastic time.

[teedee]

Nice video. My dad came from Southampton to fremantle Australia on the Ellinis arriving 24th Sept 1970. ❤️

[Klink]

As a young 7 year old, together with my mother, I sailed on this gorgeous ship from Australia to Southampton in Nov 1972.

We were meant to sail to Rotterdam, but with the arrival being Christmas Eve, our crew went on strike in Southampton, so urgent alternative arrangements had to be made to get those of us who were stranded, to the continent.

My mother was terrified of flying, so she pleaded with staff to have us sail by cross-channel ferry to any European port.

To my great delight, and my mother’s terror, we were booked on a flight from Gatwick to Bremen on a (long defunct) British charter company, Court Line.

That one flight, on a pastel pink BAC111 twin jet, changed my life forever, drove my single-minded career aspirations, and has seen me happily flying the world’s skies for decades.

Thank you Ellinis!

As a side note, we also sailed from/to Australia on the Galileo Galilei (my favorite) and twice on the Australis.

Such phenomenal childhood memories.

[stevejefferson]

My mother traveled with all 5 of us in 1969 from New York to Southampton. Such fond memories. I remember they had a children's talent contest and my brother had long hair and they thought he was a girl. He cried and I laughed. I remember singing Hush Little Baby. I still have the menu from the last dinner aboard and two crew members wrote their names and addresses. George Tzouvelis but I can't read the other sadly. Thank you so much. Leah Jefferson

[andrewedwards]

I was BORN on this vessel, thank you for the video