Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 9 February 1954, page 7


Oronsay Back,

Bringing Tourists

The 28,000-ton Orient liner Oronsay arrived in Sydney yesterday after completing her first round trip on the Pacific service.

The liner steamed slowly up the harbour with hun-dreds of American tourists lining the decks.

A spokesman for the Orient Line said yesterday the first Pacific voyage had been an outstanding success.

Travel agents, he said, were enthusiastic about the new service, which, they believed, would become a rich dollarearner for Australia.

Included in the tourist group were a party of seven wealthy Americans led by Dr. Harry Maxwell, of Santa Ana, California.

Members of the party are on a tour which will cost them each more than 3,000 dollars (£1,339).

Dr. Maxwell is a colonel in the U.S. Medical Corps.

MILLIONAIRES

Two millionaires also ar-rived for a vacation in Syd-ney.

They were Mr. J. Barker and Mr. St. George Holden.

Also among the passengers was Mr. Byron Haskin, a Hollywood film director.

He has formed a film pro-duction company in Sydney called the Treasure Island Production Company, which will make films at Pagewood Studios during the next two

years.

Mr. Haskin said his com-pany would start producing the film, "Long John Silver," in Sydney next May.

A film on the flying doctor will also be made.

AIR FORCE MEN

Eight U.S. Air Force offic-ers who are on loan to the R.A.A.F. also arrived in the Oronsay under a plan between Australia and the United States to exchange selected Service personnel.

When the Oronsay left Syd-ney, eight R.A.A.F. officers were among the passengers.

They are now serving in the

U.S.A.F.

The Oronsay's passengers included many round-trippers from Sydney.

First-class passengers had every luxury during the voy-

age.

Oronsay left Sydney with more than 1,200 passengers on January 1 for Vancouver.

She arrived in San Fran-cisco three weeks later, via Vancouver and Pacific island ports.

She sailed from San Fran-cisco with 1,480 passengers. 500 of whom disembarked at Auckland.

FIVE VOYAGES

Orient Line officials said that the company would run five Pacific voyages from Syd-ney to Vancouver this year.

The next Pacific voyage in the Oronsay will leave Sydney on May 21.

The Orion will leave on September 17, the Oronsay on November 19, and the Or-cades on December 17.

In each case, the round voy-age would take five weeks.