Summary

Sailor doll made by Norah Wellings in England. Norah Wellings cloth dolls were sold by most shipping companies on board their ocean liners, with the most common doll being the sailor doll featuring the name of the ship on its hatband. This doll was made for the Orient Line 'Oronsay' ship, one of the popular post war migrant ships.

The Oronsay was the second new ship built for the Orient Line's regular Australian service. It was launched on 30 June 1950 and departed Tilbury Docks, London, on 16 May 1951 for her maiden voyage to Australia. She was fitted out initially for 668 first class and 833 tourist class passengers. With a top speed of 25.23 knots and a service speed of 22 knots, she was the fastest immigrant ship afloat when she first entered service. After two years on a regular 3-monthly Britain-Australia and return schedule for two years, the Oronsay made her first South Pacific cruise out of Sydney in 1953, and her first round-the-world voyage via Panama Canal in 1956. Following the merger of P&O and Orient Lines in 1960, Oronsay was the first former Orient Line ship to be repainted in P&O standard all white colour scheme, replacing her distinctive original corn coloured hull. In later years her itinerary was increasingly taken up with cruising though occasional Britain-Australia voyages continued each year. The Oronsay completed 70 voyages to Australia before being retired with her last visit to Melbourne on 10 March 1975.

Physical Description

Sailor doll, blue velvet body suit with cloth face and hands in pale pink hues, and black stockinged feet. Painted eyes and lips, white cap with black band with 'Oronsay' inscribed across front. Label on sole of foot 'Made in England by Norah Wellings'.

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