A very nice MINT Souvenir Ships Badge for the S.S. RUAHINE. The badge has a diameter of one inch and is enamel over brass.... and is still on the original card. With the success of the RMS Rangitoto & Rangitane The New Zealand Shipping Co ordered a third ship to to operate on the lucrative service. She was built by John Brown & Co at Glasgow in yard 658, and she was launched on July 27, 1950, and was named Ruahine . She was the third and the last post war ship to be built for the NZSC. In addition, she would proudly bear this greatly revered name for the next twelve years.
Ruahine’s outward design was very similar to her larger sisters and upon first sight she would easily be recognisable as a member of the fleet. Although there were distinctive differences, such as, Ruahine only had three lifeboats slung along on either side. Her after decks were very much shorter. Also, she had a different internal layout and accommodated less passengers than her two larger sisters. Thus although she looked part very similar to her bigger sisters, you knew at first sight that this was the Ruahine.
She was completed and ran her sea trials in May 1951 and was duly delivered to her owners. She departed for her maiden voyage London to Wellington on May 22, sailing via Curacao, Panama, Tahiti to Wellington. Later she would also visit Auckland and Lyttleton. Returning to the UK she would sail via Tahiti, Panama, Miami, Bermuda to London.
RMS Oriental Rio, ex Ruahine was finally sold to be broken up in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1973.