Jan-Feb, Mar-Apr, May-Jun 1965 - Navy League of Australia

•THE NAVY ISALWAYS AT WAR.Yes—the navy is always at war with corrosion and marinegrowths which attack the hulls of fighting ships. For mere thaneighty years the weapons to fight this war have been supplied toHer Majesty's Navies throughout the world by International Paints—world leaders in marine paints.Australia's Merchant Marine, the navy's partner in war, is alsoprotected by International Paints.All over the world, from over 1,000 distributing points, theproducts of International Paints are available. The same highquality goes into every can—whether marine paint or the famousRapid Interiux range of household finishes.Follow the navy's lead—protect your own boat, and your home.too, with International Paints. A complete range of enamels,undercoats and primers, together with Majora Rapid InterimPlastic Matt, Australia's foremost plastic paint, ensures that thereis an International Paint for every job.INTERNATIONALMAJORAUnmiiin Unit ol imilHUTKMM. MMIS LID. *The onethat tastesso goodFlavour is what you pay for incoffee. That's why coffeelovers drink Nescafe.one that tastes so good.It's theNescafe flavour doesn't age outof the jar, the last spoonfulis as good as the very first.So, for great coffee flavourall the way. make it Nescafe.NESCAFE43 BEANS IN EVERY CUP^ . X ' ' >S^kPAINTS PTY. LTD.lh. WarM't Una* hU OrpaMfcn"EMPRESS"The "Empress of Australia"— now operating the longest>>pcn-sea roule for a roll-on.roll-off passenger and vehicleship—has proved ^>an outstandingsuccess.She can carry 250 passengers.91 cars, and 24 semi-trailersand approximately 120 carpopallets between the Australianmainland and Tasmania in .17hours.This is the fastest scheduledcrossing ever for the Bass Straitrun.At 12,036 gross tons, the"Empress" is the largest passengership ever built in Australia,and restores a direct linkbetween Sydney and Tasmaniafor the first time in 25 years.She is fully air-conditioned,fitted with stabilisers and has aclosed circuit television systemfor entertainment.She has a dance floor, indoorgames room, dining saloon,lounges and bars, sports andsun-baking decks, a special children'snursery, milk bar and>hop, and reading, writing, cardand smoke rooms.She is without doubt one ofi he most successful and importantventures in Australia'smaritime history.Public interest in the "Empress"was evident as thousandsof Sydney-siders farewelled herat the maiden voyage on 16thlanuary, 1965.Public comment about theservice and civility of the stewardsand the standard of excellenceof the food has all beenfavourable.In spite of the fact that thedemands for cargo space haveROOSTSMARITIME POTENTIALkept the "Empress" working tocapacity, it has proved possiblefor passengers' ears to be disembarkedjust over one hour afterdocking.The "Empress" makes threeround trips every two weeks betweenSydney and Tasmania andher sailings are integrated withthose of the "Princess of Tasmania"which sails five times aweek between Melbourne andDevonport"Empress" was designed bythe Australian ShipbuildingBoard and built at Cockatoo IslandDockyard in Sydney to therequirements of the GovernmentownedAustralian National Line.The public rooms on the"Empress" are outstanding fordecor and comfort. The largestpublic room is the 56 ft. by 60ft. smoke room which has acentral dance floor, surroundedby red leather upholstered armchairs and blue window seatsand benches.The smoke room has full barfacilities and steward service andits concealed lighting and naturaltimber finish give the rooma club-like atmosphere.In contrast, the main passengers'lounges have a softer andmore feminine finish. Carpets,curtains and leather chairs areall in lighter tones and semitransparentdrapes may be combinedwith sliding glass doors todivide the lounge into threesections.The main section is decoratedby an Australian motif mural,hand-painted on special tiles byartist Byram Mansell. The mainlounge is flanked on the portside by a smaller room contain-ing a piano and TV set, whileon the starboard side a similarlounge has been designed as aquiet reading and writing room.The dining saloon of the "Emperss"is the equivalent of ahigh-class restaurant, with a richblue carpet offset by drapes ofblue and gold. Natural timberfinishes have been widely used,with ceilings and walls panelledof Tasmanian Blackwood andOueensland Silver Ash.The "Empress" is a one-classship and has 124 cabins—fourberth,two-berth or singles. Someof the two and four berth accommodationhas been enlargedinto deluxe suites and these haveevery modern facility, includingattached bathrooms, ships telephoneand steward service.Every cabin on the ship hasits own individual air-conditioningcontrol.Other murals depicting Sydneyand Tasmania "past and present",Australian wild flowers,and aboriginal themes are locatedadjacent to the main staircaseand the shop.Fares on the "Empress" varyfrom £A17 to £A24 for a singlepassage, plus additional ratesfor cars depending on size. Specialconcessions are offered topersons making the three-stateround tour using both the "Empress"and the "Princess".The "Empress" incorporatesmany features which would beof value if the need ever arosefor her to be used as a troop andtank-carrying ship. She carries"de-gassing" equipment, and hervehicle deck is able to withstandthe loading of modern tanks.MARCH-APRIL, 1965..