Fairstar

Originally built as the troopship Oxfordshire in 1955, this vessel became one of the most beloved cruise ships in Australian maritime history. After conversion to the Fairstar in 1963-64, she operated successfully for over three decades, carrying more than a million passengers and helping establish Australia's modern cruise industry.

Early Years as Oxfordshire (1955-1963)

Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd. in Scotland, Oxfordshire was launched on December 15, 1955 and completed in February 1957. Along with her identical sister ship Nevasa, she was one of the last British-built troop carriers. The vessel featured 50 large dormitories for enlisted personnel and participated in transferring troops during the Suez Crisis. However, changing military transport needs led to her being laid up at Falmouth.

Conversion and Sitmar Service (1963-1988)

In 1963, Sitmar Line chartered the vessel and began converting her for civilian passenger service. The initial refit took place at Wilton Fijenoord F.V. in Schiedam, Netherlands, but due to a dockyard dispute, she was towed to Harland and Wolff Ltd. in Belfast for completion in May 1964.

The conversion transformed the vessel into a contemporary Italian-styled passenger ship. Features included:

Extended bridge over the superstructure length
New squat funnel with Sitmar's distinctive "V" (representing the Vlasof family ownership)
Two swimming pools
364-seat cinema
Stabilizers
50,500 square feet of open deck space

Australian Cruise Pioneer (1972-1997)

After initially serving the Europe-Australia route via Suez (1964-1970) and conducting round-world voyages (1970-1972), Fairstar found her true calling as a cruise ship based in Sydney. She became known as the "Funship," operating popular Pacific cruises to destinations including:

Auckland
Bay of Islands
Picton
Tauranga
Suva
Noumea
Apia
Tonga
Pago Pago

In 1988, P&O Princess Cruises acquired Sitmar, replacing the beloved yellow funnel and "V" logo with their dolphin emblem. Fairstar continued serving until January 21, 1997, when she made her final cruise. She departed Sydney shortly after, renamed Ripa for her final journey to Indian breakers.

Key Facts