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The Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service.〔Bach, John (1976). (''A maritime history of Australia'' ). Published by Thomas Nelson (Australia). . ISBN 0-17-005087-4.〕 For the first 100 years of its life, the main activities of the company were conventional shipping operations on the Australian coast, primary products, consumer cargoes and extensive passenger services. In the 1930s and 1940s, the company diversified into the airline operations, towage, shipbuilding, and the shipping of salt, coal and sugar. Adelaide Airways was formed in 1935, and purchased West Australian Airways before merging with Holyman's Airways to form Australian National Airways (ANA) in 1936. ANA was sold to Reg Ansett in 1957.〔(The Adelaide Steamship Company history ) (2008). Shipping Line Histories: The Ocean Liner Virtual Museum. oceanlinermuseum.co.uk Retrieved on 6 July 2009.〕 In 1964, the Interstate fleet merged with McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co, and the partnership developed the world's first purpose built container ships.〔〔(The Adelaide Steamship Coy Ltd, Steamship buildings ) (2009). Picture Australia. Retrieved on 23 June 2009.〕〔(Made in Australia – Global Solutions From Down Under ). (2005). Australia's Official World Expo Business Publication. Retrieved 23 June 2009.〕〔 However, in 1973, the company ceased its shipbuilding operations, and in 1977, in its 103rd year of operation, the company sold its shipping related businesses, and ceased its connection with ship owning and operating.〔(Adelaide Steamship Co. ) (2007). The Ships List. Retrieved 23 June 2009.〕 The company did, however, retain its interests in Tugboat operations. In the 1970s and 1980s, with John Spalvins〔Clarke et al. (2003) ''Corporate Collapse'', pg.xiii〕 at the helm, the company became a thriving and successful corporate raider with a very large and productive portfolio financed by huge borrowings. The recession of the early 1990s caused the nervous lenders, over 200 banks, to demand the return of their assets.〔Macfarlane, Ian (2006). (The real reasons why it was the 1990s recession we had to have ). 9 December 2006. The Age: Business. Retrieved 26 June 2009. ''(Ian Macfarlane was Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Australia's central bank, from 1996 to 17 September 2006.)''〕〔Sexton, Elisabeth (2007). (Fresh twist in IEL's monster tax case ). 28 December 2007. Brisbane Times Online. Retrieved 27 June 2009.〕 This forced the liquidation of the portfolio, some of it at "fire-sale" prices, but most in a more orderly fashion via an "arrangement" with the creditor banks to avoid bankruptcy.〔Fleming, Grant (2004, p. 184). (The big end of town ). Cambridge University Press, New York. . ISBN 0-511-18506-5.〕〔Gettler, Leon (2004). (Ex-Spalvins company forced to take $234m tax bill on board ). The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2009.〕〔Randall, Jeff (2005). (Wizards from Oz could fall as flat as Eddie the Eagle ). Telegraph Online. Retrieved 27 July 2009.〕 With the completion of the liquidation, on 30 April 1997 the company was renamed to "Residual Assco Group Limited"〔(The Adelaide Steamship Company Limited (AST) ), 30 April 1997, Delisted Australian companies, delisted.com.au. Retrieved 12 July 2009.〕 in order that the Adelaide Steamship name could be reused. Residual Assco was delisted on 24 December 1999 "at the entity's request".〔〔(Residual Assco Group Limited (RAG) ), 24 December 1999, Delisted Australian companies, delisted.com.au. Retrieved on 12 July 2009. A subsequent entry dated 3 April 2007 states: ''"company is an unlisted public company awaiting resolution of outstanding tax issues - it may then be wound up - shareholders are unlikely to receive any return but they can contact the company on 02 9258 8833 or Registries Ltd on 02 9290 9600"''.〕 In June 1997, the tug boat operations were floated on the Australian Stock Exchange under the name "Adsteam Marine".〔 In 2001, Adsteam Marine acquired its joint venture partner (and major rival as the premier Australian towage operator), Howard Smith. Adsteam Marine became the largest towage operator in Australia and the United Kingdom, with further extensive operations in the South Pacific.〔Gaston, Jack & Ware, Hugh (2001). (One World, One Tug Company? ) Marcon International, Inc. Retrieved 25 June 2009.〕 In 2006, Adsteam Marine was acquired as the Pacific arm of the world's largest shipping company, AP Moeller-Maersk,〔Hopkins, Phillip (2006). (Adsteam shares make waves after great Dane's $693m takeover bid ). 4 July 2006, The Age: Business. Retrieved 23 June 2009.〕〔(Adsteam Marine (ADZ) ) delisted.com.au Retrieved on 22 July 2009. "Delisted following compulsory acquisition by Svitzer Australasia Services Pty Limited 17/5/2007."〕 thus removing the Adelaide Steamship name from the Australian Stock Exchange and Australian Company registers. ==Steamships== The Company was formed in September 1875 in Adelaide, South Australia, by a group of pastoralists and businessmen some whom already had steamship interests in the Spencer Gulf, namely Federal Wharf Co. Ltd, Port Adelaide Dredging Company Ltd and Spencer Gulf Shipping Co. Ltd, and was incorporated on 8 October 1875.〔(Adelaide Steamship Company Ltd (1875 - 1997) ) (2006). Guide to Australian Business Records. Retrieved 25 June 2009.〕 Its promoters and founding directors included Andrew Tennant,〔 Robert Barr Smith〔 and Thomas Elder〔 of Elder Smith & Co Ltd. The first ship of the new company was the ''Flinders''.〔SA Memory (2008). ''South Australian shipping lines: Adelaide Steamship Company: (Beginnings ), (Expansion ), (Cutbacks and containerisation )'' State Library of South Australia, Government of South Australia. Retrieved 8 July 2009.〕 In July 1876 the company's leading promoters amalgamated their private ship-owning interests to form the Spencer's Gulf Steamship Co Ltd, trading in South Australian coastal waters. The two companies amalgamated in December 1882.〔Hoskin, John (2008). (Adelaide Steamship Company Ltd ). Flotilla Australia. Retrieved 25 June 2009.〕 The fleet circled the coast from Derby in northern Western Australia to Cairns in northern Queensland.〔 Shipping operations were supported by a large network of agency offices in almost every major Australian port.〔 During World War I, several Adelaide Steamship Company ships were requisitioned, as were several other privately owned ships; ''Grantala'' and ''Warilda'' as hospital ships and ''Wandilla'' and ''Willochra'' as troopships.〔Wylie, Ron (2006). (The Australian Merchant Navy: Adelaide Steamship ). Retrieved 30 June 2009.〕 ''Yankalilla'' and ''Echunga'' were also commandeered.〔 Adelaide Steamship Company was liquidated and reconstructed twice for more efficient and profitable operation, first in 1900 and subsequently in 1920.〔 On 20 January 1915 they took over Coast Steamships Limited, and kept it running as a subsidiary that retained its own identity until 1968.〔 By the start of World War II, the company owned 30 ships.〔〔 With World War II, the company was again forced to surrender nine ships to the Navy, including the ''Manoora'' and ''Manunda'' which became an Armed Merchant Cruiser and a hospital ship. The ''Manunda'' was in Darwin harbour during the Japanese bombing and was able to bring 260 military and civilian casualties to safety in Fremantle.〔 In all during the war she carried about 30,000 sick and wounded back to Australia from the Middle East and New Guinea.〔 During the 1940s, a decline in trade necessitated the company to diversify and they began to acquire interests in other companies and projects. Consequently, after the war, the company diversified into towage, shipbuilding, and the shipping of salt, coal and sugar.〔〔 On 1 January 1964, its interstate fleet was merged with that of McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd in a new company, Associated Steamships Ltd, in which Adelaide Steamship Company held 40%. Also in 1964, the merged company developed the world's first purpose built container ship, MV ''Kooringa''.〔〔(Technology in Australia 1788-1988 ) (2000). Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2 July 2009.〕〔(Our History: April 1964 ) (2009). Fremantle Ports, Western Australia. Retrieved 2 July 2009.〕〔Rhiannon, Lee (2000). (World Maritime Day ). Hansard: Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 July 2009.〕 Bulkships Ltd, in which Adelaide Steamship held a 40% interest in 1965, acquired all the shares in Associated Steamship Ltd in 1968. In 1977 the company's interest in Bulkships was disposed of and Adelaide Steamship Company ceased its connection with ship owning and operating.〔 The company did, however, retain its interests in Tug boats and Tug boat operations and by the late 1980s, Adelaide Steamship was one of Australia's oldest surviving industrial companies.〔Carnegie, G and O'Connell, B. (2005). (Accounting scandals in Australia since the late 1980s ). University of Ballarat and James Cook University. Retrieved 11 July 2009.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Adelaide Steamship Company」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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