HMNZT RUAPEHU 1901-31

7705 gross tons. Lb: 139.4 x 17.7 metres. Passenger/cargo steamship built by W Denny & Bros, Dumbarton for New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd, registered Plymouth. 2 x three cylinder triple expansion steam engines, 5045 ihp, twin screws, 14.3 knots.
21 February 1901 launched, completed – delivered 18 April 1901. Saw name change to Australasia when chartered out to the Allan Line, Glasgow for 5 round voyages to Canada from May until November 1901. December 1901 returned to owners and name reverted to Ruapehu
5th December 1901: departed Britain on her first sailing to New Zealand

TRANSPORT VOYAGES

__ October 1914 Departed Port Chalmers with Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment. (1 Squadron), Otago Infantry Battalion (less 2 Companies and Machine Gun Section), 31 Officers, Naval Transport Officer, Medical Officers, Chaplain. 785 Men and 244 Horses
16 October 1914 departed Wellington New Zealand with Troops bound for Alexandria, Egypt

1st November 1914 assembled with the first convoy at King George”s Sound, Albany Western Australia in transporting the First Detachment of the Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces
14 March 1917 as HMNZT 79 departed New Zealand with (part) 23rd Reinforcements NZ Expeditionary Force [roll No.57] in conjunction with Corinthic (HMNZT 80) a combined total of 2,094 with troops aboard Ruapehu under command of Captain J C McCarthy
21 May 1917 arrived Devonport England

June 1917 until May 1919 taken up under the British Admiralty”s Liner Requisition Scheme

Post Hostilities

14 January 1921 resumed passenger sailings to New Zealand
29 April 1931 laid up at Falmouth.
5th August 1931 sold to SA Cant di Porto Venere for breaking up at Savona