The SS "Oriana" was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company's ocean liners before the company merged with P & O in1966. The "Oriana" was for a period before the arrival of the "Canberra", the largest passenger liner plying the UK-Australia/ New Zealand route. She is known affectionately to literally thousands of Australian and New Zealand migrants who came to Australia and New Zealand in the 1960s to 70s. This model with its' associated presentation display was made for P & O by UK company Technevision, which made high quality scientific and industrial exhibition pieces . It was first "launched" at Madison Square Gardens ,New York, and then used world-wide to promote P & O.

From a brief supplied by P&O to English company Technivision in the 1950s, Jan Capp, owner of Technivision, devised the concept behind the exhibit. Mr Capp built the company post WW11 with draughtsmen and model makers devising scientific and industrial exhibition pieces of very high accuracy. Among other commissions was one for the Ministry of Defence showing the "Seaslug" missile. The basis of the brief was that the model "...should operate anywhere in the world when plugged into a simple power socket...". The taped commentary that accompanies the model uses the voice of Peter King who was then a Senior Newscaster for BBC World Service and friend of Jan Capp. The tape also supplies signals to operate the mechanism sequence.

The English company Technivision produced this model, commissioned by P &O to demonstrate and promote their passenger liner "Oriana". The model was "launched' in Madison Square Gardens, New York, and then exhibited world wide in many countries. Technovision was a company staffed by draughtsmen and model builders to produce high quality scientific and industrial exhibition pieces. The owner of the company, Jan Capp, was injured during the siege of Malta during WW11, when the Oerliken gun he was manning was blown up in his face.

The SS "Oriana" ,41910 gross tonnes, was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company's ocean liners to sail under the "Orient" banner before the company was absorbed By P & O in 1966. She was built by Vickers Armstrong in Barrow in Furness, Cumberland ,being launched 03/11/1959 ,making her maiden voyage 03/12/1960 from Southampton to Sydney. The "Oriana" was briefly the largest passenger liner in service on the UK-Australia/New Zealand run before the introduction of the "Canberra". In 1962 she collided with the aircraft carrier USS "Kearsarge" in fog en route from San Francisco and Los Angeles. From 1973, she was used full time as a one class cruise ship, and from 1981-86 was based at Sydney cruising the Pacific and South East Asia ports. In 1986 the "Oriana" was sold to become a floating hotel in Osaka ,and then resold in 2001 to the Hangzhou Songchang Group as a floating hotel and tourist attraction in Shanghai. In 2002, she was moved to Dalian, but suffered severe damage in a severe storm in 2004 which left her partially sunk at her mooring. She was finally scrapped in 2005.

Electronic model of the passenger ship 'Oriana', housed in a large timber case with white painted exterior,two toned blue at front. Ship model sits on a movable bench which tilts to reveal panel of lights. Controlled by means of a magnetised tape on a tape recorder, the model is connected via rods to mechanical movements in the rear of the case which allow parts of several decks to show the interior of ship. Four windows in the lower front are set with light bulbs ; there are two circular speaker grills at upper front. Lights and a voice recording are also controlled by the same tape control. An electric motor, cable work and audio components are in the rear of the case. Extra parts: amplifier, pre-amplifier, 3 spools of tape, 4 tape reels, gill cowl motor 24V.

The model is constructed of timber and plastic, with sections of clear perspex to reveal the lower decks. Model is painted white and brown, with green trim.

Made: 1960 - 1969

"ORIANA" in green on the model / "ORIANA P & O ORIENT LINES"in yellow and red on front of the case.

H7059

1960 - 1969

2285 mm

3125 mm

1220 mm