Motor Ships of the Thirties

An invention of the German engineer and researcher Rudolph Diesel was responsible for a revolution in the area of ship propulsion, and abundant evidence of his genius could be seen in the increasing number of diesel powered ships which traded to Brisbane in the thirties.

Though acceptance of the marine diesel engine was cautious at first, the economical and physical advantages in operating these ships soon became apparent to many owners, and it had become firmly established as a major marine power source by the thirties.

This book presents illustrations and stories of a cross section of the motor ships seen on the Brisbane River during that period.