Built under yard no 1613G by Harland & Wolff Ltd. Govan for the British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. (B.I.)
29 March 1961 launched under the name BOMBALA, Mrs. P.R. Searcy, the wife of the Senior Australian Trade Commissioner in London, carried out the christening ceremony.
She was named after a small town and river in New South Wales, Australia.
Tonnage 6.745 gross, 3.671 net, 7.326 dwt., dim. 426.1 x 59.3 x 32.5 ft., between pp 395.0, draught 25.6ft.
Powered by 0ne 6 cyl. 2S.C.S.A. B&W diesel manufactured by builder 5.800 bhp, speed 18 knots during trials.
Four cargo holds, served by derricks, and one heavy lifting derrick of 30 tons. Reefer space for 42.600 cubic feet.
28 August 1961 delivered to owners.
She was one of a class of five ships built for the B.I. The naval architects Burness, Corlett & Partners, designed the class.
The class was built for the Australian-India and Persian Gulf trade.
The BOMBALA was the last of her class built.
09 March 1966 in route from Calcutta to Sydney she was arriving at Singapore at 09.30 that day, when she collided with the berthed AZUCHISAN MARU. This set up a chain of collisions, the Japanese vessel struck the STATE OF MADRAS, and then this ship struck the MUNCHEN.
04 Sept. 1971 Sold to the Sudan Shipping Line Ltd., renamed in SHENDI.
1980 Sold to Mah Boonkrong Shipping Co. Ltd. Bangkok, renamed in SUPACHAI BULAKUL.
After a few months they sold the vessel the same year to the China Ocean Shipping Co., renamed ZHEN ZHU QUAN.
1986 Transferred to the Shandong Province Marine Shipping Co., not renamed.
1989 Transferred to Jiangyin City Shipping Co., Nanjing renamed SU CHENG.
1996 Sold to Indian shipbreakers, and she arrived at Alang on 20 April 1996 for scrapping.
Source: The British India Steam Navigation Company Limited by W.A. Laxon & F.W. Perry.
Marine News 1996/507