Before October 1876 mails were conveyed between Southampton and Cape Town every alternate week in terms of a contract concluded between Her Majesty’s Postmaster General and the Union Steam Ship Company, Limited.
On 05 October 1876 two new contracts commenced that ensured a weekly mail service between Great Britain and the Cape of Good Hope. One contract was concluded between the Crown Agents for the Colonies and the Union Steam Ship Company Limited and the other between the Honourable John Charles Molteno, Colonial Secretary of the Cape of Good Hope, and the Castle Packets Company, in terms of these two contracts a vessel of the Union Steam Ship Company commenced the north-bound voyage from Table Bay to Plymouth and Southampton on Tuesday 3 October 1876 and a vessel of the Castle Packets Company commenced the south-bound voyage from Dartmouth to Table Bay on Friday, 6 October 1876.
Both journeys had to be completed in 27 days. The two mentioned shipping companies amalgamated in 1900 under the style of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Limited.
Because the company provides a fast and reliable service between Cape Town and Southampton, its ships have ever since been used without interruption on a contract basis for the transportation of sea mail from Cape Town to the United Kingdom and the continent of Europe.
Source: Copied from a leaflet inside the first day cover of this stamp issues.
Built as a passenger/cargo vessel under yard No 346 by Robert Napier & Sons, Govan near Glasgow for the D. Currie & Sons, London.
November 1875 launched under the name DUNROBIN CASTLE.
Tonnage 2.811 grt, 1.784 net, 2.737 dwt. Dim. 104.34 11.68 x 8.64m.
Powered by a compound steam engine, manufactured by builder, 300 nhp., one shaft, speed 10 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 100 first, 50 second and 100 tweendeck passengers.
29 January 1876 completed.
She was the first genuine mail steamer for the company.
November 1875 she sailed for her maiden voyage from the U.K. to South Africa.
During this voyage she broke the Cape record by 12 hours.
1876 Transferred to the Castle Mail Packets Co. Ltd.
27 January 1879 she brought the first news to Britain about the Zulu victory at Isandhlwana, 110 miles Northwest of Durban on the Buffalo River, when 18000 Zulus surprised four companies of the 24th Foot Regiment and virtually annihilated them when they killed some 800 men. Led by Cetawayo the Zulus lost 2000 warriors.
1883 Transferred to the intermediate service.
06 June 1892 she was the first ocean going ship to pass the newly dredged Durban bar and berthed in the inner port of Durban.
1893 Sold to Association Notre Dame de France, a Roman Catholic organization which arranged pilgrimages to Palestine, managed by Armement Letocart & Cie, Marseille and renamed in NOTRE DAME DE SALUT, converted into a pilgrim ship with a capacity of 300 passengers and used in the pilgrim run between France and the Holy Land.
1895 Chartered by the French Government and used as hospital ship at the war in Madagascar.
1896 Again in the pilgrim service between France and the Holy Land.
From 10 August 1900 till 30 January 1901 in use again as a hospital ship with a capacity of 256 patients during the Boxer uprising in China. She sailed then under the French Red Cross flag.
1902 Sold to L. Berteaux, Marselle, and renamed L’ETOILE, also used in the service between France and Palestine.
1913 Sold for breaking up to G.Pittaluga fu. J., Genoa, Italy and was broken up at Genoa in the first quarter of 1914.
On South Africa 1976 10c sg 409 scott 470.
Source: copied from http://fp.redduster.f9.co.uk/UNION11.htm Merchant Fleets in Profile, Vol. 3 by Duncan Haws. Union-Castle Line A Fleet History by Peter Newall.