SS Loongana

SS Loongana was a Bass Strait passenger ship initially owned by Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. In 1922 she was transferred to Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd. SS Loongana was in service between 1904-1934 and was the first ship registered in the Southern Hemisphere with steam turbine propulsion. During the 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster she crossed the strait in 12 hours and 46 minutes at 22 kn, carrying rescue gear from Victorian mines.

Loongana is an Aboriginal word meaning to be swift or to fly.