This was the second NCSNC ship to be called Orara. The first was a wooden-hulled cargo steamship that was built in 1898 and wrecked in 1899.[1] [2]
Scott of Kinghorn built Orara at Kinghorn on the Firth of Forth, launching her on 5 November 1907.[3] She had capacity for 15 first class and 50 second class passengers. Her regular route was between Byron Bay and Sydney.[1]
In 1934 the call sign VJVD[4] superseded Oraras code letters HLTM.[5]
Orara was requisitioned in September 1939 and was commissioned on 9 October into the RAN as an auxiliary minesweeper with the pennant number J130. She served in the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla. She also served as a depot ship.
In 1946 Orara was returned to owners and laid up in Sydney. In 1947 she was sold to Chinese buyers who took her to Shanghai,[1] renamed her Pearl River and registered her in Canton. In 1949 she was renamed Hong Shan. In 1950 she was renamed Santos and registered in Panama City.[3]
On 19 June 1950 Santos was steaming from Shanghai to Qingdao when a mine sank her in the Yangtze River near Wusong, with the loss of a number of lives.[6]