Home > Organisation > Branches > Overseas Branches
The following is a list of currently operating overseas (i.e. non-UK) branches, grouped alphabetically by country.
Click upon the branch name to see more details about it.
Burnie (Australia)
As announced in the February 2017 edition of Marine New - 'We regret to report that following discussions and unanimous
conclusion our Burnie Branch is closing down. Continuing as a Branch is not sustainable. Basically it comes back to ageing of our members. The Branch is therefore closed effective immediate'. [05.2017]
Fremantle (Australia)
Meets: 1st Wednesday of month at 7.30pm. at Leeuwin Sail Training Office. (Entrance is at the western end of 'B' Shed), Victoria Quay, Fremantle.
Contact: Chris Gee, PO Box 757, Fremantle WA 6959. Email: cadrgee@iinet.net.au
Publications: monthly "Fremantle Branch Newsletter",
editor: Rhod Jones, caronia1@bigpond.com [11.2015]
Happy 30th Birthday 1981 - 2011 — Branch celebrates 30 years
The First Meeting — Our first meeting was held on September 2 1981, where people who were interested in Ships and shipping gathered and it was decided to form a Branch of the World Ship Society. Richard McKenna was voted to be the Chairman and Jeff Thompson was appointed to be the Secretary. Persons who were at that first meeting that are sill members of the Branch arre: Rod Ambrose, Alan Cornes, Dennis Dewar, Chris Gee, Arthur Robertson and Jeff Thompson. [10.2011]
A large group of Society members and their families had an extensive visit over the battleship, USS MISSOURI (BB 63) anchored in Gage Roads off Fremantle on October 18, 1986 [photo by Bruce Farrington]
Newsletter Report
This month [September 2011] marks the 30th Anniversary of the Fremantle Branch of the World Ship Society. The first meeting of the Branch was held in September 1981 in the premises of the Flying Angel Club in Queen Victoria Street and the first newsletter was published also that month. An initial public meeting to gauge interest in such a club had been held in the upstairs meeting room of the Flying Angel Club previously and from which office bearers were elected to get things underway. Little did those at that meeting think that 30 years later the Branch would still be functioning.
Ideas of a branch were fermented at regular meetings of the newly formed Fremantle Maritime Museum in Cliff Street by four Society members that attended these functions. Alan Cornes, Carl Anderson, Ian Stewart and Jeff Thompson went along to these meetings mainly dealing with high brow maritime archaeology followed by wine and cheeses. We did not know whether those attending were interested in marine archaeology or the wines and cheeses. From then on it was decided to form our own branch dealing with the nuts and bolts of ships and shipping. Fremantle at that time was still a busy port with public access to the wharf areas. After a few months the idea progressed from there, to the public meeting, to the first meeting of the Fremantle Branch of the World Ship Society in September 1981.
The World Ship Society was formed in England in 1946 to chiefly record the history of ships and shipping brought about by the events of World War 2. It was then and still is, fully operated by unpaid volunteers. Since then it has come a long way and has become a voice in the shipping industry despite its humble beginnings. The monthly publication — Marine News — continues to record ship events and fleet lists and many company histories have been put into book format. The Society operates throughout the world, the interest in ships being international.
Of the four original founders, two remain as members of the Branch — Alan Cornes and Jeff Thompson. Others who attended the inaugural meeting and have remained as members include Denis Dewar, Arthur Robinson, Rod Ambrose and Chris Gee. If there are others not mentioned then we apologize for their omission. Many others have also contributed to the Newsletter and to the Branch over the years and continue to do so. The Branch Newsletter endeavours to record shipping events of Fremantle and Western Australia both current and historic. Many such happenings failed to be documented in the past and their significance has virtually disappeared with the passing of time.
We can now celebrate the first 30 years of the Branch and look forward to the next 30 years. We thank you for your interest and participation.
Hobart Tasmania (Australia)
Meets: the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, cnr. Argyle and Davey Sts., Hobart, (opposite Constitution Dock) on the 1st Friday in even numbered months, at 8:00 pm.
Contact: Rex Cox, 56 Mt Stuart Road, North Hobart, Tasmania 7000.
Tel: +61 3 6234 1865.
rexcox@netspace.net.au
Publications: "Shipping News", editor Glenn & Kellie Towler, abaland@primus.com.au [08.2014]
New South Wales (Australia)
Meets: Uniting Church Complex, Lord Street, Roseville, on the 3rd Thursday of the month, January to November, and the 2nd Thursday in December, at 8:00 pm.
Contact: Secretary, Stan Haviland, PO Box 215, Strathfield, NSW, 2135, email - liners@tpg.co.au [01.2016]
Publications: "World Ship Society New South Wales Branch Newsletter", editor: Peter Plowman. [08.2014]
Incorporated as the "World Ship Society (New South Wales) Inc."
On the Horizon - forthcoming NSW Branch meetings:
check with the branch representatives
Branch History:
'New South Wales Branch celebrating 50 years, Fifty Years of the NSW Branch, by Alan Travers, 2007
In 1947 in the United Kingdom a young ship enthusiast named Michael Crowdy founded the Ship News Club which was renamed the World Ship Society during 1949 and from this small beginning it has grown during the past 60 years to encompass branches and members in many parts of the world. Australia was an early source of members and by 1952 a local WSS agent had been appointed to look after membership matters in this part of the world and New Zealand. In 1954 a local WSS Australian Section produced a magazine named The Log first appeared on a quarterly basis and was part of the Australia / New Zealand WSS subscription rate in addition to the UK produced house journal of the WSS -- Marine News.
By 1956 moves were in place to start up local WSS branches in different states and the first branch commenced during that year in Hobart. In Sydney a meeting was held on 20 March 1956 at the home of Ron Parsons in Waverton for the eight WSS members then residing in Sydney in order for them to meet each other and generally catch up with the local shipping scene. At this meeting it was decided to hold informal gatherings at different members' homes on a monthly basis. The second meeting, which was held on 24 April at the home of Kitty Dick at Balgowlah, saw attendance swell to 14 and agreement reached that a proper meeting venue should be found. Another decision was to hold meetings on the 4th Tuesday of each month and the third meeting occured on 22 May. Also during May the first outdoor activity was held — namely a ship inspection of the Adelaide SS Co vessel MANUNDA.
Monthly meetings continued throughout 1956 and the 12th meeting held on 5/2/1957 was in the form of a social occasion held at the Gladesville home of Arthur Corkill. Membership had now passed 20 and plans were formulated to constitute a WSS branch based in Sydney and this took place at a meeting held on 20 July 1957. One of the anomalies here was the name that the Branch operated under. Instead of Sydney it was known as the NSW Branch, due to the adoption of the UK style constitution and its interpretation of boundaries between neighbouring branches which of course in the UK were relatively close. In order to overcome this it was decided on the name NSW Branch which meant anyone living within the state borders was eligible to join. If Sydney had been used then technically membership was limited to within the boundaries of the city itself.
By early 1958 meetings had changed to the third Thursday of the month (as they are today) and were held at the North Sydney Council Chambers, on the corner of Miller and McLaren Streets, North Sydney. Meetings were held there till the building was gutted by a fire in April 1976. This caused a move to the Blues Point Community Hall, which was the venue until December 1995. From the January 1996 our present venue at the Roseville Uniting Church complex has been used. At the first AGM held on 17 July 1958 it was reported that Branch membership stood at 28 and joining in that year were three gentlemen who are still members today namely, Ken Lunney, Stan Welch and John Burne with the latter still a regular attendee at our monthly meetings. John has been a contributor in many ways to the Branch over this time. As he worked on the harbour he commenced giving a monthly round-up of local shipping news at each meeting, and this developed from September 1966 into the monthly Branch Newsletter which continues to this day, though the production techniques have changed considerably from the original spirit duplicator and Gestetner printed issues. Under the editorship of various members over the past 40 years the Newsletter has become a valuable reference to events in Sydney Harbour - a harbour that has now almost ceased to exist as a commercial shipping port.
The Branch has met continuously each month since July 1957 - a total of 600 meetings. During that time I would estimate around 600 people have been members of the NSW Branch at one stage or another. Today we have a mixed membership of full, senior and newsletter subscribers totalling 125 which considering the upheavals in the shipping scene in those 50 years plus the virtual demise of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson) as a place to see ships is not a bad end result. I am led to understand that the NSW Branch is the largest as regards full members (ie those that receive Marine News in the WSS at present. We are certainly the largest of the five Australian branches in this regard though Victoria (Melbourne) is larger in overall member numbers.
The membership numbers of the NSW Branch grew steadily throughout the 1960's and 1970's and by 1981 it had passed 200, with 60 being the average attendance for monthly meetings, some meetings attracting attendances approaching 100. Outside activities also blossomed, with an annual harbour cruise each February which saw larger and larger vessels employed as it grew in popularity. Visits to ships (both merchant and naval) were another big activity as well as outings to various maritime facilities and landmarks dotted around Sydney Harbour.
There were also outings to places further afield, including a number of memorable "bus cruises" to Port Kembla or Newcastle. A cruise to Brisbane aboard P&O's HIMALAYA in June 1972 saw us dabble for a while in this financially lucrative activity and this was followed over the ensuing years by day trips to Newcastle aboard the same companies' ARCADIA and ORIANA. The Branch also organised (under the direction of the late Bruce Miller) a South Pacific cruise on ORIANA in February 1986 just prior to its retirement. These were well supported activities that kept the branch financially healthy and allowed the membership fees to be kept at a reasonable level. Unfortunately for us all the transactions to the UK had to be done in sterling and since the 1990's the gap between the two currencies has continued to widen to the disadvantage of the Australian dollar and this has led to higher membership fees as outside activities dwindled and our revenue base began to shrink.
The 1980's were the "golden years" of the NSW Branch when membership and activities peaked but for the past 15 years we have been in decline. This can be attributed to a number of factors, the major one being the many changes that have ocurred to shipping over the past 30 years (especially) with the traditional cargo liner replaced by containerships, bulk carriers, car carriers etc which to many peoples eyes are ugly monstrosities hardly worth a second glance. The de-nationalisation of world shipping which saw the demise of many well known shipowners to be replaced by a bewildering collection of flags of convenience (FOC) charters has not helped. To many of the older members these changes were too much and with the need to increase membership fees many just lost interest and did not renew.
The present decade has brought new challenges as the world has become wary of anyone who shows an interest in anything that could be construed as against the national interest and this has made the watching, noting or photgraphing of ships in some parts of the world fraught with problems. Although still reasonaly accessible in Australia, many local ports that one could just stroll around are now fenced off with security posts and have become in effect walled enclaves that to enter one has to go through a series of security checks, etc, and you wonder if it's worth all the hassles and questioning just to note down or photograph a ship that has not been seen before. The once popular ship visits are also becoming a memory for much the same reasons as above.
Our one big failure has been to attract and keep as members the younger generations. The world has changed considerably since 1957 especially in the communications field where the advent of the internet has to some extent made the concept of the World Ship Society redundant. This is a problem shared by most branches worldwide and although new members continue to join they are usually in the + 50 age range - the youngest members of the NSW Branch are now in their 40's but joined back in the late 1970's when still at school. Others in this group unfortunately did not continue their memberships once leaving school and we have had few successes in attracting younger people to our cause and then actually retaining them as members.
What the future holds is like crystal ball gazing. At the last WSS - AGM, held in Dover, UK, in May 2007, the report on membership was far from encouraging with a large loss in members recorded over the past two years and it has now reached a stage where the overseas membership numbers almost equal those of UK based members whereas previously there was quite a difference between the two, with the UK well in front. It was also stressed that attracting younger members was probably the biggest challenge we face if the WSS is to survive the coming decades.
Anyway whatever the outcome I for one have thoroughly enjoyed my 38-year association with the NSW branch and hope all who attend our 50th anniversary luncheon aboard SOUTH STEYNE, itself once an integral part of the Sydney harbour scene that has sustained our branch for the 50 years, have an enjoyable time celebrating this event.
Victoria (Australia)
Meets: The Port Education Centre, Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, on the 1st Tuesday, February to December, at 7:30 pm.
Contact: John Bone, PO Box 5038, Middle Park, Victoria 3206
jbon1638@bigpond.net.au
Website: http://wss-vic.org.au [08.2014]
Local Branch website link (administered by the Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria) http://www.mhav.net/wss.php [08.2014]
Vancouver (Canada)
Tthis branch is for the time being not holding meetings, pending a decision on its long term future.
For more up-to-date details on the Vancouver Branch activities go to www.worldshipsocietyvan.ca
Meets: Café Le Montvallon, 9 rue de Vienne, 75008 Paris, on the 1st Tuesday of the month, between 18:00 and 20:00.
Contact: vacant [05.2014]
Havre (France)
Meets :Avenue Lucien, Corbeaux (Siége de l'apmm), 2nd stairs entrance near "Chais de la Transat", Le Havre Port, on the 2nd and last Sundays, from 0:930 to 12:00 hrs.
German (Germany & Austria)
Meets:
1. Monthly meetings at Hamburg
Dates: First Friday of each month, 17:00-21:00
Venue: Hamburg Süd
'Willy-Brandt-Str. 59
Columbus Grill
Ground Floor/Maine-Entrance
Contact: Michael Kaehler | mkaehlerhamburg71@aol.com
2. Monthly meetings near Rendsburg/Kiel Canal
Dates: Second Friday of each month
Venue: Schülper Kroog | www.schuelperkroog.de
Schmiedestr. 2
24813 Schülp/Rendsburg
Contact: Malte Schwarz | malte@rock-n-metal.de
3. Regular meetings at Burg nr. Brunsbüttel/Kiel Canal:
Dates: Third Saturday of every second month (starting in January)
Venue: Burger Fährhaus | www.burger-faehrhaus.de
Hafenstr. 48
25712 Burg
Contact: volker-bosse@t-online.de
4. Regular meetings at Schwanewede nr. Bremen
Please check WSS German Branch website: www.wss-germany.org
Contacting the German Branch:
Mr Malte Schwarz | malte@rock-n-metal.de
Mr Michael Kähler | mkaehlerhamburg71@aol.com
Next Annual Meeting of the German Branch in Wischhafen's Coaster Museum is already planned. Please see website www.wss-germany.org
Branch Notes
Annual Meeting of the German Branch in Wischhafen's Coaster Museum: Director von Bargen and Dutch member Ben Gernaart spoke about their studies on naval service of Dutch & German Coasters during WWII, followed by a presentation of our member Dr Wolfgang Fricke about Titanic Belfast (http://titanicbelfast.com )
Many thanks to all of them. We will have our next meeting there in June 2018.
Previous Meeting
On the last joined meeting of Forum Schiff and WSS German Branch in Schwanewede near Bremen, Volker Bosse presented the DVD 'The Great Port of London Part II" with a lot of interesting additional informations about the development of the London Docks.
Volker Bosse
Afterwards Hartmut Wessling of Forum showed many impressing own photos from his "Walk around the Docklands down to Greenwich" last year.
Hartmut Wessling
Cobh (Ireland)
Meets: Watersedge Hotel, Cobh on the 3rd Tuesday, October to May at 8:00 pm.
Contact: Secretary, Tim Barry, 6 Norwood Court, Cobh, Co Cork.
Tel: 00353 879313574 / easelectrical@eircom.net [10.2011]
Branch website: http://www.watersedgehotel.ie/Worldshipsociety.html [04.2009]
UPCOMING PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS
A complete and updated list of the Cobh Branch Ireland activities is maintained on the branch website which can be accessed through the link below.
Full details at http://www.wsscobh.org
COBH BRANCH MEMBERS VISIT TO NORTHERN IRELAND — Cobh Branch went on tour for the August 2009 meeting to Belfast to visit the Tall Ships Race and the Titanic Quarter. The highlights were the tour of Harland and Wolff Shipyard and the moment of standing on the slipway on which TITANIC was built. The wonderful fireworks were eclipsed by the Belfast tour by boat along the docks viewing all the tall ships, naval vessels and the BALMORAL. We had a wonderful reunion with the Belfast Branch, making and renewing friendships. Thank you Roy Snowdon, and Belfast Branch members, for organising a most memorable visit. Long may the spirit of friendship between our branches grow. [09.2009]
Japan (Japan)
Contact: Hiroshi Fujiwara, 2398 Kitazaike, Kakogawa-Cho, Kakogawa, Hyogo, 675-0031. philo_sea@iris.eonet.ne.jp [08.2014]
Noord-Nederland (The Netherlands)
Meets: On the former passenger ship WITTE ZWAAN, lying in the Eemskanaal NZ, Groningen.
Contact: Jacob A. Slagter, Koninginnelaan 23, 9901 HL Appingedam.
E-mail: wss.nnb@gmail.com [08.2014]
On the Horizon: our forthcoming meetings
Bijeenkomsten Noord Nederland Branch - World Ship Society in 2019
Woensdag 23 januari Jaar/ledenvergadering. Aanvang 14.00 uur. Aansluitend een presentatie door Fred Bosker met als motto: "Scheepvaart rond Delfzijl in de jaren 1960-1980" (vervolg.)
Woensdag 06 maart Gezamenlijke bijeenkomst met de vereniging "De Binnenvaart". Aanvang 19.30 uur. Een presentatie door Harry de Groot met als motto: "Kust- en binnenvaart in en rond Groningen in de 2e helft van de vorige eeuw."
Woensdag 10 april Presentatie door de heer Wim Siersema over het Loodswezen. Aanvang 14.00 uur.
Woensdag 11 september Een presentatie door Jan Anderiesse met als motto "Nederlandse zeeschepen onder Hollandse driekleur en daaropvolgende buitenlandse vlag(gen)" Aanvang 14.00 uur.
Woensdag 23 oktober Presentatie door Harry de Groot met als thema "Twee Nederlandse Zeelieden in de 2e Wereld oorlog. (de Jong/Plokker) Aanvang 14.00 uur.
Woensdag 27 november Experiment: Een presentatie door iedereen met als moto "De pareltjes uit mijn collectie". Aanvang 14.00 uur.
De bijeenkomsten worden gehouden op het voormalige passagiersschip de "Witte |Zwaan". Eemskanaal N.Z. (achter Praxis), Groningen. Aanvang 14.00 uur. (Zaal open om 13.30 uur.) (m.u.v. 6 maart 2019, deze begint om 19.30 uur.)
Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Meets: Hotel Ibis, Westlandeweg 270, 3131 HX Vlaardingen, on the 3rd Friday in odd numbered months, at 7:30 pm.
Contact: Piet van Dijk (Secretary) , Strandweg 381, 3151 HV Hoek van Holland.
pietvandijk48@gmail.com
Local Branch website: http://www.wssrotterdam.nl [PVD 10.2015]
Zeeland (The Netherlands)
Meets: Restaurant, Flushing Railway Station on various Saturdays.
Contact: vacant
Meets: Dorpshuis Nieuwland, near Middelburg on various Saturdays.
Local Branch website: http://www.wsszb.nl [08.2014]]
New Zealand Representative
Capt. Michael Pryce M.N.I., 1 Edington Grove, Churton Park, Wellington 6037, New Zealand >pryce@xtra.co.nz
Port Natal (South Africa)
Meets: every Fourth Tuesday of the month, at 17h00 for 17h30, at the Royal Natal Yacht Club, Yacht Basin, Durban.
Contact: David Hughes, PO Box 5496, Durban 4000. Telephone 27-031-3049390 and mobile - 0719961083.
davidhughes@lantic.net
Publications: Bluff Signal, editor: David Hughes [08.2014]
Latest edition, November 2016 - Bluff Signal 2016-11
The current Port Natal Branch was founded by Henry Aitken, David Shackleton and Alec Young back in 1972.
Past Meetings:
Our January 2017 meeting featured Branch member TREVOR JONES screening once more a wonderful slide show oa trip to Europe mid-2016. February meeting Guest Speaker, IVANKE REYNOLDS, put up a presentation on the operations of small vessel operator, Katerina Cruises, of Croatia. In March main feature was the sinking 100 years ago of the troopship MENDI in the English Channel. Historian HARDY WILSON treated guests to a supberb talk on that tragic event, and locall tributes that had also taken place recently.
Tuesday 22 February, 2011 — Our presentation this month was a DVD dating from 2007 and featuring a Mediterranean cruise aboard one of the few remaining classic cruise liners - Saga Cruises' SAGA RUBY, formerly Cunard's CARONIA and built as VISTAFJORD.
Tuesday 25 January, 2011 — Our guest speaker was Professor Franco Frescura of Durban, whose subject will be Art Deco Liners. Think about the 1930s and ships such as French Line's masterpiece, NORMANDIE, and other transatlantic liners that may come into that category. Our speaker will illustrate how "art deco went to sea" and we will also put up an exhibition table with books highlighting the liners of the thirties. Members of the Durban Art Deco Society have been especially invited to attend the talk.
Cape Town (South Africa)
Contact: David Berman, PO Box 30780, Tokai 7966. Tel: 021 7121848.
david@applesandhoney.co.za [07.2012]
Port Elizabeth (South Africa)
Contact: M. Wilkinson, Box 7719, Newton Park 6055 [02.2009]
Spain (Spain)
The WSS Spanish Branch includes members in Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia, Andalucia, Comunidad Valenciana, Cataluña, Madrid, The Balearic Islands & The Canary Islands.
For all the details of upcoming meetings, news, pictures and papers visit the Branch's own website at www.sewss.org
Contact: Capt José Luis Díaz Campa. Barrio Baldelazon, 7A. 39720 La Cavada. Spain. secretario@sewss.org
All WSS members and shiplovers are most welcome !
La Sucursal Española World Ship Society, tiene miembros en Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia, Andalucia, Comunidad Valenciana, Cataluña, Madrid, Baleares y Canarias. Para conocer más sobre las actividades de la Sucursal visita nuestra Web en www.sewss.org
Contacto: Capt José Luis Díaz Campa. Barrio Baldelazon, 7A. 39720 La Cavada. Spain. secretario@sewss.org
¡ Damos la bienvenida a todos los miembros de la WSS y a todos los amantes de los barcos y su historia ¡
Meeting Notes: The branch met on October 20th, 2007, to discuss the recent Spanish Branch AGM held in Santander in September to update members who were unable to attend. On 21st October members assembled to attend the religious procession honouring Nuestra Señora de Carmen, patron saint of seafarers and thereafter enjoyed lunch together.
Boston/New England (USA)
Meets: activities currently suspended [07.2012]
New York P.O.N.Y. (USA)
Meets: Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th Street, New York (between Park and Madison Avenues) use door at Street level and go downstairs, monthly, except July & August, at 6:00 pm.
Contact: Patrick M. Dacey, PO Box 384, New York, NY 10185-0384.
wsspony@gmail.com
Local Branch Website: http://www.worldshipny.com
Publications: The Porthole, monthly newsletter - Editor, Bob Allen. [08.2015]