The mv Newcastle Star was built by Bremer Vulkan at Vegesack of Germany in 1956 for Blue Star Line. She was 8398 grt and was powered by a 10-cylinder 2-stroke diesel engine from M.A.N.
She was a refrigerated cargo liner and served Blue Star Line for 19 years on the Australia - New Zealand - UK trade routes, but in 1973 she was renamed Montevideo Star and placed on the South American run. Owners of Blue Star Line, the Vestey family, owned huge farms and companies in South America, including Fray Bentos. The meat trade saw their investments shipped in their own vessels to the UK for distribution in the Dewhursts network, another company they owned .
Newcastle Star was withdrawn and broken up at Taiwan in 1975. This scene is one from our 2016 Blue Star Line calendar. Commissioned oil painting on canvas panel 15x30" by Wallace Trickett
In October 1969 Newcastle Star left Liverpool bound Cape Town on the Compass charter, running between South Africa and Australia. I was the Radio Officer up until May 1970.
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