Adelaide Steamship Company

Founded in 1875, Adelaide Steamship Company pioneered Australian coastal trade, moving primary products, consumer cargoes and passengers between Adelaide and Melbourne before expanding into maritime services. In the 1930s–40s it added towage, shipbuilding and bulk handling for salt, coal and sugar, and in 1964 merged its interstate fleet with McIlwraith, McEacharn to launch first purpose‑built container ships. After divesting shipping assets in 1977, the firm retained tug operations, floated as Adsteam Marine in 1997. 2001 acquisition of Howard Smith made Adsteam largest towage operator in Australia and United Kingdom, with significant Pacific coverage, until 2006 integration into AP Møller‑Maersk. Wikipedia↗ Maersk↗.