Royal Australian Navy officers and Prime Minister Menzies on board TSS ORANJE II

This image depicts unidentified Royal Australian Navy officers along with Australia's prime minister at the time, Robert Gordon Menzies (far right), on board TSS ORANJE II. On 28 June 1941, after a refitting at Cockatoo dock, Prime Minister Menzies hoisted a Red Cross flag on the Dutch liner ORANJE. The ceremony marked the handing over of the vessel from the Dutch Netherlands Indies Government to the Australian and New Zealand Governments to be used as a hospital ship...This photo is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Samuel J. Hood Studio collection. Sam Hood (1872-1953) was a Sydney photographer with a passion for ships. His 60-year career spanned the romantic age of sail and two world wars. The photos in the collection were taken mainly in Sydney and Newcastle during the first half of the 20th century. ..If reproduced or distributed, this image should be clearly attributed to the collection of the Australian National Maritime Museum; and not be used for any commercial or for-profit purposes without the permission of the museum. For more information see our Flickr Commons Rights Statement ( http://www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1657 ) ...The ANMM undertakes research and accepts public comments that enhance the information we hold about images in our collection. This record has been updated accordingly. ..Photographer: Samuel J. Hood Studio Collection..Object no. 00021305