left Sydney to undergo a major refit in Port Macquarie. Near the end of an 8- to 10-week refit, a fire attributed to the spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked rags severely damaged the ship. The refit was terminated, and the burned out ship was sold six months later into private hands, with the new owners refitting Banks to meet survey for charter vessels over a seven-year period. On completion, Pleasure Cruises Australasia began operating Banks out of Ulladulla, New South Wales. The ship was resold and travelled along the NSW and QLD coasts and was in the Whitsunday Passage when Cyclone Debbie saw the Banks drag its anchor and found itself high and dry ashore on Whitsunday Island Refloated a year later at a cost of $365,000, the ship was towed to Townsville and scrapped. References Citations Bibliography } 1959 ships Ships built in Queensland Explorer-class general-purpose vessels