1 0 . ▁It ▁was ▁initially ▁owned ▁by ▁Hud dart ▁Parker ▁Ltd , ▁Melbourne . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁requ is ition ed ▁for ▁w art ime ▁service ▁and ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁as ▁a ▁bar ra cks ▁and ▁qu arters ▁ship ▁through ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Ex c urs ion ▁service We ero ona ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁Port ▁Phill ip ▁Bay ▁exc urs ion ▁steam ers ▁operating ▁out ▁of ▁Melbourne ▁for ▁day ▁tri ps , ▁exc urs ions ▁and ▁pic nick ing ▁to ▁destin ations ▁such ▁as ▁Port ar ling ton , ▁Queens cl iff ▁and ▁Sor rent o . ▁The ▁exc urs ion ▁vessel ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁as ▁a ▁lux ury ▁exc urs ion ▁ship ▁capable ▁of ▁carrying ▁ 1 , 9 0 0 ▁passengers . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁visit ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁fleet ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁incident ▁described ▁as ▁" A ▁grat uit ous ▁ins ult ▁to ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister " ▁when ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁fire men ▁went ▁on ▁strike ▁with ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Minister s ▁and ▁a ▁thousand ▁guests , ▁including ▁foreign ▁cons uls ▁and ▁military ▁officers , ▁ab o ard ▁in ▁protest ▁of ▁comments ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁and ▁demand ing ▁he ▁depart ▁the ▁ship , ▁although ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁not ▁ab o ard . ▁The ▁fire men ▁demanded ▁a ▁bond ▁of ▁£ 1 0 0 ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁ab o ard , ▁a ▁demand ▁rejected , ▁and ▁the ▁trip ▁was ▁cancel led . ▁ ▁By