Thomas Bilbe built Orient at Nelson Dock, Cuckold's Point, Rotherhithe, launching her in 1853 and completing her on 14 December that year. Her registered length was 184.4 ft (56.2 m), her beam was 31.7 ft (9.7 m) and her depth was 21.1 ft (6.4 m).^[1] Her tonnages were 1,133 GRT and 1,032 NRT.^[2]

She had a composite hull with an iron frame and timber planks. Beneath a 61-foot (19 m) poop she was fitted with cabin space, not included in any earlier Bilbe design.^{[citation needed]}

Orient's first owner was James Thomson & Co (also spelt Thompson), who registered her in London.^[2] Her United Kingdom official number was 12981 and her code letters were VTHC.^[3]

Orient did not immediately enter the trade with Australia for which she was built. The Crimean War began in October 1854, two months before Bilbe completed her. As soon as she was completed, the UK Government chartered her as "Transport No. 78".^[1] She started her war service as a troop ship, carrying military materiél and members of the 88th Regiment of Foot to Crimea.^{[citation needed]}

From October 1855 Orient was a hospital ship.^[1] In 1856 the UK Government returned her to her owners.

In 1856 Orient finally made her first voyage to Australia. Commanded by Captain A Lawrence she took prospectors to Sydney who were headed for Australia's goldfields.^{[citation needed]}

In 1857 Orient sailed direct from Portsmouth to Adelaide. She made similar trips every year until 1877. It was at the inauguration of a liner service to Australia in 1861 that Thompson & Co began trading as "The Orient Line of Packets", commonly called the "Orient Line".^{[citation needed]}

In January 1862 Orient was sailing from Cape Town to London when she caught fire in the South Atlantic and was nearly destroyed.^[1] A Dutch ship was standing by to rescue those on board, and the captain and crew could have left the ship, but resolutely over the course of a day brought the fire under control. She was able to reach Ascension Island, where her damaged cargo was discharged and she was given temporary repairs. Captain Lawrence, his officers and crew were handsomely rewarded by the insurance underwriters for their efforts.^{[citation needed]}

Orient's second Master was Captain Harris, under whom she made some of her fastest passages from Plymouth to Port Adelaide, notably 72 days in 1866. Later Masters were Roland De Steiger 1868–1871, WH Mitchell 1873–1876, and Martin Haffner 1876–1878.^[4]

In April 1879 Cox Brothers bought Orient and registered her in Waterford, Ireland, who used her in trans-Atlantic trade. In 1886 they had her rig reduced to a barque. In 1890 Smith, Imossi & Co, agents for the P&O, bought her and turned her into a coal hulk at Gibraltar. In 1925 she was scrapped at Gibraltar.^[1]

• Australia Post issued a 45 cent stamp featuring Orient.^[when?]
• In 1888 Charles Conder painted a famous painting of the ship, Departure of the Orient – Circular Quay, shortly before he left Sydney for Melbourne.
• The National Maritime Museum holds painting of Orient' by Thomas Goldsworthy Dutton.

• City of Adelaide
• Coonatto
• The Goolwa
• Hesperus
• The Murray
• Rodney
• St Vincent
• South Australian
• Yatala

• ""Orient," built by Bilbe and Perry at Nelson Dock, 1853-1879". A Rotherhithe blog. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2017.