Before the outbreak of World War I, the Karoola was a proud 7,391-ton luxury passenger liner cruising Australian coastal waters. Built in Belfast in 1909, her destiny changed forever in May 1915 when she was requisitioned by the Commonwealth for the war effort. Initially designated as the troop transport HMAT A63, her first mission was to ferry Australian soldiers from Sydney to the battlefields of Egypt.

However, as casualties mounted on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the urgent need for dedicated medical transport became clear. The Karoola sailed to Southampton, England, where funds raised by the Australian public helped transform the former luxury liner into HMAHS Karoola (No. 1 Australian Hospital Ship). Manned by an entirely Australian crew, she was refitted into a floating state-of-the-art medical facility. The ship was equipped with a modern operating theatre, an X-ray department, a dental surgery, and accommodations for 463 patients, including 288 specialised swinging cots designed to keep wounded soldiers stable in rough seas.

The Karoola’s service was defined by both drama and deep camaraderie. In November 1915, while navigating the treacherous waters off Cape Ortegal on the Spanish coast, the ship successfully rescued survivors from the grounded British steamer Highland Warrior. Life on board was a blend of medical intensity and high spirits. To boost morale, the medical staff, nurses, and recovering ANZAC soldiers created their own unofficial ship magazine called The Karoolian, which captured the humour, resilience, and daily life of those on board.

While other Australian hospital ships—most tragically the Warilda—were torpedoed and sunk by German U-boats, the Karoola seemed to bear a charmed life. Painted in the distinct hospital ship white with green hull stripes and red crosses, she safely crossed enemy-infested waters for three years. By the time her service ended in June 1919, she had completed 13 gruelling voyages, transporting thousands of sick and wounded troops back to Australia. Following a thorough refit to erase the scars of war, she was returned to her civilian owners, leaving behind an enduring legacy as a true sanctuary of healing during the Great War.