She served in the Crimean War, and then spent two decades with James Thompson & Co's "Orient Line" of ships sailing between Great Britain and South Australia.

Thomas Bilbe built Orient at Nelson Dock, Cuckold's Point, Rotherhithe, launching her in 1853 and completing her on 14 December that year.

[citation needed] Orient's first owner was James Thomson & Co (also spelt Thompson), who registered her in London.

[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] In January 1862 Orient was sailing from Cape Town to London when she caught fire in the South Atlantic and was nearly destroyed.

[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.

[4] In April 1879 Cox Brothers bought Orient and registered her in Waterford, Ireland, who used her in trans-Atlantic trade.