THE SS Fitzroy River yesterday unloaded its last cargo of bauxite for refining into alumina.
The ship has been travelling between Gladstone and Weipa for the past 25 years.
Owners of the ship are unsure whether it will be scrapped or sold.
The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers, the Merchant Services Guild and Maritime Union Australia unions are protesting the withdrawal of the ship and its three sister ships from service.
The four ships are manned by Australian crews, but overseas crews will operate the new ships.
Rio Tinto Marine will replace them with six larger ships to bring bauxite for Queensland Alumina and Rio Tinto Yarwun.
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