In this trade, speed and size become important assets. In order to make the crossings more pleasant aboard these austere wooden sailboats, musician groups were hired to allow the passengers to dance to popular tunes. From this time on, Pilkington and Wilson emphasized the safety of their ships when addressing the press. Because of this, many wished to emigrate to Australia, and the population of Australia increased from 430,000 to 1.7 million inhabitants in three years. It focused on the UK–Australia trade, which increased following the discovery of gold in Australia in 1851. The first company bearing the name White Star Line was founded in Liverpool, England, by John Pilkington and Henry Wilson in 1845. The sinking of the Tayleur was the first experienced by the company
Cunard Line then operated as a separate entity until 2005 and is now part of Carnival Corporation & plc. Despite its casualties, the company retained a prominent hold on shipping markets around the globe before falling into decline during the Great Depression, which ultimately led to a merger with its chief rival, Cunard Line, which operated as Cunard-White Star Line until 1950, when Cunard purchased White Star's share in the joint company.
Today, it is remembered for the innovative vessel Oceanic and for the losses of some of their best passenger liners, including the wrecking of the Atlantic in 1873, the sinking of the Republic in 1909, the infamous loss of the Titanic in 1912 and the wartime sinking of HMHS Britannic in 1916. While many other shipping lines focused primarily on speed, White Star branded their services by focusing more on providing comfortable passages for both upper class travellers and immigrants. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between the British Empire and the United States. The White Star Line ( WSL), was a British shipping company.