Forty plus years ago I worked with a bloke who had served in the Uk Merchant Navy aboard P & O ships.
He used to sing snatches of a song (to the tune of 'Villikins and Dinah') which he had acquired aboard P & O boats. He said it had a verse for every port between London and Sydney.
He'd forgotten much of it and I've forgotten more since.
I recall the opening and one other verse:

I went down to Tilbury, the weather was fine,
And took up a berth on the P & O Line,
They paint their ships black and they paint their ships white
And they work us poor bastards by day and by night.

Chorus: Heave away! Heave away!
From London to Sydney's a bloody long way.

Now Port Said in Egypt's our next port of call,
There's nothing but sand there and that's about all...

....and, in fact, I can't even recall all of that verse!

Anyone out there know all of it?