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New Zealand
Compiled by Ian Harris
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Federal
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THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY
The early years and the sailing ships.
1642. The Land was discovered by Abel Tasman.
1769. Captain James Cook landed at Gisbourne, Poverty Bay, North Island aboard the Endeavour. He then circumnavigated and charted the Islands.
1871. Dissatisfaction within the colony over the class of vessels used upon the service to England had grown over the years. It reached a climax in that year with two ships the Helensea and the Bulwark. The Helensea’s cargo was in such poor condition that much of it had to be dug out of her and the Bulwark took nine months to reach Auckland. Also they could see no reason to pay substantially higher freight rates than were being paid by Australians.
1872. 1st July: The New Zealand Freight Co. Ltd., was registered in Auckland: 20th Nov A meeting was held in Christchurch comprising of gentlemen interested in establishing a new shipping line between London and New Zealand. They proposed a Colonial Shipping company, designed to increase the shipping potential to New Zealand with particular attention to the carriage of immigrants and cargoes of consumer goods. The New Zealand Shipping Co., as it was to be called, counted upon local patriotism.
1873. Jan 24: The New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd. was registered in Christchurch with an authorised capital of £100,000, divided into shares of £10 each, of which 10 shillings was to be paid up. Mr J. L. Coster of the Bank of New Zealand became Chairman and Mr C. W. Turner was sent to London, as agent: June The Otago Freight Assoc. of Dunedin was absorbed into NZSCo. June 2: The Punjaub sailed from London on the first NZS Chartered sailing arriving in Lyttelton on 20 Sep: November: At the first general meeting the Board was able to announce that eighteen ships had been chartered and two had been purchased.
WAITARA
Waitara at Gravesend.
Iron Ship.
Launched by J. Reid & Co., Port Glasgow, for D. & J. Macdonald, Liverpool,as Hindustan in 1863.
Tonnage: 883 gross. Dimensions: 182.4 x 34.2 x 20.9 feet.
Passengers: c.200 emigrants.
(Moari word for task) Waitara is on the North Island, north of New Plymouth in the Taranaki province.
Sold to C.W. Turner for NZS service and first registered at London in his name on 26.8.1873. She has the honour of being the first vessel purchased for the new company. June 26 1883: She sank in about 2 minutes off Portland Bill after collision with NZSCo's own Hurunui, 20 lives were lost. In an Era when many sailing ships met with a sorry end, this was to be the companies only total loss. A direct result of this loss was that passenger embarkation was shifted to Plymouth.
RANGITIKI
Rangitiki being towed into Dunedin.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1889.
Tonnage: 1,227 gross. Dimensions: 212.0 x 35.0 x 22.8 feet.
Passengers: 20 1 st class and 300 emigrants.Launched as Scimitar in 1863. 1,182grt.
North Island river
Acquired in Dec 1873 sailing from Plymouth on Christmas eve for Dunedin. Dorette (Renamed Waimea 1874 - 1896):10.1898 Sold out of the fleet.1910 Reduced to a hulk at Noumea.
MATAURA
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque from 1878-1889 and from 1895-1900.
Tonnage: 898 gross. Dimensions: 199.4 x 33.3 x 20.3 feet.
Passengers: c.250 emigrants. Refrigerated space fitted in 11.1881 for 6,000 carcasses, increased to 10,000 carcasses in 6.1889.
Launched as Dunfillan in 1868. 898grt.
(Moari word for Survival) The Mataura River, Queenstown is famous throughout the world as a premier brown trout fishery.
Acquired in Sep 1873 and made her first sailing 27 Oct 1873 from London to Dunedin. The companies first frozen meat carrier being fitted with "Haslams Dry Air Refrigeration" in 1882 and bringing back her first frozen cargo from Port Chalmers on 12 Jun 1882. 1895 sold out of the fleet. Dismasted and abandoned in the Pacific in 1900.
WAIMEA (1873 -1895)
Waimea at Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1897.
Tonnage: 871 gross. Dimensions: 194.3 x 31.7 x 19.0 feet. 1868:
Built by Reiherstieg Schiffswerft, Hamburg, , for C.L. Melosch, Altona, as Dorette (739 tons gross).
Area of New Zealand famous for its natural beauty and wines.
12.1873: Sold to NZS and first registered at London on 14.1.1874. 5.5.1875: Renamed WAIMEA. 26.4.1893: Suffered an explosion in her accommodation, bound New Zealand to New York and Boston and put into Rio de Janeiro where repairs took 2 weeks. One crew member was killed. 7.1895: Sold out of the fleet. 1.9.1902: Wrecked in a south-east gale at Algoa Bay with the loss of her master and 7 crew.
RAKAIA (1873-1892)
Rakaia at Dunedin.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1889.
Tonnage: 1,057 gross,. Dimensions: 210.2 x 34.0 x 19.2 feet.
Passengers: 25 First class; 300 emigrants. 19. 11. 1873:
Launched by J. Blumer & Co., Sunderland, at a cost of £14,000.
(Moari word for bedeck, adorn) is one of New Zealand's most productive farming areas - described by many as the "Salad Bowl" of the nation. Also famous for salmon fishing.
First registered at London on 19.12.1873. 7.1892: Sold out of the fleet. 12.6.1918: Wrecked at the entrance to Ouiberon Bay, bound Brest to Nantes. This was the first ship to be custom built for the company.
WAIKATO (1874-1888)
Waikato in Port Chalmers Dry Dock
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1896 and to Barquentine in 1909.
Tonnage: 1,053 gross. Dimensions: 210.5 x 34.1 x 19.2 feet.
Passengers: 320 emigrants. 19.1.1874:
Launched by J. Blumer & Co., Sunderland, at a cost of £14,000.
Region in New Zealand's Central North Island. Waikato has two spectacular landscapes, One above ground, the other below with their world reknown caves.
First registered at London on 18.2.1874. 7.1888: Sold out of the fleet. 20.11. 1913: Foundered 2 miles from White Rocks, near Sechelt, B.C., in tow from Union Bay to Vancouver with coal.
WAIMATE (1874-1896)
Iron Ship.
Tonnage: 1,156 gross. Dimensions: 219.7 x 35.1 x 20.7 feet.
Passengers: 350 emigrants.
29.8.1874: Launched by J. Blumer & Co., Sunderland, at a cost of £21,500 and first registered at London on 1.10.1874.
Is said to be the birthplace of the nation, famed for the Treaty of Waitangi, Feb 6th, 1840 giving rights and protection to the Maoris but they had to recognise Victoria as Queen. They were to be giving the same rights as British subjects.
4. 1896: Sold out of the fleet. 10.8.1898: Left Newcastle, N.S.W., for Iquique with coal and went missing.
WAITANGI (1874-1899)
Waitangi in Auckland
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1897.
Tonnage: 1,161 gross. Dimensions: 222.0 x 35.1 x 20.8 feet.
Passengers: 312 emigrants.
1874: Launched by J. Blumer & Co., Sunderland, at a cost of £21,500 and first registered at London on 25.7.1874.
(Moari word for weeping (or noisy) waters)
12.9. 1883: In collision with an unknown vessel 8 miles south-west of St Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, bound New Zealand to London. 3.1899: Sold out of the fleet. 21. 1. 1913: Foundered off Spurn Head.
1875. 10 August: The London board recommended a fleet colour scheme-black hulls with white painted ports, whitemasts, yards and boats, and this was adopted.
ORARI (1875 -1892)
Orari off Gravesend.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1892.
Tonnages: 1,051 gross. Dimensions: 204.1 x 34.2 x 20.0 feet.
Passengers: 55 cabin; 300 emigrants. 21.7.1875:
Launched by Palmers' Shipbuilding & Iron Go. Ltd, Jarrow, and completed in August at a cost of £20,000.
The Orari Gorge is a very unique area with beautiful stands of native bush and deep rock canyons
13.8.1875: Prior to handing over, "fell over" while loading coal at Jarrow. Minor damage only. 12.10.1875: Left London for Lyttelton on her first New Zealand voyage. 6.6.1887: Suffered a fire in her poop at South West India Dock, London. 7. 12. 1892: Sold out of the fleet. 30. 11. 1909: Arrived at Penarth for breaking up, but reported resold to Norris & Co., Liverpool, for use as a hulk.
OTAKI (1875-1891)
Otaki Becalmed.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1894.
Tonnage: 1,053 gross. Dimensions: 204.1 x 34.2 x 20.0 feet.
Passengers: 274 emigrants. 19.8.1875:
Launched by Palmers' Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd, Jarrow, at a cost of £20,000 and registered at London.
North Island, 74km north of Wellington
28.7.1877: In collision with the ship STAR OF INDIA (1,697g, 1861) while entering Plymouth undertow. 1.1892 Sold out of the fleet. 4.7. 1895: Grounded on Diamond Rocks, bound Port of Spain, Trinidad, to Bremen with asphalt. Beached at Trinidad, and later abandoned as a total loss.
HURUNUI (1875-1895)
Hurunui entering Lyttleton Dock.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1890.
Tonnage: 1,054 gross. Dimensions: 204.1 x 34.2 x 20.0. feet.
Passengers: 300 emigrants. 17.9.1875:
Launched by Palmers' Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd, Jarrow, and completed 11.1875 at a cost of £20,000.
Hurunui In Port Chalmers.
South Island, within the skiing, wine area, close to the natural spa of Hanmer Springs.
Left London with 259 emigrants and 40 crew. Put into Portland on the 26th with weather damage and scarlet fever amongst the passengers. Towed into Plymouth 6.10.1876 where the passengers were landed into quarantine and the ship was fumigated. 10.11.1876: Collided with and sank the Italian barque PATER (515n, 1869) off the Eddystone Light with the loss of 8 lives after leaving Plymouth for We.llington. Returned on the 11 th for repairs: 3. 1. 1883: First vessel to enter the Lyttelton Graving Dock. 22.6.1883: Collided with and sank the WAITARA off Portland Bill bound London to Port Chalmers: Laid up. 5. 1895: Sold out of the fleet. 4.4. 1915: Sunk by bombs from U 33 off the Isle of Wight 35 miles south of St Catherine's Point, bound London to Port Arthur in ballast.
WAIPA (1875-1895)
Waipa at Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1897.
Tonnage: 1,057 gross. Dimensions: 204.1 x 34.2 x 20.0 feet.
Passengers: 300 emigrants. 16.10.1875:
Launched by Palmers' Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. Jarrow at a cost of £20.000.
(Maori word for sediment) district area of natural beauty and overlooked by The prominent volcanic cones of Maungatautari, Mangakawa, Pirongia and Kakepuku.
5. 1895: Sold out of the fleet. 10. 12. 1911: Left Mauritius for Singapore in ballast and went missing.
WAIROA (1875-1895)
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1897.
Tonnage: 1,057 gross. Dimensions: 204.1 x 34.2 x 20.0 feet.
Passengers: 300 emigrants. 13.11. 1875:
Launched by Palmers' Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd, Jarrow, at a cost of £20,000 and registered at London.
Area including the 40 megawatt Piripau hydroelectric project as part of the Lake Waikaremoana Hydro Scheme
Frank Worsley began his sea going career as an apprentice in the Wairoa leaving Lyttleton on Christmas Eve 1888 bound for the West India Dock’s in London. Returning home on the Rakaia he left the Company in 1895 with the rank of Third Officer. He Later gained fame as Sir Ernest Shackletons Captain on the Endurance’s Antartic expedition and navigated the small boat James Caird to the 800 miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia to bring rescue to the 22 men left stranded there. He was commander of the Quest in 1921 under Shackleton and was with him when h died in 1922. Worsley himself died in 1943 in Surrey.
5.1893: Laid up. 5.1895: Sold out of the fleet. 1.12.1907: Left Pensacola for Buenos Aires with pitch pine and went missing.
1876. The directors decided to take 3 to 5 apprentices on each ship.
PIAKO (1876-1891)
Piako in Wellington.
Iron Ship.
Tonnages: 1,136 gross, 1,075 net. Dimensions: 215.3 x 34.0 x 20.5 feet.
Passengers: 317 emigrants. 5. 12. 1876:
Launched by A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, and first registered at London in January 1877.
(Moari wrod for empty) Province and river. North Island
11. 11. 1878: Suffered a fire in her cargo, bound London to Lyttelton. Her passengers were transferred to the ship LOCH DOON (812g, 1872) and she was scuttled in shallow water at Pernambuco on the 13th to extinguish the flames. She resumed her voyage on 29.12.1878. The passengers had had to live on an isolated island for some weeks as there was an outbreak of smallpox in Pernambuco. The Piako reached Lyttelton on o5.03.1879 and had taken 145 from Plymouth. 25. 12. 1879: Suffered a fire in the Tasman Sea when a case of rockets exploded, bound London to Lyttelton. 4.7.1880: Suffered a fire in her accommodation at London. 22.12.1891: Sold out of the fleet. 22. 11.1900: Left Melbourne for Delagoa Bay with wheat and went missing.
PAREORA (1876 -1887)
Pareora at Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship. Tonnages: 879 gross.
Dimensions: 203.3 x 32.8 x 20.9 feet.
Passengers: 250 emigrants. Refrigerated space for 10,000 carcasses installed in 1882.
3.1855: Completed by A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, for A. Stephen & W.S. Crondace, Glasgow, as WHITE EAGLE.
(Maori word for safety) river and town on the coast of the South Island, reknowned for its fishing
1876.Acquired by NZS, remaining registered at Dunedin. 9.1877: Renamed. PAREORA. 26. 11. 1881: Sailed from London for Auckland but lost her anchors and cables in the Downs and was towed back to London by the tug CAMBRIA (209g, 1870). 17.11.1886: Registry transferred back to London. 1887: Sold to J. Livingstone, London. 1888: Broken up.
OPAWA (1876-1899)
Opawa in Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1896.
Tonnages: 1,131 gross. Dimensions: 215.2 x 34.0 x 20.4 feet.
Passengers: 300 emigrants. Refrigerated space: 11,000 carcasses from 1882 to 1898.
14. 11. 1876: Launched by A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, and registered at London.
River of the South Island, joining the sea at Cook Strait.
2. 1899: Sold out of the fleet. 14.3.1917: Sunk by gunfire from U 53 in 60o04'N-03°19'W, bound Aberdeen to Savannah in ballast.
1877. A 5-year contract for the carriage of immigrants was made with the New Zealand Government. The average cabin fare from England to New Zealand was £52-10-0 and the immigrant fare £15.
WANGANUI (1877-1888)
Wanganui at Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1904.
Tonnages: 1,136 gross. Dimensions: 215.3 x 34.0 x 20.4 feet.
Passengers: 241 emigrants. 18. 1. 1877:
Launched by A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, and registered at London.
West coast of the North Island. The famous Whanganui River flows from one of New Zealand's highest volcanoes, Mount Tongariro, through the spectacular Whanganui National Park, to the coast of the Tasman Sea, and the bustling city of Wanganui.
9.8.1888: Sold out of the fleet. 22.2.1917: Torpedoed and sunk by U 50 30 miles S.S. W. of Fastnet, bound Pensacola to Greenock with pitch pine.
1879. 5 February: The steamer STAAD HAARLEM (2,729gross tons) left London for Port Chalmers, Lyttelton and Wellington under joint charter to NZS and Shaw Savill. This as a result of New Zealand Government pressure for a steam link with Britain. The result was a loss but there were two further similar charters in 1880.
December 1881 An office was opened in Liverpool.
1882.12 June: MATAURA sailed from Dunedin with the companies first refrigerated cargo after having been fitted with Haslams patient dry-air refrigerating plant.
TURAKINA (1882-1899)
Turakina at Port Chalmers.
Iron Ship, reduced to Barque in 1902.
Tonnages: 1,247 gross, 1,189 net. Dimensions: 232.5 x 35.4 x 22.2 feet. Refrigerated space for 10,000 carcasses installed in 1883, increased to 13,000 carcasses in 1889 and removed in 1898.
23.5.1868: Launched by C. Connell & Co., Glasgow, for G. Smith & Sons, Glasgow (the City Line), as CITY OF PERTH.
(Maori word for demolish) New Zealand's oldest Highland Games is held every year at the Turakina Domain (near Wanganui)
1879: Sold to J. Clark, Glasgow. 1881: Sold to W. Service, Glasgow. 14.5.1882: Grounded in a gale at Timaru. Refloated by the paddle tug LYTTELTON. 1882: Sold to NZS and registered at Lyttelton on 10.10.1882. 13.4.1883: Repairs were completed. 4.9.1883: Renamed TURAKINA. 9.7.1898: Put into Port Elizabeth for repairs to bulwarks and rigging, bound London to Port Chalmers, following heavy weather off the Cape. 2. 1899: Sold out of the fleet. 1914: Sold for £ 1,860 while in the Tyne and broken up.
1883. The last and largest of the clipper ships was acquired for the company when the Turakina (ex City of Perth) was purchased. This was also the year in which the companies steam service started. The steamers made average passage times of around 8 weeks and called in several times on their way to and from New Zealand for coaling. The sailing ships average times of around 13 weeks with no intermediate ports of call made passengers largely desert them and very few were carried thereafter.
1895. A celebrated event occurred when the Turakina under the command of Captain Hamon overhauled the companies steamer Ruapehu which was doing around 14 knots at the time.
1899. The last of the companies sailing ships was sold out of the fleet.
Sources:
The Sailing Ships of the New Zealand Shipping Company, 1873-1900, by Alan Bott.(Batsford, 1972)
White Wings Volume’s 1 & 2 by Sir Henry Brett. (Brett Printing Co. 1924 & 1928).
In the Wake of Endeavour by Gordon Holman (Charles Knight & Co., 1973)
Clipper Ship to Motor Liner by Waters, S.D. (NZS, 1939)
First Voyage in a Square Rigged Ship by Commander Frank Worsley (Lowe & Brydone,1947. 2nd Edition)
Shackleton’s Captain, A Biography of Frank Worsley by John Thomson (Mosaic Press 1999)
Merchant Fleets Vol 7. New Zealand Shipping & Federal S.N.Co. by Duncan Hawes. (TCL Publications 1985)
Crossed Flags by Laxon, Farquhar, Kirby & Perry. (World Ship Society 1997)
The Colonial Clippers by Basil Lubbock. (James Brown & Son 1921. 2nd Edition)