New Zealand Shipping Company

The New Zealand Shipping Company (NZSC) was a shipping company whose ships ran passenger and cargo services between Great Britain and New Zealand between 1873 and 1973.

New Zealand Shipping Company
IndustryTransport
SuccessorP&O
Founded1873
Defunct1973
ProductsPassenger and Cargo Shipping
For the law case, see NZ Shipping Co Ltd v A M Satterthwaite & Co Ltd.
Tongariro in 1883

A group of Christchurch businessmen, including Hugh Murray-Aynsley[1] and John Coster,[2] founded the company in 1873. There were seven initial directors, including George Gould Snr., Coster, John Thomas Peacock, William Reeves, and John Anderson.[3] The company gradually established a fleet of vessels, using Māori names for each. From 1875 the livery consisted of black hulls, white superstructure and yellow funnels.[4]

In 1882, the company's ships were equipped with refrigeration.[4] and a frozen meat service began from New Zealand to England.

Company policy dictated a stop at Pitcairn Islands, in the Pacific, to break the monotony of the ocean crossing.

Federal Steam Navigation Company
Former New Zealand Shipping Company Building in Napier, still displaying the NZSC logo

On 3 January 1912 an agreement was reached whereby the New Zealand Shipping Company absorbed the Federal Steam Navigation Company, which at the time owned ten steamships trading between Australia, New Zealand and the UK.[5] Federal Steam ships retained their house flag, and continued to be named after English counties, thereby retaining their Federal Steam identity. Federal Steam was registered in England for tax purposes, whereas the New Zealand Shipping Company continued to be registered in New Zealand.

World wars

In the First World War the NZSC lost nine ships from a fleet of 32.[6] In the Second World War it lost 19 ships from a fleet of 36.

Closure

The services of both companies were absorbed into the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) in 1973 after exactly 100 years of service.[4]

Ships

NZSC operated numerous ships, some purpose built, others acquired from other operators by purchase, lease or charter.

Ship Type Date launched Date acquired Date disposed Fate/ next assignment
Aorangi refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1883 1914 Scrapped 1925
British King cargo and passenger ship 1881 chartered 1882[7] 1884 Scuttled at Port Arthur 1904
Coptic cargo and passenger steamship 1881 chartered 1883 1884 Scrapped 1926
Doric cargo and passenger steamship 1883 chartered 1883 1884 Wrecked 1911
Fenstanton steamship 1882 chartered 1883 1884 Grounded and wrecked
Hurunui cargo and passenger sailing ship 1875 Collided and sank Waitara in 1883[8]
Ionic cargo and passenger ship 1883 chartered 1883 1884 Scrapped 1908
Kaikoura (1) cargo and passenger steamship 1884 1899 Sold to British-India SN Co
Kaikoura (2)[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1903
Kaipara[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1903
Mataura (1) barque 1868 1874 (former Dunfinnan) 1894 Sold and renamed Alida. Wrecked 1900[9]
Mataura (2)[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1896 1898 Wrecked in the Strait of Magellan 12 January 1898[10]
Otaki (1) sailing ship 1875 1896 Sold and renamed Dr. Siegert
Otaki (2) refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1908 1917 Sunk by the German raider SMS Möwe 10 March 1917
Otaki (3) refrigerated cargo steamship 1919 1934 Sold to Clan Line and renamed Clan Robertson
Otaki (4) refrigerated cargo motor ship 1953 1967 Transferred to Federal Steam Navigation Co
Otorama[9] steamship 1890 former Sea King Sold
Papanui[9] steamship 1898
Paparoa[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1899 17 March 1926 caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean
Piako (1) clipper 1877 Sold, lost 1900[9]
Piako (2) refrigerated cargo steamship 1920 1920 (former War Orestes) 1941 Sunk by torpedo on 18 May 1941 by U-107
Piako (3) refrigerated cargo and passenger ship 1961 1962 1979 Sold to Blue Ocean Compania Maritima SA. Scrapped 1984
Rakaia cargo and passenger motor ship 1944 1946 (former Empire Abercorn) 1971 Scrapped
Rakanoa[9]
Rangitane (1) passenger motor ship 1929 1929 1940 Sunk by enemy 26 November 1940
Rangitane (2) passenger motor ship 1949 1949 May 1968 Sold to CY Tung, Scrapped Taiwan, 1976
RMS Rangitata passenger motor ship 26 March 1929 1929 1962 Scrapped
RMS Rangitiki passenger motor ship 1929 1929 1962 Scrapped
Rangitoto passenger motor ship 1949 1949 1969 Sold to CY Tung, Scrapped Hong Kong, 1976
Remuera (1) passenger steamship 1911 1940 Sunk by aerial torpedo 26 August 1940
Remuera (2) steam cargo and passenger steamship 1947 1961 (former Parthia) 1964 Sold to Eastern & Australia Steamship Company.[11]
Rimutaka (1)[9] steamship 1884
Rimutaka (2) refrigerated cargo and passenger ship 1901
Rimutaka (3) passenger steamship 1922 1938 (former Mongolia) 1950 Sold to Incres Shipping Company
Rotorua (1) passenger steamship 1910 1917 Sunk by torpedo on 22 March 1917 by SM UC-17
Rotorua (2) cargo and passenger steamship 1910 1936 (former Shropshire) 1940 Sunk by torpedo on 11 December 1940 by U-96[12]
Ruahine (1) steamship 1891
Ruahine (2) steamship 1909 1949 re-registered in Italy; scrapped 1957
Ruahine (3) passenger motor ship 1951 1968 re-registered in Hong Kong; scrapped 1974
Ruapehu (10) passenger and refrigerated cargo ship 1901 Sold to be broken up on 5 August 1931
Stad Haarlem cargo and passenger ship 1875 leased 1879
Tekoa[9] steamship 1890
Tongariro passenger and cargo steamship 1883 1883 1899 Sold to British-India SN Co
Turakina (1)[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1902
Turakina (2) steamship 1923 1923 1940
Waikato[9] sailing ship 1874
Waimate[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger ship 1896
Waitara cargo and passenger sailing ship 1863 1873 (former Hindustan) 1883 Wrecked following a collision with Hurunui[8]
Wakanui[9] refrigerated cargo and passenger steamship 1899
Warrimoo passenger steamship 1892 1899 1901 Sold to Union Steam Ship Co
Whakatane[9] steamship 1900

See also

References
  1. "Obituary". The Press. LIII (15833). 23 February 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  2. "Obituary". The Star (5804). 18 December 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  3. "Commercial". Lyttelton Times. XXXIX (3748). 25 January 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. "M V Rangitata". Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  5. Waters 1939, p. 59.
  6. Waters 1939, p. 68.
  7. "`". Otago Daily Times (6577). 14 March 1883. p. 4.
  8. "Collision And Loss Of 27 Lives". The Cornishman (258). 28 June 1883.
  9. Cyclopaedia of New Zealand. 1906.
  10. "`". The Press. Canterbury, NZ. 29 January 1898.
  11. Mills, Elspeth (2004). The Fleet 1840–2010. ISBN 978-0-9542451-8-4.
  12. Green, Roger M (15 October 2014). "Loss of the SS Rotorua – 11 Dec 1940". WW2 People's War.

Bibliography
  • Waters, Sydney D (1939). Clipper Ship to Motor Liner; the story of the New Zealand Shipping Company 1873–1939. London: The New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd.
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