You are on the New Zealand Shipping web site www.newzealandshipping.co.nz    
 
Local Time| Exchange Rates | Postage | Timetables | Container Sizes | Terms | Advertise | Holidays | Links to Australia    

In The Beginning
 This page was last updated on Thursday, 29th November 2017 17:29:52 PM

You are on The History of New Zealand Shipping domain
In the Beginning On-Line Comments Vessels Photos Poems Sales Passenger Lists

19th November 2018; Google recently made it mandatory to secure web sites. You will now see in the web brower https://www.newzealandshipping.co.nz with a green padlock, this signifies the web site is secured when sending information using the web sites on line forms.

I have updated our web site, the new page for In The Begining is https://www.newzealandshipping.co.nz/shipping/history/index.html

Jeff Shaw

Some interesting dates in the History of New Zealand Shipping Company and the Dominion: We have the comments line which is great way to catch up with everyone associated with the sea.

Courtesy of the late Owen Shaw, steward on the Rangitane 1951/ 52 who went on to work as a features writer with New Zealand Herald, Auckland's daily morning newspaper.

1642  Abel Tasman was the first European to discover the Islands, but he thought they were part of the mainland of South America.
1769 Captain Cook lands at Gisborne: Poverty Bay. He then circumnavigated the Islands and charted the coast.
1814  First Missionary Settlement established in the Bay of Islands
1839  The Islands were included within the boundaries of New South Wales
1840  On 22 January the S.S Aurora arrived at Port Nicholson ( Wellington) with the First settlers. On 6th February the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, whereby all powers of Sovereignty in New Zealand were ceded to Queen Victoria and Captain Hobson became Governor
1841  New Zealand proclaimed a separate colony.
1873  The New Zealand Shipping Company was inaugurated at Christchurch and commenced trading with 18 ships, including those under charter, having an average tonnage of 830 tons.
1883  The Company started a monthly service of Steamships
1907  New Zealand proclaimed a Dominion
1912  The New Zealand Shipping company amalgamated with the Federal Steam Navigation Company
1914  The Panama Canal was opened to the World's traffic on 15th August, 1914, and the Company was the First to make use of it later in the same year.
1914 - 1918  The Company lost 11 ships, aggregating 86,000 tons, during the First World War.
1939 - 1940  The Centenary of New Zealand as a British Colony was celebrated throughout the Dominion.
1939 - 1945  The combined losses of the New Zealand Shipping Company and Federal Steam navigation Company in the Second World War amounted to 19 ships, aggregating 195,000 tons

We have received requests for information pertaining to the old New Zealand Shipping Company.

So Ailsa Corlett, Brisbane, in January 1994 dug through the archives and put this information together. 
Thank you, Ailsa

We were told that a book was produced consisting of photos and a small amount of information about each ship.
We were never given a copy and have no idea of the author or where you could get a copy .. Sorry !

BUT we can tell you, the photo's came from the Auckland & Wellington Harbour Board Maritime Museums

Name of Ship Years of Service Name of ship Years of Service
Haparangi 1947 - 73 Rangitane 1929 - 40
Hinakura 1949 - 74 Rangitane 1950
Hororata 1913 - 43 Rangitata 1929 - 62
Horarata 1942 - 67 Rangitiki 1929 - 62
Hurunui 1948 Rangitoto 1949
Kaikoura 1894 - 1907 Remuera 1948
Kaikoura 1903 - 26 Rimutaka 1885 - 1900
Kaipaki 1939 55 Rimutaka 1900 - 30
Kaipara 1903 - 14 Rimutaka 1923
Kaiparo 1938 - 53 Rotorua 1911
Manapouri 1968 Ruahine 1909 - 49
Mataura 1968 Ruahine 1951
Opawa 1906 - 28 Ruapehu 1901 - 31
Opawa 1931 - 42 Taupo 1966
Otaio 1930 - 41 Tekoa 1922 - 58
Otaio 1597 Tekoa 1966
Otaki 1907 - 17 Tongariro 1883 - 99
Otaki 1920 - 34 Tongariro 1901 - 16
Otaki 1953 Tongariro 1924 - 60
Otarama 1920 - 28 Tongariro 1967
Papanui 1898 - 1911 Turakina 1923 - 40
Paparoa 1944 - 70 Turakina 1960
Piako 1962 Whakatane 1900 - 24
Pipiriki 1944 - 71 Whakatane 1954
Rakaia 1945    

 

NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING Vessels   Courtesy of John Osborne
Name 1st April 1959 GR Tons
MV Rangitane -Passenger 21,867 MV Rangitoto- Passenger 21,809 MV Ruahine- Passenger     17,851
MV Rangitiki- Passenger   16,985 MV Otaio - Cadet Ship     13,314  SS Hororata                   12,090
MV Haparangi                 11,281 MV Hurunui         11,276            MV Hauraki                      11,272
MV Hinakura                  11,272 MV Otaki              10,934     SS Pipiriki                        10,065
SS Paparoa                   10,006 SS Papanui          10,002 SS Tongariro                     8,879
MV Whakatane                8,726 MV Whangaroa     8,700 MV Wharanui                     8,701
MV Rakaia Cadet Ship       8,213    

FEDERAL STEAM NAVIGATION CO Vessels
MV Cumberland              11,281 MV Huntingdon               11,281 MV Hertford                    11,276
MV Sussex                    11,272 MV Suffolk                     11,145 MV Norfolk                      11,079
MV Cambridge                11,073 MV Durham  Cadet Ship   11,073 MV Essex                        10,936
MV Northumberland         10,335 SS Dorset                     10,108 MV Essex                        10,936
MV Gloucester                 8,532 MV Middlesex                   8,284 MV Surrey                        8,227
MV Cornwall                    7,583 MV Nottingham                6,689 SS Lincoln  Tanker            18,615
SS Kent  Tanker
under build Abt 45,000 dwt		 SS Derby Tanker
under build Abt 45,000 dwt