New Zealand Shipping Company

New Zealand Shipping Company
Industry Transport
Successor P&O
Founded 1873
Defunct 1973
Products Passenger and Cargo Shipping
SS Tongariro in 1883

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.

A group of Christchurch businessmen, including Hugh Murray-Aynsley[1] and John Coster,[2] founded the company in 1873. 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.[3]

In 1882, the company's ships were equipped with refrigeration.[3] 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

In 1912, an agreement was reached whereby the Federal Steam Navigation Company was absorbed into the New Zealand Shipping Company, but the Federal Steam Navigation ships would retain their distinctive house flag, and continue to be named after English counties, thereby retaining their individual identities. The Federal Steam Navigation Company was registered in England for tax purposes, whereas the New Zealand Shipping Company continued to be registered in New Zealand.

Joint operation

During the First World War, nine ships were lost from a fleet of 32. During the Second World War 19 ships were lost 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.[3]

Ships

NZSC operated a number of 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 Reefer/passenger liner 1883 1914 Scrapped 1925
British King cargo/passenger ship 1881 chartered 1882[4] 1884 Scuttled at Port Arthur 1904
Coptic cargo/passenger ship 1881 chartered 1883 1884 Scrapped 1926
Doric cargo/passenger ship 1883 chartered 1883 1884 Wrecked 1911
Fenstanton steamship 1882 chartered 1883 1884 Grounded and wrecked
Ionic cargo/passenger ship 1883 chartered 1883 1884 Scrapped 1908
Kaikoura (1) cargo/passenger ship 1884 1899 Sold to British-India Steam Navigation Company
Kaikoura (2)[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1903
Kaipara[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1903
Mataura (1) barque 1868 1874 (former Dunfinnan) 1894 Sold and renamed Alida. Wrecked 1900[5]
Mataura (2)[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1896 1898 Wrecked in the Strait of Magellan 12 Jan 1898[6]
Otaki (1) Reefer/passenger liner 1908 1917 Sunk by the German raider Möwe 10 Mar 1917
Otaki (2) Reefer/passenger liner 1934 Sold to Clan Line and renamed Clan Robertson
Otorama[5] Sold
Papanui[5]
Paparoa[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1899 17 March 1926 caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean
Piako (1) clipper 1877 Sold, lost 1900[5]
Piako (2) Reefer 1920 1920 (former War Orestes) 1941 Torpedoed and sunk 18 May 1941 by U-107
Piako (3) Reefer/passenger ship 1961 1962 1979 Sold to Blue Ocean Compania Maritima SA. Scrapped 1984
Rakaia cargo/passenger ship 30 Dec 1944 1946 (former Empire Abercorn) 1971 Scrapped
Rakanoa[5]
Rangitane (1) diesel passenger liner 27 May 1929 December 1929 1940 Sunk by enemy 26 November 1940
Rangitane (2) diesel passenger liner 30 June 1949 15 December 1949 May 1968 Sold to CY Tung, Scrapped Taiwan, 1976
Rangitata diesel passenger liner 26 Mar 1929 1929 1962 Scrapped
Rangitiki diesel passenger liner 1929 1929 1962 Scrapped
Rangitoto diesel passenger liner 12 June 1949 25 August 1949 August 1969 Sold to CY Tung, Scrapped Hong Kong, 1976
Remuera (1) passenger steamer 1911 1940 Sunk by aerial torpedo 26 August 1940
Remuera (2) cargo/passenger liner 1947 1961 (former Parthia) 1964 Sold to Eastern & Australia Steamship Company.[7]
Rimutaka (1)[5] 1888
Rimutaka (2) Reefer/passenger ship 1901
Rimutaka (3) passenger steamer 1922 1938 (former Mongolia) 1950 Sold to Incres Shipping Company
Rotorua (1) passenger steamer 1910 1917 Torpedoed and sunk 22 Mar 1917 by UC-17
Rotorua (2) cargo/passenger ship 1911 1936 (former Shropshire) 1940 Torpedoed and sunk 11 Dec 1940 by U-96 [8]
Ruahine (1) 1891
Ruahine (2)
Ruahine (3) diesel passenger liner 11 Dec 1950 3 May 1951 August 1968 Sold to CY Tung, Scrapped Taiwan 1974
Ruapehu
Stad Haarlem cargo/passenger ship 1875 leased 1879
Tekoa[5]
Tongariro passenger cargo vessel 1883 1883 1899 Sold to British-India Steam Navigation Company
Turakina (1)[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1902
Turakina (2) 1923 1940
Waikato[5]
Waimate[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1896
Wakanui[5] Reefer/passenger ship 1898
Whakatane[5]

During World War II, Rangitata operated as a troopship, returning to civilian service by 1949.

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. 1 2 3 "M V Rangitata". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  4. ↑ Otago Daily Times , Issue 6577, 14 March 1883, Page 4
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Cyclopaedia of New Zealand, 1906
  6. ↑ Press, Canterbury, NZ, 29 January 1898
  7. ↑ The Fleet 1840-2010 by Elspeth Mills, 2004, ISBN 978-0-9542451-8-4
  8. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/65/a5883465.shtml
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