Magazine - December 1949

Article written by well known past member" Shellback" aka Captain Les Palmer.

tss Matangi

To the many Nelsonians who enjoy a quiet stroll or car ride to Port Nelson in the early part of the evening, the departure of the Wellington Ferry Steamer is a looked-for event. Two vessels are usually employed in the service, one of them being s.s. Matangi, the subject of these memoirs.

Promptly at 7.30 on three evenings in the week, mooring lines are cast off, the gangway goes down with a clatter, engine telegraphs ring, and to the steady throb of her engines Matangi glides from the wharf on the start of her night journey. With gracefully raked masts silhouetted against the evening sky, smoke rolling from her twin funnels and her brightly-lit decks thronged with passengers, the Ferry Steamer presents a pleasing picture as, with gathering speed, she proceeds smartly down the harbour on the first leg of the hundred mile run which separates Nelson from the Capital City.

Having cleared the Entrance and leaving the good ship to pursue her course down the Bay, it might be of interest to review the circumstances responsible for the merchantman's existence. Also, the proximity of the advent of another steamer to assist in the maintenance of the night service, will perhaps provide excuse for adding a brief sketch of the Matangi's career while under the Red Duster.

In the year 1907, the well-known steamship owners, Messrs. Howard Smith Proprietary, Limited, of Melbourne, Australia, had in the services of their draughting office, a young New Zealander on whose ability and sound judgement they had come to set some store. At this time the firm was running a steamer on the Queensland coast between Townsville and Cairns, named Lass 0' Gourie . Recently, however, a rival concern, the Adelaide Steamship Company, had placed a new steamer, the Kuranda, against the old favourite and in consequence, insofar as the passenger service was affected , was rather scooping the pool.

Affairs were in this state when one day the senior partner of Messrs. Howard Smith called the young New Zealander into his private office and said, "Mr. Reese, we have decided to build a new steamer to replace the Lass 0' Gourie on the Townsville-Cairns run, but before doing so we would like you to go to Townsville in order to acquaint yourself with the local conditions. By doing this you will more readily understand just what sort of steamer will be most suitable for this particular service". 

In due course, Mr. Daniel Reese travelled North as far as Townsville, where he spent some time in obtaining the information necessary to his objectives. Finally, proceeding still further North by the rival company's steamer Kuranda, he reached Caims where his inquiries terminated. The choice of the Kuranda perhaps revealed that it was not for nothing that Mr. Reese claimed Dunedin as his home town.

On his return to Melbourne, Mr. Reese was asked to make a full report on all observations made on his Northern trip and to supply drawings of the proposed steamer to be used in the Townsville-Cairns service, Mr. Howard Smith only insisting that the vessel should have the maximum amount of upper deck space. Mr. Reese therefore set to work, and produced sketch plans of a steamship containing passenger accommodation designed to equal, if not surpass, that of the rival steamer with which, as we have seen, he had taken good care to acquaint himself. These labours resulted in the production of the designs for a pocket liner, the Mourilyan, and in good time the attractive-looking drawings were submitted to Messrs. Alexander Stephen & Sons, Ltd., of Govan, Glasgow, accompanied by the appropriate specifications and instructions indicative of the Owner's ideas and desires concerning the new steamer.

In passing, it is interesting to note that Mr. Reese formed his ideas regarding the Mourilyan after making an intensive study of the Union Steam Ship Company's then new steamer Moeraki, at that time a frequent visitor to Port Melbourne. Mr. Reese subsequently proved himself to be a very enterprising person, who, after a wide and varied business experience, became a partner and Managing Director of Messrs. Reese Bros., Ltd., of Christchurch, a position which he still continues to occupy.

To continue with our story. The sketch plans already alluded to, duly appeared on the draughting office of Messrs. Alexander Stephen & Sons, shipbuilders and engineers. Following on the reproduction of the original design in all its elaborate and complex detail, a builder's model was constructed as a further guide. This beautiful model, by the way, now decorates the offices of the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company, Ltd., at Port Nelson.

Early in 1908, the keel of the new steamer was laid and from then on work proceeded apace. It can be imagined how the hull grew daily from gaunt frames and scantlings to the shapely appearance which it was to assume when ready for launching. The day for this all-important event duly arrived and once safely afloat the vessel was towed to the fitting out basin and there invaded by a small army of shipwrights, under whose skilful hands the task of transforming a bare steel hull to a handsome two-funnelled schooner-rigged passenger steamer was rapidly completed.

Mourilyan, named after a North Queensland harbour, was a vessel  of 220ft. length, by 36ft., beam and depth of 19ft 6in., the tonnage being  1,349 gross and 635 net. The steamer was provided with two Scotch boilers with Howden's forced draught, fired by three furnaces which supplied the steam for twin reciprocating engines. The propellers were of solid Manganese bronze, three-bladed and nine feet in diameter. One hundred tons coal capacity was allowed for bunker space, with a cargo capacity of twenty four thousand cubic feet. As originally designed, the Mourilyan was fitted with what was then up-to-date accommodation for sixty-two First Class and forty-eight Second Class passengers.

Her complement included six deck officers and engineers, two petty officers,six seamen, six firemen, while stewards and cooks numbered sixteen. The speed trials were held on the 18th and 19th August 1908 and took place off Skelmorlie, Firth of Clyde, when a maximum of 14.8 knots was obtained. Shortly after the conclusion of the speed trials, Mourilyan left for Australia under Captain L.A. Leslie and was duly delivered to her owners, the Howard Smith Company, Limited, who immediately placed her in their North Queensland passenger and cargo service.

At this period, the Howard Smith passenger vessels traded from Melbourne, Victoria, via ports along the East Coast to Townsville, Queensland, and the Mourilyan was designed to cater for the on-carrying of tourists and cargo from Southern Australian states to ports inside the Great Barrier Reef, including the famous Hinchinbrook Channel. Departing from Townsville, the Mourilyan proceeded as far as Cooktown, calling at Point Lucinda, Cardwell, Mourilyan Harbour,Cairns and Port Douglas on the way North. From Cooktown the return trip was made via wayside ports to Townsville, the latter locality being designated as the steamer's home port.

During the winter months the vessel was required to make the above trip twice weekly owing to the popularity of this Tourist Resort. In the summer time the run was reduced to one trip per week or, alternately, the steamer was transferred to Victoria to assist in the daily Melbourne-Geelong service of the Port Phillip Bay. Mourilyan very soon gained a reputation for comfort and regularity in the North Queensland run during which time she was commanded by a succession of well-known skippers. Her captains in this service were L.A. Leslie, T.F.H. Roberts, R.F. Hassall, J. Minehane and A. Lamont. A diversion from normal trading came about when, during the 1914-18 years, Mourilyan served as an armed merchantman, though no action with the enemy has been recorded.

After fifteen years constant service on the Australian Coast, the Mourilyan was at length disposed of to New Zealand interests, and, in June 1923, she crossed the Tasman Sea and entered the services of her new owners, the Northern Steamship Company, Ltd., with headquarters at Auckland. The Matangi, as she was now named, was purchased expressly for the Tauranga service and on that run she was scheduled to make three trips weekly. Clearing Auckland every Monday,  Wednesday and Friday at 7p.m. and arriving at her destination at about seven o'clock the following morning, she carried passengers for Tauranga and also for Whakatane and Opotiki. Travellers proceeded to the two latter places from Tauranga by railway and by service cars. The Matangi still maintained a fair turn of speed and she usually averaged a steady twelve knots on the Tauranga run with coal consumption of about 29 cwt per hour. However, during a trial run from Cuvier Island to Auckland, she was worked up to a speed of sixteen knots at an increased coal consumption of 42 cwt per hour, certainly not an economical proceeding.

No events of outstanding importance marked this portion of her career and upon the completion of the Tauranga-Waihi railway, the passenger service fell off to such an extent that the Matangi was taken off the run. This was in 1930. About this time the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company, Ltd., happened to be on the lookout for a vessel to replace their steamer Ngaio in the Nelson-Wellington service and the Northern Company vessel being available, the change of ownership was duly effected.

Matangi being assisted by Union Company tug from lay up anchorage on "rotton row" Wellington.   V H Young & L A Sawyer

Until purchased by the Anchor Company, very little change had been made in the Matangi's internal arrangements and her outward appearance was practically the same as when she left Glasgow, As mentioned earlier, the vessel was somewhat of an imposing appearance, possessing two well-raked funnels rising from a uperstructure consisting of shade deck and boat deck surmounted by a flying bridge. Forward, a topgallant forecastle housed First Class cabins and stewards' quarters, whilst aft, a second shade deck contained a Second Class smoking room. Petty Officers' accommodation and entrance to the crew's quarters. The life  saving equipment, situated on the boat deck amidships included two large ifeboats, a cutter and a dinghy. At this time Matangi's accommodation, beside many well-appointed deck cabins included a First Class smoking room, music room and First and Second Class Saloons, all contained in the midships superstructure. As she was no longer in a service where the providing of meals was essential, the space occupied by the Second Class Saloon and First Class Smoking room was converted into cabin accommodation. The First Class Saloon was  retained and the Music Room appointed as a lounge. The lofty flying bridge was removed and the navigating bridge reconstructed at the forward end of the boat deck, while a spacious wheel house was added adjacent to the Master's quarters. In recent times Radar equipment has also been included in the vessel's avigational aids.

The steamer, in accordance with her new owners' accepted custom, was now a one class passenger ship and as such entered the Cook Strait Service as opposite number to Arahura. Somewhat strangely, at no time during her changes of ownership has it become necessary to alter the colour scheme of the Matangi's hull, deck work and funnels, the familiar black and white being common to the three companies under whose House Flag she has sailed.

The Matangi first arrived at Port Nelson under the command of Captain Shirley, but being an Auckland man the skipper was anxious to return home and, in due course, his place was taken by Captain Hay. Since joining the Anchor Company's fleet, the Matangi has experienced many changes of Masters. Her Captains besides Captain R.J. Hay included such well-known officials as W.A. Wildman, Jnr., L.B. Vasta, W.E. Whalstrom, W. McMillian, V.C. Ostenfeldt and S.P. Martin, the last-named officer being her present commander.

As consort to the lately withdrawn Arahura, the Matangi has for the past nineteen years maintained an enviable reputation for smartness and reliability and in addition has proved herself to be an excellent sea-boat. No matter how winter winds howled through her rigging or wild seas leap at her decks, in calm or storm, the Matangi has faithfully performed the duties for which she was engaged. During her term under the Anchor Company's House Flag she must have ferried literally thousands of travellers across the stormy Cook Strait. With the exception of a broken stern post, which necessitated the vessel being brought to Port Nelson under Captain Hay, using the twin screws in lieu of the disabled rudder, and the rescue of the crew of a foundered launch off Terawhiti, the career of this justly popular merchantman under her present owners, has been  singularly free from incident. While engaged in running daylight trips over the Christmas and Easter periods, the Matangi's roomy decks have proved particularly adaptable to such service. Many travellers will have pleasant recollections of blue skies and sunny seas viewed from the shaded decks as the sturdy steamer ploughed her serene way between Port Nelson and the Capital City. Apart from relieving the Union Company's Tamahine on the Picton-Wellington run while the red-funnelled steamer is under overhaul, Matangi has operated no service outside that for which she was intended by the Anchor Company.

The year 1908, the date, it will be remembered of Matangi's launch, is now definitely a part of the past and no doubt some future anno Domini will write "Finis" to the career of this able little vessel. Even such was the fate of the one-time favourites Ngaio and Arahura. However, a far as the Matangi is concerned, that time is not yet, and those of the public who have experienced the convenience and comfort afforded by travel in this veteran of the coastal passenger service, will wish that the event may still be afar off. May she continue without mishap upon her lawful occasions until the final hoist of the Blue Peter at the foremast can no longer be delayed