NZ Shipping / Federal

The 'Shipping Company', as the firm was more commonly known, came into existence in Christchurch in 1873 when a group of merchants and landlords tried to break the stranglehold that the Shaw Savill and the Albion companies had over the route back to the United Kingdom.

Starting with 4 second hand iron sailing ships in the following three years had built 12 new sailing ships. All were given Maori names and in 1879 after presssure from the New Zealand Government for a steam ship service to Britian, the new company and Shaw Savill agreed to trial a service which ran a a considerable loss with a chartered ship. In 1882 the frozen meat service began from New Zealand and in ther same year orders were placed for 5 steam ships which resulted in a monthly service from New Zealand subsidised by the Government. The first steam ship was the TONGARIRO and quickly followed by AORANGI, RUAPEHU and two larger ships KAIKOURA and RIMUTUKA.

However these ships were uneconomic and the Company, strapped for cash, passed into the hands of English shipping baron EdwynSandys Dawes in 1889, a connection which was to remain until 1970.

With his interests in shipping and meat processing, he was able to make the Company the major player in the 'Home' trade by 1900. The original 5 steam ships were sold by 1899. They carried 350 passengers at 13.5 knots but consumed a great amount of coal. With the end of the Government mail subsidy Dawes was able to maximise refrigerated capacity and minimise coal consumption while still offering a competitve passenger service with the building of a fleet of cargo passenger ships. Notable amongst these was RUAHINE which was built in 1892 and was then the largest ship in the trade and carried 410 passengers. Other well known cargo passenger ships of that era were PAPANUI, PAPAROA, RIMUTAKA, RUAPEHU, TONGARIRO, TURAKINA, KAIKOURA and KAIPARA.  

In 1912 the Company merged with the Federal Steam Navigation Company which had 12 passenger refrigerated ships running from United Kingdom to Australia and New Zealand. Both companies ships retained there respective colours, house flags and names (Federal ships were named after English counties).

By 1916 the Company sold out to P&O who in turn left the control of the company to the New Zealand management. In 1916 OTAKI became the first Company ship to use the Panama Canal.

In 1929 the first of three motor ships RANGITIKI started service and followed the next year by RANGITATA and RANGITANE. They joined the older ROTOROA, RUAHINE and REMUERA and the 6 ships were to dominate the London/Wellington passenger trade for the next 10 years till the 2nd World War took its toll.

REMUERA, RANGITANE and ROTORUA were lost while the RANGITIKI and RANGITATA were on duty as troop transports from 1941-45. Both were returned to peacetime service by 1949.

To replace the losses the company ordered two new 'Rangi' ships, these being the RANGITOTO and a new RANGITANE in 1949, soon followed by RUAHINE in 1951. These new ships together with the two original 'Rangi's maintained the 'Home' run for the next decade.

During this period 12 new refrigerated cargo ships were built to replace the total of  19 ships lost during the war. 

Ruahine departing Wellington in January 1960 with Shaw Savill Southern Cross and Union Company Monowai

By 1962 the older ships were replaced by the ex-Cunard liner PARTHIA which was renamed REMUERA..

By the late 1960's with increasing competition from airlines, the four ships were withdrawn and the other company cargo vessels were transferred to Federal colours, merging it with P&O in 1973.

Within 10 years the traditional Maori named ships had disappeared and the company came to an end.