Shaw Savill

In 1858, Robert Edward Shaw and Walter Savill, who together had been in the emply of Willis, Gann and Company, a London ship-broking abd chartering firm, also saw great possibilities in the New Zealand trade if a regular service could be established. The two set up on their own account  and began chartering ships. In 1865 they bought their first ship and began an association with New Zealand  which lasted over 100 years.

Paddy Henderson's Albion Line of Glasgow had entered the New  Zealand trade in 1855  and became became prominent in the emigrant trade. Their ships  usually returned to England via Rangoon where they loaded rice and timber as little return cargo was offering. The competition between these two companies kept the standard of vessel very high but these two companies had a monopoly of the New Zealand trade. This lead to the formation of the New Zealand Shipping Company at Christchurch in 1873..

In 1882  Shaw Savill and the Albion Line amalgamated to met the competition from the New Zealand Shipping Company and the following year formed an association with White Star line whereby White Star provided and manned a number of ships which were managed by Shaw Savill & Albion. 

A further chage occured in 1927 became part of the Kylsant group of compaies (Royal Mail). In 1933 Shaw Savill & Albion in partnership with P & O took over control of the Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line and thus aquired the former ships of the Australian Commonwealth Government  Esperance Bay, Largs Bay, Jervis Bay, Hobsons Bay and Moreton Bay. In 1933 a substancial part of the capital of Shaw Savill & Albion was acquired by Furness Withy. .