NORTHERN STEAM SHIP COMPANY LTD.

This company was formed in Auckland on 11 May 1881 to take over the steamers and trade of the Auckland Steam Packet Company, an association of steam ship owners under the management of Captain McGregor. For the first few years the Company struggled, but in 1887 Charles Ranson - an accountant by profession - was appointed as Manager and the Company forged ahead.

The Northern S.S. Co., became the lifeline of the North and their ships could be seen in just about every river, creek and bay. When Charles Ranson retired in 1921, the Company's fleet had grown to a total of more than forty vessels, but with the development of road and rail transport over the next couple of decades, the passenger trade dwindled and eventually became uneconomic. Cargo carried on though and during WW2, the Company's coastal fleet played an important role, with two vessels - Ronaki and Tuhoe - being taken over by the American War Administration for operation in the Pacific War Zone.

After the War, the Company expanded its operations to the South Island commencing with the purchase from the United Kingdom of the Goldfinder which was renamed Apanui. Further second-hand tonnage was acquired and then in 1953 began a building programme beginning with the Maranui (739grt) from the Dutch shipyard of J. Bodewes. Other vessels built by this yard were Maunganui (860grt) in 1955, Poranui (892grt) in 1956 and Tawanui (891grt) in 1959. Attention was then turned to Hong Kong yards, from which the Moanui (975grt) came in 1961, followed by the similar but larger Awanui (1,185grt) in 1962. These ships were the first on the N.Z. coast to have bipod masts. As these vessels came into service the older tonnage was sold off, although Hotonui which had been acquired in 1950, lasted until 1967.

The move towards containerisation saw the advent of the Seaway Princess (1,053grt), a roll-on/roll-off ship built in Hong Kong in 1967. Designed for a weekly service from Onehunga to Lyttelton, she was doomed from the start when the Auckland Harbour Board backed down from their promise to build a linkspan for her at Onehunga. This meant she had to operate from Auckland sharing the only available likspan with ships of the Union Company which had priority. Consequent delays and losses saw her sold to the Holm Shipping Company in late 1969.

The demand for South Island bulk grain in Auckland and Tauranga gave the Company a welcome reprieve which saw the Bay Fisher chartered for this trade in 1967. Moanui of 1961 was sold to Australian owners in 1966 and Poranui was sold to Capt. A.R. Rusden of Port Vila in October 1969. She was wrecked only a month later on Jouan Reef 100 miles north of Noumea, fortunately with no loss of life.

Not so lucky was the Maranui which sank in heavy weather off Mercury Bay on 13 June 1968 with the loss of 9 of her 15-man crew. She was on passage from Lyttelton to Auckland when her cargo of wheat shifted allowing water to enter the ship via uncovered and unplugged air pipes.

Late in 1969, the Company purchased the Dido from the Bristol Steam Navigation Co., especially for the South Island bulk grain trade. Larger and faster than other ships of the fleet she was able to maintain a much better turn-around schedule.

1970 opened with the fleet standing at five ships - Awanui (1962/1,185grt), Bay Fisher (1958/1,289grt)(chartered), Dido (1963/1,589grt), Maunganui (1955/860grt) and Tawanui (1959/891grt). Of these, the Awanui and Tawanui were engaged in general cargo services, the rest carrying bulk grain from South Island ports to Auckland and Tauranga, although shipments were also carried to Wellington, New Plymouth and Wanganui.

On 14 February 1970, the Dido arrived at New Plymouth after her delivery voyage from Amsterdam via Panama and Papeete. After discharge, she went to Auckland for a refit prior to entering service. She sailed from Auckland for Bluff on 15 April on her first coastal voyage. During this period, The Bay Fisher which had been on charter from the British firm of James Fisher & Sons Ltd. since 1967, was purchased and renamed Moanui on 3 March. Auckland replaced Barrow on her stern as the port of registry.

For the first time in its history, the Company placed one of its ships in an overseas trade when the Dido sailed from Auckland on 25 June 1970 for Brisbane. Larger and faster than other ships in the fleet, she made 10 voyages to Australia - 8 to Brisbane and one each to Newcastle and Cairns - before arriving back in Auckland for survey on 2 December. The Maunganui made her last voyage in 1970, Bluff to New Plymouth in early November, arriving in Auckland for the last time on 11 November. She was sold in February 1971 and renamed Zeehan.

Misfortune befell the Company early in 1971 when at 0230 on the 24 January whilst off Cape Palliser there was an engineroom fire on board the Dido. A broken fuel pipe leaking diesel oil onto a hot exhaust pipe caused the fire. The Engineroom was sealed off and filled with carbon dioxide to smother the flames. After about 15 minutes, the Engineroom was opened to disperse the gas and the Chief Engineer was found unconcious. Attempts to revive him failed and after the broken fuel line was repaired, the ship put into Wellington at 1020 to land the body and effect permanent repairs. The Dido resumed her voyage on the 3 February, arriving at Timaru the next morning on the first of her many visits to that port (61 in all). At the end of February 1971, the Tawanui was withdrawn from the general cargo trade and adapted for use as a grain carrier, taking her first departure from Auckland in that role on 10 March when she sailed for Timaru. This left the Awanui as the only vessel not engaged in bulk grain work and she was carrying cargo from Onehunga to Bluff, returning to Onehunga with timber from Jackson Bay, a remote settlement on the West Coast of the South Island. This trade came to an end in December 1971 and she too was adapted to carry bulk grain.

The Dido was in the news again in 1972, first on the 22 January when she broke down 40 miles out from Timaru necessitating a return to that port for repairs. This delayed her six days, finally clearing Timaru on the 29 January for Auckland. The second incident occurred in Lyttelton on the 18 June when a crew member fell overboard at about 0220. His body was recovered by Police divers about an hour later.

A dispute over leave for seamen on coastal grain ships delayed first the Tawanui and then the Awanui at Lyttelton in February 1973. The Tawanui had arrived on Friday 9th and was ready to sail Saturday afternoon, but her seamen refused to sail in protest at a breakdown in negotiations over leave. The Awanui arrived on Saturday 10th and was to have loaded on Monday but the Tawanui still occupied the grain berth. She was shifted to another berth on Tuesday allowing the Awanui to load, but once finished her seamen also refused to sail. The dispute was finally settled and both ships sailed on Friday 16 February, the Tawanui going first for Tauranga, followed ten minutes later by the Awanui for Auckland. Perhaps ironically, after only two more voyages the Tawanui was laid up in Auckland in March and sold in June, being renamed Tung Ho 1. The fleet was now reduced to three ships - Awanui, Dido and Moanui - all running in the grain trade. In early October came an announcement that the Company had purchased the 1562 ton Kalmarland from Swedish owners and hoped to take delivery in December, renaming her Tainui II. Her carrying capacity was almost as much as both the Tawanui and Awanui, the latter ship being sold in December 1973 to Singapore owners.

Tainui II duly arrived in Auckland on 11 January 1974, immediately undergoing reconditioning to adapt her to the Company's needs as a bulk grain carrier. The outlook was not looking good however. There was a poor grain harvest in the South Island and at the end of January all three ships were idle, Tainui II undergoing her refit, Moanui under survey and Dido laid up at Marsden Wharf. Things improved though, Dido resumed work in February, sailing for Timaru on the 5th, making four voyages on the coast before sailing across the Tasman again. Moanui finished her survey in March and resumed work, but the Tainui II was idle until 17 July when she sailed for Timaru, putting into Tauranga the next day for engine repairs. She carried only two grain cargoes and after discharging steel at Lyttelton from Auckland, she was despatched to Westport to load coal for Whangarei. The Dido was in the wars again in September. She was sailing from Brisbane on the 4th when she struck Pinkenba Wharf after an engine malfunction. Repairs were made at a Kangaroo Island shipyard, eventually arriving at Lyttelton on the 29 September.

The end was in sight though. First to be withdrawn was the Tainui II. She arrived at Auckland on 6 November from Whangarei with coal from Westport. Next came the Moanui, berthing at the Viaduct on the morning of 18 November having arrived in the Stream the evening before from Port Chalmers. Last came the Dido. Under the command of Captain J. Turner, she berthed at Marsden Wharf on Sunday 8 December 1974 from New Plymouth. There were no more cargoes after that and the ships were put on the sale market.

Dido and Moanui found buyers fairly quickly. On 10 May 1975, the Dido sailed for Sydney then onwards to the United Kingdom. Moanui, renamed Chantala Fortune went on 19 July for Hobart and a career based in Singapore. The Tainui II stayed for another year until sold in May 1976 to the Ayo Shipping Co. of Florida and renamed Koral. Still in her Northern Company colours, she sailed on 24 May for the Caribbean, the last of a long line of ships that had served the North for 95 years.

mv Tainui II - Her Service In N.Z. Waters 1974

Port                                      Arrived/Departed
  Yokohama
    Delivery voyage via Guam
Auckland                                 2300  11 Jan
  (Refit)                                         Jul 17  1441
Tauranga (Engine repairs)                1450  18 Jul 19  1056
Timaru                                   0630  22 Jul 22  1800
Auckland                                 2000  25 Jul 31  1624
Timaru                                   1645   3 Aug 6   1000
Auckland                                 1150   9 Aug 24  1751
Lyttelton                                1516  28 Aug*2   0819
Westport                                       (3 Sep 5)
Whangarei                                1520   7 Sep 11  1818
Westport                                      (14 Sep 15)
Whangarei                                0145  18 Sep 20  1105
Westport                                      (23 Sep 25)
Whangarei                                1326  28 Sep*2   1010
Westport                                       (4 Oct 6)
Whangarei                                1805   8 Oct 10  1810
Westport                                      (13 Oct 14)
Whangarei                                1317  17 Oct 26  1821
Westport                                      (29 Oct 30)
Whangarei                                1245   2 Nov 6   1330
Auckland                                 2130   6 Nov
  Crew paid off, Ship laid up

Note: Arrival/Departure dates for Westport are indicative
only. This Port has a Bar at the entrance and ship
movements can only be undertaken safely at High Tide.

Where Did They Go?

AWANUI

At Lyttelton 23 April 1967
Photo: © N. Kirby

DIDO

Sailing from Auckland
Photo: © D. Brigham

Back in the U.K. as Gorsethorn
Photo courtesy of www.images-of-ships.co.uk

Deesse de la Democratie. Note additions to superstructure aft.

MAUNGANUI

Sailing from Lyttelton 18 December 1965
Photo: © N. Kirby

MOANUI

Passing Port Chalmers inbound to Dunedin 4 October 1974

TAINUI II

Arriving at Auckland 9 August 1974
Photo: © D. Brigham

TAWANUI

At Lyttelton 29 October 1966
Photo: © N. Kirby

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