Wanganella and the Australian Trans-Tasman Liners

Author(s): Peter Plowman

Nautical

THIS BOOK tells the story of the trans-Tasman shipping service from the days of the earliest steam ship service to the liner Wanganella's last voyage to New Zealand in 1963. The only Australian company to maintain a service across the Tasman Sea was Huddart Parker, who survived numerous attempts by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand to drive them off the route in the early days. Eventually the two agreed to share the route in several co-operative agreements. Towards the end of 1892, James Huddart, one of the founders of Huddart, Parker, & Company Limited, established a separate company, the New Zealand & Australasian Steamship Company, to operate a trans-Tasman service. The Union Line retaliated by placing their best ships in direct competition with the newcomers, and also started a rate war that forced the Australian company to withdraw in March 1893. Despite this, Huddart Parker re-entered the Tasman Sea trade in November 1893. The first trans-Tasman departure for Huddart Parker was taken by Tasmania, on 29 November 1893. The Union Line tried to stifle the competition, but was up against a strong opponent able to ride out the fare wars, and instead of buckling under the pressure, Huddart Parker added more vessels to the trade over the next seven years. The first decade of the twentieth century would see both Huddart Parker and the Union Line introduced new liners of increasing size on the Tasman trade. Although the two companies were not engaged in fare wars any more, and operated their ships on a joint schedule, there was still considerable competition to attract passengers. In January 1908 the brand new Ulimaroa was placed on the Tasman trade by Huddart Parker, and would remain the mainstay of their Tasman operation for the next twenty years. In 1932 Huddart Parker was actively seeking a new ship for the Tasman route, and purchased a brand-new vessel, Achimota, which was renamed Wanganella. In World War II Wanganella served as a hospital ship, and it was not until January 1947 that the liner left Sydney for New Zealand again. The voyage almost ended in tragedy, when Wanganella ran aground on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, and remained there for seventeen days. After being salvaged, the work of repairing the damage lasted almost two years, and it was not until December 1948 that Wanganella returned to service. In 1961 Huddart Parker Limited ended their interest in the Tasman trade when the company was sold, but Wanganella continued to operate to New Zealand for McIlwraith, McEacharn Limited. In 1962, Wanganella was sold to Hang Fung Shipping, of Hong Kong, but in July 1963 was sold again, and became a worker's hostel at Doubtful Sound, in the South Island of New Zealand. Wanganella was sold again at the end of 1969, and on 5 June 1970 arrived at a shipbreaking yard in Taiwan. 188 pages in A4 format, 128 black and white photos, 24 in colour with 7 maps and deck plans. Softcover

$45.00 NZD

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Peter Plowman is a full time maritime researcher and author with several published titles

General Fields

  • : 9781877418099
  • : transpress
  • : transpress
  • : May 2009
  • : 286mm X 210mm
  • : New Zealand
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Peter Plowman
  • : Paperback
  • : Paperback
  • : 387.5420993
  • : 387.5420993
  • : 188
  • : 188
  • : Ships & shipping: general interest
  • : Ships & shipping: general interest
  • : colour illustrations
  • : colour illustrations