THE NEW ZEALAND MARITIME RECORD

This separate section of the Museum's site includes more than 1,500 images.

Please use the link (below right) to visit.

THE NORTHERN STEAMSHIP COMPANY

Please use the link (below right) to go to a separate site with the history of this company derived from an earlier exhibition at the museum.

The Library was named in March 2005 for noted maritime historian and Deputy Chairman of the Museum Trust Board, William Allan (Bill) Laxon MBE 1936-2004.

Opening Hours

Thursday 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Entry Fee: $5.00 to visit the library or if you have paid to visit the galleries of the museum, by donation.

No charge to Friends of the NZNMM.

Visits at other times are by appointment only - Ph 0064 9 373 0810.

Research Fee: $40 per hour.

Donations

The library will accept donations of books and periodicals that are not already in the collection.

To offer donations or commission research email: archives@nzmaritime.org

The Bill Laxon Maritime Library will close at noon on Thursday 21st December 2006

It will be closed on Thursday 28th December, Thursday 4th January 2007 and reopen on Thursday 11th January 2007.

The New Zealand National Maritime Museum collects and exhibits a diverse range of nautical and historical artefacts that represent New Zealand maritime history from the earliest Polynesian arrivals to modern day seafaring.

We collect maritime equipment, models, books, photographs, paintings, drawings, original archival material and periodicals relating to New Zealand maritime history, excluding material relating to Royal New Zealand Navy history and activities.

Our acquisitions programme is centred on specific areas:

Polynesian and Maori vessels and navigation

European voyages of discovery

Settlement and immigration

Early coastal trading

Whaling and sealing

Modern commercial shipping

Lifeboat services, pilotage and coastguard activities

Navigation and marine surveying

Maritime art and crafts

Recreation and sporting maritime activities

Maritime trades

Harbour and port history

Enquiries about valuations

While we are happy to discuss the historical or cultural values of objects, the Museum is unable to provide monetary valuations for items. If you would like to know how much an object is worth, you should consult an auctioneer or antique dealer.

Access to the collection

Not all of the objects in our collection are on permanent display. Those objects not displayed are referred to as “reserve collection” and are mainly stored off-site. We recommend you telephone before you visit if there is a particular item that you wish to see as we do provide access to objects in the reserve collection by appointment.

Members of the public can help us preserve our maritime heritage by donating or lending artefacts to the museum.

We are happy to explain the procedures for making donations or loans. Please direct any queries to Karolina or Vicky.

Compiled by NZNMM Voluntary Researcher John Crowther. No doubt there may be some debate over some of these entries. We invite any comments and further information, but please provide a source for your information. Email your comments to the NZNMM Information Officer

First Admiralty Chart of the Waitemata

Captain Owen Stanley in HMS Britomart in 1840.

Source: Auckland Anniversary Regatta Programme 1950 pg.70

Note: This Stern Coast /J O'C Ross: "...Lieutenant Fisher and Mr Bean, master, both of the Herald, set about making a comprehensive survey of the harbour from North Head to the vicinity of what they named Herald Island. Their chart, dated 28 February 1840 is thus the first chart of Auckland Harbour, and not, as has often been stated in accounts of the founding of that city, that of Britomart."

First Commercial Shipyard

At Horeke, Hokianga

Source: A Maritime Heritage / Clifford Hawkins pg. 11

First Commercial Steamship to Visit New Zealand

Ann (n.d.)

Source: New Zealand's Maritime Heritage / David Johnson pg. 57

First Composite Screw Steamer in the World

Sea King. Built 1863 in Glasgow.

Source: Shaw Savill Line / Sydney D. Waters pg. 16

First Composite Ship Built in Auckland

PS Devonport.

Source: From Wherry to Steam Ferry / T. Walsh. pg. 23

First Electric Crane at Auckland

On King's Wharf, 1910.

Source: Akarana / John Rose. p. 131

First Ferry in Auckland

Governor Wynyard, launched 24 Dec 1851. Built in Freemans Bay by Robert Stone

Source: Steam on the Waitemata / W. W. Stewart

First Ferry to North Shore

An open sailing boat, crew of two, 20 passenger capacity. 1 Feb 1854.

Source: From wherry to steam ferry / T. Walsh. p. 9

First Iron Steamship Built on the Manukau Harbour

Maori Chief, 1865.

Source: Steam on the Manukau / Bill Laxon.

First Iron Vessel Built in Auckland

SS Rotomahana. Built 1876 at Mechanics Bay by Fraser & Tinne and broken up in 1924.

Source: Cultural Heritage Inventory - Coastal Environment, p.25

First Large Motor Passenger Liner

Aorangi (USS Co.) 17,500 t

Source: Merchant ships 1942 / E. C. Talbot-Booth

First Lighthouse in New Zealand

Pencarrow Head, 1859

Source: The lighthouses of New Zealand /J. O'C. Ross. p. 21

First Motor Ship on Direct Route to New Zealand

Rangitiki (NZ Shipping Co.)

Source: Merchant ships 1942 / E. C. Talbot-Booth (British Empire section)

First Motor Vessel on the UK-NZ Run

Port Dunedin, 1926.

Source: A century of shipping in New Zealand / Gavin McLean. p. 49

First New Zealand Shipping Company Ship to Transit the Panama Canal

Remuera

Source: A merchant navy man's story / David Lionel Hodgson

First Oil-Fired Ship on a Direct Route to New Zealand

Remuera

Source: Merchant ships 1942 / E. C. Talbot-Booth (British Empire section)

First Passenger Ferry to North Shore (Auckland)

PS Emu, 1 May 1860

Source: From wherry to steam ferry / T. Walsh. p. 13

First Ship Built in Otago Harbour

Schooner Anne, built for Weller Brothers of Sydney. Launched 4 Mar 1841.

Source: New Zealand Marine News, 1993 Vol. 42 No. 3 p. 133

First Ship Designed for the Wellington-Lyttelton Run

Maori (Union S.S. Co.) 1907.

Source: A century of shipping in New Zealand / Gavin McLean

First Shipping Company Established in New Zealand

Circular Saw Line in 1842

Source: Akarana / John Rose, p.35

First Steam Merchant Ship to New Zealand

PS Juno, 7 Jul 1847

Source: Steam on the Waitemata / W. W. Stewart & Akarana / John Rose p. 203

First Steam Tug in the World

Buonoparte, built in Worsley, England for use on the coal canal 1798/99

Source: Model shipwright No. 111

First Steam Warship to Visit New Zealand

HMS Driver, 20 Jan 1846

Source: Steam on the Waitemata / W. W. Stewart

First Steamship Built for the New Zealand Shipping Company

SS Tongariro, 1883.

Source: Wellington Harbour Beacon Vol. 15 No. 4 Nov 1983. p. 7

First Steamship Built for Shaw Savill

SS Arawa, 1884.

Source: Wellington Harbour Beacon Vol. 15 No. 4 Nov 1983. p. 7

First Steamship Built in Devonport

PS Waitemata, launched 8 Dec 1864

Source: From wherry to steam ferry / T. Walsh. p. 17

First Steamship Built Specifically for the Trade Between N.Z. and U.K

SS Tongariro

Source: Half a world away / David Johnson & Peter Dennerly, p. 75

First Steamship Running to Northland from Auckland

Wongawonga, in 1857

Source: Akarana / John Rose

First Steamship to Cross the Pacific Ocean

American screw steamer Monumental City, built at Baltimore in 1850. 737 tons net. Left San Francisco 17 Feb 1853 and arrived Sydney 23 April, 1853.

Source: Passenger ships of the world / Eugene Smith, p. 287

First Steamship to New Zealand

Mongol, 1873

Source: Sail to New Zealand / D. Savill, p. 68

First Steamship to Sail Direct from London to NZ

Stad Haarlem, built in 1875 for the Royal Netherlands Steamship Co., carried 600 emigrants from London via St. Vincent and Cape Town.

Source: In the wake of Endeavour / Gordon Holman, p. 35

First Vessel Built for the Inter-Island Express Service Vessel

SS Takapuna

Source: The Line That Dared / edited by Gordon McLauchlin. p. 124

First Yacht to Circumnavigate the World

Sunbeam, owned and captained by Lord Brassey.

Source: Voyages of the Sunbeam / Lady Brassey

Largest Cargo Carried on a Sailing Ship

11,000 bales of wool and 6000 casks of tallow in 1920 on France II.

Source: Sail change / Roger Morris. p. 30

Largest Sailing Ship Ever Built

France, 5-masted barque of 5633 tons, built 1912.

Source: The Wellington Harbour Board collection p. 29

Largest Sailing Vessel Built in Auckland

Novelty, l 149 ft, b 27.6 ft, launched 11 Oct 1862, built by Niccol.

Source: Out of Auckland / Cliff Hawkins. p. 83

Largest Bona Fide Scow Ever Built in Auckland

Owhiti, built 1924.

Source: 'Neath swaying spars / P. Eaddy. p. 29

Largest Cargo-Carrying Topsail Schooner in Australasia

Huia

Source: Log of the Huia / Cliff Hawkins

Largest Scow Ever Built in New Zealand

Zingara, l 128 ft, b 33 ft, built 1906.

Source: New Zealand Marine News, Vol. 40 No. 2 1990, p. 102

Largest Ship to Have Visited the Port of Auckland

Queen Elizabeth II, l 293.53m, w 67140 gt, first visited 8 Feb 1985

Source: Auckland Harbour Board staff member

Last Working Scow in New Zealand

Success

Source: New Zealand Marine News, 1995 Vol. 44 No. 4 p. 201 & Ships of Wellington / Victor Young. p. 65

Only Sailing Ship Built Especially for the New Zealand Frozen Meat Trade

Hinemoa, steel 4-masted barque, built Greenock 1890.

Source: Colonial clippers / Basil Lubbock p. 387

IMMIGRATION & PASSENGER LISTS

The following websites contain specific passenger lists, useful if you know the port and the date:

South Canterbury Arrivals

Passengers Who Disembarked At Southland Port

The following websites contain links to passenger lists and other sites and are worth checking especially if you know the ship:

Directories for Wellington & Mid-Lower North Island

Immigrant Ships to NZ

Australasian Passenger Lists

Ships & Passenger Lists

The New Zealand National Maritime Museum does not by implication vouch for the authenticity nor content of any of these links.