NZSC

In the nineteenth century there were a number of shipping companies which carried migrants from the UK to New Zealand, but because they were all sailing vessels those ships were small, unhealthy, dangerous and hungry. Many of the ships that managed to make it as far as NZ often arrived after a large number of migrants had died on passage. At the same time some of the shipping companies responsible for the migrant’s poor treatment dictated unfavourably to the NZ government. However, in their efforts to ensure the safety and well being of those European migrants, the New Zealand Shipping Company was formed in 1873. The company was funded by the Bank of NZ and an office was established in London. Since those early years the NZSC grew to be one of the most respected and well found of all the shipping company’s to sail under the red Ensign. In the following pages condensed from ‘The origins of the NZSC’ an insight is given on some of their sailing ships.