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Familiar Ships in New Zealand Waters
The “Aorangi”—
Old and New.

(By J. H. Kemnitz.)

In the early ‘eighties, when an All-British route across the Atlantic, Canada and the Pacific was first mooted, Lord Strathcona described it as the “British highway between Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.” To-day it may be said of this, one of the busiest Pacific lines, that it is in truth a highway. It was, however, the last of the British mail and passenger services to be established on a Trans-Pacific route, and the credit for starting this important line, now known as the All-Red route, belongs to the late Mr. James Huddart, an Australian shipping man.

Huddart had on his hands two new steamers, the Miowera and the Warri-moo, of 2,393 tons and 3,800 Ind. H.P. each, which were engaged in the Australia-New Zealand inter-colonial trade in competition with the Union Line, but there was not enough traffic for both. In 1893 Huddart secured a contract with the Canadian and New South Wales Governments to carry monthly mail between Sydney and Vancouver, calling at Brisbane, Honolulu and Victoria, B.C. The yearly subsidy was £35,000, of which the Canadian Government paid £25,000. Leaving Sydney on the 18th May, 1893, the Miowera was the first All-Red mail steamer to cross the Pacific, she being followed a month later by the Warrimoo. In order to maintain a monthly service, it was found that another steamer was needed. The New Zealand Shipping Company's Aorangi was chartered, and after proving her suitability for the run, was bought by Huddart's new Company.

Built by Wm. Denny & Bros. in 1883, the Aorangi was a 4,163 ton steamer of the highest class. With her graceful clipper bows, barque-rigging, three masts, and one funnel placed between the foremast and mainmast, she was a splendidly built ship of really striking appearance. Originally fitted with compound engines she was, after her purchase by Huddart in 1893, sent Home to have triple-expansion engines installed, the total cost of this work being £40,000. In consideration of the ships calling at Wellington instead of Brisbane, the New Zealand Government in 1896 voted a subsidy of £20,000 to the new service. In 1897, however, the Company went into liquidation, the control passing into the hands of the Union Company.

The year 1913 was a milestone in the progress of the All-Red line, the Union Company bringing out the palatial new mammoth liner Niagara, of 13,405 tons. As there was now no further use for the Aorangi, she was disposed of. In 1915, she was sent Home to spend her last days in usefulness by being sunk at Scapa Flow, along with others, to block the channel against submarines. She was difficult to sink, struggling as if in protest against her enforced demise. In 1921, she was found to be in such good condition that she was raised and made use of at Scapa Flow as a store ship for the Navy—a magnificent tribute indeed to the excellence of her construction. It is interesting to note that during her long service in the All-Red mail line, the Aorangi had only three commanders.

So successful was the Niagara, that the Union Company went a step further and ordered an improved Niagara. The name selected for this vessel, of which great expectations were held, was Aotea-roa. When the Great War broke out she was being built at the Fair-field Works, Scotland, and while yet devoid of her superstructure and palatial fittings, was requisitioned by the Admiralty. She was immediately converted into a cruiser and given the temporary name of H.M.S. Avenger.

With her cruiser stern and two funnels placed well apart, she bore, despite the absence of her superstructure, a remarkable resemblance to the present Aorangi. A vessel of 14,744 tons with a speed of 20 knots, she rendered good service as a cruiser, being engaged on important naval work. She was unfortunately sunk by a torpedo attack in the North Atlantic, on the 14th June, 1917, but fortunately without loss of life. Her sinking was a keen disappointment to many who had anticipated her trading in the Pacific at the conclusion of the War.

After the great disappointment caused by the loss of the Aotea-roa, the Union Company decided to keep up their prestige on the All-Red route. When ship-building once more became normal, they ordered from the Fairfield Company, Glasgow—the builders of the Aotea-roa—a new vessel, the present Aorangi, designed by Professor Hill-house. Anxious to be up-to-date, the Aorangi was constructed as a motor ship, and was, when launched, the largest motor ship in the world. She is a vessel of 17,491 tons gross, 20,000 indicated H.P., and a speed of 18 ½ knots. The engines are of the Sulzer two-stroke single acting type, comprising four engines with six cylinders each, the diameter of each cylinder being 27 ½ inches, and the maximum revolutions 125 per minute. The piston speed is 825 ft. per minute, which is regarded as moderate, and she consumes 54 tons of oil per day, as compared with 100 to 150 tons used on oil burning steam engines of similar size. The smallness of the engines, which look scarcely larger than four powerful six-cylinder motor-car engines placed in line, effects a considerable saving in space. She has quadruple screws and a cruiser stern, and carries three classes of passengers. Everything of the most modern kind is included in her equipment—in page 40 page 41 machinery, navigation, comfort and artistic furnishings.

In November, 1924, the Aorangi left Glasgow on her maiden voyage to Sydney, via Southampton, Kingston, Panama, Suva, Auckland and Wellington—a pleasure cruise and Pacific mail run combined. About her was the glamour of ultra-modernity, of something so new that she seemed to be of the future rather than the present. She incorporated innovations hitherto unknown, and was justly described as a floating palace. At each port of call she aroused the admiration of all who saw her. The eyes of ship-builders all over the world were diverted upon her, for on her performances depended the future of the motor ship. Her engines worked without a hitch, and she registered runs up to 440 miles per day. As a result of the Aorangi's success a phenomenal motor ship building campaign was immediately commenced. Although when launched the Aorangi was by far the largest motor ship afloat, others of larger dimensions were soon under construction, culminating in the building of the White Star liner, Britannic, of 35,000 tons.

The Aorangi's first mail run commenced on the 6th February, 1925, when she left Vancouver for Sydney via Auckland, and since then she has been exclusively employed in the Sydney-Auckland-Vancouver All-Red run. She has to her credit some remarkably speedy passages across the Pacific, on one occasion arriving at Vancouver 36 hours ahead of time. The Aorangi still remains one of the world's notable ships.

No tobacco! Can you picture what it would mean to millions of people if the world's supply of tobacco were suddenly and for ever cut off and no more could be had for love or money? Airily classed by this government and that as a mere “luxury”—tobacco has yet become almost as necessary as food to mose people. Fortunately there is no danger of such a catasthropic state of things eventuating as a world without its weed. The huge output is constantly increasing; demand creates supply. Happily for Maorilanders some of the choicest leaf is grown and manufactured right here in New Zealand. Visiting experts and connoisseurs who have sampled the four popular brands, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Riverhead Gold, Cavendish and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead) have pronounced them equal, if not superior to, the finest tobacco produced in other lands with the added advantage (an enormous one) that they are practically without nicotine—eliminated by toasting in the process of manufacture, so that they are powerless to harm even the most inveterate smoker.^*