Shipping in the Early Days of the Thames Goldfields NZ

 

First written May  2010, update 2021

The Steamer Fleet of the Thames Route

n 1868, Shortland, Grahamstown and Tararu were reliant on coastal shipping (the “coasters”) to move people, machinery, and equipment, gold and of course food supplies to feed hungry prospectors and miners. Thames (Graham’s town, Shortland and Tararu) was evolving into a Goldfields town that was embracing the new era of steam, a technology just evolving in Auckland Province, to drive the stampers in its batteries and the steamers plying to and fro between Thames and Auckland. The steamers were able to make the journey quicker than sailing vessels and not reliant on the wind to get them there.

From the shores of Tararu, Thames, NZ in March 2010 looking across the Hauraki Gulf and Firth of Thames – what in 1867 – 1874 was a very busy sea route with steamers and sailing ships plying to and fro. Photo CRB collection

The Otago Daily Witness wrote of these steamers:

"There is now a fleet of nine steamers, of an aggregate of 320-horse power, and costing 31,600, manned by about 100 men. These steamers, with a single exception, have been built at the port of Auckland, entirely of New Zealand material. Since the 14th of February to the 31st July last, these steamers have conveyed to the Thames 18,000 passengers, and from the Thames 14,000, leaving a margin of 4,000 in favour of the goldfield. The gold forwarded from the local banks at Shortland by these steamers, was 22,000 oz. The aggregate tonnage at Shortland during the same period, was 28,500 tons, independent of the fleet of small sailing vessels, which had been, rather unprofitably employed along the coast previous to the gold discovery at the Thames." (Otago Daily Witness 26/09/1868: p 5)

The Inspector of Steamers  James Stewart C.E. was kept active, conducting sea trials of these new steamers and issuing certificates of seaworthiness. (The trials in themselves occasions of celebration for the dignitaries, owners and local trades people involved in their building) Records of these can be read in the newspapers of the time  and records of Archives NZ. Stewart appointed on 1 July 1866 also had other roles in addition to Inspector of Steamers being Engineer Surveyor, Examiner of Engineers and Adjustor of Compass Fees.

James Stewart also became involved with some of the developments of the new steam engines and boilers being put into these steamers. Design of a boiler for p.s. Alfred. Implementation of Morton’s Patent Ejector Condenser in p.s. Challenger; Supervision of alterations to hull, boiler, and machinery in s.s. Jane; With William Lodder, compound engines to compound  principles into s.s. Star of the South. Stewart took a keen interest in steam engines and their workings, writing

two papers during his years as Inspector of Steamers on performance and running of boilers, read to the Auckland Institute (Branch of the New Zealand Institute.) In later years he was to Presidential Address to this body: -

“In marine engineering we see a most marvellous advance, and it would take all the time at our disposal this night to follow up, step by step, the steady march in the direction of speed and reduction of fuel per unit of power. The double, treble, and quadruple phases of compound engines, with proportionately high initial steam pressure high piston-speed, have worked results which in the early “fifties” would have been declared impossible by nearly all the marine engineers in Great Britain. ( By Jas Stewart. C.E., 1901, p4)

Stewart was to have his office base in Shortland Street he ran his private engineering practice Steamers he was given a room in the new Customs House, and later in the Public Works Department railways. Although base was Auckland, it was possibly a case of more out than in. From steamers to railway survey and construction, there was much involvement with the Thames area and possibly considerable time spent there.

As to the nine steamers referred to in the Otago Daily Witness 1868 , amongst these were Enterprise No 2 (The steamer that bought  James Mackay to open the Thames Goldfields , along with the first prospectors and of course those to uphold the peace of the goldfields. p.s. Duke of Edinburgh, p.s. Clyde ( formerly p.s. Avon) , p.s. Maori,  Midge, p.s. Enterprise No 2 ,s.s. Halcyon.s.s. Jane, s.s. Tauranga.

The steamer fleet regularly plying the Thames Route continued to grow and by the end of 1872 were added amongst them, then other well known steamers s.s. Go Ahead, p.s. Lalla Rookh,, p.s Challenger, s.s. Rowena (owners Cruickshank & Macfarlane) p.s. Golden Crown ( owner, J S Macfarlane , shipping agent and tramway promoter ) The growing fleet of steamers gained also the  nickname of “the mosquito fleet” – considered small to the bigger sea going vessels but many.

p.s. Golden Crown was named after the Thames mine of the same name. She was a favorite steamer for early Thames people but sold to Australian interests in 1874, due to decreased traffic on the Thames run, for which she had originally been specifically designed.

By which time in 1874 p.s. Golden Crown was one of the steamers belonging to the fleet of the Auckland Steam Packet Company Ltd, headed by a board of directors and William Lodder Engineer and Manager. William Lodder, who was appointed by this Company in 1873, was formerly Manager of the Waikato Steam Transport Service, until its sale. 

It was this Lodder, who with Stewart, implemented compound engines with compound principles into s.s. Star of the South in 1871. William Lodder wrote a paper which was read to the Auckland Institute in 1872 on Compound Engines (By William Lodder, 1872) - a new development that was to impact on steamer engines for performance, economy and change the way steamers operated. (The expense of coal and other running costs were always a real consideration and could “make” or “break” a shipping company) 

 Other steamers of the Auckland Steam Packet Company during the early 1870’s were p.s. Royal Alfred, s.s. Southern Cross, s.s. Star of the South and s.s. Pretty Jane. In 1872 the Auckland Steam Packet Company Ltd was formed into a new company, headed by directors S Jones, T Russell, T Morrin, J S Macfarlane and Captain Daldy.

p.s. Royal Alfred was a regular on the Coromandel – Auckland route with p.s. Golden Crown a regular of the Thames – Auckland route, p.s. Challenger Tapu and s.s. Southern Cross and s.s. Star of the South calls to Thames on the regular East Coast run.

As well known as the steamers so too were the Captains. Captain Farquhar -Royal Alfred and Star of the South. Captain Sellar Southern Cross, Captain Holmes also Star of the South , and Captain Fernandez Pretty Jane.

s.s. Rowena in later years was to become one of the first steamers of the Northern Steam Shipping Company of New Zealand Ltd, established in May 1881. Thomas Morrin, David Cruickshank, Captain Alexander McGregor, James Macfarlane, Thomas Ball and James McCosh Clark appointed directors of this new company. With Captain Alexander McGregor at the helm in early years of this company, this was a coalition of former steamer companies, amongst them the Auckland Steam Packet Company Ltd. The establishment of what in it’s embryo years evolved into the Northern Steam Ship Company. This Company became long standing and a New Zealand Icon of shipping - an important and well known “life link” of supplies, for those living on the coasts of the Coromandel Peninsula, Waihou and Piako Rivers.

April 1871 saw the sea trial of newly launched steam launch s. s. Fairy depart from Tararu, heading for the Wairoa River - one of the few early steamer trials conducted from the Thames Area. The Daily Southern Cross wrote:

 “We have been furnished with the following report of a trip made by the new steam launch Fairy from Tararu to the head of the Wairoa river. The account will, no doubt, be interesting to those settlers who reside on or near rivers running some distance inland, and not accessible by large steamers or cutters except at high water, and who consequently find a difficulty in sending their produce to Auckland, unless at considerable expense :— The Fairy left Tararu Wharf under charter at 8.45 a.m. stood straight for the sandspit, crossing the Firth of the Thames with a strong S.E. wind and heavy, swell arrived inside the lighthouse at 11.45 a.m.; passed over a bar between two islands beyond the lighthouse in 3 feet of water, arriving at the entrance of the Wairoa river tide out, and not much but a mud flat to navigate. The light draught of water (2ft. 3in.) drawn by the steam launch enabled us,. to proceed up the river under easy steam {101b. pressure), meeting with many sharp bends in the river, passing innumerable snags, large logs of timber, and rapids ; arriving at the Wairoa Bridge at 2.30 p.m.” ( PORT OF AUCKLAND. THE TRIP OF THE STEAM LAUNCH FAIRY Daily Southern Cross 10/04/1871: p.2) 

The era of early coastal steamers and no less those of Thames saw many changes of steamer owners and companies. Competition was strong and those early years 1867 to 1881 saw just as in gold mining, takeovers, amalgamations and new companies formed. Shipbuilders such as Messrs Niccol and sons, formerly builders of sailing vessels, moved into building and refitting steamers also. Another was Messrs Duthie and Ross. Their reputation became renowned for the fine vessels built and their ability and vision to readapt to “the new fangled” steamers.

Navigational Aids for a busy Coastal Traffic Route 

With the Thames coastal traffic busy, 1870 saw the announcement of two new lighthouses to begin – both on the Thames Coastal run. The Daily Southern Cross wrote

 “Some eighteen months ago the late Mr. Balfour, whose untimely death was a severe loss to the colony, inquired into the practicability of placing a lighthouse upon the Bean Rocks, and another at  the Sandspit, in the Ponui Passage, and from that time until September last a considerable amount of correspondence passed on the subject between the late Marine Engineer and the  Government. These steps resulted in orders being sent to Messrs, Stevenson, Engineers Commissioners of the Northern Lights, Scotland, for the necessary apparatus for two lighthouses. It was understood that Mr. Balfour had commenced the designs for the towers, but after his death no drawings were found amongst his papers, and it therfore devolved upon the  Government to select some engineer competent to supply the necessary plans of the towers, in readiness for the lighthouse apparatus, which had been ordered His Honor the present Superintendent made choice of Mr. James Stewart Civil Engineer and Inspector of Steamboats (PROPOSED LIGHTHOUSES AT BEAN ROCK AND THE SANDSPIT Da 21/07/1870: p 2) 

Construction of both of what is known as wave-washed lighthouses, including the lighthouse at being screw pile, progressed. James Heron, a Shortland  builder successfully tendered for the construction of the lighthouse in Ponui Passage - £2,300 the highest received being £4.301.Both Bean Rock and  the lighthouse at Sandspit in the Ponui Passage were completed in 1871, Messrs Fraser  & Tinne having provided the ironwork. Both lighthouses were completed with a hexagonal shaped wooden tower which formed a cottage and storeroom for the Light house keeper.

Stewart was to write and read a paper to the Auckland Institute on the foundations of the lighthouse in Ponui Passage. (By J. Stewart, 1871) In this, he described the determining of a suitable site with Captain Burgess, Chief Harbour Master and screwing down the piles with the aid of a capstan and winch handles worked by four men.

One of the first lighthouse keepers at Ponui Passage lighthouse, or Sandspit as it sometimes was known, was Daniel Macfarlane. MacFarlane - in some records spelled McFarland or McFarlane – common variance with this surname) was followed by C.H.O. Robson as Principal Light house keeper.

In those days before automation, lighthouses were manned by Lighthouse Keepers. One of the responsibilities was to keep the lights going for what had become a busy route with “coasters” – steamers and sailing ships plying with cargo and passengers. 

The early years of operation of this lighthouse saw two collisions nearby – that of the cutter “Avon” with the steamer “Golden Crown” in December 1871 and in July 1877 the ketch “Adah” with the “Southern Cross”

From newspaper accounts in later years, it would appear that in November 1896, some damage was done to this lighthouse. Evidently the schooner Huon Belle, owned by J.J. Craig was reported to have run aground against the lighthouse causing damage to two of the iron piles and the lamp glasses. 

 According to New Zealand Lighthouse, the lighthouse at Sandspit in the Ponui Passage became automated in 1915 or 1916, ending the era of light house keepers here. In 1938 the wooden cottage was moved to Ponui Island nearby.  Today in 2010 it is a different vessel navigating the route – yachts and fishing boats - no longer the schooners, steamers of those early days of Thames Goldfields. 

Reference Source:

• Cyclopaedia NZ, Auckland Province, 1902
• Lawson,Will.Steam in the Southern Pacific. Wellington, N.Z.: Gordon & Gotch, 1909. also on website http://www.archive.org/details/steaminsouthernp00lawsuoft accessed 26/05/2010 
• Weston, Fred (compiler). Jubilee Souvenir –Thames Goldfields-A History From Proclamation Times To 1927. Thames: “ Thames Star”, July ,1927. 
•  NZ Gazette 1871 -service & salary
• Achives NZ BBAO 5544 172  868/324a
• By J. STEWART, Assoc.Inst.C.E. “ART. XI.—A Description of the Foundation of the Lighthouse in the Ponui Passage.” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute, from Volume 4. 1871 , pp 135 - 138 : also on website http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_04/rsnz_04_00_000770.html accessed 27/05/2010 
• By Jas Stewart C.E. “ Art. I.—Presidential Address.,.” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute, , from Volume 34, 1901: also on website http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_34/rsnz_34_00_000490.html.accessed 27/05/201
•  By William Lodder. “Art. XVII.—On Compound Engines.” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute, Volume 5, 1872., pp 144 - 150 also on website http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_05/rsnz_05_00_000740.html accessed 27/05/2010
• Archives NZ, ACFM 8180 46 870/76
• ArchAJHR 1872, Section G30, p 14ives NZ, BBAO 5544 24a 1879/414
• AJHR 1878, Section H12, p 26
• Otago Daily Witness 26/09/1868: p 5
• Daily Southern Cross, 4/09/1863: p4
• Page 1 Advertisements Column 2 Daily Southern Cross, 12 /03/ 1873: p 1
• Star, 12/05/1881:p.3
• PORT OF AUCKLAND. THE TRIP OF THE STEAM LAUNCH FAIRY Daily Southern Cross 10/04/1871: p.2
• PROPOSED LIGHTHOUSES AT BEAN ROCK AND THE SANDSPIT Da 21/07/1870: p 2
• Daily Southern Cross 13/08/1870