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The Inter-island Ferry "Arahura" departing Westport.1920`s
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DescriptionGraham Ferguson The Arahura was built in 1905 for the Union Co,s passenger service between Wellington, Nelson, Westport and Greymouth, she was on this service for 20 years. But was also employed on other short sea passenger services, before being sold to the Anchor Co of Nelson, who ran her on their Nelson to Wellington service until being laid up in Wellington in 1949. Later sunk off Baring Head by the RNZAF on the 24/1/52. Perhaps she was used on the Cook Strait service, when they refer to as being employed on other short sea services, this above view of her is no doubt a postcard printed when she was in service with the Union Co 1905 to 1925.Date of Photo1920`sMap[1] ContributorZody Ensor
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Location (city or town)WestportOrganisation (eg business)ArahuraThe Inter-island Ferry "Arahura"EventThe Inter-island Ferry "Arahura" departing Westport.1920`s
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Category TagShipping
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Linkhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?.....3078216666&type=1&theaterCommentsMargaret Elaine Sadler Wonder why it was berth in Westport? any idea Graham Ferguson ? also what year approx?
Nora Mcquarrie WOW!!!!! Waiting for reply plz??
10 November 2014 at 17:24 · Like · 1
Zody Ensor My guess is these types of ferrys went between both islands frequently. Westport is just one of the stops. Ptetty sure I have seen pics of it in Greymouth too.
Graham Ferguson The Arahura was built in 1905 for the Union Co,s passenger service between Wellington, Nelson, Westport and Greymouth, she was on this service for 20 years. But was also employed on other short sea passenger services, before being sold to the Anchor Co of Nelson, who ran her on their Nelson to Wellington service until being laid up in Wellington in 1949. Later sunk off Baring Head by the RNZAF on the 24/1/52. Perhaps she was used on the Cook Strait service, when they refer to as being employed on other short sea services, this above view of her is no doubt a postcard printed when she was in service with the Union Co 1905 to 1925.
10 November 2014 at 17:36 · Like · 4
Nina Townsend Westport was a deep sea port as i recall
Zody Ensor One of the modern inter islander ferry is named Arahura too
Graham Ferguson Westport Harbour can handle ships up to 430 ft in length, Greymouth can handle ships up to 350 ft in length, the longest to date were the Union Power, Pusan, Inchon and the Daisei, they were 338ft 6in in length.
Roger Howell I remember the Inchon coming in to Greymouth for coal in about 1962 or thereabouts. Many transistor radios found there way here on that vessel.
William Albert Whitehead Heading for Nelson ?
Evelyn Hampton What a great photo, I have just found rels who lived in Greymouth and travelled on that regularly
Graham Ferguson INCHON. Roa coal for Japan. First arrival 17th May 1960, 22nd August, 10th November, Dep for Nelson 17th Nov, to load further cargo, 20th of January 1961, 30th April 1961.
Roger Howell Hey Graham how do you know all this with so much accuracy? Unbelievable. The Inchon introduced us hairy legged schoolboys to an distant exotic world we could only dream about!
Graham Ferguson Good morning Roger, i have always had an interest in Shipping, which goes away back to late 1959, i can remember when the Holmglen was lost with all hands off the Timaru Coast in November 1959. I followed the search on the radio listening to all the reports, it really all started from there. Over the years i have collected information as well as keeping records i have a large book collection which has built up over the years, photographs scrap books etc. On one of my many trips to Nelson i found a large collection of the old Auckland Weekly News, they were a bonanza for shipping photographs in the middle pages, Anyway i said to the shop owner can i look through these he said go for it, i found stacks of material, so got all i wanted for a good price, they are now all filed in a large scrap book which took me three months to complete. I purchased an ownership flat in 2010, and i had to fit two bookcases, they are now overflowing, will have to put in a third one. And i am very lucky to have a large list of arrivals and departures from the Grey Harbour Board records, some i have compiled myself, some i have had passed onto me. And just as a point of interest my late grandfather William Ferguson, came out to NZ from Scotland Glasgow in fact, in 1903 as a crew member on the Westport dredge Rubi Seddon, she was on her delivery voyage. If you have ever been to Coaltown in Westport there is a builders model of her in there. I use to make six trips a year to Nelson, plus six to Lyttelton when you were able to get onto the wharves no trouble, it was good for camera work. but sadly thats all gone now, with everything locked up. But as far as Nelson is concerned, you can still get around it, by using the Heights, or late afternoon you can work it by moving along the Rocks Road, to avoid the looking directly into the sun.Another point to in this shipping business its an advantage to know the right people, like everything else, i have made a lot of good contacts over the years with people who have the same interest. And i am a member of several Shipping Groups. The NZ Ship & Marine Society, the World Ship Society based in the UK, and the Nautical Association of Aust, plus i am a member of the Napier Branch of the NZ Society we recieve Newsletters and Journals during the year So you have to keep up with everything always a lot happening in the Shipping Industry.
Margaret Elaine Sadler Great History you have gathered over the years Graham Ferguson do you like where the new Coal town is in Westport now?
Jakh Heremia no wonder they are having trouble with the Ferry - (tongue in cheek)
Graham Ferguson Haven,t seen Coaltown since it shifted Margaret, but will check it out next time in Westport.
Roger Howell Thanks Graham. My only real experience with shipping was travelling Wellington to Southhampton April 1971 on the Chandris lines "Ellinis". Great trip. I wonder what ever happened to this vessel?
Brent Tunnage Roger Howell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandris_Line
Graham Ferguson Hi Roger, you asked about the Ellinis, here are some details for you and her ultimate fate. She was built in 1932 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp Massachusetts for the Matson Line,s San Francisco to Honolulu service.became an American troopship in 1941. returned to Matson Line in 1946. Purchased in 1963 by Chandris Line and registered under the Greek flag, now named Ellinis she was placed in the round-the -world service, after an extensive refit. She was devoted entirely to cruising in 1975. 1980 laid up.scrapped in Taiwan in 1986.Chandris liked to buy big, well-built American Liners into which they could construct accommodation for large numbers of passengers.
Nora Mcquarrie WOW!!!!! Waiting for reply plz??
10 November 2014 at 17:24 · Like · 1
Zody Ensor My guess is these types of ferrys went between both islands frequently. Westport is just one of the stops. Ptetty sure I have seen pics of it in Greymouth too.
Graham Ferguson The Arahura was built in 1905 for the Union Co,s passenger service between Wellington, Nelson, Westport and Greymouth, she was on this service for 20 years. But was also employed on other short sea passenger services, before being sold to the Anchor Co of Nelson, who ran her on their Nelson to Wellington service until being laid up in Wellington in 1949. Later sunk off Baring Head by the RNZAF on the 24/1/52. Perhaps she was used on the Cook Strait service, when they refer to as being employed on other short sea services, this above view of her is no doubt a postcard printed when she was in service with the Union Co 1905 to 1925.
10 November 2014 at 17:36 · Like · 4
Nina Townsend Westport was a deep sea port as i recall
Zody Ensor One of the modern inter islander ferry is named Arahura too
Graham Ferguson Westport Harbour can handle ships up to 430 ft in length, Greymouth can handle ships up to 350 ft in length, the longest to date were the Union Power, Pusan, Inchon and the Daisei, they were 338ft 6in in length.
Roger Howell I remember the Inchon coming in to Greymouth for coal in about 1962 or thereabouts. Many transistor radios found there way here on that vessel.
William Albert Whitehead Heading for Nelson ?
Evelyn Hampton What a great photo, I have just found rels who lived in Greymouth and travelled on that regularly
Graham Ferguson INCHON. Roa coal for Japan. First arrival 17th May 1960, 22nd August, 10th November, Dep for Nelson 17th Nov, to load further cargo, 20th of January 1961, 30th April 1961.
Roger Howell Hey Graham how do you know all this with so much accuracy? Unbelievable. The Inchon introduced us hairy legged schoolboys to an distant exotic world we could only dream about!
Graham Ferguson Good morning Roger, i have always had an interest in Shipping, which goes away back to late 1959, i can remember when the Holmglen was lost with all hands off the Timaru Coast in November 1959. I followed the search on the radio listening to all the reports, it really all started from there. Over the years i have collected information as well as keeping records i have a large book collection which has built up over the years, photographs scrap books etc. On one of my many trips to Nelson i found a large collection of the old Auckland Weekly News, they were a bonanza for shipping photographs in the middle pages, Anyway i said to the shop owner can i look through these he said go for it, i found stacks of material, so got all i wanted for a good price, they are now all filed in a large scrap book which took me three months to complete. I purchased an ownership flat in 2010, and i had to fit two bookcases, they are now overflowing, will have to put in a third one. And i am very lucky to have a large list of arrivals and departures from the Grey Harbour Board records, some i have compiled myself, some i have had passed onto me. And just as a point of interest my late grandfather William Ferguson, came out to NZ from Scotland Glasgow in fact, in 1903 as a crew member on the Westport dredge Rubi Seddon, she was on her delivery voyage. If you have ever been to Coaltown in Westport there is a builders model of her in there. I use to make six trips a year to Nelson, plus six to Lyttelton when you were able to get onto the wharves no trouble, it was good for camera work. but sadly thats all gone now, with everything locked up. But as far as Nelson is concerned, you can still get around it, by using the Heights, or late afternoon you can work it by moving along the Rocks Road, to avoid the looking directly into the sun.Another point to in this shipping business its an advantage to know the right people, like everything else, i have made a lot of good contacts over the years with people who have the same interest. And i am a member of several Shipping Groups. The NZ Ship & Marine Society, the World Ship Society based in the UK, and the Nautical Association of Aust, plus i am a member of the Napier Branch of the NZ Society we recieve Newsletters and Journals during the year So you have to keep up with everything always a lot happening in the Shipping Industry.
Margaret Elaine Sadler Great History you have gathered over the years Graham Ferguson do you like where the new Coal town is in Westport now?
Jakh Heremia no wonder they are having trouble with the Ferry - (tongue in cheek)
Graham Ferguson Haven,t seen Coaltown since it shifted Margaret, but will check it out next time in Westport.
Roger Howell Thanks Graham. My only real experience with shipping was travelling Wellington to Southhampton April 1971 on the Chandris lines "Ellinis". Great trip. I wonder what ever happened to this vessel?
Brent Tunnage Roger Howell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandris_Line
Graham Ferguson Hi Roger, you asked about the Ellinis, here are some details for you and her ultimate fate. She was built in 1932 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp Massachusetts for the Matson Line,s San Francisco to Honolulu service.became an American troopship in 1941. returned to Matson Line in 1946. Purchased in 1963 by Chandris Line and registered under the Greek flag, now named Ellinis she was placed in the round-the -world service, after an extensive refit. She was devoted entirely to cruising in 1975. 1980 laid up.scrapped in Taiwan in 1986.Chandris liked to buy big, well-built American Liners into which they could construct accommodation for large numbers of passengers.
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West Coast New Zealand History (11th Jul 2022). The Inter-island Ferry "Arahura" departing Westport.1920`s. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 4th Apr 2026 09:03, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2038