New Zealand shipping statistics

Revised 14 January 2004

I have done a lot of work towards compiling summary tables of the published statistics of shipping arrivals and departures to/from various countries and to/from each NZ port to provide the context for the partial records that exist of individual ship movements between various countries and ports. I anticipate eventual publication of the result.

Detailed statistics were compiled on a calendar year basis from Customs records (in basic form from 1840 onward) and published in governmental reports. These documents are fairly readily in major NZ libraries but it is necessary to consult many volumes to build up lengthy time series other than the highly aggregated statistical totals included in official publications – a very time consuming process. My work will provide convenient access to less aggregated statistics likely to be useful for illustrating books and museum displays, for example graphs showing overseas and coastal ship arrivals and departures at Wellington broken down by sail and steam. These statistical tables will also provide control totals on compilations of ship arrivals and departures at specific ports.

NZ shipping statistics do not differentiate sail and steam until 1886 by which time steam was predominant. Australian statistics can be used to make this distinction for a major origin and destination of NZ shipping movements as most Australian colonies (the independent forerunners of the modern states) introduced the distinction between sail and steam a critical ten years earlier.

A number of compilations have been made of shipping arrivals and departures at individual ports, mostly but not only for genealogical purposes. I plan to add a list to this site and to assess their coverage against the known totals. Most work by genealogists concentrates on the arrivals but from the shipping point of view, the departures are just as significant. (Those familiar only with modern shipping practices will be staggered by how long 19^th century ships spent in port rather than on the high seas.)

Many passenger lists available from the mid 1880’s at Archives New Zealand also contain shipping arrival information.

Archives NZ also holds a substantial number of the Customs records that either duplicate or actually are the primary records of shipping movements from which the published statistical totals were compiled. I have access to information held in Auckland and Wellington but am interested in collaborating with people having ready access to the Christchurch and Dunedin branches.

To return to main Maritime menu click here