Anchor Shipping And Foundry Company

The Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company linked Nelson with other parts of New Zealand from 1870 to 1974. The company's former office remains on the quay at Nelson, as do steps of their foundry, which built one of their ships, repaired their fleet and made other machinery.

Nathaniel Edwards and Company 1862–70

Anchor had its origins on 5 February 1857, when Nathaniel Edwards and George Bennett formed a partnership as Nathaniel Edwards and Company, to take over the Nelson merchants, Alfred Fell & Co. By 1860 they had become shipping agents. On 3 November 1862 another merchant, John Symons, joined N. Edwards & Co., which had just bought the paddle steamer ''Lyttelton'' in October 1862. She replaced the ''Tasmanian Maid'', when on 11 November 1862 she made her first voyage from Nelson to Blenheim, being the first steamship to reach Blenheim town wharf, on the Ōpaoa River. Alexander Brown, her engineer, also joined the company. ''Lyttelton'' served Tasman and Golden Bay / Mohua ports, with occasional trips to Wellington. Paddle steamer ''Charles Edward'' was bought in 1863. In December 1864, at the start of the West Coast gold rush, Wallabi was bought from Australia, to serve Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika. In 1865 ''Kennedy'' also came from Australia, adding occasional trips to Taranaki for cattle. Paddle steamer ''Nelson'' was added in 1866. In 1866 Edwards sold his shares to his partners, though he retained the shipping department. A workshop near N. Edwards & Co bulk store at Matangi Awhio/ Auckland Point was created.

Anchor Line of Steam Packets 1870–1974

By 1870 John Symons had become the sole owner of both the merchant and shipping departments of Nathaniel Edwards & Co and, in August 1870, changed the name of the latter to Anchor Line of Steam Packets, with a new pennant, featuring an anchor, designed by artist, William Cock.

Symons retired in 1878. In December 1880 a partnership was formed under the name Anchor Steam Shipping Company which purchased Anchor's 5 ships, the foundry and Albion Wharf. Forming the partnership were John H Cock & Company (⅓), Sclanders and Company (⅓), P Donald (1/6), and Alexander Brown (1/6). During the 1880s economic depression the foundry remained profitable and Anchor ships continued to serve Nelson, Wellington, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Foxton, Patea, Onehunga and West Coast ports, with trips to Jackson Bay and the Marlborough Sounds on occasions.

Alexander Brown and family

Alexander Brown was born at Larkhall, Scotland, probably on 23 February 1830, to Ellen Graham and Thomas Brown, a blacksmith. From 1846 to 1854 he was an apprentice and then engineer at James Gray & Company shipyard. In 1855 he joined Scott Russell's shipyard at Millwall, as an engineer building the ''Great Eastern''. In 1855 he went to the Crimea as 2nd engineer of the transport ''Pioneer'', but returned to Millwall for the launch of the ''Great Eastern'' in 1858. He helped build the ''Lyttelton'' and steamed with her to New Zealand, leaving England on 18 August 1859; it was intended that he remain in the colony for a year to fit out and then work on her. The wages offered were very attractive: £10 a month for the journey and £20 a month while in New Zealand. On arrival Alexander Brown refitted the ''Lyttelton'' as a paddle-steamer, visiting Lyttelton and then Dunedin. During the 1861 goldrush, she took passengers from Dunedin to Taieri. N Edwards & Co purchased the ship in 1862 and used it to trade between Nelson and Blenheim. Brown joined the new owners as chief engineer. In 1866 he accepted a shore appointment in Nelson to supervise repairs and alterations to the company's ships, the start of Anchor Foundry. In 1873 the foundry moved to a new port site. He was also engineer on the ''Wallabi'' and ''Kennedy'' until 1866. In 1880 Alexander Brown became a major shareholder in the Anchor Steam Shipping Co, which purchased the shipping and foundry assets from the estate of John Symonds. Brown continued as the Anchor Foundry Manager and in 1901 was appointed a Director and Consulting Engineer to the Anchor Shipping & Foundry Company. He visited the foundry daily until a few weeks before his death. His wife, Isabella Brown, died on 9 October 1904. They married in Nelson on 3 August 1868. Although his obituaries, published on 25 January 1913, say he died the day before, following a period of ill health, his death certificate says he died on 22 January. His children were Thomas, John, Irvine, Mrs R. Ward, of Christchurch and Agnes Isabella Ambridge (died 3 July 1943).

His sons and grandsons were apprentices at the Anchor Foundry before qualifying as chief engineers. His eldest son, Thomas, was Foundry Manager from 1901 to 1921 and a company director until he died on 26 May 1943. Thomas Brown, a director of the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co. Ltd, died at his home in Richardson street on 26 May 1943, aged 72. He was the eldest son of Alexander Brown and served his engineering apprenticeship in the Anchor foundry and then proceeded to England for further experience. For some years he was an engineer in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, prior to succeeding his father as manager of the Anchor Company's foundry. He retired from that position in 1920 and then acted as consulting engineer to the company. In 1922 and again in 1926, in company with Mrs Brown, he visited England on the company's business. In 1922 he superintended the construction of the steamer Titoki on the Clyde, and when returning to New Zealand in 1926 he was a passenger on Aorangi on its maiden voyage. The late Mr Brown was appointed a director of Anchor when it became a limited liability company in March 1901 and he retained that position until his death. He married Helen McRitchie Simpson, who survives him.

John (Jack) Brown was an apprentice in the foundry and until he went to Glasgow for further training. He was 2nd Engineer on the Union's liner ''Moana'' on the Sydney-San Francisco service, until he returned, to Anchor as Chief Engineer for several years, including superintending construction of ''Alexander'' in 1902, the first Anchor steamer built in Britain, followed by ''Waimea'', ''Nikau'' and ''Kaitoa'' in 1909. Mr Brown on this occasion came out as Chief Engineer of the ''Kaitoa'' and on arrival here was transferred to the ''Waimea'' as Chief Engineer, continuing in that vessel until his retirement from the sea to work in the Foundry. He was a seagoing engineer and Assistant Foundry Manager from 1912 to 1915 when he retired for health reasons. John Wilson Brown, aged 59, died suddenly at 5am on 4 December 1930 at his home, Lark Hall, Richardson Street, Nelson. He was the second son of Alexander Brown and was educated as a marine engineer for Union. For a time he was a manager of Anchor. He was an invalid for several years. He left a widow and 4 daughters—Mrs W. J. Thompson, Mrs L. W. Field, Isabel and Eileen Brown. His sisters Mrs R. B. Ward, of Christchurch, and Mrs Andridge, of Rarotonga survived him.

Alexander Irvine Brown was a seagoing engineer and Superintending Engineer from 1915 until 1944. He remained a Director until his death in 1962. In 1929 their son Alex left Nelson to serve as engineer on various ships. In 1941 their second son, Ivan Graeme, married Joan Mabel Wallace, of Takapuna. In 1937 their daughter, Phyllis Maud, married Harold John Addis, of Auckland.

Thomas Alexander (Alex) Brown, the eldest son of Alexander Brown, like his father and uncles was an engineering apprentice at the Foundry, and was a seagoing engineer until his appointment as Assistant Superintending Engineer in 1938. He remained in this position until his death in 1963.

Anchor Shipping & Foundry Company 1900–1972

In 1900 the partnership was replaced by Anchor Shipping & Foundry Company, the main shareholders being John H Cock's son, Joseph Henry Cock, Alexander Brown and his 3 sons, A H Turnbull, and David Sclanders of London. By 1907 there was demand for a nightly passenger/cargo service between Wellington Nelson-Motueka, and a number of vessels were employed, the first being the Tasman, then Nikau and Kaitoa. Union said that, due to the extension of South Island railways, it was arranged on a friendly basis that Anchor would operate the Wellington-Nelson service and Union the Wellington-Picton service. In 1908 Union bought a 50% share in Anchor, using nominees to avoid publicity. From 1921 on, there was friendly co-operation with Union. In 1916 Anchor ran 6 days a week, serving Nelson, Motueka, and Wellington with the twin-screw steamers, ''Waverley'' 157 tons, ''Koi'' 136 tons, ''Nikau'' and ''Kaitoa'' 304 tons. In 1925 the Arahura was purchased from Union for the daily service until she was replaced by an Australian built vessel ''Mourilyan'' renamed ''Matangi'' in 1929. In the 1930s and 40s ''Matangi'' left Wellington Queens Wharf No.16 at 7.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and Arahura on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, a service begun in August 1909. ''Puriri'' was delivered in 1939, but, as a minesweeper, struck a mine in the Hauraki Gulf

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