Complex sentence: It was shipped to Wellington for assembly in sections there, fitted with a locally made engine, named "Ellen Ballance", and went into service about 1884 with army engineers, who gained Engineer Corp status in May 1887.
Split into simpler sentences: It was shipped to Wellington for assembly in sections, fitted with a locally made engine, named "Ellen Ballance", and went into service about 1884. She was put under the responsibility of army engineers, who gained Engineer Corp status in May 1887.