page_title: Northern Steamship Company
section_title: Decline
hierarchical_section_title: Northern Steamship Company / Decline
caption_attribution_description: English: Photographs of Northland. Ref: 1/1-004930-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23144462
context_page_description: The Northern Steam Ship Company Ltd served the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand from 1881 to 1974. Its headquarters, the Northern Steam Ship Company Building, remains in use on Quay St, Auckland as a bar.
context_section_description: NSS gradually succumbed to rail and road competition.
  When the NIMT opened in 1908 between Auckland and Wellington, New Plymouth passenger traffic dropped. NSS and Union Steam Ship agreed there wasn't enough traffic for two steamers and formed a joint service. In 1925 opening of the railway to Whangarei cut passenger traffic and required reductions of fares and freight rates. and the Onerahi passenger service ended on 24 September 1926. The completion of the railway to Tauranga in 1927 brought about an end to trains connecting with the steamer, complaints of undercutting and an end to the passenger service on 2 April 1929. The Onehunga-New Plymouth passenger service closed on 3 May 1930, a few years after a bus service had started on the upgraded SH3. Rail competition was also cited as the reason to end the passenger service to Russell in 1931. In 1932 dairy company shareholders at Whakatane responded to a threat to close the railway by instructing the company to transfer its freight from NSS to the railway. The 70 mi (110 km) Auckland-Paeroa passenger service lasted until 1937. In 1937 passenger services still ran to Algies, Coromandel, Great Barrier, Matakana, Mahurangi, One Tree Point, Waiheke, Warkworth and Whangarei. In 1938 SS Kawau was advertised as running summer weekend excusions to Waiheke. By 1939 the only remaining passenger steamer was Hauiti.
  Auckland registered ships dropped from 226 in 1904 to 55 in 1944 and their tonnage from 20,546 to 5,627. In 1902 NSS had 28 ships totalling 6000 tons and costing an average of £34 per ton.
caption: Apanui on the Awanui River, Northland - passenger service closed May 1931[42] Alexander Turnbull Library
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