![[Canterbury Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~c460.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Last modified: 2013-06-22 by ian macdonald
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image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Canterbury Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. Formed 1904 it came under control of the
Union Steam Ship Co. of N.Z. Ltd. the following year but traded under its own
name until1969 when it was absorbed. The flag was white with a red saltire and
letters "CSSC" being shown by Sea Breezes 6/1979, The Log 11/1988 and
Talbot-Booth's
Merchant Ships 1949.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Circular Saw Line Houseflag according to 1966 Encyclopedia of New Zealand
![[ Circular Saw Line Houseflag according to 1966 Encyclopedia of New Zealand ]](../images/n/nz~csl1.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 1 May 2009
Circular Saw Line Houseflag according to Anthony Flude's history, possibly the version used by Henderson Macfarlane Ltd
![[ Circular Saw Line Houseflag according to A. Flude's history, possibly used by Henderson Macfarlane Ltd ]](../images/n/nz~csl2.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 1 May 2009
From the chapter on shipping company flags in the 1966 Encyclopedia of New Zealand (situated here):
A version of [the flag of the "Circular Saw" Line], with the saw teeth pointing in the reverse direction, is now used by Henderson and Macfarlane Ltd., of Auckland.Jan Mertens, 17 November 2005
Founded in 1845 by Thomas Henderson and his brothers-in-law Henry, John, and Thomas, mill owners near Auckland who operated a few ships for trade. The remarkable house flag, white bearing a blue circular saw, originated from a whitty remark reported by A.G. Flude:
“The brigantine SPENCER was bought by the company in 1852. It was the mate of this vessel who gave the company the idea for their 'house flag.' A bright man with many years at sea, the mate asked Mr. Henderson why the company had no flag. As there was a large consignment of kauri timber aboard from Henderson's Mill which was headed for San Francisco, Thomas jokingly replied, "Oh! Anything you like, I suppose. How about a Circular Saw, for instance". Within a few days a blue circular saw on a white background, appeared painted on the bow of the brigantine's gig. Thomas was impressed with the mates handiwork and decided that this would become the company house flag, to be flown from the masthead of all his sailing ships and in later years to be painted on the funnels of his steamers.”
More ships would be bought – up to thirty-five - as they were necessary to support the New Zealand government during the Maori Land Wars. From then on the company expanded to the Pacific trade, occasionally occupying islands which in due course would become British. The advent of steam shipping led to the firm’s selling many vessels and although at least one steamer was operated all shipping activity had ended by 1914. The shipping agency business would continue for many years however.
Various on-line sources; the most extensive is the long article by Anthony G.
Flude, Henderson and Macfarlane’s Circular Saw Line’.
Jan Mertens, 27 March 2009
Henderson & Macfarlane appears to date as a partnership from 1842 commencing
as hoteliers. 1845 saw a change of Macfarlanes and they entered into shipping in
1847 commencing the Circular Saw Line in 1852 but by 1903 were agents only. The
company went public in 1914 and then in 1938 was taken over by Burns, Philp &
Co. and it eventually became a paper company until struck off in 1997. The
history of the company in "The Circular Saw Shipping Line" by Anthony G. Flude
1993 shows the flag with the saw points curving to the fly at the top. The Log
of 8/1991 solved the problem by having very small points, hardly discernible and
apparently not curved. Sea Breezes 6/1969 reverses the direction of the teeth
but omits a central hole to the saw. There are a couple of ship paintings which
may throw some light on the matter though whether they would be accurate is
another story. The online views are not sufficiently large to tell how the teeth
are shown. I am not sure whether it is possible to determine the exact
portrayal. It all depends on what Flude based his image and as his book on the
parent company displays a red saw on the cover with the teeth the "other way"
and pointing to the viewers left on the top as opposed to his shipping company
image, maybe nobody any longer knows. The following quote comes from the book on
the company: The idea of the flag came from the mate of the "Spencer" – "A
bright man with many years at sea, the mate asked Mr. Henderson why the company
had no flag. As there was a large consignment of kauri timber aboard from
Henderson's Mill which was headed for San Francisco, Thomas jokingly replied,
"Oh! Anything you like, I suppose. How about a Circular Saw, for instance".
Within a few days a blue circular saw on a white background, appeared painted on
the bow of the brigantine's gig. Thomas was impressed with the mates handiwork
and decided that this would become the company house flag, to be flown from the
masthead of all his sailing ships and in later years to be painted on the
funnels of his steamers"
Neale Rosanoski, 18 August 2010
![[Coastal Steam Ship Co.]](../images/n/nz~c1081.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Coastal Steam Ship Co. Formed in 1898 and it was reconstituted in 1905 as the
Settlers' Steam Ship Co. Ltd. The original flag from The Log 8/1997 and Sea
Breezes 6/1979 was blue with a white star in the middle of the white letters "CSSCo"but
after its renaming there was no flag according to Sea Breezes.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[Coastal Tankers Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~c1183.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Coastal Tankers Ltd. Formed in 1994 to operate the coastal tankers of the New
Zealand Oil Consortium, the flag details as provided by a drawing from the
master of the "Kuaka" 6/1995 were for of a white flag with a narrow black
vertical band comprising the hoist and on the white a design comprising a panel
of the black funnel bearing a white fern and below this a teal blue baton above
a black baton separated from each other by the white field and which equate to
the funnel bands, whilst on either side of the panel are teal blue triangular
panels with that to hoist touching the panel but there being a gap of field
between the panel and the fly triangular panel. This is very close to the image
shown by The Log 11/1996 except it has both of the teal panels touching the
central black one. The "funnel" part of the emblem is clear but not the meaning
of the teal triangular panels. A possibility is it represents the tankers
sailing between the two main islands.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[Coastal Tankers Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~c987.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
It seems that there was a subsequent change as in 6/1998 I photographed the
"Kotuku" flag and it appears that the emblem was made narrower and placed
towards hoist thus leaving an area of fly available for wear and tear looking to
be in the region of half the flag which seems to have retained its rectangular
2x3 size. However it also did differ from that drawn in 1995 with the "triangle"
in the hoist no longer shown touching the funnel panel with a strip of white
field separating them being clearly visible. The company was liquidated in 2008
and its functions were taken over by Silver Fern Shipping Ltd. who started off
as a subsidiary of Coastal Tankers but later became their owners. The funnel
markings have remained unchanged so the flag may still fly.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[J.J. Craig Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~c144.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
J.J. Craig Ltd. Merchants from 1885 who also moved into ship-owning,
originally in sail for which Lloyds 1904 and 1912 and Sea Breezes 6/1979 show a
blue flag with a broad white border and the white legend "CRAIG".
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[J.J. Craig Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~c100.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
In 1910 they moved into steam adopting a blue and yellow vertical
biband as sourced from Sea Breezes and The Log 8/1991 with the latter pointing
out that it was the reversal of the International Code Flag K though there does
not seem to be any point to this comment. The company's shipping later reduced
to a few launches and then presumably these too went. It was taken over in 1942
as merchants.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[Devonport Steam Ferry. Co. Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~d349.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Devonport Steam Ferry. Co. Ltd. Formed in 1881 it operated until about 1959
when driven out of business by the building of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
According to The Log 2/1987 the flag was red with a blue cross edged yellow and
then fimbriated white [the blue is wider than the yellow] with the white letters
"DSFCo" but Sea Breezes 6/1979 shows the letters as "DSFC" in plain format.
Possibly there was a change but the answer may be a combination of letter font
and the latter "DSFC" [see image] which is
based on the image of an actual flag shown for auction in 2007.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[T. Eckford & Co. Ltd. ]](../images/n/nz~e273.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
T. Eckford & Co. Ltd. Operated 1881-1965 with the flag being white with a red
saltire between the black letters "TA&Co" from Sea Breezes 6/1979.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[Fifeshire Fishing Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~f313.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Fifeshire Fishing Ltd. Name change from Fletching Fishing Ltd. when it was
acquired in 1990 with its unchanged initials given by The Log 11/1990 for
it retaining the previous livery. It changed name again in 1993 and seems to
have only operated as managers for two trawlers which were included in the
purchase. Not personally sighted as being flown during this period.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
![[Fletcher Fishing Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~f117.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
Fletcher Fishing Ltd. Operated as such 1980-1990 when sold and used a white
flag with a blue panel within a blue orle bearing a white "ff" logo being
sighted 21.4.1990 being flown by the "Otago Bucaneer".
Neale Rosanoski,
3 November 2010
![[A.G. Frankham Ltd.]](../images/n/nz~f44.gif)
image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010
A.G. Frankham Ltd. Formed in 1920 they also were a coastal shipowner from
around 1924 to 1969 with a blue flag having a red "F" within a red ring. Still
operating as a building designer there is no indication that the flag is still
used or even the design as a logo.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November
2010
