New names, colours for N.Z. ships

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33447, 31 January 1974, Page 2

New names, colours for N.Z. ships

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 30.

"New Zealand One” was not a permanent name for the New Zealand Shipping Corporation’s first overseas trading ship, the chairman of the corporation (Sir John Ormond) said in an interview todav.

“You see, we don’t even really own it yet,” he said. “We have to pay for it, and register it and such like.”

The new name for New Zealand One, the former Shaw Savill refrigerated ship Britannic, will be announced at a special ceremony by the Prime Minister’s wife, Mrs Ruth Kirk, in Auckland on February 14. At the ceremony the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) will announce the corporation’s plans, and Sir John Ormond will announce the general policy of the corporation on trading services involving New Zealand.

The two overseas traders that the corporation is buying, the 9067-ton Britannic and another former Shaw Savill ship, the 12,591-ton Majestic, will be run by the New Zealand Line, a subsidiary of the corporation. The new colours and house flag of the corporation are “outstanding,” according to Sir John Ormond.

They were designed by a commercial artist, assisted by Sir John Ormond, members of the corporation’s board, and the office secretary.

The hull is two-tone, the lower half dark brown and the upper half teak. Written across the side in white will be the words, “New Zealand Line.” The funnel will be four coloured, in bands of dark brown, white, blue, off white, and rescue orange. The letters "N.Z.L.” will

be written on the orange band. Sir John Ormond said he had not decided on a bow crest for the corporation, but he felt "something along the lines” of the Commonwealth Games symbol would be good. The house flag is the same blue as the New Zealand flag, with the four stars of the Southern Cross in the first half and the letters “N.Z.L.” in orange in the second half. Sir John Ormond said he was very happy with the progress of the corporation. The “main trade,” New Zealand to Britain, was still the corporation’s priority, he said, as that was where the money was. He would not comment on a suggestion that the corporation might enter a joint agreement with Associated Container Transportation, Limited, charterer of the big new P and 0 refrigerated container ship Remuera. The 41,000 ton Remuera, the world’s largest and fastest refrigerated ship, is due in Wellington on Friday on

its maiden voyage from England. Sir John Ormond said it was too early to consider a joint working plan with A.C.T. The general manager of P and 0 (N.Z.), Ltd (Mr A. George) would not comment on the suggestion.