HISTORIC RELIC

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 202, 23 May 1936, Page 10

HISTORIC RELIC

Ship’s Bell of the First Monowai TRANSPORT IN TWO WARS An interesting relic which is to find a permanent resting place in the Dominion Museum is Hie ship’s bell of the first Monowai, which for many years was well-known in the intercolonial and New Zealand coastal trades, and which was one of tlie first transports to leave the Dominion with troops for active service overseas.

Tlie -Monowai was a siugm-serew steamer of 3433 tons gross register, 330 feet in length and 42 feet iu breadth, .-mil was built for Hie Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., in 189(1, by AV. Denny and Brothers at Dumbarton, on the Clyde. She was employed for several years in tlie San Francisco mail service and subsequently in the intercolonial and New Zealand coastal trades. The Monowai was one of the four transports which carried the 1060 officers and men of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents from New Zealand to South Africa during the war of 18991902. The Alonowai sailed from New Zealand in Alarcli, 1900, the other ships being the AValmate (New Zealand Shipping Co.), Alaori (Shaw, Savill and Albion Co.), and the Gymerie. The • Alonowai, when in the intercolonial trade in 1907, broke her rudder and was adrift for some time before she was picked up by the Alokoia and towed into Sydney. A few days after the outbreak of the Great War tlie Alonowai and the Aloerukl were requisitioned as transports to carry tlie Advance Expeditionary Force from New Zealand to Samoa. The Alonowai, commanded by Captain 11. 11. Williams, and the Moeraki, commanded by the late Captain D. Alaclean, left Wellington on August 15,1914, carrying a total of 1413 rank and file. Off the coast the transports were joined by H.AI. ships Psyche, Philomel and Pyramus, which escorted them to Noumea, New Caledonia, where the French cruiser, Montcalm, was lying Next day lI.M. Australian ships Australia and Melbourne arrived, and, after coaling, the combined force of six warships and two transports departed for Suva, where they arrived on August 26. Three days later the ships arrived off Apia, Samoa, where the troops were disembarked on Sunday, August 30. tlie British flag was formally hoisted and the British occupation proclaimed. After her return to New Zealand the Alonowai resumed her trading for several years. Shortly after the war the ship was sold by the Union Steam Ship Company to the Gisborne Harbour Board which sank her for use as a breakwater in connection witli its harbour works. The ship’s bell has now been presented to the Samoan Committee, a small local organisation of exmembers of the occupation force, who intend to hand it over for preservation as an historic relic in the Dominion Museum.