RETIREMENT FROM SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23002, 1 April 1938, Page 11

RETIREMENT FROM SEA

CAPTAIN A. W. McKELLAR REMARKABLE CAREER RANGITANE'S NEW COMMANDER [BY TELEGRAPH' —OWN* CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Thursday When the New Zealand Shipping Company's motor-liner Rangitane arrives at Wellington from London next Wednesday, a familiar figure will bo missing from her bridge, Her late commander, Captain A. W. McKellar, R.D., R.N.R. (ret.), who lias been in charge of the Rangitane during tho eight years she has been trading to New Zealand, has retired from the sea, and Captain H. L. Upton, D.5.0., R.D., R.N.1?., formerly of the Durham, has succeeded him in command of the ship.

Captain McKellar, who was the senior commander in tho service of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Limited, and who is widely known and esteemed in New Zealand, has had a remarkable career of considerably more than half a' century at sea, of which 32 years were spent in command of the company's ships. During that long period he has made more than 100 voyages round the world in the LondonNew Zealand trade, in which ho has spent the whole of his sea-going career and in which he has travelled more than 2,500,000 miles. Captain McKellar, who was born in New Zealand, served his apprenticeship in the New Zealand Shipping Company's sailing ship Opawa, in which ho first went to sea in 1887. His first command was the first Kaipara, in which he succeeded tho late Captain H. C. Kiddle in 100 G. Since then Captain McKellar has been in command of tho Kaikoura, Ruapehu and Remuera, and was appointed commander of the Rangitanc at tho end of 1929, when tho vessel made her maiden voyage to New Zealand.

Captain TJpton, who is now in command of the Jlangitane, bus been many years in the service of the New Zealand Shipping Company and its associate, tho Federal Steam Navigation Company. At present ho is one of 19 officers holding the rank of captain on tho active list of tho Royal Naval .Reserve, ranking tenth in order of seniority, which, in his case, dates from December 31, 1934. Captain Upton was in command of the Durham from 1931 until tho beginning of this year.