END OF FERRY SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1930, Page 10

END OF FERRY SERVICE

j\IEW PLYMOUTH-ONEHUNCA

ABANDONMENT: AFTER• 50 YEARS. . ROADS TAKING THE PASSENGERS, (By Wire--Special to News.) Auckland, Last Night, The mail and passenger service provided- by the Northern Steamship Company between Onehunga and New Plymouth for about 50 years is to be abandoned on May 3. The Ngapuhi is to make her last, trip from Qijchunga on Thursday, May I, and when she.returns to Onehunga from New Plymouth on the morning of "Saturday, May 3, the company will cease to carry passengers between the two ports. The Ngapuhi will be replaced on tne run by the motor vessel Hauturu, which will carrv cargo only and will make twotrips a week.-. She will commence the service on Monday, May 5, but after the initial trip she-will leave Onehunga tor. New Plymouth every Saturday and Wednesday. ■ The reason for withdrawing the passenger .-er.vice is .the decreasing number of people travelling, .b; steamer due principally to improved motor, transport betwee: Taranaki and Auckland. From the early days of the colony until about 21 yeai ago the west coast sea service was the main route for travellers proceeding from Auckland to Wellington. , Before, the Main Trunk line was built three passenger steamers were engaged regularly" in the' Onehunga west coast service.- The Northern Steamship Company had one steamer which made thice trips a. week but . proceeded .only as far as New Plymouth and the Company had two steamers which called at New Plymouth and then proceeded to Nelson and Wellington. After the Main Trunk line was opened 21 years ago the Union Company withdrew but arrangements were made for the Rarawa to continue in the service in the interest of both companies. Increased usfe of motor -transport has been affecting the west coast passengei service for some years.- The Rarawa proved too large for the diminishing number of sea travellers and at the end of last May she was brought to Auckland and was replaced by the Ngapuhi. The Onchunga-N r w Plymouth run is the third passenger service to be abandoned by the Northern company in three and a-half years and the Ngapuhi has been the last steamer engaged; in each service abandoned. ... . ~ , _ Prominent in the .Northern Company s Onehunga-New Plymouth passenger service during the last 27 years were. Captain N\ F. Norbury and Captain W. Bark. Captain Norbury. was .master, of the Rarawa from the time she wentjntq the service in 1903 until he was- relieved in 1914 by Captain Bark, who has continued in the se _ ever since.