This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

New Zealand - House flags of shipping companies (S)

Last modified: 2013-06-22 by ian macdonald
Keywords: houseflag |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



See also:


Sanford Ltd.

[Sanford Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Sanford Ltd. Originating in 1881 this fishing company is still operating. According to The Log of 11/1990 one of its trawlers, "Baroona", which was owned 1913-1935, had a white flag with the black outline of a fish enclosing a blue "S". There is no sign of the current trawlers flying a flag but their current logo is a slightly elaborate "S" design and if there were a flag I would expect it to be this in white on a blue field.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Geo. H. Scales Ltd.

[Geo. H. Scales Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Geo. H. Scales Ltd. Originated 1897 with the company formed 1912, managing vessels chartered for the UK wool trade. Subsequently involved in the formation of local shipping companies but principally a shipping agent now. Their flag was yellow with a blue "S" from a 1996 photograph at the entrance to the Wellington wharves.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Sealord Products Ltd.

[Sealord Products Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Sealord Products Ltd. Fishing company operating from 1963 with The Log of 11/1992 giving their flag as a lighter blue with a dark blue horizontal band bearing the white legend "SEALORD".

[Sealord Products Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

In 1996 it became the Sealord Group Ltd. and a logo on their website describes itself as a "flagquote-01" though it has only been seen painted on the white superstructure where the white border shown in the website image does not show and may therefore not be meant to exist. Neither of these "flags" has been personally observed. The company currently operates as a joint venture between Maori and Japanese interests.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


The Shipping Corporation of New Zealand Ltd.

[The Shipping Corporation of New Zealand Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

The Shipping Corporation of New Zealand Ltd. Formed as a state owned corporation in 1973 to operate the New Zealand Line Ltd. and also to operate a coastal service. From 1.8.1985 it adopted the trading name of New Zealand Line. A financial failure it was privatized in 1989. The original flag was white with a blue and red symbol incorporating a stylized koru [unfurling fern frond].

[The Shipping Corporation of New Zealand Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

The flag was replaced 1.1.1984 by a horizontal triband of light blue, red and dark blue with the red being narrower and overall a white circle bearing the koru but with a dark blue shade with both of these images based on actual flags held.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Skeggs Group Ltd.

[Skeggs Group Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Skeggs Group Ltd. Originated in 1951 and is a private, family owned company with interests in seafood, maritime and land transport, tourism and property. In 1956 Skeggs Fisheries Ltd, was formed and in 1969 Skeggs Corporation was registered followed by Skeggs Foods Ltd. in 1970 being renamed as Skeggs Investments Ltd. in 1987. In 1989 the main fishing assets were disposed of and Skeggs Group Ltd. came into being in 1993 with their main shipping interest being the ownership of Pacifica Shipping (1985) Ltd. which had been purchased from the Union Shipping. For the fishing trawlers a flag was sighted in 1988 being white with a dark blue border and on a dark blue panel the white legend "Skeggs". Unfortunately the recording was only in writing and what was clear then was not so years later when reviewing and trying to draw the flag. It is possible that the panel was in fact a shading of the letters and the shape could therefore have followed their outline.

[Skeggs Group Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

A certainty though is that for Skeggs Foods Ltd. as I hold one being green with an intertwined white letters "SF" logo and which was flown by the Pacifica ships in addition to their own house flag and over the Pacifica H.Q. in Lyttelton.

[Skeggs Group Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

In 1993 Clifford Skeggs was knighted and his arms became the charge on a new white flag photographed in 1994 with below the Arms "SKEGGS" over the smaller "GROUP LTD" all lettering in blue.

[Skeggs Group Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

In 1998 another photo confirmed that the lettering was subsequently deleted with the Arms being enlarged to occupy the extra space available.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


South Pacific Shipping Ltd.

[South Pacific Shipping Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

South Pacific Shipping Ltd. Formed 1/1992 the company was liquidated 2/1998 and operated by chartering cargo vessels from German owners through other companies in which the principal owner and director was also interested. The company was completely insolvent and said director was convicted of "reckless trading" and ordered to make full restitution. The flag as photographed 2/1997 with the unusual proportions of about 1x2.5 was yellow with a narrow blue border and an unusual rendition of "SPS" with the "S"s being lazy and placed horizontal. The intention may have been to make it look in line with a perceived Maori design.

[South Pacific Shipping Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

It does stress the problems of flag sightings as the first report I had of it was in 9/1993 from Australia and the version shown in The Log 8/1993 was for a normal yellow rectangle with narrow horizontal blue bands top and bottom only and the design. However in 1998 after seeing my photo the original source confirmed that with his sighting the flag was wrapped around a halyard with only an occasional flap.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Intriguing - the koru used is virtually identical to that of Air New Zealand. I wonder whether there's some historical/administrative connection between the two. I also find it intriguing that the three colours used are what I think of as the military triband (used on several British-styled military flags worldwide), though that is probably just a coincidence.
James Dignan, 10 November 2010


South Pacific Trading Co.

From the chapter on shipping company flags in the 1966 Encyclopedia of New Zealand (situated here):

The flag of the South Pacific Trading Co., formed in the 1870s under the aegis of Sir Julius Vogel, placed the initial letters of the company's name upon the red panels of Queen Makea's (of Rarotonga) personal standard.
Jan Mertens, 17 November 2005

South Taranaki Shipping Co. Ltd.

[South Taranaki Shipping Co. Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

South Taranaki Shipping Co. Ltd. Formed in 1912 it traded until the late 1950s when road and rail transport made it uneconomic. The flag shown by The Log 2/1990 does not give the colour of the letters for the white flag with a narrow red cross and overall a red ring enclosing a white circle bearing an "S" with the field quarters charged with the letters "STCL". My guess is that the letters were probably blue but black or red are also likely possibilities.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Stars & Anchor Line

[Stars & Anchor Line] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Stars & Anchor Line. Short lived from 1897 to 1899 The Log 5/1988 gives a white flag with a blue cross having a white star on each arm and a yellow anchor at the fesse point and per field quarters the red letters "SANZ".
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Strait Shipping Ltd.

[Strait Shipping Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Strait Shipping Ltd. Formed in 1992 to provide a freight ferry service across Cook Strait with the service extending to now include passengers. First inklings of their flag came from the logo painted on their wharf office which shows a flag flying from a slanting pole being a diagonal biband of light blue over dark blue with overall the white letters "SS". This logo can be seen at http://www.strait.co.nz and led to an erroneous report from myself showing such a flag in The Log 11/1996. In 1995 an actual flag was seen and it turned out to be a flag upon a flag with their logo being placed on a white field with a difference that the flying flag now had two vertical white lines coinciding with the folds of the flapping flag image and which pass through the "S"s. These white lines had led to talk of the line being known as the Dollar Line though they followed the flag folds and were not consistent about where they passed through the letters.

[Strait Shipping Ltd.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

For shore use another flag was sighted in 1997 which had a smaller logo with "STRAIT SHIPPING LTD" underneath in blue.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010


Sullivan Shipping Co.

[Sullivan Shipping Co.] image by Neale Rosanoski, 3 November 2010

Sullivan Shipping Co. Cook Strait trader in the early 1960s with The Log 5/1990 showing a white flag with a very narrow blue cross and then in diagonal line from upper hoist to lower fly the red letters "SSC" with the 2nd  "S" being much larger and placed over the cross mid point.
Neale Rosanoski
, 3 November 2010


Series continues: New Zealand shipping lines (T)