The TSS ''Earnslaw'' is a 1912 Edwardian
twin screw steamer A twin-screw steamer (or steamship) (TSS) is a steam-powered vessel propelled by two screw propellers, one on either side of the plane of the keel.
Arrangement
All propellers produce a transverse thrust, also called screwing effect or starting bi ...
based at
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori nam ...
in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in
Central Otago, and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.
History
![SS_Earnslaw_5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/SS_Earnslaw_5.jpg)
At the beginning of the twentieth century,
New Zealand Railways (NZR) awarded a £20,850-pound contract to
John McGregor and Company shipbuilders of
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
to build a steamship for
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori nam ...
at their Otago foundry and engineering works.
The ''Earnslaw'' was designed by naval architect Hugh McRae and was based on a
Siemens-Martin
An open-hearth furnace or open hearth furnace is any of several kinds of industrial furnace in which excess carbon and other impurities are burnt out of pig iron to produce steel. Because steel is difficult to manufacture owing to its high me ...
steel hull design and using
Kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...
for the decking. Propulsion was provided by twin coal-fired triple-expansion, jet-condensing, vertically inclined engines. The
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
was laid on 4 July 1911.
The ship was named after
Mount Earnslaw, a 2889-metre peak at the head of Lake Wakatipu. She was to be 51.2 metres long, the biggest boat on the lake, and the largest steamship built in New Zealand.
[As stated on a plaque commemorating the ship's building, close to Dunedin Railway Station and erected by IPENZ.] Transporting the ''Earnslaw '' was no easy task. When construction was finally completed, she was dismantled. All the quarter-inch
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
hull plates were numbered for reconstruction much like a jig-saw puzzle. Then the parts were loaded on to a goods train and transported across the South Island from Dunedin to
Kingston at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu.
![Earnslaw 90TH](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Earnslaw_90TH.jpg)
After the hull was re-assembled, the TSS ''Earnslaw'' was launched on 24 February 1912. On 3 August, after the construction of the ship was fully completed, trials were commenced. On Friday 18 August 1912, the Earnslaw was fired up for her maiden voyage to Queenstown, with
Minister of Marine
One of France's Secretaries of State under the Ancien Régime was entrusted with control of the French Navy ( Secretary of State of the Navy (France).) In 1791, this title was changed to Minister of the Navy. Before January 1893, this position als ...
John A. Millar as captain.
She then became a valuable vessel for NZR and was known as the "Lady of the Lake".
The ''Earnslaw'' worked with her sister ships, the paddle steamers ''Antrim'' and ''Mountaineer'' and the screw steamer ''
Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laomainn, 'Beacon Mountain'), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Me ...
'', transporting sheep, cattle and passengers to the surrounding high country stations.
In 1968, the ''Earnslaw'' was very nearly scrapped but she was fortunately rescued. She was leased by Fiordland Travel (subsequently Real Journeys, and then
RealNZ) in 1969, and later purchased by the same company in 1982. She was taken out of service for a major refit in 1984. Her 12-metre high funnel was painted bright red, with the hull a snow-white, and her
kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...
timber decks glassed in.
During her long years on the lake, the most serious accidents to occur were two groundings on the shingle shores of the lake.
In 1984, the composer
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin (17 February 19258 January 2003) was an English composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included ''Where Eagles Dare'', ''Battle ...
created a New Zealand Suite of six pieces recording his impressions of places he had visited. One of these is the “Earnslaw Steam Theme” based on the rhythm of the ship's engines, which he wrote after a trip to Lake Wakatipu.
In March 1990, Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
and Prince Philip travelled on the ''Earnslaw''. Other royalty who have been on board include the
Prince of Thailand and the
King and Queen of Belgium.
The TSS ''Earnslaw'' made a brief appearance as an
Amazon River
The Amazon River (, ; es, Río Amazonas, pt, Rio Amazonas) in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile.
The headwaters of t ...
boat in the movie ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and the fourth installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' series. Released and taking place 19 years after the previous ...
'' (2008).
In June 2021, a report into
greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...
in
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
calculated that in the 12 month period July 2018 to June 2019, the TSS ''Earnslaw'' emitted 4076 tonnes of
'carbon dioxide-equivalent'. This represented 1 percent of all transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in the
Queenstown-Lakes District
Queenstown-Lakes District, a local government district, is in the Otago Region of New Zealand that was formed in 1986. It is surrounded by the districts of Central Otago, Southland, Westland and Waitaki.
Much of the area is often referred to a ...
. In October 2021, RealNZ announced that it was investigating carbon-neutral or carbon-zero means of powering the vessel. At a celebration in 2022 of TSS ''Earnslaw'' completing 110 years of service on the lake, RealNZ said that it was exploring biofuel, wood pellets and hydrogen as alternative sources of bolier fuel, but that a decision was a few years away.
Heritage status
![TSS Earnslaw - Engineering to 1990 plaque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/TSS_Earnslaw_-_Engineering_to_1990_plaque.jpg)
A detailed history of the ''Earnslaw'' including archival photographs has been published in the NZ Maritime Record maintained by the NZ National Maritime Museum.
In 1990, the TSS ''Earnslaw'' was recognised as a significant part of New Zealand's engineering heritage by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (now
Engineering New Zealand
Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau (ENZ; previously the New Zealand Institution of Engineers – NZIE and then Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand – IPENZ) is a not-for-profit professional body that promotes the integrity a ...
). The recognition was part of the “Engineering to 1990” project celebrating the country’s sesquicentenary in 1990. A plaque was fixed to the vessel to that reads: "IPENZ recognises this engineering work as an important part of NZ's engineering heritage. The largest steamship built in NZ it is now one of the world’s last coal-fired passenger steamers".
In July 2013, the Southern Heritage Trust unveiled a plaque on the
Dunedin Railway Station overbridge commemorating the location of the McGregor & Co factory where TSS ''Earnslaw'' was built.
![TSS Earnslaw (26) (8655807591)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/TSS_Earnslaw_%2826%29_%288655807591%29.jpg)
In December 2017, the New Zealand
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the arts, culture, built heritage, sport and recreation, and broadcasting sectors in New Zealand and advising government on ...
recognized the TSS ''Earnslaw'' as one of twelve significant sites in Otago to be included in its Landmarks Whenua Tohunga programme.
The ''Earnslaw'' is winched out of the lake on a cradle when major surveys are required. There is a historic slipway for this purpose at the south west corner of the Frankton arm of Lake Wakatipu. The slipway is equipped with a steam engine driven winch. The boiler and steam engine used to power the winch were originally in service on Lake Wakatipu in the paddle steamer ''Antrim'', originally launched in 1869. The ''Antrim'' was dismantled from 1920, but the boiler and engine were recovered for use on the slipway. The Antrim engine is recognised as a significant part of New Zealand's engineering heritage.
Current status
![NZ220315 Queenstown 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/NZ220315_Queenstown_05.jpg)
The ''Earnslaw'' celebrated her centenary in October 2012 and continues in routine operation carrying tourist passengers across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Walter Peak High Country Farm, a tourism operation with farm tours, horse treks, heritage tours, barbecue lunches and evening dining at the historic Colonel's Homestead.
The ship works fourteen-hour days in the summer months and cruises for eleven months of the year, despite being over 100 years old. Visitors to the region can undertake a 1.5-hour cruise on board the TSS ''Earnslaw'' and view the workings of the steam engine and
stokers.
Each year, the TSS ''Earnslaw'' undergoes an annual survey – typically from late May to early June – with every second year being taken out of the lake.
Passengers have access to a walkway in the
engine room
On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for the ship's operation may be segregated into vari ...
, where they can observe the operation of the engines during the cruise.
Captains
The ship's captains include the following:
* George Herbert (Captain 1935)
* Tom Luckie (NZR Captain 19?? - 1952)
[Mackay, p. 40]
* Alexander Munro (NZR Captain 1952 - 1955)
* Patrick Bennetts (NZR Captain 1955 - 1964 - he was on the crew for 30 years)
[McLeod, p. 74.]
* Patrick R. McSoriley (NZR Captain 1964 - 1968 - he first joined the crew in 1941)
[NZR List of Staff: Salaried Division: Miscellaneous, 1964, p. 34 and 1967 p. 33.]
* Sandy McLean (Captain 1968 - 1969)
* Maru Bradshaw (Captain 1969 - 1991)
Gallery
File: Earnslaw .jpg,
File:Engine Order Telegraph Earnslaw.jpg,
File:Foredeck T.S.S. Earnslaw.jpg,
File:Builders Plate TSS Earnslaw.jpg,
File:Pianist Entertaining Passengers TSS Earnslaw.jpg,
File:SS Earnslaw 4.jpg,
File:SS Earnslaw 2.jpg,
File:SS Earnslaw 3.jpg,
File:Earnslaw BW.jpg,
References
Bibliography
* Malcolm Mackay, ''Lady of the Lake: The TSS Earnslaw Story'', Malcolm Mackay, Queenstown, 1999.
* Jenny McLeod, ''TSS Earnslaw : celebrating 100 years, 1912-2012'', Te Anau, N.Z.: Real Journeys, 2012. .
External links
NZ National Maritime Museum record15 facts you didn't know about the TSS Earnslaw
{{DEFAULTSORT:Earnslaw
Ships built in New Zealand
Ships of New Zealand
Ferries of New Zealand
Steamships of New Zealand
1912 ships
Queenstown, New Zealand
Tourist attractions in Otago