Holm & Co

Holm & Co were ship owners, ship brokers and stevedores based in Wellington, New Zealand. They were agents for Australian and other foreign airways and shipping lines.

The business was founded by Swedish-born Captain Pehr Ferdinand Holm (1844—1917) when he bought the barque Genevie M Tucker in 1889. He had settled in Wellington in 1868. His last sailing ship was the barquentine Titania wrecked off Nouméa in 1914 when the lighthouse was under a wartime blackout. Two sons became marine engineers and two became master mariners. Sydney Holm ran the business before his father died and thereafter. A company was incorporated to take ownership of the business in 1918 with offices in the Huddart Parker Line building in Wellington's Post Office Square.[1][2]

The Union Steam Ship Company took a controlling shareholding in 1930.[2]

In 1968 Richardson & Co and Canterbury Steam Ship Company joined Holm & Co and the three businesses became subsidiaries of Union Steam.[2]

Shipping services were provided to:

  • New Zealand's coast extending to the Chatham Islands, Norfolk Island, Raoul Island, Campbell Island.
  • Australia (timber trade only), Japan, and passengers from Australia via Italy to England.
  • Refrigerated cargo to Honolulu and the Pacific coast of North America.[3]
Genevie M. Tucker barque
Helen Denny barque
Titania barquentine

Holm & Co's ships included:[2]

Genevie M. Tucker
Helen Denny
John
Titania
Progress
Holmdale (Kylebeg)
Holmwood (Forest Home)
Holmglen (previously Argus)
Holmlea (Parera) chartered 1934,[4] bought 1935,[5] renamed 1936 - 555grt triple-expansion steamer, built 1921 by Goole Shipbuliding, sold 1949[6]
Holmlea (Seaway Princess) bought 1969 from Northern Steamship, renamed 1970 - 1,053 grt, stern door roll-on/roll-off,[7] built 1967 by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co, sold 1975[8]
Holmburn (Port Whangarei)
Holmwood (Tees)
Port Waikato
Holmwood
Holmglen
Holmburn
Holmdale
Holmbank (previously Anne)
Holmbrae (previously)
Holmpark (previously)
Gael
Wakanui
Marlyn
Picton (previously Koau)
Parer

References

  1. ^ Holm, Pehr Ferdinand Dictionary of New Zealand Biography accessed 18 September 2021
  2. ^ a b c d NZ Ship & Marine Society accessed 18 September 2021
  3. ^ Wellington businesses, The New Zealand Business Who's Who 1962
  4. ^ "NELSON EVENING MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 April 1934. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  5. ^ "PARERA SOLD. EVENING STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 May 1936. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Ship Fact Sheet PARERA (1921) later HOLMLEA" (PDF). P&O Heritage.
  7. ^ "The homely Holmlea". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Ship Fact Sheet SEAWAY PRINCESS (1967) later HOLMLEA" (PDF). P&O Heritage.