Canadian Australasian Line

1893 - 1953

BiographyCanadian Australasian Line from 1931 - 1953. Registered by James Huddart in 1893 as the Canadian-Australian Steam Ship Company, to operate a service between Australia and British Columbia in Canada via the Pacific Islands of Honolulu and Suva, Fiji. From August,1897 the route included Wellington in New Zealand. The company was reconstituted as the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steam Ship Company under the joint control of James Huddart and the New Zealand Shipping Company who took complete control of the line in 1898.

In 1900 the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand acquired a controlling interest in the company. In 1910 the purchase was completed and the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steam Ship Company became part of the fleet of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand.

It became simply Canadian Australasian Line in 1931 when Canadian Pacific bought a 50% interest.

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