The Manuwai and the end of an era
This photograph shows the paddle steamer Manuwai on an excursion near Ngaaruawaahia, around 1924. The vessel was originally built in Poplar, a district in East London near the Isle of Dogs. Upon completion, it was completely dismantled, packed into 87 crates, and shipped to Aotearoa. It was then reassembled in Whanganui for service on the Whanganui River, under the ownership of Messrs Hatrick & Co.
In 1922, as the Waikato Shipping Company faced financial difficulties, it purchased the Manuwai in an effort to revitalise its fleet. However, the company ceased operations the following year. Caesar Roose, who held a debenture over the business, acquired the Manuwai and other vessels as part of the settlement.
This transaction marked one of the last major acts of the Waikato Shipping Company and the beginning of a new chapter. Roose subsequently established the Roose Shipping Company, which would go on to serve the Waikato region for more than fifty years.
