Cash & Bullion

The inter-colonial steamers were utilized for the carriage of not only high value coin bullion, but also gold and silver bars or ingots. On a number of occasions these were included in the freight of the Wimmera and would have been stored in ship’s gold locker, located in the after peak of the ship, secured by two Chubb patent locks.

The largest known consignment was a shipment from Sydney in March 1905 of 20 boxes of gold sovereigns valued at £100,000 and destined for the Wellington Branch of the Union Bank of Australia.

The Union Bank of Australia Limited at the junction of 'Lambton Quay and Featherston Street, Wellington, N.Z.' — The Union Bank of Australia Limited at the junction of ‘Lambton Quay and Featherston Street, Wellington, N.Z.’
Postcard. Author’s Collection.

Other occasions included the freight of ten boxes of gold bars, valued at £49,000, plus 25 bars of silver from the Waihi Gold Mining Company, and 18 bars of bullion from the National Bank – all carried on a voyage to Sydney from Auckland in May 1908.

Other known consignments included:

1905

3 boxes of gold and 1 bundle of [bank]notes – Wellington to Sydney – January/February 1905
5 boxes of gold – Wellington to Sydney – July 1905

1906

8 boxes of gold – Sydney to Wellington – October/November 1906

1907

£3232 gold shipped by the Waihi Gold Mining Company – Auckland to Sydney – January 1907
£935 box of bullion by the National Bank to P&O – Auckland to Sydney – January 1907
£45,467 11 boxes of gold bullion by the Bank of New Zealand – NZ to Sydney – February 1907
1515oz 19dwt box of gold bullion by the Bank of New South Wales – NZ to Sydney – February 1907
£3978 1 box of gold bullion by National Bank of New Zealand – NZ to Sydney – February 1907
£670 1 box of gold coin by Messrs. Russell and Somers – NZ to Sydney – February 1907
25,000 sovereigns for the Bank of New Zealand – Melbourne to Lyttelton – May 1907
1 box of gold – NZ to Melbourne – August 1907
2 boxes of gold – Wellington to Sydney – September 1907
9 boxes of gold – NZ to Melbourne – November 1907

Bank of New South Wales, Wellington, New Zealand — ‘Bank N.S.W. Wellington’
Despatched 1515oz 19dwt box of gold bullion to Sydney per the s.s. *Wimmera* in February 1907.
Postcard. Author’s Collection.

1908

1 box of gold – Auckland to Sydney – March 1908
£49,000 worth 10 boxes of gold bars – NZ to Sydney – May 1908
45 bars of silver by Waihi Gold Mining Company – NZ to Sydney – May 1908
10 bars of bullion by National Bank – NZ to Sydney – May 1908
£6562 worth 2 boxes of bullion (1584oz of gold) by National Bank to the Commercial Bank, Auckland to Sydney – June 1908
£61,000 worth 58 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – September 1908
£4750 worth 46 bars of silver bullion – Auckland to Sydney – December 1908

1909

£4950 value of 48 bars of silver bullion for transhipment to the RMS India – Auckland to Sydney – December 1908/January 1909
2186oz of gold valued at £9221 – NZ to Sydney – February 1909
1 box of USA gold coin valued at £260 – NZ to Sydney – February 1909
1 box of gold valued at £3339 – NZ to Sydney – February 1909
Total value of February shipment £12,160
42 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – May 1909
3 bars of bullion – Auckland to Sydney – May 1909
60 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – June 1909
70 bars of bullion valued at £7100 – NZ to Sydney – July 1909
10 boxes of sovereigns (specie) valued at £50,000 – for the Bank of New Zealand – Sydney to Auckland – August 1909
54 bars of silver valued at £5600 by the Waihi Gold Mining Co. for transhipment to London – Auckland to Sydney – September 1909

1910

37 bars of silver valued at £3850 by the Waihi [Gold Mining] Company – Auckland to Sydney – January 1910
1 box containing 798oz of gold valued at £2902 – Auckland to Sydney – March 1910
5 bars of silver valued at £583 – Auckland to Sydney – March 1910
56 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – May 1910
Ten bars of [gold] bullion valued at £10,500 – NZ to Sydney – June 1910
54 bars of silver valued at £5750 – NZ to Sydney – June 1910
12 bars of bullion and 49 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – July 1910
52 bars of silver valued at £5400 – Auckland to Sydney – September 1910
36 bars of silver valued at £3800 – Auckland to Sydney – October 1910
2 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – December 1910

1911

3 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – March 1911
2 boxes of gold valued at £5450 – Auckland to Sydney – May 1911
37 bars of silver valued at £3850 – Auckland to Sydney – May 1911
55 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – June 1911
4 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – July 1911
2 boxes of gold and 37 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – August 1911
13 boxes of gold and 34 bars of silver – Auckland to Sydney – September 1911
7 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – October 1911
3 boxes of gold valued at £10,350 – Auckland to Sydney – November/December 1911

1912

5 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – January 1912
3 boxes of gold – Auckland to Sydney – February 1912
4 boxes of gold and 3 boxes of bullion – Auckland to Sydney – March 1912

1913

50 tons of concentrates from the New Sylvia mine, Thames to smelter at Cockles Creek, Newcastle – Auckland to Newcastle – April 1913

1915

2 boxes of gold – Dunedin to Melbourne – May 1915
1 box of gold bullion and 5 boxes of silver coin – Hobart to Melbourne – July 1915