Dates |
Milestones |
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1907 |
Cabinet approval sought for building of new steamer on Lake Wakatipu |
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September 1910 |
Tender of $20,850 awarded to John McGregor & Co, Dunedin |
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4 July, 1911 |
Keel laid in McGregor’s yard |
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28 November, 1911 |
Keel re-laid in Kingston |
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24 February, 1912 |
Hull launched in Lake Wakatipu |
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02 April, 1912 |
Funnel and mast placed in position |
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03 August, 1912 |
First trial trip from Kingston to Halfway Bay under steam |
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18 October, 1912 |
Maiden voyage from Kingston to Queenstown |
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21 October, 1912 |
New Zealand Railways formally accepts delivery of the TSS Earnslaw |
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12 April, 1914 |
Carries a record number of 1056 passengers on Easter Sunday |
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March, 1927 |
His Royal Highness, the Duke of York travels on the TSS Earnslaw |
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January, 1935 |
His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester travels on the TSS Earnslaw |
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1954 |
Steam engines dismantled and reconditioned |
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1956 |
Helps with the laying of telephone cable from Glenorchy to Kinloch |
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1960 |
First hull repair since launch - three hull plates replaced due to corrosion from soapy water dripping from the galley sink. |
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1966 |
Enables laying of telephone cable across Frankton Arm between Queenstown and Kelvin Peninsula |
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| 1967 |
Fiordland Travel (now Real Journeys) approached to take over the operations of the TSS Earnslaw for the first time. |
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| January 1968 |
TSS Earnslaw makes headlines in The Press when the Minister of Railways, Peter Gordon states that the Government would contemplate giving the steamer away |
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| August 1968 |
Tenders invited for the purchase of the TSS Earnslaw |
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| 11 December 1968 |
Minister of Railways, Peter Gordon announces lease to an Auckland group from the 1st of Jan, 1969 |
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27 October 1969 |
The Lake Wakatipu Steamship Company fails to purchase the TSS Earnslaw thereby forfeiting their right to operate it. |
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12 December 1969 |
Fiordland Travel takes over operations of the TSS Earnslaw |
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1970 |
Capacity reduced from 1035 to 747 |
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1984 |
Bridge of the TSS Earnslaw rebuilt and enclosed to provide crew with better protection from the elements |
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1990 |
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip cruise aboard the TSS Earnslaw |
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1998 |
TSS Earnslaw becomes the first vessel to be protected under a district plan when the Queenstown Lakes District council lists it as Category One Heritage |
