The company's former office remains on the quay at Nelson, as do steps of their foundry, which built one of their ships, repaired their fleet and made other machinery.

In December 1864, at the start of the West Coast gold rush, Wallabi was bought from Australia, to serve Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika.

During the 1880s economic depression the foundry remained profitable and Anchor ships continued to serve Nelson, Wellington, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Foxton, Patea, Onehunga and West Coast ports, with trips to Jackson Bay and the Marlborough Sounds on occasions.

He helped build the Lyttelton and steamed with her to New Zealand, leaving England on 18 August 1859; it was intended that he remain in the colony for a year to fit out and then work on her.

In 1866 he accepted a shore appointment in Nelson to supervise repairs and alterations to the company's ships, the start of Anchor Foundry.

[12] His children were Thomas, John, Irvine, Mrs R. Ward, of Christchurch[10][11] and Agnes Isabella Ambridge (died 3 July 1943).

[8] Thomas Brown, a director of the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co. Ltd, died at his home in Richardson street on 26 May 1943, aged 72.

He was the eldest son of Alexander Brown and served his engineering apprenticeship in the Anchor foundry and then proceeded to England for further experience.

The late Mr Brown was appointed a director of Anchor when it became a limited liability company in March 1901 and he retained that position until his death.

[8] John Wilson Brown, aged 59, died suddenly at 5am on 4 December 1930 at his home, Lark Hall, Richardson Street, Nelson.

[22] In 1925 the Arahura was purchased from Union for the daily service until she was replaced by an Australian built vessel Mourilyan renamed Matangi in 1929.

In the 1930s and 40s Matangi left Wellington Queens Wharf No.16 at 7.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and Arahura on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays,[6] a service begun in August 1909.

She was replaced after the war with a larger Puriri and shortly afterwards with a sister ship, Mamaku, designed to work shallow draft ports such as Māpua and Motueka and operate the Tasman Bay-Onehunga service.

A daily freight service was maintained between the two ports in conjunction with Pearl Kasper Shipping Co's Konanda and (from 1955) Anchor's Matipo.

Coal from the West Coast had always figured large in Anchor's operation and in 1947 placed an order with Henry Robb Ltd. for a twin screw motor ship which became Puriri (1,248grt).

Although fitted with a full outfit of cargo gear including a jumbo derrick capable of lifting 20 tons, she was in effect a small collier.

Her final years of service saw her engaged full time on the Company's Nelson – Onehunga route carrying general cargo and she was sold out of the fleet in 1974. to the requirements of smaller ports such as Mapua and Motueka especially in regard to length and draught.

Launched on 28 July 1949 as Mamaku, she sailed from Leith on 15 October 1949 for Middlesbrough where she loaded a cargo of coke for Auckland, arriving there on 23 December.

Mamaku spent most of her life in the general cargo trade between Nelson, Motueka and Onehunga, although she also shipped coal from the West Coast to North Island ports on occasion.

In the early 1980s, Union decided that the Nelson-Onehunga trade should be containerised and the original intention was to give the new ship a traditional Anchor name and operate in their colours.

With her sale, the Anchor name disappeared forever with the shipping side of the business being renamed Union Maritime Services and the engineering interests were sold to a New Plymouth company on 31 March 1984.

The Foundry also served local industries such as Griffin's biscuits,Samuel Kirkpatrick's jam and canning factory and Baigent Timber, offering fitting and turning, blacksmithing, moulding and casting, boiler making, electric and acetone welding, pattern making, and electrical wiring and installation.

[21] Anchor Foundry at Port Nelson, erected in 1907, was a long narrow building with an exterior cladding of grey corrugated iron.

In 1984 Anchor Dorman was sold to Perry Dines Corporation of New Plymouth, but within two years was liquidated; even the employees received no redundancy payments.

[47] In 1900 she was again lengthened slightly, her hold space was enlarged[48] and her clipper bow and figurehead of Bonnie Prince Charlie,[49] were replaced by a raked stem.

[95] In 1884, following success with the Charles Edward the previous year, she was converted at the foundry, to a single screw, driven by a compound engine.

[96] She was laid up in December 1883[97] was being converted in June[98] and returned to service on 3 November, when she was reported to be faster and her coal consumption reduced from 10 to 4 tons a day.

[101] On 9 July 1886 Anchor bought her for £3,300 to replace Wallace, serving Wellington, Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, Picton, Foxton, Wanganui and Patea, where she was stranded on 8 December 1887[102] (refloated 13 January)[103] and 26 August 1896.

[173] Auckland[181] However, in September 1931 Himatangi was laid up at Wellington,[189] until towed to Sydney by the trawler Elsie Cam[190] and sold in 1936 to North Wallarah Colliery, then to Cam & Sons, Sydney and renamed Coolebar in 1937, to NCSN in 1938,[189] used as a minesweeper during World War II,[191] sold to China in 1947 and renamed East River.

Next year she was sold to Power Shipping (Pte) Ltd., Singapore and renamed Yellow River and scrapped by Ya Chou Steel Manufacturing, Kaohsiung after 16 December 1979.