Ferries in Wellington

The development of road connections around the harbour's edge, particularly once they were paved during the 1920s, reduced the importance of ferries to the city's transport network, but regular services still run.

Duchess was specially built for Port Nicholson in 1897 but licensed to carry 1,029 against Cobar's 745 passengers she had to be first to go when commuters switched to the buses in the 1920s.

[citation needed] Ferry services from central Wellington to Miramar, Seatoun and Karaka Bay began in 1901.

[1] Attempts have been made in recent years to establish a ferry service from central Wellington to Petone, on the northern coast of the harbour.

Although there is a major road and rail corridor connecting Petone and Wellington, a ferry service might reduce congestion and possibly provide a faster journey.

Both the East by West ferry company and the mayor of Lower Hutt, Ray Wallace, expressed interest in reintroducing a commuter service.

He acquired an interest in the barque Anne Melhuish in which he brought coal to New Zealand from Newcastle taking timber, kauri gum, and, at the end of the Maori wars, troops the other way.

He was soon able to purchase Heversham, Australind, Cyrus, Edwin Bassett, Carlotta, Neptune, Robin Hood, Sophia R Luhrs, G M Tucker, Ellerton, and Mary Bannatyne all forming the nucleus of the Black Diamond Line.

The following year, his only son, J. H. Williams, superintended the construction of steamers Koranui and Mawhera in Britain also for the West Coast trade.

As well as running his line of steamers, he had his shipbuilding yard on the Te Aro foreshore, its site is now on the north side of Halley's Lane in lower Taranaki Street.

His obituary in Wellington's Evening Post reported "Although occasionally brusque in his manner Captain Williams possessed a kindly disposition and his acts of benevolence were numerous.

The younger Williams subsequently acquired the local tug and ferry service which he conducted for a number of years.

The paving of the Hutt Road and the extension of the bitumen to Muritai lowered ferry custom and the council was obliged to buy a fleet of buses.