It operated a shipping service from Tasmania to the Australian Mainland, later expanded to New Zealand.
From 1889 there was a three-way battle between the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Huddart Parker and the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company (TSNCo) on the Tasmanian routes (Melbourne-Launceston, Hobart-Melbourne and Hobart-Sydney).
The TSNCo did not have other routes to absorb their Tasmanian losses, and was bought out by the Union Company in 1891 but continued to trade under T.S.N.Co flag.
E.M. Fisher regarded a Union Company takeover as the lesser of two evils.
[1][2] In 1921 Huddart Parker and the Union Line formed a joint partnership company called Tasmanian Steamers[3] to operate ferry services across the Bass Strait.