SS Manapouri 1882-1915

The SS Manapouri was built in Scotland by William Denny and Brothers in 1882. It was owned and operated by the Union Steam Ship Company from 1882 until 1915 and was the first ship in the world to be fitted throughout with incandescent electric lighting, well before towns in New Zealand had similar lighting.

The ship was sold in 1915 to Moller & Co in China and again to Cheong On Steamship Co Ltd in 1923. In 1942, during World War Two, it was requisitioned by Vichy France and was torpedoed twice by an American submarine, though it survived. During its lifetime, it was known by several names, in 1920 it was named Lindsay Moller, in 1923 it was Fook Hong and in 1935 it was finally named Tai Poo Sek.

It was finally sunk by an American air attack in the Mekong River Estuary on 12 January 1945.