Jas J Niven & Co
J J Niven Engineering Limited, Palmerston North
J J Niven Engineering Limited, Palmerston North
-----------------------------------------------

**J J Niven Engineering Limited** owns an engineering business in [Palmerston North](/wiki/Palmerston_North "Palmerston North") New Zealand. Their wide range of engineering includes [pressure vessels](/wiki/Pressure_vessel "Pressure vessel"), [gantry cranes](/wiki/Gantry_crane "Gantry crane"), [scissor](/wiki/Elevator%23Scissor_lift "Elevator#Scissor lift") and [stage lifts](/wiki/Elevator%23Stage_lifts "Elevator#Stage lifts"), [conveyors](/wiki/Conveyor_belt "Conveyor belt"), timber handling equipment, wool presses, hydraulics, pneumatics, pipework, water and solid and liquid waste treatment, machinery installation and maintenance and fabrication and machining of boiler plate, stainless and mild steels. The present [private company](/wiki/Privately_held_company "Privately held company") was registered on 11 September 1996\.

### Agencies

As well as making their own products, Nivens were New Zealand agents for many other companies. By 1907 Jas. J. Niven were sole agents for [Linde](/wiki/The_Linde_Group%23History "The Linde Group#History") British freezing machines, National [gas](/wiki/Gas_engine "Gas engine") and petrol engines and [suction gas](/wiki/Producer_gas "Producer gas") plants, [Gwynnes](/wiki/Gwynnes_Limited "Gwynnes Limited") pumps, [Blackman Ventilating fans](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_Keith_and_Blackman_Co), [Brown and May steam engines](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brown_and_May), [Electromotors Ltd](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Electromotors) and [Unbreakable Pulley and Mill Gearing Co](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Unbreakable_Pulley_and_Mill_Gearing_Co). In 1913 the head office moved to Wellington, but the Napier works was expanded. Later they were also agents for [Bosch](/wiki/Robert_Bosch_GmbH "Robert Bosch GmbH"), [R.B.F. Ball Bearings](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/RBF_Ball_Bearings), [Schebler Carburettors](/wiki/Wheeler-Schebler_Carburetor_Company "Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company"), [Nelsons Patent Steel Fencing](https://patents.google.com/patent/US185346), [Permutit](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Permutit_Co).and A S Refrigerators. By 1924 they'd added [Bruce Peebles](/wiki/Bruce_Peebles_%26_Co._Ltd. "Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.")' motors, [Cambridge Scientific Instruments](/wiki/Cambridge_Scientific_Instrument_Company "Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company"), [Hopkinson's valves](/wiki/Weir_Group "Weir Group"), [Venner](/wiki/American_Machine_and_Foundry "American Machine and Foundry") [time switches](/wiki/Time_switch "Time switch"), [Broadbent \& Sons](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Thomas_Broadbent_and_Sons) [hydro extractors](/wiki/Hydroextractor "Hydroextractor") and [Atlas](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Atlas_Metal_and_Alloys_Co) metals.

13 November 1914 Messrs J. J. Niven and Co. had a nice display of threshing mill requirements, also samples of lubricating oils.

29 January 1916 government commandeered part of Napier ironworks for repairing freezing equipment.

In 1922 Jas. J. Niven was the only New Zealand manufacturer of freezing equipment, which they had been building from 1915\.

### Branches

The company had several offices and factories. At various times they included \-

[**Gisborne**](/wiki/Gisborne%2C_New_Zealand "Gisborne, New Zealand") – James Brown Ltd, founded in 1887 as a blacksmiths, was taken over in 1902 and in 1904 moved to [Kaiti](/wiki/Kaiti%2C_New_Zealand "Kaiti, New Zealand"). In 1918 4 men were injured when making a casting for a dredge. In the late 1950s the workshop was sold and renamed Gisborne Engineering. In the 1970s it moved to Parkinson St. In 1991 Max Carruthers, bought the company to expand his sheet metal business, Endeavour Sheetmetals Ltd, which was renamed **Gisborne Engineering Ltd** in 1995\.

**Palmerston North** works were built in 1903\. In 1915 the company was in Church St in the centre of town. In 1987 the former Nivens Engineering workshop in Pitt St was sold. The present company is in the north east of the city.

**London** – office address on Institution of Mechanical Engineers list in 1906 and mentioned in 1912 advert.

**[Dunedin](/wiki/Dunedin "Dunedin")** branch was open by 1907\.

**[Auckland](/wiki/Auckland "Auckland")** After the 1908 incorporation, an office was opened. Jas. J. Niven \& Co. Ltd's building, refrigerating engineers, [Parnell](/wiki/Parnell%2C_New_Zealand "Parnell, New Zealand") Rise area, Auckland. 1940s. Before they moved to 63 Customs St West?

  

[**Hamilton**](/wiki/Hamilton%2C_New_Zealand "Hamilton, New Zealand") – H. Upton Engineer had premises built in 1902 and 1907\. They were taken over by Jas J Niven \& Co. Ltd in 1911\. Fires in 1919 and 1924 caused some damage. Nivens were still in the centre of town in 1939, but moved to Frankton in 1960 and, in 1980, joined with WSM Industries Ltd to form Niven Process Engineering (NZ) Ltd. That company was deregistered in 1991\. A 1984 advert showed Niven Manufacturing Waikato Ltd. That company was registered from 1983 to 1992, when it was renamed, though it didn't appear in the local phone book after 1990\.

**[Christchurch](/wiki/Christchurch "Christchurch")** Needham, Niven \& Co. Ltd was a subsidiary. In 1909 it was in Hereford St, but the 1922 phone directory showed it at 562 [Colombo Street](/wiki/Colombo_Street "Colombo Street") and 1968 \- 72 adverts as Jas. J. Niven \& Co Ltd. at 558 Colombo St.

**[Wairoa](/wiki/Wairoa "Wairoa")** – a 1920 report mentions a branch established before 1912\.

**[Nelson](/wiki/Nelson%2C_New_Zealand "Nelson, New Zealand")** – an undated photo indicates there was a branch. In 1911 Nelson Steam Laundry bought a boiler and engine from S. Luke and Sons.

**[Wellington](/wiki/Wellington "Wellington")** Until 1912 the firm had a small rented office. Then S Luke \& Co was acquired and, in 1913, Wellington became the head office of Jas. J. Niven \& Co Ltd, remaining so until the firm moved out in 1973\. In 1968 there was a branch in Lower Hutt.

### S Luke \& Co Ltd

[thumb\|S Luke and Sons in Manners St, Wellington in 1895
[from Alexander Turnbull Library postcard](http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22553585)](/wiki/File:Wellington_office%2C_foundry_and_shipyard.jpg "Wellington office, foundry and shipyard.jpg")
Gilchrist and Waters founded a Wellington engineering company in 1876 on part of what became the company's  Manners St site in [Te Aro](/wiki/Te_Aro "Te Aro"), on the edge of the harbour. It was bought by Luke and Son in 1879, when it already had 5 forges, a steam engine and a 21\-year lease from 1878\.

In the early days, the firm struggled, but revived with the opening of freezing works, [West Coast of the South Island](/wiki/West_Coast%2C_New_Zealand "West Coast, New Zealand") coal mines and building, or enlarging, several steamers (until [reclamation](/wiki/Reclamation_of_Wellington_Harbour "Reclamation of Wellington Harbour") left the shipyard landlocked) \-
* 1883 s.s. Weka 90 tons able to cruise at ;
* 1885 s.s. Matai 300 tons for the Black Diamond Line, believed to be the first ship built of mild steel in the southern hemisphere. She had been taken over by [Union Steam Ship](/wiki/Union_Company "Union Company") when wrecked in 1889 near [Red Mercury Island](/wiki/Mercury_Islands%23Description "Mercury Islands#Description"), then being valued at £8,000;
* s.s. Wakatu 90 tons, of about 1879, was lengthened 30 feet (or 35 ft), being shown as 115 tons in 1895, and had a new boiler and her hull raised. 
In 1895, the name was changed to S. Luke and Co. Ltd, with directors Samuel Luke, [Charles M. Luke](/wiki/Charles_Luke_%28politician%29 "Charles Luke (politician)"), and [John P. Luke](/wiki/John_Luke_%28New_Zealand_politician%29 "John Luke (New Zealand politician)") (1882–1935\). Products included 11 hydraulic cranes for Wellington Harbour Board, 1897 equipment for the [Cape Palliser lighthouse](/wiki/Cape_Palliser_Lighthouse "Cape Palliser Lighthouse"), dairy machines, boilers, cooking ranges, (for which they held a patent) and [gold dredges](/wiki/Gold_dredge "Gold dredge"). One of the firm's  engines powered its machinery. Staff numbers ranged from 80 to 150\.

In 1913 Jas. J. Niven and Co. Ltd. took over Luke and Co. John P Luke moved to politics, but his sons and his brother's remained managers and owner, George Nelson, was resident manager. He and most of the office staff moved from Napier to Wellington.

  


Who became directors of S. Luke and Co. Ltd in 1895?