Manette, Robert G.

Robert G. Manette was a passenger representative for the San Francisco Branch of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, which was established in New Zealand in 1875 and transported both passengers and freight. In 1914, at its height, it was the largest shipping company in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1917, Union Steamship was acquired by the Peninsular and Oriental Navigation Company (P&O) but retained its own identity. According to The Ships List, the company entered into a joint venture with Canadian Pacific in 1931 to counter competition from Matson Navigation Company. The Canadian Australasian Line service continued until 1953, when air travel replaced it. Union Steamship gradually withdrew from passenger services in the 1960s and 1970s, and focused on transporting cargo. According to New Zealand House of Flags Shipping Companies, Union Steamship was defunct by 2001.