The New Zealand Shipping Company (NZSC) was a shipping company whose ships ran passenger and cargo services between Great Britain and New Zealand between 1873 and 1973. A group of Christchurch businessmen, including Hugh Murray-Aynsley and John Coster, founded the company in 1873. The company gradually established a fleet of vessels, using Māori names for each. From 1875 the livery consisted of black hulls, white superstructure and yellow funnels. In 1882, the company's ships were equipped with refrigeration. and a frozen meat service began from New Zealand to England.