NSTH - early years - Mossburn Transport

Northern Southland Transport can trace its roots back to  Mossburn Transport which was started by Cliff and Marge Bennetts in the 1950s.

Various local transport operations were bought by the Bennetts which constantly expanded the company. Many of these images are from the Bennett family’s albums, with others from a variety of sources.

Amongst many of its activities, Mossburn Transport was notable for being an early adopter of Mercedes trucks, and they were active in the Manapouri/West Arm era supplying many of the transport needs of that huge project.

During a great expansion period over the sixties, seventies and eighties, many companies in the region were bought or amalgamated and Mossburn Transport evolved into North Southland Transport Holdings, complete with a board which featured many notable figures of the period.

 Sir John Davies, KNZM QSO, who once worked as a Central Otago high country musterer before starting a career in road transport,  eventually obtained control of  Northern Southland Transport Holdings, which is now one of several transport related companies under his ownership, working under his  Trojan Holdings Ltd umbrella, which also has extensive tourism interests.

Sir John was one of the great driving forces that propelled the Southern Lakes tourism industry, and his time as Queenstown mayor, his interests in road transport and tourism which included ownership or major shareholder  interest in a wide range of jewel-in-the-crown tourism interests that include Mount Cook’s Hermitage Hotel, Bungy New Zealand, Tourism Milford, guided walks on the Routeburn and Milford tracks and many other interests, all meshed to create a truly unique business empire usually serviced by the cream and brown NSTH rigs that are ubiquitous in the Southern Lakes region.

NSTH has a remarkable history and we welcome any contribution to enlarging and refining this page.