WELCOME

The Shell Heritage Society was formed in 1996 by a group of retired employees of Shell New Zealand Limited. This group has taken on the task of collecting, preserving and displaying a wide range of historical items from the Company's past activities. In addition, the Society has published a book entitled Shell in New Zealand, an historical record of the company’s activities in this country.

This story is dominated by major events that significantly influenced the economic development of the country. Shell was intimately involved both in the discovery and production of natural gas and condensate onshore and offshore at Taranaki and in the establishment and subsequent development of the oil refinery at Marsden Point, near Whangarei. It is the marketing and distribution of petroleum products, however, that has provided the strongest links to the wider New Zealand community. From its small beginnings importing packed kerosine in the early 1900 and being the first importer of bulk petrol in the 1920s, the Shell brand has continued to hold a prominent position in the New Zealand oil industry.

In April 2010 Shell sold its ‘downstream’ business in New Zealand to a consortium of Infratil and the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, trading under the name of Greenstone Energy Limited. The sale included Shell’s retail, commercial fuels, bitumen, aviation, marine, chemicals, supply and distribution businesses in New Zealand, and Shell’s shareholdings in Loyalty New Zealand and New Zealand Refining Company. Greenstone Energy Limited will continue, in the meantime, to operate Shell branded service stations under a brand licensing arrangement with Shell

Shell’s ‘upstream’ business in New Zealand, its oil and gas exploration and production sector through its investments in Taranaki, was not part of the sale and remains an ongoing and successful Shell business in New Zealand.

The Shell Heritage Society has, through building a collection of historical photographs and memorabilia (over 1,300 items and a large photograph collection), managed to preserve much of this history which may otherwise have been lost.

The Shell Heritage Society is an Incorporated Society dedicated to the
preservation and display of historical material relating to Shell and associated companies in
New Zealand. Whilst making every effort to ensure the accuracy of the site content the
Society cannot provide an assurance in this regard. Additionally, any views expressed are
not necessarily the views of Shell in New Zealand or Greenstone Energy Limited.