Since 1863, Auckland has been a source of names for more than 40 vessels ranging from sailing ship days to present day services.
Locally, Auckland has appeared here in various forms in naming vessels sailing in both the liner and tramping trades.
The latest example, in port last week to load logs, was POS Auckland.
Sailing under the colours of what is now the STX Pan Ocean Shipping Company Ltd of Seoul, the vessel still carries the funnel markings associated with this company before it became part the STX group.
Two other logo forms have been displayed by other units of its large owned-and-chartered fleet that have appeared here in recent times.
Registered at Hong Kong, the chartered POS Auckland is owned by Victoria Maritime Ltd and managed by Sandigan Ship Services Ltd of Makati in the Philippines.
The 17,679gt, 28,678dwt bulk/lumber carrier has an overall length of 176.60m and a service speed of 14.1 knots.
Ordered from the Kochi yard of Shin Kochi Jyuko KK, the vessel was laid down on June 26, 2002.
It was launched on September 24, 2003, and delivered on December 10, 2003.
Sister ship POS Brave, completed by the same builders in March 2004, loaded scrap at Port Chalmers in September 2004, and a similar cargo at Dunedin in February 2005; and with different funnel markings discharged phosphate at Ravensbourne in February, 2007.
Another bulker linked to South Korean interests, Trans Pacific Carriers of Cheju, the 16,722gt, 1991-built TPC Auckland discharged cement at Dunedin in August 2005.
Still in the bulk trades, but nearer to home in Union Company colours, was the 12,559gt, 1970-built Union Auckland.
The ship brought four shipments of phosphate from Nauru between July 1978, and July 1979.
These were later followed by four calls, two to Port Chalmers and two to Dunedin over the period August 1983 to March 1987, all with gypsum.
Then there were those regular callers of yesteryear.
More than a century ago, Shaw, Savill and Co's 1308gt, iron ship Auckland, built in 1874, made 19 visits to this harbour from November 1874 to February 1900.
Fifty years later, the second of the Port Line's streamlined vessels dating from 1949, the 11,9452gt Port Auckland, made the first of 21 visits in January 1950.
The ship bypassed Port Chalmers and berthed at Dunedin on its last calls in December 1972, and March 1974.
Also clocking up 21 calls was the Ellerman Lines' 8181gt City of Auckland.
The ship had only been in service for eight months when it arrived at Port Chalmers in October 1958.
Most of the vessel's visits were to Dunedin.
Its appearance here for the last time in August 1970 was also the second last by an Ellerman ship employed in the Manz (Montreal-Australia-New Zealand Line) service.
Appearing here in Blue Star Line colours on its maiden voyage on January 26, 1959, was the 11,799gt turbine steamer Auckland Star.
All told, the ship made 13 visits to Port Chalmers and three to Dunedin in 1972 and 1974-75.
The ship became the last conventional unit of this fleet to visit Port Chalmers when it berthed there for the last time on May 2, 1976.
So far, the container ship era has brought only one vessel named after Auckland into this harbour, the Dutch-flag P&O Nedlloyd Auckland.
It was delivered in August 1998 as the third of five 31,333gt, 2980TEU German-built sisters.
The ship arrived on its maiden voyage on October 26, 1998, and berthed for the fourth and last time on July 14, 1999. This quintet had been built to replace the ageing first generation ships on the Mediterranean service.
But because of the imbalance of trade on this route, they proved to be too big.
By the third quarter of 1999, they were withdrawn from the service and replaced by other vessels.