TSS Earnslaw: Celebrating 100 Years 1912-2012 by freelance journalist Jenny McLeod and designer Scott Conway, both of Queenstown, chronicles a century of service by the "Lady of the Lake" - for many the only lifeline around Lake Wakatipu - her rescue from oblivion by Fiordland Travel in 1969 and her second lease of life as a unique heritage tourism operation.
Ms McLeod and Mr Conway realised they worked well together during their past collaborations for The Queenstown Book, now in its fourth edition, and The Tin Goose Cafe Cookbook.
Their bid was successful when Earnslaw operator Real Journeys called for tenders last year for a special book to commemorate the milestone and the people whose lives were entwined with the ship.
Ms McLeod said she researched the history of Earnslaw by trawling through newspaper archives, sifting through the Lakes District Museum, the Arrowtown and the Dunedin public libraries' heritage collections and speaking to high-country station residents and both past and present Real Journeys staff. She also sourced, from private collections, many photographs which have not been seen publicly before.
"I very quickly discovered the Earnslaw had been a lifeline for many people," Ms McLeod said.
"Before roading, the Earnslaw was the the only contact with the outside world.
"There are lots of fascinating stories and aural histories kept in the Lakes District Museum. We could not have produced such a comprehensive record without the support of its archives."
Mr Conway said his design ideas included the gathering of old Earnslaw paraphernalia, such as tickets, postcards, posters and advertising, and incorporating them into the format of the book.
The reader was intended to feel the passage of time through the design, right up to contemporary portraits, photographs and testimonies.
"There was a definite drive to make it different, because the history is not new," Mr Conway said.
"Capturing the personalities through the years - that's what I've enjoyed about it."
The book costs $59.95 and will be sold through the Real Journeys website, the company's Queenstown information centre and at Walter Peak farm.
