Kate's Notes: In the summer of 1881 there were two vessels bound for Auckland which listed Gilliland passengers. The first vessel appeared to be the wife and daughters of the John Gilliland and sons who soon followed in another vessel. Yet the two groups were "consigned to" different businesses. That seemed odd to me, so I sent an inquiry regarding "consignments" to fellow genealogist Murray Lynn of the Canter History Group, a resident of New Zealand. This was Murray's reply: 

   This refers to the freight or to the ship itself (i.e. who hired it) rather than the passengers (it is a term still used today). From Wikipedia:"Consignment is the act of consigning, which is  placing a person or thing in the hand of another, but retaining  ownership until the goods are sold or person is transferred."
   A few notes FYI on supported immigration:
   Some of the early settlements (up to 1850 just about everywhere apart from Auckland) in NZ were carried out privately by the New Zealand Company, who were based in London. They arranged everything  from purchase of land, design of the towns, to selection of the settlers, etc etc. 
   Many who came out to NZ  post 1870 and up to about 1900, came under the "Vogel Scheme" (after the prime minister of the time), a government scheme designed to increase the sparse population in order to build the infrastructure - roads, railways, clear farm land  etc. Other Government schemes to bring in immigrants operated until well after WW2. The originals of the shipping records you are accessing may show who was assisted under the Vogel scheme, although  some records only show totals (men, women, children, class, assisted  etc). I'm not clear exactly how it worked, but at least some were expected to repay their fare to the Govt. and there are records (possibly not on-line) listing defaulters. The lists are very long and so I suspect that most tried to get away without paying!  Be  very wary about the details in shipping records as (at least in the  early stages) there were age restrictions and so older people lowered their ages and women seem to be younger than they were by  default :>)!  Presumably there was also a preferred list of  trades and professions as I've seen some very odd ones listed -  trades they certainly weren't involved in before or after the migration. As an aside - as the US was closer (so cheaper to get to and without a dangerous 3-4 month voyage) and better established, it was the preferred place for migration. The Vogel scheme coincided  with a depression in the US and so for a time ca 1870-1880, NZ and probably Australia became more popular destinations than the US.
   I would guess that other immigrants were paid for by businesses, but apart from the above I'm not aware of this happened on a large scale. There were a few other private 'schemes' but they seemed to be small with just one or two ship loads of people from the same area with common interests  - eg the area near to us in the Moutere Valley was settled by Germans, Dannevirke in the North Island by Danes and North Auckland by Slavs.

From the Australian and New Zealand Gazette
11 June, 1881

DEPARTURES.

Per Messrs, Shaw, Savill, & Co.’s “Hermoine” (Captain D. T. Roberts),  from London, May 27. -- For Auckland, N. Z. (consigned to Messrs. Cruikshank & Co.): ..... Mrs. J. Gilliland, Etty Gilliland, Minnie Gilliland....

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From the Australian and New Zealand Gazette
 27 August, 1881

LIST OF PASSENGERS
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DEPARTURES.

   Per Messrs. Shaw, Savill & Co.’s “Auckland” (Captain McDougal), from London August 19. -- For Wellington, N.Z. (consigned to Messrs. Turnbull & Co.): Saloon -- C. W. Taylor. Second Cabin -- Albert Temple, John McLaren, and Herbert Mattick. Steerage -- Emma Evans, John Copethorne, Sarah Copethorne, William Fletcher, Rachel Fletcher, Amelia Routledge, Jane Routledge, William Martin, J. Cunningham, Thomas Clay, Charles Penn, John Penn, Walter Penn, T. H. Hudson, John Gilliland, Sydney Gilliland, Cecil Gilliland, Arthur Wiffin, Sarah Wiffibn, Ernest Wiffin, Amy Wiffin, Arthur Wiffin, Edith Wiffin, John Davy, Bessie Davy, Tom Davy, Herbert Davy, George Parkhouse, Mrs. Parkhouse, Nora Parkhouse, and John Hall.

-- transcription by Kate Maynard, 2010