1010thth April 1968 April 1968

• Built in 1966 in Built in 1966 in Scotland for the Scotland for the Union Steam Ship Union Steam Ship Company of New Company of New ZealandZealand

• One of the largest One of the largest ferries in the worldferries in the world

• Made 67 voyages Made 67 voyages from Lyttleton to from Lyttleton to WellingtonWellington

• On April 9On April 9thth 1968, the Wahine left 1968, the Wahine left Lyttleton Harbour at 8.40pm with 610 Lyttleton Harbour at 8.40pm with 610 passengers and 125 crewpassengers and 125 crew

• Storm warnings had been issued, but Storm warnings had been issued, but rough seas were nothing new in Cook rough seas were nothing new in Cook Strait. As it turned out, the Strait. As it turned out, the WahineWahine was about to sail into one of the worst was about to sail into one of the worst storms ever recorded in New Zealand.storms ever recorded in New Zealand.

• Cyclone Giselle was moving down the length of the North Island leaving much damage, flooding, injury and even deaths in its wake

• Wellington was hit especially hard as Cyclone Giselle was met at the same time by another storm driven up the west coast from Antartica

• As the combined storms were gathering force, the Wahine was making its way into Wellington Harbour

- wind gusts were in excess of 160kmph- NIWA estimates waves reached a peak of

14m in Cook Strait

• 5.50 am- Captain Hector Robertson decided to enter Captain Hector Robertson decided to enter Wellington Harbour.Wellington Harbour.

• 6.10 am- radar system failed and a huge wave radar system failed and a huge wave pushed the ship off course and side on to the pushed the ship off course and side on to the towering waves.towering waves.

• 6.40 am- the the WahineWahine is driven onto Barrett Reef and is driven onto Barrett Reef and the starboard propeller is knocked off the starboard propeller is knocked off

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are aground on Barrett's Reef.  There is no immediate danger.  Please proceed to your cabins, collect your life jackets, and report to

your muster stations."

• The signal station at The signal station at Beacon Hill is notified, Beacon Hill is notified, the anchors are dropped the anchors are dropped and the Wahine drifts to and the Wahine drifts to near Steeple Rocknear Steeple Rock

• 11 am- the tugboat the tugboat Tapuhi reaches the Tapuhi reaches the Wahine and attempts to Wahine and attempts to tow it to safety but the tow it to safety but the line breaksline breaks

• 1.15 pm- the Wahine the Wahine begins to list heavily to begins to list heavily to starboardstarboard

• 1.30 pm- the order is the order is given to abandon shipgiven to abandon ship

• Passengers, who had Passengers, who had been unaware of just been unaware of just how serious the how serious the situation was, were situation was, were now confused and now confused and frightened. frightened.

• People slid across People slid across the sloping deck, the sloping deck, trying to make their trying to make their way to the lifeboats. way to the lifeboats.

• Others did not know Others did not know which side was which side was starboard and starboard and instead made their instead made their way to the high side way to the high side of the ship, from of the ship, from which it was which it was impossible to launch impossible to launch the lifeboats.the lifeboats.

• Only the four starboard lifeboats could be launched, and Only the four starboard lifeboats could be launched, and crewmen tried to get as many people as possible onto them. crewmen tried to get as many people as possible onto them. One lifeboat was swamped when it hit the water and people One lifeboat was swamped when it hit the water and people were lost into the sea. were lost into the sea.

• A number of passengers were forced to jump into the cold, A number of passengers were forced to jump into the cold, churning sea, and other passengers reached inflatable life-rafts churning sea, and other passengers reached inflatable life-rafts that had been thrown overboard. Some of these were punctured that had been thrown overboard. Some of these were punctured by the wreckage or flipped over by the heavy seas. by the wreckage or flipped over by the heavy seas.

• At 2.30pm the At 2.30pm the Wahine finally Wahine finally sunk just as the sunk just as the first survivors first survivors were reaching the were reaching the western shore at western shore at SeatounSeatoun

• Emergency services in Wellington Emergency services in Wellington were already fully stretched were already fully stretched dealing with damage caused by dealing with damage caused by the storm in the citythe storm in the city

• Only 8 police officers were initially Only 8 police officers were initially able to get past the debris-able to get past the debris-blocked road to the barren and blocked road to the barren and jagged Eastbourne shore, they jagged Eastbourne shore, they were confronted by what looked were confronted by what looked like a battle field as around 200 like a battle field as around 200 survivors straggled through the survivors straggled through the surfsurf

• It was mainly those carried to the It was mainly those carried to the surf-pounding eastern shore, who surf-pounding eastern shore, who lost their lives. Some were lost their lives. Some were drowned or died of exposure. drowned or died of exposure. Others reached the coast only to Others reached the coast only to be dashed against the rocks.be dashed against the rocks.

• Those who Those who owned small owned small vessels that had vessels that had not been not been damaged by the damaged by the storm risked storm risked taking them out taking them out to pick up to pick up survivors. Msurvivors. Many any plunged into the plunged into the surf themselves surf themselves to help drag to help drag them to safety.them to safety.

• Others provided Others provided comfort and comfort and medical attention medical attention when the when the survivors arrived survivors arrived ashoreashore

• Separate points Separate points in the city were in the city were established to established to deal with deal with inquiries about inquiries about the passengers the passengers and crew while and crew while a survivor a survivor assembly assembly station was set station was set up at Wellington up at Wellington

railway station.railway station.

• Fifty-one people lost their lives that day, Fifty-one people lost their lives that day, another died several weeks later and a another died several weeks later and a 53rd victim died in 1990 from injuries 53rd victim died in 1990 from injuries sustained in the wreck sustained in the wreck

• The court of inquiry that met 10 weeks The court of inquiry that met 10 weeks after the sinking pinpointed the build-after the sinking pinpointed the build-up of water in the vehicle deck as the up of water in the vehicle deck as the reason the ferry finally capsized.reason the ferry finally capsized.

• One question focused One question focused on the timing of the on the timing of the decision to abandon decision to abandon ship, the inquiry ship, the inquiry concluded that more concluded that more lives would almost lives would almost certainly have been certainly have been lost if this order had lost if this order had been given earlier been given earlier when the storm was at when the storm was at its peak.its peak.

• Captain Robertson was Captain Robertson was criticised for failing to report to criticised for failing to report to those on shore that the vehicle those on shore that the vehicle deck was taking on water and deck was taking on water and that the ship's draught had that the ship's draught had increased to 6.7 metres after increased to 6.7 metres after striking the reef.striking the reef.

• No official ruling was madeNo official ruling was made. The . The court of inquiry wrapped up after court of inquiry wrapped up after only 4months concluding that the only 4months concluding that the cause of the disaster lay in the cause of the disaster lay in the extreme nature of the stormextreme nature of the storm

• Today we take a different view on the Today we take a different view on the tragedy and criticise the indifference of tragedy and criticise the indifference of the official response- authorities wanted to the official response- authorities wanted to deal with it quickly and then forgetdeal with it quickly and then forget““The ship’s sinking was the last disaster The ship’s sinking was the last disaster

before the public started challenging before the public started challenging authorities” authorities” 11

• The story of the Johnson family- no The story of the Johnson family- no apology from United Steam Ship Company apology from United Steam Ship Company besides a single wreathbesides a single wreath

• Parts of the Wahine that Parts of the Wahine that were retrieved have were retrieved have been used as a been used as a memorial on memorial on Wellington’s water frontWellington’s water front

• The The WahineWahine’s demise also ’s demise also marked a coming of age marked a coming of age for television news for television news broadcasting in New broadcasting in New Zealand as images of the Zealand as images of the disaster were beamed into disaster were beamed into the nation's living rooms.the nation's living rooms.

• http://www.nzhistory.net.nzhttp://www.nzhistory.net.nz

• http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/wahine.http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/wahine.htmhtm

• http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~glaive/http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~glaive/nz/pages/wahine.htmnz/pages/wahine.htm

• The The ListenerListener March 29 2008 pp. 16- March 29 2008 pp. 16-2121

• TVNZ Documentary TVNZ Documentary Inside Story: The Inside Story: The Wahine DisasterWahine Disaster, directed by David , directed by David LomasLomas