Everything about Wahine Disaster totally explained
The
Wahine disaster occurred on
10 April 1968 when the TEV
Wahine, a
New Zealand inter-island
ferry of the
Union Company, foundered on
Barrett Reef at the entrance to
Wellington Harbour and capsized near Steeple Rock. Of the 610 passengers and 123 crew on board, 53 people lost their lives.
The wrecking of the
Wahine is by far the best-known
maritime disaster in New Zealand's history, although there have been worse with far greater loss of life. New Zealand
radio and
television captured the drama as it happened, within a short distance of shore of the eastern suburbs of Wellington, and flew film overseas for world TV news.
Disaster timeline
In the early morning of
10 April, two violent
storms merged over Wellington, creating a single
extratropical cyclone storm that was the worst recorded in New Zealand's history.
Cyclone Giselle was heading south after causing much damage in the north of the
North Island. It hit Wellington at the same time as another storm which had driven up the West Coast of the
South Island from
Antarctica. The winds in Wellington were the strongest ever recorded. At one point they reached a speed of 275 km/h. In one Wellington suburb alone the wind ripped off the roofs of 98 houses. Three ambulances and a truck were blown onto their sides when they tried to go into the area to bring out injured people.
As the storms hit Wellington, the ferry
Wahine was crossing
Cook Strait on the last leg of her overnight journey from the port of
Lyttelton, near
Christchurch, to Wellington. At 5:50 a.m., with winds gusting at between 130 and 150 km/h, Captain
Hector Gordon Robertson decided to enter the harbour. Twenty minutes later the winds had increased to 160 km/h, and the ship lost its
radar. A huge wave pushed the
Wahine off course and in line with Barrett Reef. The captain was unable to turn back on course, and decided to keep turning the ferry around and back out to sea again. For 30 minutes the
Wahine battled into the waves and wind, but by 6:40 a.m. had been driven back onto the rocks of Barrett Reef. Passengers were told that the ferry was aground, to put on their
lifejackets and report to assembly points around the ship.
The storm continued to grow more intense. As the winds increased, the
Wahine dragged its
anchors and drifted into the harbour, close to the western shore. The weather was so bad that no help could be given from the harbour or the shore.
At about 11.00 a.m. a harbour
tug managed to reach the vessel, and tried to attach a line and tow the ferry, but the line gave way. Other attempts failed, but the deputy
harbourmaster managed to climb aboard the
Wahine from the pilot launch, which had also reached the scene.
At about 1.15 p.m. the combined effect of the
tide and the storm swung the
Wahine around, providing a patch of clear water sheltered from the wind and the sea. As the ferry suddenly listed further and reached the point of no return, Captain Robertson gave the order to abandon ship. Only four
lifeboats could be launched. One lifeboat was swamped when it hit the water and people were lost into the sea. Some managed to hold onto the boat as it drifted across the harbour to the eastern shore. Other boats were also swamped but many of the passengers were able to reach the
rescue boats which by now were surrounding the vessel.
At about 2.30 p.m. the
Wahine rolled completely onto her side. By then the first of the survivors were reaching the western shore. Over 200 survivors drifted across to the rocky, unpopulated eastern side of the harbour.
On the eastern side the only road was blocked by land slips, and it became impassable due to the huge seas breaking over it. Some of the survivors reached the shore only to die of exhaustion. Fifty-one people died at the time, and two others died later from injuries sustained in the shipwreck, fifty-three victims in all. Most of the victims middle-aged or elderly, along with several children, from
drowning,
exposure or injuries from being battered on the rocks.
Aftermath
Ten weeks after the sinking, a
court of
inquiry found errors of judgement had been made, but stressed that the conditions at the time had been difficult and dangerous. The build-up of water on the vehicle deck was the reason the ferry finally capsized. The report of the inquiry stated that more lives would almost certainly have been lost if the order to abandon ship had been given earlier or later. The storm was so strong that rescue craft wouldn't have been able to safely help the passengers from the ferry any earlier than about 12.30 p.m..
Attempts were made to
salvage the
Wahine, but later storms broke up the wreck, and she was finally dismantled where she lay.
Wahine Memorial Park
Today the Wahine Memorial Park marks the disaster, near where the survivors reached the western shore at
Seatoun. This park has a memorial plaque, the Wahine's anchor and chain, and replica ventilation pipes. The Wahine's fore-mast is part of another memorial in
Frank Kitts Park in central Wellington.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wahine Disaster'.
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