The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
In Memoriam | Early Instructions | A Rough Day At The Office | An Old Hand Works The Bar | Sea Tales From A Past Era
In Memoriam
Following is a listing of the ships, trawlers and aircraft known to have foundered on the
Manukau Harbour or on the Manukau Bar (pictured in background) over the years.
Sources: New Zealand Shipwrecks & supplements;
Where New Zealand Touches The World - A History of Auckland International Airport;
Untamed Coast - Auckland's Waitakere Ranges and Heritage Area, by Bob Harvey;
Background pic taken from South Head in 1980 provided by Chris Howell
Date
|
Vessel
|
Type
|
Location
|
Fatalities
|
Other details
|
2 March 1848
|
Orwell
|
Barque
|
Harbour entrance
|
0
|
Total loss. 164 cattle and 200 sheep lost.
|
7 Oct 1851
|
Maori
|
Schooner (government-owned)
|
Capsized near Mangere spit en route to Waiuku
|
3
|
2 Europeans & 20 Maori swam to shore, Ship restored in 1853 and used in survey of the Manukau entrance
|
November 1853
|
Eleanor
|
Barque
|
Harbour entrance
|
9
|
|
25 July 1860
|
Union
|
Schooner
|
Four miles north of entrance - Karekare Beach
|
4
|
Cargo of coal lost.
|
31 July 1860
|
Emma
|
Brigantine
|
Harbour entrance
|
0
|
Built in Kingston, New Brunswick
|
7 Feb 1863
|
HMS Orpheus
|
Steam Corvette, 1706 tons
|
Harbour entrance
|
189
|
|
8 March 1865
|
Abe
|
Schooner
|
Harbour entrance, travelling from Kaipara
|
All hands
|
Also known as Nebuchadnezzar
|
8 March 1865
|
Abeona
|
Schooner, 44.5 tons
|
Harbour entrance, travelling from Wanganui
|
5
|
|
24 May 1865
|
Alliance
|
Schooner, 73 tons
|
Harbour entrance, on a headland beach
|
0
|
|
5 June 1865
|
Polka
|
Cutter
|
Capsized off Cape Horn during a squall
|
2
|
|
September 1865
|
Elfin Queen
|
Cutter
|
Harbour entrance
|
5
|
|
26 March 1866
|
Quickstep
|
Cutter
|
Harbour entrance, Manukau Heads beach
|
4
|
Cargo of potatoes lost.
|
16 April 1866
|
Favourite
|
Cutter
|
Failed to reach Okarito from Onehunga
|
5
|
No trace ever found
|
19 May 1866
|
Progress
|
Cutter
|
Seven miles off harbour entrance
|
2
|
1 survivor. Cargo of timber and bricks lost.
|
13 August 1866
|
Mystery
|
Cutter
|
Capsized twixt Garlands Creek & Onehunga
|
10
|
|
24 Dec 1866
|
Pioneer
|
Steamer
|
Carried out to sea off Manukau pilot station
|
0
|
|
25 Dec 1866
|
Cambodia
|
Barque, 811 tons
|
Struck the bar
|
0
|
Carrying a cargo of guano. Salvaged, repaired, sailed for Hokianga and England in July 1867
|
September 1867
|
Trial
|
Cutter, 15 tons
|
Wrecked at Onehunga
|
0
|
|
13 May 1870
|
Challenge
|
Schooner, 57 tons
|
Harbour entrance
|
Unknown
|
Cargo of timber lost.
|
2 Feb 1874
|
Flora MacDonald
|
Cutter, 18 tons
|
Capsized at the Harbour entrance
|
8
|
Lost her steering gear.
|
26 Oct 1875
|
Lily
|
Fishing cutter
|
Wrecked in squall off Little Muddy Creek
|
2
|
|
23 June 1876
|
Williamette
|
Cutter, 28 tons
|
Three miles south of harbour entrance
|
Unknown
|
|
circa 10 March 1883
|
Clarinda
|
Schooner
|
Off Manukau Heads
|
6
|
|
July 1894
|
Paku
|
Cutter, 33 tons
|
Harbour entrance
|
All hands
|
|
February 1912
|
De Dion Minor
|
Wooden motor launch
|
Harbour entrance
|
Unknown
|
|
6 Dec 1917
|
Nautilus
|
Oil engine vessel
|
Clark's Creek, destroyed by fire
|
0
|
|
22 Nov 1921
|
Cygnet
|
Steam launch, 3 tons
|
Ten miles south of harbour, destroyed by fire
|
Unknown
|
|
19 Mar 1930
|
Tot
|
Launch
|
Fire off Mangere Point
|
0
|
|
26 June 1939
|
n/a
|
Parachute
|
Blown by strong winds into 15 feet of water
|
1
|
|
14 July 1953
|
Thistle II
|
Fishing vessel
|
Harbour entrance
|
3
|
|
12 May 1968
|
Callie
|
Launch
|
Stranded near South Head
|
0
|
Last vessel to carry fare-paying passengers on the Manukau
|
3 Dec 1969
|
n/a
|
Light aircraft
|
Crashed after circling city for four hours
|
1
|
|
17 Feb 1979
|
Aircraft (see pic below)
|
Crashed on approach in heavy rain storm
|
2
|
|
|
6 Oct 1981
|
Brothers
|
Fishing vessel
|
Capsized and sunk by huge waves, South Head
|
2
|
|
30 Sep 1984
|
Fijian
|
General cargo
|
Seaman swept overboard at harbour entrance
|
1
|
|
28 June 1987
|
Unnamed
|
Runabout
|
Struck a log in the harbour
|
2
|
1 survivor
|
23 Dec 1987
|
Bluefin
|
Launch
|
Struck a log in the harbour
|
2
|
|
31 July 1989
|
Aircraft
|
Crashed after taking off in foggy conditions
|
3
|
|
|
11 June 1990
|
Starfish
|
Runabout
|
Sunk off Harbour entrance
|
2
|
|
8 March 1992
|
Pterodactyl Ascender II
|
Microlight aircraft
|
Crashed in harbour on flight from Pikes Point
|
1
|
|
3 Sep 1994
|
Unnamed
|
Dinghy
|
Sunk 200 metres off French Bay
|
2
|
2 survivors, scalloping expedition
|
20 Jan 1995
|
Buccaneer
|
Fishing vessel
|
Ran aground at Harbour entrance
|
0
|
Lost steering. Total loss
|
26 Dec 2002
|
Hildaron
|
Fishing vessel
|
Abandoned 36 miles north-west of the Harbour
|
0
|
Crew rescued by helicopter
|
15 April 2004
|
Poseidon
|
Fishing vessel
|
Grounded at Whatipu
|
0
|
Deckhand fell asleep on watch
|
5 March 2005
|
Tobamoray
|
Sea Nymph
|
Swamped by 5 metre wave at Harbour entrance
|
1
|
|
