1863 Sinking of HMS Orpheus - NZ's worst shipwreck

Britain’s costliest day of the New Zealand Wars occurred far from the battlefield. On 7 February 1863 the Royal Navy’s steam corvette HMS Orpheus, bringing supplies and reinforcements, hit the Manukau Harbour bar. The 1706-ton ship was modern and powerful, but it was no match for the treacherous Manukau entrance whose channels and submerged sandbars move frequently.

A series of minor errors and bad luck caused the disaster. Commodore William Burnett was in a hurry and decided to berth at Onehunga instead of rounding North Cape to reach the Waitematā Harbour. This was unfortunate, since he carried outdated charts and the channel had moved. After signalling him to take the bar, port staff issued a warning when they realised he was off-course. The Orpheus missed the message. The protests of the only seaman aboard who knew the harbour were ignored.

After the ship hit the bar, its engines seized, pushing it onto its side. The seas pounded the Orpheus murderously, and only one small boat got away. As the ship sank into the sand, the men climbed into the rigging. Unfortunately neither the signal station nor a departing steamer realised what was happening. Rescuers arrived too late to prevent a catastrophe. The masts collapsed, throwing officers and men into the sea. Of the 259 aboard, 189 died. It remains New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster. 

Image: Wreck of the Orpheus (Te Ara)