Lounge on the Captain Cook immigrant ship

Hi I had sent earlier message and realized some of my details could have been confusing with the mention of Hawick. (My reference for Hawick was for a town in the Borderlands of Scotland, not the town of Hawick - pronounced differently - in New Zealand.) Just wanted to get that right as it can make a big difference. Thank you

My Dad David Scott, came out to NZ in 1956 on the TSS Captain Cook, leaving 21st Feb 1956 he said he left the quay. Arriving Wellington end of March. I have 4 detailed letters he wrote home while on the boat and about 100 in total of his letter back to home of his life, friends family in NZ and 6 small photos of the bridge the Dutch Bank at Curacao, looking towards the entrance of Curacao Harbour (the Pontoon Bridge), also 2 postcards sent of Curacao's floating market(dated 5-3-56) and Pitcairn Island dated 19-3-1956 and there is a photo of Joe Tomlinson on the Bridge, one of his friends Fred Phillips, John, Jim, and Ronnie. Other names are Albert Sheath a Piper from Hawick (same place as my Dad), Fred Phillips(about 25yrs old) was in the next cabin. Dad says he shared a cabin with the Pipe-major, a motor car body builder and a sheppard. Also the Telfer family are mentioned. On the back of another photo of a family it has the Clarke family and Joe. He speaks of some going to the North Island, he caught the ferry to the south - to Christchurch. Dad was in a knitting place in Hawick and worked at Lane Walker Rudkin in Christchurch making suits, knitwear etc. Sam Barton from Hawick is also also mentioned and Rob Thomson of Gala(this was when he was in Christchurch).There is so much detail and probably more names, I am typing these letters up for a book for my family.Wanted to note there is also a King Neptune sea shanty they receive re the equator.

My parents Charlie and Pat and my sister Lesley left Glasgow and sailed via Curacao and Panama to arrive in Wellington in November 1958. We travelled north to Frankton Junction and then bussed down to Rotorua Where we settled with my grandparents. After marrying a lovely Kiwi girl and two children later we moved south to Taupo, where we still live.
I also remember the crew being all Scottish and also that a large number of the passengers were Shetland Islanders.

I read on this same page that a Thomas Anderson on the same voyage also ended up in Taupo. It would be great to meet up and talk about our shared history.
Thanks Ken Thackeray

Arrived in N.Z. June 1959., age 2yrs old. Parents name was Mathew Borland and mother Doreen June Borland. Settled in Dunedin, is any one on the same voyage????

Had to laugh at Alan Cook's picture of the corridor lounge. We have a post card of the exact same picture from my own father's trip over in 1953! I have pictures of Dad and other ship pal's taken before, during and after their trip. There is one of Dad and a group of those 'ship mates' taken at the Waipawa Cenotaph - poignant given I now live in Waipukurau. These were young people that got out and about and explored the new terrain. Sadly all in those picture have now passed too....but they were so young and adventurous. They were OE'rs before the term was fashionable!

Can I also note Jim Henderson's comments (14 Sep 2010) about his own TSS Captain Cook journey in 1957. Post docking, Jim recalls his (widowed) mother took him and the other kids by train through to Oruawharo Homestead at Takapau. Oruawharo is just down the road and is still a beautiful homestead full of history and open to the public.

I sailed from Glasgow in June 59.... the old girls second to last trip ..I was 18 at the time.. and on my own ..the best 6 weeks of my life ...I am 73 now ...so a lot of water under the bridge .....

My mother, Claire Richardson (later Ward), originally from Kent, England, came out to NZ on the Captain Cook in 1955, arriving in Wellington in March. Then she travelled up to Auckland to stay at the Mangere immigration hostel.

Hi I am looking for William Patterson who was on Captain Cook arriving in Wellington from London in 1954. He was 19 at the time and of any relatives or friends please contact me ASAP thanks very much email is

For those who came out to NZ on the last trip of Captain Cook, it is 54 years today (26 Sept) since we left Glasgow. Hope you have all enjoyed those years as much as I have.

Just found these comments Iknew Tony Briggs I moved to Christchurch my friends were Kenn Bates, Bernie Foulkes maybe someone will recognise the names CHEERS