Tangiwai means 'weeping waters', and the name seemed sadly apt on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland passenger express plunged into a river near Tangiwai, killing 151 people, in New Zealand's worst rail disaster.
New Zealand's worst railway disaster occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the swollen Whangaehu River near Tangiwai. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy stunned the world and left a nation in mourning.
This page gives a broad outline of how the category on New Zealand disasters could be used by teachers and students of social studies and history. This category explores some of the natural disasters, shipwrecks, train crashes and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life and shocked New Zealand. It includes:
New Zealand disasters timeline
The 1918 influenza pandemic
The Tangiwai rail disaster
The sinking of the Wahine
The Erebus disaster
We welcome feedback. Please use the comments box at the bottom of this page.
The disasters timeline and map give an overview of New Zealand's worst natural disasters, transport accidents, fires, mining accidents and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life.
One of the most memorable and poignant moments in New Zealand cricket history occurred on 26 December 1953, just two days after the Tangiwai rail disaster.
This web feature was written by Neill Atkinson, Nicola Barnett and Steve Watters and produced by the NZHistory.net.nz team.
Links
Biographies from the online Dictionary of New Zealand biography: William Appleton; Henry James Hopkins
North Island main trunk line (NZHistory.net.nz)
Royal visit of 1953–54 (NZHistory.net.nz)
Ruapehu and the Tangiwai disaster (Te Ara)
The Tangiwai Memorial lists the names of all those killed (MCH website)
The Tangiwai tragedy from An encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966
Tangiwai disaster page on the Christchurch City Libraries site
The worst railway disaster in New Zealand's history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed.
For most second-class travellers, travelling the main trunk meant a long, sleepless journey on hard-backed seats, struggling to find 'elusive comfort with the NZR pillow'.
