NZHistory, New Zealand history online - shipping

Wreck of the Rainbow Warrior

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

HMNZS Leander

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

HMS Leander in 1939

The Royal NZ Navy's Bird-class ships

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

When the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy on 1 October 1941, it had three brand-new ships working up or fitting out in Scotland.

Container shipping

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

1971 – Columbus discovers the new world

The Columbus New Zealand

Pencarrow Lighthouse

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

Pencarrow Lighthouse

On 1 January 2009 Pencarrow Lighthouse at the entrance to Wellington Harbour celebrated its 150th anniversary. New Zealand’s first permanent lighthouse, Pencarrow was also home to this country’s first – and only – female lighthouse keeper, Mary Bennett.

Oamaru Harbour - Kiwitown's port

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

Sums expended in making Harbors where nature has not already provided them would be a needless expenditure.

Captain William Thomson, 1868

Oamaru Harbour today

The Wahine disaster

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

Tragedy in Wellington Harbour

Television report of the disaster

New Zealand disasters timeline

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This timeline lists New Zealand’s worst post-1840 natural disasters, transport accidents, fires, mining accidents and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life. Follow the links for more information on NZHistory.net.nz, Te Ara and other sites. See also: map showing location of these disasters

Sound: merchant seafarer describes shipping out

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

Shipping out: John Montgomery

John Montgomery, photographed while serving in the United States merchant marine in the later years of the war

John Montgomery collection

John Montgomery was born in Wellington in 1923. After an unsuccessful attempt to join the army by faking his age, he went to sea at the age of 17 on the little scow Te Aroha. In 1941, in Wellington, he got a job in the engine room of the grand liner Aquitania, which was carrying New Zealand troops to the Middle East. He later served as a fireman on the New Zealand Shipping Company cargo liner Ruahine and the United States oil tanker Schenectady, which brought oil from the Americas and the Persian Gulf to New Zealand and supplied US naval forces during the Okinawa invasion.

Sound: life at sea in the Merchant Navy

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 12:00:00 +1200

Life at sea: Les Watson

Les Watson in his deck steward's uniform aboard the Ceramic (II) in 1948

Les Watson collection

Les was born in Dunedin in 1922. Unable to join the armed forces because of a sports injury, he signed on the Shaw Savill & Albion cargo liner Raranga as a steward in 1942. On his first trip to Britain, the ship crossed the North Atlantic as part of convoy SC121, battling huge seas and frequent U-boat attacks. Les later served on the Liberty ship Samavon, the big troopship Ile de France and a number of other vessels.