Wairoa
1877
(Second Voyage to NZ )
Captain Joss ; 1015 Tons
Wairoa was a full rigged ship of NZ Shipping Company which made
19 voyages
UK to NZ from 1876 - 1894
Dep London 7th July 1877
Arr Plymouth 9th July 1877
Dep Plymouth 15 July 1877
Arr Wellington 19 Oct 1877
Last Name First Name
Age
County
Occupation
Status Contacts
Stevens Joseph 27
Staffordshire Farm
Lab Single
Stevens James 20
Staffordshire Farm
Lab Single
Stevens Sarah 11
Staffordshire Child Child
Stratford
John 24
Kilkenny
Gen Lab
Single
Sullivan Timothy
20
Cork
Farm Lab
Single
Wood Edward
34 Gloucestershire
Carpenter Single
Wood Henry
35
Middlesex
Carpenter Single
Bourke Thomas
21
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Connell William 20
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Connell Honoria
18
Child Single
Doherty Michael 19
Kerry Farm
Lab Single
Fitzgerald David
23
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Fitzgerald Michael
19
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Fitzgerald John
20
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Hickey
John M 20
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Hickey
John C 21
Kerry Gen
Lab Single
Hickey
Margaret
20
Kerry
Single
She brings the following passengers in addition to the 193
government
immigrants:-
Mrs Price, Mr R Hargreaves, Mr A.C.R Drewe and servant, Mr Rowles
Patterson,
Miss E Spooner, Mr and Mrs J Webber, Mr A Webber, Mr and Mrs
Cucksey and
daughter, Dr. Hamilton.
ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP "WAIROA" FROM LONDON.
The New Zealand Shipping Company's fine ship Wairoa, 1015 tons
arrived off
the heads early this morning, and her numbers were run up shortly
afterwards. She is announced as having left London on the 7th
July and
Plymouth on the 15th of the same month, which would give her a
passage of
93 days from the latter port. She has a large general cargo,
several saloon
passengers and a number of Government immigrants.
In consequence of strong N.W wind today, she had not been able to
get into
port up to the time we went to press, but will probably beat in
this
evening.
She brings the following passengers in addition to the 193
government
immigrants:-
Mrs Price, Mr R Hargreaves, Mr A.C.R Drewe and servant, Mr Rowles
Patterson,
Miss E Spooner, Mr and Mrs J Webber, Mr A Webber, Mr and Mrs
Cucksey and
daughter, Dr. Hamilton.
Comments
Evening Post Newspaper article
THE WAIROA, FROM LONDON
("New Zealand Mail" 20 Oct 1877)
Captain Joss 1015 tons
Dep London,
England
7 July 1877
Arr Plymouth,
England
9 July 1877
Dep Plymouth,
England
15 July 1877
Arr Wellington, New Zealand 19 Oct 1877
All Wednesday the ship Wairoa was outside the Heads awaiting the
flood tide
to enable her to beat into port. At 6 o'clock that evening she
commenced to
work up with a fresh N.W. wind, and an hour afterwards was inside
Barratt's
Reef, where, however the breeze fell light and it was not till
half-past
two on Thursday morning that she came to an anchorage in
port abreast of
Somes Island. The Wairoa , as is already known belongs to this
port. She
brings 175˝ statute adult immigrants, and as clean, healthy and
desirable a
lot of people as ever arrived here. They comprise 22 married
couples, 48
single girls, 65 single men, and 43 children. Some of them (about
15) are
destined for the Fielding settlement. Dr. A. Hamilton, the
surgeon-superintendent, who has previously visited this port in
the
Collingwood, reports that the health of the passengers throughout
the trip
was most excellent, and that no serious sickness of any kind was
experienced.
Two deaths occurred, viz that of an infant three months' old from
marasmas,
and a single man named William Muir, aged 22, of consumption. Of
amusement
there was no lack, for when the ship was fairly at sea, concerts,
penny
readings, and Christy Minstrel entertainments were held weekly
which tended
greatly to relieve the monotony of the long sea voyage. Captain
Joss and
his officers amongst whom we might mention the chief one , Mr
Neven, have
evidently made themselves very popular with the immigrants during
the
voyage, a fact which ensued when the passengers were leaving the
vessel
yesterday. Referring to the Wairoa's passage from London , it may
be
mentioned that it was fine weather throughout. She never
experienced a gale
of wind during the whole time, moderate winds with fine weather
seemingly
having prevailed, which, although it made things pleasant to
those
travelling in the vessel, must have at least annoyed her worthy
skipper,
who instead of finding strong winds during certain portions of
the trip ,
met with nothing but light and baffling breezes. Her royals were
only
furled once from the time she left Ushant till she made Cook
Stait. The N.E
trades were of a very fickle nature indeed, while the S.E trades
although a
good wind , did not last sufficiently long to bring the ship
within the
belt of the westerly winds which in their turn were of no
account. Taking
everything into consideration the passage of the Wairoa is by no
means a
bad one. It occupied 92 days from land to land, and 95 from
anchorage to
anchorage: and her run across the southern ocean was unusually
long
occupying 35 days. She left London on the 7th July , adjusted her
compasses
at Greenhithe same day and then proceeded in tow to Plymouth,
arriving
there on the 9th. Embarked immigrants on the 14th, and proceeded
down the
Channel at 6pm next day with fresh westerly winds. Took her
departure from
Ushart at 4pm on the 17th and thence till Madiera was passed on
the 26th ,
had moderate and light N.E and westerly winds, the barometer
during the
time ranging high. On the 27th what might be called the first of
the N.E
trades was met with, which proved from first to last to be very
light. The
southing was made on the meridians of 23 deg to 23 deg W, and the
Cape
Verde Islands were passed about 90 miles to the westward on the
4th August.
The N.E trades were lost in 12 deg, where the wind shifted
suddenly int o
the S.W, carrying the vessel to 5 deg N and 18 deg W. Thence it
worked into
the south, and the vessel stood on a S.W course for some time,
when the
wind gradually hauled into the south-east , which proved to be
the trade,
and thus the equatorial calm belt was got through without her
having any of
the calms and baffling airs which are so frequently found in that
latitude.
The Equator was crossed in 25 deg W 29 days out. The S.E
trade proved
brisk, and gave out in 20 deg S. and 35 deg W on the 20th , and
was
followed by light and variable winds , mostly from the northward,
until the
26th when the westerlies were found. Tristan d'Acunha was sighted
on the
31st August, and the meridian of Greenwich crossed in 41 deg S on
the 4th
September, and six days afterwards she had passed the Cape. On
the 43rd
parallel principally she hauled off the balance of the casting,
the wind
experienced being exceedingly light, accompanied by frqunt and
long
continuing fogs, in one case lasting for 8 consecutive days, and
on two
other occasion 5 and 4 days respectively. No ice was met with,
and but one
easterly wind. The Meridian of the Leuwin was passed on the 1st
inst. and
Tasmania on the 7th. Land was made in the vicinity of Cape
Farewell at noon
on the 12th, but owing to a clam-the first experienced during the
voyage-Cape Farewell was not passed until noon of the next
day. S.E winds
and fine weather were found to Stephen Island, where a nor'wester
was met
with, which ran her down to the Heads, arriving there on the 14th
inst. At
7 o'clock next morning took Pilot Holmes on board, but was
prevented from
beating into port owing to the very heavy N.W winds blowing, and
the same
night very thick disagreeable weather came on. She went half way
across the
Strait, and next morning came back to the Heads and waited for
the
evening's tide, when she commenced to work in arriving here
yesterday. The
Wairoa comes into port in good order , both above and below. Her
immigrants
were landed yesterday by the Moa. She has entered at the Customs,
and will
in all probability be berthed at the wharf today.
Source: New Zealand Mail 20 October 1877- Alexander Turnbull
Library,
National Newspaper Collection, Wellington, New Zealand.
Immigration Office
Wellington 2nd Nov 1877
Sir,
We have the honour to report the arrival on the 18th October of
the ship
"Wairoa" from Plymouth, with 174˝ adult immigrants =
200 Souls, there were
three births, and two deaths during the voyage, one being that of
a young
man by name William Muir who died of consumption, the other was a
young
child.
We boarded the ship soon after her arrival, and were pleased to
find
everything well arranged, clean and orderly, there being no
complaints of
any kind, it was arranged to land the people on the day of
arrival, which
was accordingly carried out, the "Moa"
being sent off, by the agents of the ship, for the purpose.
The Surgeon Superintendent Dr. Hamilton has made three voyages
with
immigrants, he therefore understands the management of them. The
surgeon ,
Captain and officers of the ship appear to have carried out their
duties in
a very satisfactory manner , the Fire and Boat Drill was carried
out
according to instructions.
In conclusion we beg to recommend that all gratuities be paid,
and that Dr.
Hamilton should again be employed if he desires it.
We have the honour to be Sir
Your obedient Servants
Alexander Johnston MD
John Holliday
James B Redward
Source: National Archives Wellington IM 77/1014
Wairoa was a full rigged (f.r) ship of 1050 tons built in 1875
owned by the
NZ Shipping Company.
On a typical voyage in 1882 the Wairoa with Captain Barclay
in command
left London on 1st July 1882 and arrived at Lyttleton in 92 days.
There was
a diary kept by William Harding on this voyage now at the
Canterbury
Museum Library of this voyage.
John Michael Hickey (1855-1927) was a passenger on it's
maiden voyage to
New Zealand in 1877. He landed at Wellington.
He settled in Opunake, Taranaki.
Source : Log of Logs Vol II By Ian Nicholson (National Library of
Australia)
ISBN 0 646 0918 2 4 Roebuck Books (1993)
Wairoa was a full rigged ship of NZ Shipping Company which made
19 voyages
UK to NZ from 1876 - 1894
Source: Log of Logs Vol I ISBN 0 7316
6543 1
