The Stranding of the SS Penguin

Matakana Island’s 20 km-long, ocean-facing Panepane Beach - notorious among 19^th century Māori and  Pākehā seafarers - posed a serious risk to paddle, sail and steam powered vessels. The beach formed a featureless, deadly, surf-pounded lee shore. Some vessels that hove‑to offshore during northeasterly gales often dragged their anchors on the sandy bottom and were driven ashore there. Others, particularly smaller sailing vessels under 20 tons that missed the channel entrance, even by small margins during such gales, were swept sideways onto the beach, rolled and wrecked.

The 5km beach section extending north from Panepane Point opposite Mauao | Mount Maunganui continued to claim shipping well into the 1900s. Had their skeletons remained they would have stood as a stark warning to careless or drunken skippers and those new to the Bay of Plenty. However, the many vessels wrecked there soon disappeared from sight, as the beach sands quickly absorbed their hulls.

Matakana Island’s Panepane Point and beach from Mount Maunganui across the channel

Built and launched in Glasgow, Scotland in January 1864, the steamship Penguin was sold to the New Zealand Steamship Company in 1879. Some 220 feet in length, with a gross registered tonnage of 749, the steamer became a familiar sight in Tauranga Moana during 1879 and 1880, as it delivered passengers, freight and mail to and from the North and South Islands’ east coast ports [1].

On 16 January 1880, New Zealand newspapers reported that the SS Penguin (Captain Malcolm), had gone ashore while entering Tauranga Harbour close to where the SS Taupo had been wrecked in February the previous year. Ironically, the Penguin had been purchased specifically to replace that unfortunate vessel on the return coastal route from Auckland to Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Lyttleton and Port Chalmers [2].

The SS Penguin at Port Chalmers

The SS Taupo had gone ashore on Stony Point Reef at the base of Mount Maunganui where the channel opened into the harbour (marked today by the statue of Tangaroa, the Polynesian sea god). It sustained significant damage to the hull in the process and although salvaged, later sank off Tūhua | Mayor Island. The Penguin, on the other hand, was driven to starboard while attempting to negotiate the channel during ‘a terrific gale’. It went aground on a sandbank close to Panepane Spit at the southern end of Matakana Island’s Panepane Beach [3].

The little SS Staffa (Captain Baker), was at once dispatched from the town to the Penguin's assistance. The mail and passengers were taken off and landed at the town. On 14 January the Auckland Star reported: 

The SS Penguin came off the sand hillock at eleven o'clock this morning, with the assistance of the steamer Staffa under the command of worthy Captain Baker. No damage was done. She had not even moved a pound of cargo or coal. Her light kedge came home, or else she would have got off when she first touched [the Penguin’s light kedge or emergency anchor had failed to hold and had been dragged across the channel with the ship] [4].

After reloading her passengers and mail at the town, the Penguin immediately resumed her voyage to the southern ports on her itinerary, one editor noting, ‘as the steamer is built of the best Lowmoor iron it would be almost impossible to injure her’ [5]. Despite again running aground during dense fog at Nelson in November 1895, and being refloated without damage, the SS Penguin was to prove as vulnerable to shipwreck as any other New Zealand coastal steamer. 

The SS Penguin ashore at Nelson in November 1895

On February 12, 1909, the SS Penguin (Captain Francis Naylor), struck Thoms Rock in Cook Strait while navigating during a severe storm. The women and children were loaded into the lifeboats, which were swamped by the heavy seas. Only one woman and a boy survived. All the other children drowned. Other survivors came ashore on rafts. As the Penguin sank, seawater flooded the engine room and, on reaching the boilers, caused a massive steam explosion. It was New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century: 75 people lost their lives while only 30 survived [6].

A court of inquiry found that Captain Naylor did everything possible to save the lives of his passengers and crew once the disaster occurred. Ultimately blaming Naylor’s navigational errors for the disaster, the court suspended his certificate for 12 months. 

References

[1] Ingram, C.W.N. New Zealand Shipwrecks,1795-1975, A.H. and A.W. Reid, Wellington, 1977: 308.

[2] Bay of Plenty Times, 4 March 1880: 1.

[3] Evening Star, 13 January 1880: 2.

[4] Auckland Star, 14 January 1880: 2.

[5] Manawatu Herald, 16 January 1880: 2.

[6] Ingram, 1977: 308.

Images

Cousins, John, senior reporter, ‘Panepane Point to be Returned to Hapu’, in Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Post. 26 January, NZ Herald,https://www.nzherald.co.nz › Rotorua Daily Post.

De Maus, David Alexander, 1847-1925: ‘Steamship Penguin at Port Chalmers’. Ref: 1/1-003381-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22384677.

Auckland Weekly News, ‘The Grounding of the SS Penguin: The Vessel on the Rocks outside Nelson Harbour, April 28,1904’. Record ID AWNS-19040512-12-02. Auckland City Libraries Heritage Collection.

Sharing a verandah with ‘King Dick’

A large format print taken at Hillsdene the home of the Wrigley family recording the visit of Premier R.J. Seddon to Tauranga 18-19 March 1905. Image courtesy of Tauranga Museum, 0557/08. Photo by T.E. Price

Premier Richard Seddon’s visit to Tauranga on 18-19 March 1905 is immortalised in this posed group photograph.[i] Several notable citizens, wearing their finery, surround Seddon who is larger than life at just under six feet and nearly 20 stone. Canon Jordan, Mayor of Tauranga, appears on the path second from left and his wife Mrs Eleanor Jordan, the town’s matriarch, stands next to the Premier also on his left. Colonel Ward is wearing his Tauranga Mounted Rifles uniform, and handwriting on the image indicates that Mr T. E. Price (the photographer), Mr & Mrs Howell, Mr & Mrs Spooner, and Mr Asher are also present. The Honourable Mr William Herries, MP for the Bay of Plenty, looms at the back to the right of Seddon. Intriguingly, he appears to have been caught in a wry smile, perhaps revealing how he felt about sharing a verandah with ‘King Dick’.  

Above: A close-up of William Herries taken from the image above - 0557/08

Below: Herries ‘At Rotorua – On an election tour in the old days’
Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Photo 04-232

 
Seddon and Herries were well acquainted foes. By 1905 Seddon, the leader of the Liberal Party, was nearing the end of his 13-year reign as Premier or Prime Minister of New Zealand[ii]. Seddon’s nickname ‘King Dick’ speaks volumes about his personality and leadership style.[iii] Herries, as the Independent MP for the Bay of Plenty since 1896, built his reputation on campaigning against Seddon and the Liberal government, frequently calling into question the actions of the Premier.[iv] Both men were accustomed to verbally sparring with each other, as the run up to the 1899 General Election illustrates.

Above: The Late Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon. Image: Tauranga Museum, 0075/23

Below: David Lundon the Liberal Party candidate for the Bay of Plenty for the 1899 election
Lundon was the Mayor of Tauranga from 15 December 1887 to 28 November 1888
Image: Te Ao Mārama, Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Photo 21-1855

In May 1899 Herries spoke at a public meeting held in the Theatre Royal, Harington Street, to an estimated crowd of 150 to 200 people.[v] At the gathering Herries described himself as an ‘Opposition man’ and Seddon as ‘the greatest autocrat that ever lived’.[vi] This was the opening salvo in what became a war of words between the two men.[vii] Herries’ election campaign officially began in November, with public meetings held in Katikati, Greerton and Tauranga.[viii] The Bay of Plenty Times reported that at the Tauranga meeting Herries questioned the legitimacy of Seddon’s salary and expense claims. He objected that Seddon would claim a travel allowance for his proposed visit to Tauranga at which Seddon would ‘endeavour to do as much damage as he could to his [Mr Herries] candidature.’[ix]

During Seddon’s visit to support David Lundon, the Liberal Party’s local candidate for Bay of Plenty electorate, as predicted he gave a speech to a large audience which attacked Herries’ reputation:

“He [Seddon] had been asked long ago to come to the district, even by Mr Herries himself, and he was glad to be able to meet them that night. It was said that wherever he went he helped the Opposition (laughter), and if that was so nobody could object to his travelling about. He believed he was the best abused man in the Colony; their present Member Mr Herries, had said a good many unpleasant things about him, if the newspaper reports of his speeches were correct. All he would say of Mr Herries was that he was a cultured gentleman but one whose utterances must not be taken too seriously.”[x]

These remarks did not go down well and two weeks later Herries doubled down on the claims of wasteful spending:

“He [Mr Herries] considered that an injustice was done not only to him but to the people of the Colony by the Premier thus travelling about at the country's expense for merely partisan purposes … The Premier had told his audience that their Member was a cultured gentleman but one whose utterances must not be taken too seriously. It was strange, if the Premier held this view himself that he took him, [Mr Herries] so seriously and thought it necessary to travel around the electorate to try and keep him from getting into the House again.”[i] 

A good view of the King’s esplanade which was essentially a concrete seawall with a grassed and paved area to walk along or in this case, to fish from
Tauranga Museum, 0026/10

The main reason for Seddon’s visit to Tauranga in 1905 was to celebrate the opening of the King’s esplanade – two years after completion. The excitement generated by the prospect of his visit saw the town go into planning hyperdrive. Seddon, who arrived in Tauranga with Herries in tow, found himself part of a military procession that travelled from the Star Hotel, along Willow Street and down Harington Street and along The Strand to the Town Wharf. Following speeches Seddon was returned to his carriage and was taken to Hillsdene for lunch.

“On arrival at Hillsdene Mr Seddon was met by Mrs Wrigley and sat down to a recherche [exquisite] luncheon with a party of friends, including the Mayor and Mayoress, at the conclusion of which a couple of group photographs were taken in the grounds.”[ii]

Clearly for the purposes of ensuring festivities were successful, both men put aside their differences and took part with good grace and humour.

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[i] Thank you to Steve Vergeest for supplying information that confirmed that this photo was taken at Hillsdene - the home of Mr and Mrs Ellis Wrigley. Steve was able to make the identification by examining the homestead’s architectural features with other images available online at Tauranga City Libraries Pae Koroki.

[ii] Seddon is New Zealand's longest-serving prime minister.

[iii] https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/richard-seddon

[iv] Herries, William Herbert – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Te Ara

[v] The general election was held on Wednesday 6 December with the Maori electorates voting on Tuesday 19 December.

[vi] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3853, 31 May 1899, page 2.

[vii] Reports suggest neither Herries nor Lundon had much to say about each other. Herries preferred to attack the Liberal Party and Seddon directly. Lundon spoke at length about his party’s polices and challenged Herries’ misinformation. Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3895, 6 September 1899, page 2.

[viii] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3921, 6 November 1899, page 2.

[ix] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3924, 13 November 1899, page 2.

[x] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3928, 22 November 1899, page 2.

[xi] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3934, 6 December 1899, page 2.

[xii] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4725, 20 March 1905, page 2.

The When and Why of Provincial Anniversaries

Provincial government boundaries came into effect on 17 January 1853. Over time the number of provinces increased to ten
Map courtesy of Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Two recent work-related mix-ups around Auckland Anniversary Day got me wondering about the when and why of provincial anniversaries. A quick search online revealed their relevance is increasingly debated and calls for consolidation, or even cancellation, are frequent. One of the most persistent arguments is that regions, like Waikato, should have their own celebration. Seemingly anniversaries being determined by a system of provincial government established in 1852 and abolished in 1875 is at best antiquated, and at worst, a vestige of colonialism. [i]

William Hobson, Oil portrait by James Ingram McDonald
Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa

Six regions currently celebrate Auckland Anniversary - Waikato, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Northland, Gisborne, and parts of Manawatū-Whanganui. The day carries the additional historical significance of being New Zealand’s first public holiday. The commemoration date of 29 January marks the arrival of William Hobson in the Bay of Islands in 1840 and was gazetted in 1842:

Saturday, the 29th instant, being the SECOND ANNIVERSARY of the establishment of the Colony, His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to direct that day to be held as a GENERAL HOLIDAY on which occasion the Public Offices will be closed.[ii]

Hobson would later state that 30 January was the day the Union Jack was hoisted up the Herald’s flagpole at Kororāreka (Russell) and British Sovereignty over New Zealand was proclaimed. As a result, there was some fluidity around the date of the anniversary. At the end of the 1800s and the turn of the 1900s, the Bay of Plenty Times regularly printed advertising which used either date.

Advertisements for the annual Athletic Sports Day held at the Tauranga Domain on Auckland Anniversary Day. Printed in the Bay of Plenty Times in the weeks before each event, they show how the two dates were considered Anniversary Days. Courtesy of Papers Past

With ‘Mondayisation’ the date we observe the holiday is different each year. Indeed, in 2027 Auckland Anniversary won’t even be in January, the Monday falling on 1 February.[iii] Not that this will be the first time it’s been held in February. In 1901 the death of Queen Victoria necessitated the postponement of the celebration.[iv]

The campsite of the advance party sent to establish the newly founded city of Auckland, September 1840
Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, Ref. E-216-f-115

Last year, in an additional twist to the date debate, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust called for the holiday to be moved to 18 September – the day Ngāti Whātua chief, Āpihai Te Kawau, gifted Hobson 3000 acres to establish the settlement of Auckland.[v] According to the trust this was the “true birth of the city”.[vi] While this seems a valid point for Auckland, those of us in the regions might be left wondering if it is indeed time to go our separate ways. However, it might be a case to be careful what we wish for as how can the Bay of Plenty – as diverse as it is – find a date of significance to all?

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[i] Why NZ’s outdated regional anniversaries should be ditched | The Spinoff Auckland Anniversary 2024: Waikato community leaders supportive of own celebration - NZ Herald

[ii] The New Zealand Government Gazette, 26 January 1842, (Volume 2, 4th edition)

[iii] For those reading this blog in the future this year’s date is 27 January 2025.

[iv] Papers Past | Newspapers | Bay of Plenty Times | 30 January 1901 | TELEGRAPHIC.

[v] Yeah, Nah: Should the date for Auckland Anniversary Day be changed? | Stuff The case for celebrating Auckland’s anniversary on September 18 | The Spinoff

[vi] https://www.stuff.co.nz/te-ao-maori/350158615/newsable-auckland-anniversary-date-has-no-relevance-city#:~:text=The%20Ng%C4%81ti%20Wh%C4%81tua%20%C5%8Cr%C4%81kei%20Trust,does%20not%20relate%20to%20Auckland.