Wahine wheel installed at Wellington Museum to mark 57th anniversary
By Ian Wards, Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington Senior Curator (Taonga) | 9 April, 2025
The Wahine Disaster lives on in New Zealand’s collective memory, as the first major maritime tragedy which played out on radio and nightly news broadcasts in real time.
Wellington Museum has been donated the main ship’s wheel of TEV Wahine, which goes on display this month to mark the 57th anniversary of the event. The Wahine struck Barrett Reef before sinking off Steeple Rock, with the loss of 53 lives on 10 April 1968.
Wellington Museum has an extensive collection of objects salvaged from the Wahine. These include the captain’s chair from the bridge, the main ships bell, lifejackets and furnishings. Many of these objects are on display in our Wahine Disaster exhibition. This tells the emotional and poignant story of everyday New Zealanders caught up in the horror of that day.
Around 6.10am on 10 April 1968 the Wahine began to make her approach into Wellington Harbour, having travelled overnight from Lyttelton. Just as she entered the heads of Wellington Harbour, Cyclone Giselle, arrived from the north, having intensified on meeting a southerly front. Within minutes the wind increased from a strong but manageable 50 knots (90 kph) to 88 knots (162.9 kph). Later that morning wind gusts would reach 100 knots (180kph).
For the ship’s crew and captain, visibility was now close to non-existent. Soon the radar failed. Massive waves battered the ship making her almost impossible to control. At 6.40am she struck Barrett Reef, a line of rocks at the western harbour entrance.
The ship’s propeller was torn off on the Reef. This caused her engines to flood, and she began to take on water. When she came off the reef, her anchors dragged across the sandy seabed below Point Dorset, as the storm pushed her further into the Harbour. By a miracle she avoided Point Dorset, but water was now entering her vehicle deck.
At 12.30pm the Wahine briefly touched bottom causing a shift in buoyancy. A list to starboard developed and worsened.
At the change in the tide the ship turned and created the possibility of a safe evacuation. Just before 1.30pm that afternoon the order was given to abandon ship. Many passengers made it to shore at Seatoun in lifeboats, but others were swept over to the rocky coast between Pencarrow Head and Eastbourne. This is where most of the passengers and crew died.
Wellington Harbour Board and other vessels raced to assist as soon as possible. The wind and mountainous sea were extremely difficult to navigate, and visibility was very low.
One rescuer was seafarer Terry Stuart, who is thought to have volunteered in the search for survivors on the tug Taioma.
He and his crewmates rescued 26 passengers from the water before heading back to safety. While leaning over the tugboat to grab a survivor Stuart was injured himself, breaking his ribs. Along with several passengers and another crew member, he was hospitalised from injuries.
In the weeks after the disaster, Stuart collected the main wheel of the Wahine while the ship’s salvage operation was under way. He intended to donate the wheel to Wellington Museum for many years, as this is where he felt it belonged. After his passing in 2022, his family followed through with his wishes.
Many years after the disaster a friend of Stuart’s spoke with Kenny MacLeod, helmsman at the wheel of the Wahine when the ship struck Barrett Reef. MacLeod said his last recollection was lying on the deck holding onto the bottom of the main ship’s wheel to prevent being swept across the bridge.
By the next day an eerie calm had returned to Wellington Harbour. The Wahine lay off Seatoun for four years during her salvage operation, a harrowing and constant reminder to Wellingtonians of this disastrous day in 1968.
Ian also spoke with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ on 9 April about the significance of the wheel and the lasting impact of the Wahine disaster. You can listen to the interview below.