The sinking of the Lyttelton–Wellington ferry Wahine is New Zealand’s worst modern maritime disaster. Fifty-one people lost their lives that day, another died several weeks later and a 53rd victim died in 1990 from injuries sustained in the wreck.
Wahine Disaster
Events In History
Articles
Responding to tragedy
How police responded to the disasters, particularly Tangiwai, Wahine and Erebus Read the full article
Page 1 - Police response to disaster
How police responded to the disasters, particularly Tangiwai, Wahine and Erebus
New Zealand disasters timeline
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. Read the full article
Page 1 - New Zealand disasters timeline
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
Wahine disaster
This April marks the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the ferry Wahine. With more than 50 lives lost, this was New Zealand's worst modern maritime disaster. The Wahine’s demise on 10 April 1968 also heralded a new era in local television, as pictures of the disaster were beamed into living rooms around the country. Read the full article
Page 1 - The Wahine disaster
This April marks the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the ferry Wahine. With more than 50 lives lost, this was New Zealand's worst modern maritime disaster. The Wahine’s demise
Page 2 - Timeline to tragedy
The events that led to the drowning of 51 people in the Wahine disaster of 10 April
Page 3 - Co-ordinating the rescue
The police, emergency services and civilians rescued passengers and crew from the inter-island ferry Wahine in Wellington Harbour in April
Page 4 - Court of inquiry
The court of inquiry that met 10 weeks after the sinking pinpointed the build-up of water in the vehicle deck as the reason the ferry finally
Lyttelton-Wellington ferries
For more than 80 years the overnight Lyttelton ferry was a vital link in the country's transport network. Read the full article
Page 9 - End of the line
In the face of competition from other forms of transport the Union Steam Ship Company abandoned its glamour ferry service, sending the Maori to the scrappers in
The 1960s
Five decades ago most Kiwis enjoyed a standard of living that was the envy of other nations. During the 1960s the arrival of TV and jet airliners shrank our world, and New Zealanders began to express themselves on a range of international issues, including opposition to the Vietnam War. Read the full article
Page 11 - 1968 - key events
A selection of the key events in New Zealand history from
Main image: Divers inspecting the sunken Wahine
Members of a Japanese salvage firm and navy divers inspecting the wreckage of the Wahine
