OLD HARBOUR DAYS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1934, Page 6

OLD HARBOUR DAYS

STEAMER LOST AT MOTUROA. PASSENGER’S NARROW ESCAPE. Even in pre-breakwater days there were folk in New Plymouth who believed in the future of the town as a port. With the roadstead sounded and buoyed, and with the coming of steamers, they maintained there was every reason why coastal vessels should trade direct with New Plymouth. -Occasionally, however, there were setbacks to local complacency. One of them occurred 66 years ago to-day when the paddle-steamer Tasmanian Maid went ashore on what was called “the dangerous Long Reef,” south of the town. It was a chapter of accidents that cost the captain-owner his vessel and cargo. The little craft—she was but 53 tons burthen —set off from Manakau harbour with a cargo of potatoes, onions and cheese, valued at £5OO, for the Buller River. In addition to her crew she carried six passengers, and in that fact and in the nature of the cargo carried there are indications of the lure of the Westland goldfields, the market they offered for North Island produce, and the risks men were willing to take to reach the “Golden West.” But the weather seems to have been similar to that of January in this year of grace, and the Tasmanian Maid found herself short of coal after struggling against high seas down the coast. So she came in to New Plymouth, and having replenished her bunkers was starting on her journey south when she hit the reef. Distress signals brought harbourmaster Holford and his surf boats to the rescue in quick time. There was need of their hurry, for the vessel sank in half an hour, and one of the passengers had to swim from the wreck to a boat. However, all were saved, but the captain lost his £3OOO vessel and the miners on the West Coast had to wait a few weeks longer for fresh supplies of potatoes, onions and cheese.

A local syndicate bought the wrecked steamer, but the weather proved unkind and a week later she had broken to pieces.