PREVIOUS WRECKS ON SAME REEF

Wanganui Chronicle, 21 January 1947, Page 6

PREVIOUS WRECKS ON SAME REEF

The Wanganella is the fifteenth ship recorded as having run aground cn Barrett’s Reef which, according to the “New Zealand Pilot,” is the chief impediment to the entrance. Many of the mishaps involved sailing , ships in the early days. The reef consists of a cluster o' rocks, most of which stand well clear of the water, nearly in the centre of the harbour mouth. The reef extends little more thsn half a mile in a north 11 decrees west direction, with an average width of about 200 yards. The main entrance to the harbour is between Pencarrow Head and Barrett’s Reef, with a clear breadth of not less than 1200 yards. Westward of the reef is th** tortuous Chaffer’s Passage, about 600 yards wide and with depths of from seven to ten fathoms, but it is seldom used excent by small coastal traders, big ships warned from it. A list of previous mishaps at Barrett’s Reef is as follows: October 16. IR4S: Ship Sobraoa stranded on Barretts’ Reef when loaded with passengers fleeing from Wellington on account of earthouakes. 1850: Ship Inconstant struck Barrett’s Reef. Th® vessel was afterwards purchased by Mr John Plimwer and used as a store, railed “Noah’s Ark.” where th® Bank of

New Zealand now stands. September 21. 1871: Three-masted schooner Lady Bird. 303 tons, stranded on the south end of Barrett’s Reef. Mav 28. 1874: Baroue Earl of South Bsk, 336 tons, stranded on the south end of Barrett’s Reef and became a total loss. April 6. 1876: Schooner Hunter. 22 tons, stranded on most southerly rock of Barrett’s Reef.

September 10, 1876: Schooner Shepherdess. 38 tons, stranded on Barrett’s Reef. July 25. 1880: Barque Malay, 328 tons, struck outer rock of Barrett’s Reef. December 8, 1882: Steamer Napier. <8 tons, struck outer rock of Barrett's Reef. November 3. 1883: Barque Cabafeidh, 333 tons, struck outer rock of Barrett’s Reef. August 10, 1885: Barque Coronilla. 524 tons, stranded on Barrett’s Reef when the towing warp parted. October 21. 1895: Steamer Wakatipu, 1258 tons, and Flora, 838 tons, collided about 300 yards inside the outer rock of Barrett s Reef. October 6. 1897: Schooner Clansman, 157 tons, stranded inside outer reef of Barrett’s Reef. August 5, 1915: Steamer Corinna. 812 tons, struck Barrett’s Reef. The largest ship, previous to the Wanganella, to strand on Barrett’s Reef was the American cargo steamer Golden Harvest, of 5644 tons, which struck on May 30, 1933, when bound from Wellington to Melbourne. She was refloated 24 hours later and returned to port for repair. There is some difference of opinion Lis to the correct name of the reef on | which the Wanganella struck. According to Admiralty charts and other

romoilations the name is Barret Reef, but according to common usage the name is Barrett’s Reef. The reef takes its name from Dicky Barrett, one of the port’s original pilots and a well-known character of •he early days. who. on retiring from whaling in Cook Strait, became host of the original hotel on Lambton Quay which bears his name to this day.