Skip to main content

Story: The voyage out

Embarking from British ports

Image
Embarking from British ports

Most emigrants to New Zealand boarded at Greenock (near Glasgow), London or Plymouth. Embarking was often a confusing, stressful experience. This engraving shows emigrants bound for Canterbury in New Zealand, waiting on the docks at Gravesend, London, in September 1850. Some of the people are in lengthy queues, waiting to board the four ships visible in the background. Others amuse themselves with a game of ‘Ring-a-roses’.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0033-1850-199 (Illustrated London News)

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

John Wilson, The voyage out – Departure to landing, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/2559/embarking-from-british-ports (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009.