Story: Ports and harbours

Ōamaru’s developing harbour (1st of 3)

Ōamaru’s developing harbour

Ōamaru’s Cape Wanbrow, pictured here around 1860, offered limited shelter to ships and passengers, and goods had to be landed on the exposed beach in the Victorian equivalent of white-water rafting – surf boating. Between 1860 and 1875, about 25 ships were lost here, earning the booming town a dreadful reputation, and driving up insurance premiums on everything landed there.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-060805; F

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.

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How to cite this page:

Gavin McLean, 'Ports and harbours - Types of ports', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/6020/oamarus-developing-harbour (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Gavin McLean, published 12 Jun 2006, updated 30 Jul 2015