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Story: Shipwrecks

The Wanganella, Barrett Reef

At 11.30 p.m. on 19 January 1947 the captain of the Wanganella mistook the flashing buoy in front of Barrett Reef for the light to guide ships into Wellington harbour. The ship, with 400 passengers on a voyage from Sydney, struck the reef and remained fast on the rocks. The passengers were taken off the next day. For 18 days the ship was stuck, saved by fine weather, which became known as ‘Wanganella weather’. During that time there were a number of attempts to free the boat. The radio broadcast describes one such unsuccessful attempt on 31 January. Finally on 6 February tugs did succeed in hauling the boat free, and they towed it into Wellington Harbour. The ship was not repaired until October 1948.

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Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Reference: 25753

Image: Wellington Museum – Museums Wellington

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Shipwrecks – 20th-century shipwrecks, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/speech/7299/the-wanganella-barrett-reef (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Lesley Tuckett
06 February 2014
At the tender age of 3 years accompanied by my mother I was a passenger on this ship when it ran aground on Barrets Reef. We were living at Days Bay at the time and my father was watching the ship's progress as it entered Wellington Harbour through binoculars and he could not understand why the lights of the ship had become stationary. We were due to embark off the Wanganella the following morning. According to my mother a party was in progress on board when the event occurred and there was speculation at the time that the Captain did not have his mind on the job. I have vague memories of sitting on the deck waiting with other children (and presumably their parents)to be carried down into lifeboats. I can also remember being carried by a merchant seaman down the ladder into a lifeboat.
brian billing
15 April 2012
Ivividly remember this ship. Was thirteen years old and rowed out in dinghy to have close look. Living in seatoun Barrets was a favourite fishing ground.Lot,s of people drove through Breaker Bay cutting and parked to watch; this provided us young ones the opportunity to make pocket money by selling ice creams. Years later i was also involved with the Wahine. I am seventy eight years now and doing a family history for my folks; which is why i am on this site which looks pretty to me. Thank,s for the effort.