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Story: The voyage out

Safety regulations

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Safety regulations

The New Zealand government formulated regulations for the shipping companies bringing out assisted immigrants. The regulations shown here date from 1873, and cover such matters as ventilation, space, food and seaworthiness. The government was anxious that the long voyage to New Zealand did not get a bad reputation, which might have prompted people to opt for the shorter, cheaper passage to North America.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-D-SHIP-1873-01

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

John Wilson, The voyage out – Journeys to New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/2551/safety-regulations (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009.