New Zealand timeline

  • Sinking of HMS Orpheus

    Orpheus left Sydney, Australia, on 31 January 1863. Her approach to Manukau Harbour on 7 February ran near Whatipu beach, through a series of... Read more

  • Loss of the Cospatrick

    On the night of 17 November 1874, the immigrant ship Cospatrick was in the south Atlantic, several hundred kilometres south-west of Cape Town. The... Read more

  • Wreck of the SS Tararua

    The second greatest loss of life in New Zealand waters came in 1881 when 131 people died in the wreck of the Tararua. On a voyage from Port... Read more

  • Sinking of the SS Wairarapa

    The SS Wairarapa was a first class steamer owned by the Union Steam Ship Company that carried both passengers and cargo between Australia and New... Read more

  • Bere Ferrers Rail Accident

    The men died on 24 September 1917 when they mistakenly got off their train at Bere Ferrers thinking they had arrived at their destination of... Read more

  • Hawke's Bay Earthquake

    The 7.9 earthquake struck at 10.46 on the morning of February 3, 1931, the first day of the school year, a beautiful summer’s day. It was felt as... Read more

  • Seacliff Asylum Fire

    At about 9.45 pm on Tuesday 8 December, 1942, fire broke out in Ward 5. This ward was a two-storeyed wooden building which had been added onto the... Read more

  • Ballantyne's Store Disaster

    There have, however, been terrible examples of the loss of human life by fire. Chief among these was undoubtedly the holocaust in a Christchurch... Read more

  • Tangiwai Rail Disaster

    At 10.21 p.m. on Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 10 kilometres west... Read more

  • New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 Crashes

    New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 was a scheduled flight of New Zealand's National Airways Corporation from Whenuapai to... Read more

  • Battle of Long Khanh

    The Battle of Long Khanh was fought during the Vietnam War on 6–7 June 1971 between the elements of 1st Australian Task Force and the Viet Cong and... Read more