Mr. Steven McLachlan of New Zealand tried for many years to identify the vessel depict on this 3d stamp. According to the New Zealand Post the design was based on a painting that the Marlborough District Council provided. He wrote to the council many years ago and they say they now have no trace of it. He contacted many Marlborough Museums, local identities etc. without any result.
Then he gives at that time there were only 7 steam paddle steamers in the colony (New Zealand), and one of this seven could be featured. Examining the routes these vessels took, the superstructure layout etc. further reduces the possibilities to about three vessels of which the LYTTELTON is the most likely as she was operating a Lyttelton to Onehunga route at the time, but calling elsewhere on demand.
Mr. Mario Rosner did send my a large image of the stamp, and when carefully looking you can see it is a paddle steamer.
I got some photo images from the LYTTELTON from Mr. McLachlan and in the book Early New Zealand Steamers by J D. Wilkinson I found a photo of the paddle steamer.
Carefully comparing the photo’s with the stamp, I believe Mr. McLachlan is correct and the vessel depict is the LYTTELTON. Special the furling of the sails on the foremast is the same as on the photo in the book.
On the stamp is the inscription Shipping Wool 1857, one of the photo images from McLachlan gives William Atwood’s bullock team on Wairau Beach, Marlborough N.Z. 1857, with in the distance the LYTTELTON. The photo must be of a later date than 1857, the LYTTELTON arrived later in New Zealand.
Mr. McLachlan wrote: I think the whole date problem comes from the original illustration, and I think the stamp designer might have seen this illustration and was misled by this date. Obviously he has used another image of the LYTTELTON to clearly show the ship.
Built as an iron paddle steamer by John Russel, at Millwall, Polar, Middlesex, London for the Canterbury Steam Navigation Co. in New Zealand.
1859 Completed under the name LYTTELTON.
Tonnage 78.45 gross, 49.52 net. Dim. 74.4 x 18.1 x 7.5ft.
Two steam engines of 25 hp. each.
Schooner rigged, two masts, no galleries.
The LYTTLETON came from the same yard as the mammoth steamer GREAT EASTERN and it has been said she was built of chips from the larger vessel. She had wide hatches for stowing bulky cargo and ample deck room.
September 1859 she sailed from England with a crew of 12.
April 1860 noting was heard of the LYTTELTON and the trade was rapidly falling off, she was ordered for and on 4 May during a special meeting of the shareholders, it was decided to decline the LYTTELTON if she did arrive in New Zealand, and wind up the company.
February 1860 word was received that the LYTTELTON was seen off the South African coast, and at least on 28 Nov. 1860 under command of Capt. Coleman she arrived at Wellington. After a 462 day voyage.(I think a record of the slowest passage)
During most of the passage heavy weather had been encountered, and stanchions and bulwarks had been carried away.
When she arrived in New Zealand, nobody wanted her, the vessel was given up for lost, and the insurance paid out, and the company who ordered her gone in liquidation.
Her last part of the voyage was terrible, when in the vicinity of Cape Leeuwin, Australia on 27 August 1860 she met terrible heavy weather, and had to hove to, she actually drifted stern first towards her destination, 104 miles in 24 hours, the fastest time she ever had made.
It was a great embarrassment for the shareholders of the company, as the LYTTELTON was ordered through Messrs Cookson and Co. on the understanding that payment was made to them on arrival of the vessel.
She arrived at Lyttleton on 27 Jan. 1861
The following months a settlement was made and the LYTTELTON became the property of Cookson, Bowler and Co.
She made a trial run on 26 March under command of Captain Toomey, and on the following day sailed from Lyttelton for Kaiapoi and Wellington.
Later it was announced that she would run in the grain trade between Kaiapoi and Wellington. And in this service she passed Wairau, Marlborough, (the date 1857 on the stamp is not correct.)
She made good money in the grain trade, but when gold was discovered in Otago, she switched over to the more lucrative trade to carry diggers and supply to Otago, the first sailing was on 8 August 1861 and she returned in Lyttleton on the 18 August.
On one of these trips she ran aground on Taieri, but was refloated undamaged.
She brought in Sept 118 diggers to Otago on two calls.
She was later sold to George Ross of Wellington
Her two steam engines replaced at Wellington by two 30 hp engines. And rebuilt from paddle to screw steamer. Most probably also lengthened, her tonnage now given as 125.17 gross, 85.12 net. Dim. 93.4 x 18.4 x 7.2ft.
On a voyage from Collingwood to Wellington under command of Capt. George Forbes with a cargo of coal, she struck at 07.30 p.m. on 30 Sept. 1886 a reef close to the Beef Barrels and sank 07.50 p.m.in the Current Basin, French Pass. She sank in deep water, the master and crew took the boat and were picked up by the steamer MURRAY in the French Pass.
The wreck makes an interesting dive side, in a area abundant with sea life.
New Zealand 1959 3d sg773, scott328
Source: New Zealand Shipwrecks by C.W.N.Ingram. Early New Zealand Steamers by J.D.Wilkinson.
http://www.marlboroughsoundsnz.co.nz/shipwrecks.htm