The Wreck of the Penguin: New Zealand's Worst 20th Century Shipwreck - Softcover

Collins, Bruce E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1877228281 ISBN 13: 9781877228285

Publisher: Steele Roberts, 2000

Synopsis

New Zealanders vividly remember the Wahine wreck, in which 51 people died. An even more tragic shipwreck occurred 60 years earlier, not far from where the Wahine went down. In 1909 the Penguin sank near Wellington with the loss of 72 lives, among them many women and children.

Until now the full story of this calamity has never been told - the drama and despair of that wild night in Cook Strait and the acts of fortitude and tenacity that ensued. One heroine was Ada Hannam, the only female survivor, who overcame dreadful odds but lost her entire family.

The Penguin has never been found, and mystery surrounds the cause and exact location of the sinking. Was it Thoms Rock, or did the Penguin hit the hulk of the Rio Loge? Was Captain Naylor unfairly blamed for the wreck? Many of the answers are in this book; others lie deep in Cook Strait, waiting to be discovered.

This is Bruce Collins' third maritime book. The first, in 1991, was the dramatic story of the wreck of the sailing ship Surat which has etched its way into Otago folklore. The second, in 1995, was Rocks, Reefs and Sandbars, a definitive history of Otago shipwrecks.

About this title

About the Author:

Bruce E. Collins was born in Dunedin in 1952 and educated at Otago Boys High School and Otago University. His other interests include music, sport and his 1951 Royal Enfield motorbike. He is married to Kate and has two adult children.

About this edition

• Publisher: Steele Roberts
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1877228281
• ISBN 13: 9781877228285
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128