The wreck of the HMS Orpheus

In 1863 the HMS Orpheus went aground in the treacherous waters of the Manukau Bar. 259 men were on board, and 189 lost their lives, making the sinking of the HMS Orpheus the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand history. Descendants of the crew, and the people who tried to help them, gathered today to commemmorate the disaster. Lady Barbara Harvey's great-great-grandfather was the Manukau pilot and harbour master 150 years ago.