THE WRECK OF THE HYDRABAD

AUTHOR - Ian Church

PUBLICATION - The Dunmore Press Ltd 1978

CONDITION - Very good condition. Lovely tight binding, pages clean and bright, slight foxing on top of page block. Dustwrapper very good condition, slight rubbing and bumping at corners and top and bottom of spine.

PRICE - $50

DESCRIPTION - In mid-June 1878 the three-masted ship Hydrabad encountered a severe storm off the south west coast of New Zealand's North Island and was driven ashore near the Horowhenua Creek. Although the subject of concerted salvage efforts these were in vain and when this book was published 100 years later the wreck of the iron clipper still lay beached close to the spot where she grounded. The New Zealand coast had become noted for the number of ships wrecked there, particularly in the age of sail. However, a number of unusual factors attracted Church to this story. The ship originally sailed from Britain with immigrants for South Australia. At Adelaide her master obtained a cargo of locomotives and rolling stock and set course for Lyttelton, where more than 1000 tons of the railway cargo was loaded, including several locomotives and about 90 wagons. After passing through Cook Strait, as extreme storm conditions blew out most of her sails, the Hydrabad drifted before the storm and was driven ashore. Ultimately several salvage attempts were made, but these failed, although the bulk of her cargo was saved. Subsequent events are charted, including marine inquiries and legal wrangles, and the major figures involved, directly or indirectly, in the stranding are traced. The Hydrabad was the first large overseas ship lost on this section of the coast but a number of other large square-rigged ships were also wrecked there. These are briefly outlined, including the 1913 loss of the big steamer Indrabarah, further north near Wanganui. A fine account.

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