Besides the Circular Saw Line we have records of other ships.[27] The Wonga Wonga, a steamer of 67 tons, was owned by a number of Auckland merchants, who placed the vessel on the Whangarei service in 1857. After a few months running she was sold to the Wellington Steamship Company and placed in the Wellington-Nelson service; later, during the Taranaki war, she was chartered at £60 a day to carry despatches between Onehunga and Taranaki. Her career ended on 22nd May, 1866, when she was wrecked off Greymouth. Early in the ’sixties the Rangatira arrived in Auckland, having been built at Home for local owners. Shortly afterwards the steamers Corio and Ahuriri entered the Auckland-Napier trade. In 1864 services were opened to Coromandel, North Auckland, and the Waikato (via Onehunga). Altogether, there were in 1868 fourteen steamers trading from Auckland. The opening of the Thames goldfield in 1867 gave an impetus to the trade of the port, and Mr. S. Hague Smith placed a number of steamers on this run, including the Duke of Edinburgh (Captain W. Farquhar) and Royal Albert (Captain Alex. Farquhar), the latter vessel having been built at Niccol’s yard, North Shore, her engines being taken from the Prince Alfred, and her boiler manufactured at Sydney, from plans prepared by Mr. James Stewart, of Auckland, civil engineer. Other boats engaged on this service were the Favourite, the Williams (218 tons), and the Golden Crown. In 1873 Mr. Smith sold his fleet to the Auckland Steam Packet Company.
The first regular inter-colonial service between New South Wales and New Zealand was inaugurated by the William Denny (595 tons), in 1854. She was wrecked at North Cape, March 3rd, 1857. In 1859 the Inter-Colonial Royal Mail Steamship Company took up the Australian run, the Prince Alfred (1100 tons) being one of the fleet engaged. This company maintained the service until 1866, when the Panama, New Zealand and Australian Line superseded it, absorbing its fleet. The object of the new company, which held a monopoly of the mails, was to connect Australia and New Zealand with the continent of Europe, via Panama. A rearrangement of the inter-colonial service was made, so as to connect with the trans-Pacific steamers. This arrangement lasted till 1869. The year following a temporary service between Sydney and San Francisco was inaugurated, Auckland being the port of call, the following ships being engaged in it, viz, Rangatira and Balclutha, which were soon replaced by the City of Melbourne and Wonga Wonga.
The year 1854 also saw the establishment of a regular inter-provincial steamer service. The Nelson (330 tons, Captain Martin) was the pioneer vessel, Dunedin and Onehunga being the terminal ports, and New Plymouth, Nelson, Wellington and Lyttelton ports of call. In 1855 the Zingari (150 tons, Captain Milltown) replaced the Nelson. Other steamers engaged during this period on the coastal routes were the Claud Hamilton and the White Swan, which was wrecked on June 29th, 1862, a number of public records belonging to the Government being lost.
The Inter-Colonial R.M.S. Company met with opposition in the coastal service from the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company, which had been formed upon the liquidation of the Wellington Steamship Company, in 1863, the following steamers being used in the running of the service, viz, Stormbird, Wellington and Queen.
Another line which traded between Dunedin and Auckland was the Adelaide, Melbourne and Otago S.N. Company, which placed the Alhambra (642 tons) and Aldinga (446 tons) on this run.
The wreck of H.M.S. Orpheus on the Manukau Bar on February 7th, 1863, was the most appalling disaster associated with Auckland’s shipping annals. The Orpheus (Commodore W. F. Burnett) was a corvette of 1706 tons, which had been detailed for service on the New Zealand station. She sailed from Sydney on January 31st, and reached the Manukau Heads on 7th February. In attempting to cross the bar the vessel “struck hard, and orders were given to back astern full speed. The engines never moved; the ship fell off broadside to the rollers, the sea knocking away her stern post, port bulwarks and boats, and making a clean sweep over all.” A cutter containing the ship’s records, and a pinnace got safely away. After the pinnace had left the ship, “the launch was got over the side with forty men to lay out anchors, in the hope of making grapplings to haul into smooth water. The ebb-tide, unhappily, swept her under the bows, where she was stove, and nearly all on board drowned.” The pinnace, however, was able to get into touch with the steamer Wonga Wonga, and later with H.M.S. Harrier, and the few survivors from the wreck were picked up by the former vessel. About 6.30 p.m. the masts went, and the ship parted in halves. A contemporary account of the disaster states that the officers and men underwent the terrible ordeal in heroic fashion, and “when the masts went the crew gave three cheers, as if taking farewell of life.” Out of a ship’s company of 256 officers, seamen, boys and marines, only 71 survived. The remains of some of the crew, including the commodore, which were washed ashore, were interred in Symonds Street cemetery. The disaster created consternation in the city, and a day of mourning was observed in memory of those who lost their lives.
Auckland buildings of the ’fifties and ’sixties were, with few exceptions, constructed of wood, and fires were of constant occurrence. In those days, fire-fighting appliances were of a most elementary character, consisting of buckets, and, later, of reels and what would now be considered very primitive fire engines. There was a volunteer fire brigade, and water could only be procured from wells or from the sea. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that fires were common events; indeed, had the town been completely wiped out by fire it would not have been too great a surprise, considering the conditions. What is remarkable is that no fatalities attended the outbreaks.
The most serious fire which had occurred up to this time was that which broke out at two o’clock on the morning of the 7th of July, 1858. It originated at the Osprey Inn, High Street, and, fanned by a strong north-easterly gale, the fire soon covered an area bounded by Chancery, High, Shortland and O’Connell Streets. But for a providential change in the direction of the wind and the coming of rain, which soaked the adjacent buildings, the fire might have caused even greater damage. As it was the conflagration was only arrested in Shortland Street by the voluntary blowing up of Mr. Keesing’s house, thus making a gap in the direction the fire was taking. Before dawn the flames had consumed fifty houses, mostly belonging to tradespeople, rendering their plight deplorable. So rapid was the progress of the fire that the inhabitants had merely time to save themselves, in many cases clothed only in night attire. Although the damage was so considerable, the Volunteer Fire Brigade and the officers and men of the 58th Regiment earned credit for their expeditious and willing help. The fire-fighters carried out their work wrapped in blankets, over which water was constantly poured to save them from the heat of the flames.
The second large fire experienced in Auckland took place in the early hours of January 17th, 1863. Commencing in the premises occupied by Messrs. Morrin & Co., at the corner of Queen Street and Durham Street East, it spread rapidly, and soon stretched to Victoria Street and High Street. In its course it destroyed the Thistle Hotel, the Greyhound, Y.M.C.A., the old theatre, and other buildings. It even threatened the buildings on the opposite sides of Queen and High Streets. The Volunteer Fire Brigade was assisted by military from the barracks, and the sailors from the French warship Bonite earned well-deserved credit for their services and daring deeds. Fortunately, a light wind was blowing, or the losses, which were serious enough—amounting, it was estimated, to £60,000—would have been greater. Many of the sufferers by the fire were succoured and accommodated in the barracks for a time.
Two years later (January 18th, 1865) another big fire broke out in Queen Street, in premises occupied by Mr. J. S. Macfarlane, known as Henderson and Macfarlane’s Buildings. Luckily, the outbreak was confined to the two upper storeys, which were, however, completely gutted. The fire was both brilliant and spectacular, and attracted enormous crowds, which had to be kept back from the building by soldiers with fixed bayonets.