The USS Co’s SS Penguin was a very familiar sight in Wellington harbour as she plied back and forward to Nelson and Picton providing a ferry service much like today. On 12 February 1909, the Penguin departed Picton for Wellington in good conditions. However, by the time she was in mid Cook Strait, with the night well advanced, she encountered a wild southerly storm and very poor visibility. The very experienced Captain Naylor decided to steam back into mid channel and see the storm out but in turning he hit Thoms Rock (though he disputed this, claiming he hit a submerged hull from a wreck the month before) and water started to pour in. Women and children were loaded into the lifeboats, but the rough seas immediately flipped them and only one woman survived. In all 72 people lost their lives and there were 30 survivors including Captain Naylor, making it the worst maritime disaster in NZ in the 20th Century. Debris and bodies were strewn all along the south coast and the Terawhiti Station homestead became the centre of the recovery effort.
The disaster had a major impact on the Wellington community, and a day was set aside for the funerals and the burials at Karori Cemetery. There are some remarkable photos of the huge crowds that accompanied the coffins on the longish walk up to Karori Cemetery.
The wreck of the SS Penguin is not as well remembered as the Wahine disaster, and the wreck itself has never been located. However in 2000, Bruce Collins published a very informative book on the Penguin disaster, and the extensive information in the book, and photos, allowed in turn the WCC to commission Deirdre Hogan from the Karori Historical Society to prepare a self-guided walking tour of the graves of the deceased in the Karori Cemetery. The Friends plan to introduce a guided tour of the SS Penguin grave sites to reflect its historical significance and impact on the city.
