John McMenamen

The night of Friday 12^th February 1909 bore witness to New Zealand’s worst 19^th century maritime disaster. The inter-island ferry SS Penguin struck, what was surmised to have been, Thom’s Rock located off Tongue Point, Cook Strait, with the loss of 75 lives. Many of the victims were buried in Karori Cemetery and the Penguin Self Guide Walk records many of the harrowing stories from the tragedy.

While much has been written about the victims, rightly so, the non-descript grave of John McMenamen lies very close to many of them. John was born on 23 January 1856, the 6^th of 9 children, at the Terawhiti Station homestead to James and Hannan McMenamen. His own father, known as “Terawhiti Jack”, drowned in Wellington harbour on 3 August 1861 survived by his wife Hannah (who lost her husband and mother in the same boat accident in Wellington harbour) and their 8 surviving children. John eventually managed Terawhiti Station from the early 1870s until 1887 at which time he moved to Kakaramea (Patea) to farm. He returned to Terawhiti in 1894 to again manage the station and married Jeannie Sinclair in 1896. They had one daughter, Hilda.

John retired to his home in Island Bay in 1907. However, he was staying at the Terawhiti homestead on the fateful night of 12 February 1909. News of the disaster reached the homestead approximately 3:00am when everyone was immediately roused and the rescue effort begun. The exhausted survivors were escorted to the homestead whereby dry clothes were handed out and food such as boiled mutton, potatoes and tea (and whiskey) were continuously served. Renowned for his generosity to the survivors, after the event he was left only with a pair of slippers in his wardrobe.

The survivors were ever grateful of the generosity shown by John, his family and farm workers. In August 1909 a representative group of eight crew members presented John with s silver-mounted pipe and a signed testimonial professing their gratitude.

John died on 24 November 1923 aged 67 years. His obituary noted that he was a keen lawn bowler, took a great interest in gardening and that he will be remembered for his generous hospitality of the Penguin survivors.

Plot: *Public/M/302

Doing my part to remember my Great Great Granduncle.

By Michael Grace