The story of the Hydrabad
The Hydrabad was a full-rigged ship of 1,350 tons register, built at Port Glasgow in 1865, and commanded by Captain Holmwood. She was owned by Messrs. Stephens and Son, London and insured for 15,000 pounds and her cargo for 24,500 pounds. Her dimensions were:- length 229.5 feet, beam 37.2 feet, depth 23.2 feet.
On June 24 1878 when bound from Lyttleton to Adelaide, the ship was driven ashore onto Waitarere Beach in a hurricane which blew out all the sails and left the ship to the mercy of the storm. Frantic attempts to anchor the vessel were made but the heavy cables supporting the anchors snapped. The captain then gave orders to drive the vessel into the shore where she ran ashore.
The ship's compliment totalled 33 persons including 19 foremast hands. There were two women on board, the master's wife and the wife of the ship's carpenter. There were some minor injuries, but none of them proved fatal and all hands were rescued.
(from New Zealand Shipwrecks (1795 - 1982) by C.W.N. Ingrim)
