A list of ships and the date they arrived into Port Nicholson (Wellington), New Zealand between 1835-1856. Ships with links provide the passenger names.

Notes
* Links break often, pages are deleted or urls changed. If you find any broken links, leave message in comments so I can fix
* The number of passengers are only those known at time of printing

* Tory, 20 Sep 1839 - 7 passengers
. including Colonel Wakefield (1803-1848)

* Cuba, 4 Jan 1840 - 34 passengers
. mostly single men or men whose wives followed later, including William Mein Smith (1798-1869), Captain in the Royal Artillery, Surveyor General to the NZ Company & a surveying party of 30

* Aurora, 22 Jan 1840 - 148 passengers
. was wrecked on the northern head of the Kaipara Harbour 3 months later

* Oriental, 31 Jan 1840 - 155 passengers
. First ship to sail from London and second to reach Port Nicholson. Among the prominent passengers were the Hon Henry William Petre (1820-1889), son of Lord Petrie, Major Albert Hornbrook (1814-1898), Mr Francis Molesworth, brother of Sir William Molesworth, Bart, Mr George Duppa, Walter Baldock Durrant Mantell (1820-1895), son of Dr Gideon Mantell, an eminent geologist) and Dudley Sinclair (1818-1844), eldest son of Sir George Sinclair, Baronet. Dudley started the first brickmaking business in Wellington, a newspaper and steam mill in Auckland, was a shipowner and merchant, had copper mines on Waiheke and Kawau Islands and was the first NZer to sail to China and Manila. Shortly before his death he had been challenged to a duel and horsewhipped. Someone was out to get him, he told the High Sheriff of Auckland. The next morning he was found dead at his home in Lower Queen-street, Auckland, with his throat cut, almost severing his head from his body. It was said he had committed suicide, but this could be the oldest, cold-case in New Zealand history

* Duke of Roxburgh, 8 Feb 1840 - 167 passengers
. Petone foreshore was by now a very busy place with tents, shanties & whares housing the immigrants

* Bengal Merchant, 21 Feb 1840 - 161 passengers
. including Ebenezer Hay who was a pioneer settler at Pigeon Bay, Canterbury and the first Minister sent by the NZ Company, Rev John MacFarlane

* Adelaide, 7 March 1840 - 176 passengers
. including some of the high office bearers of the New Zealand Company, dropped anchor at Petone in a storm of thunder, lightening and rain, 171 days out from London. Not long afterwards it was decided that a better site for the new township would be Thorndon on the other side of the harbour so the Adelaide, with all her passengers, were removed there

* Glenbervie, 7 March 1840 - 9 passengers
. she was armed with eight guns and small arms for the ship's company and filled with ample stores & provisions and goods for barter with the Maori. She was manned with a picked crew and in the forecastle there was a Maori and a native of the Marquesas Islands. The total number of people on board was 35 including David Clark (1822-1900) who married Aheke (aka Heke) Parata, a Ngai Tahu woman who had been kidnapped by Te Rauparaha's tribe and taken to Kapiti Island.
Evening Post, 1 Oct 1900 Mr David Clark, one of the oldest settlers at Pahautanui, died there last week. The deceased, who was 78 years of age; was born at Greenock, and went out to Australia in the ship Glenbirvie in 1836. After a short stay in Sydney and Hobart he returned to London and then went back to New South Wales. He again returned to the Old Country and on the 7th March 1840, he took up his residence at Petone. After spending a few years at the whaling trade in New Zealand waters he settled at Pahautanui and spent the remainder of his life there.

* Bolton, 21 April 1840 - 232 passengers
. including Rev's John Frederick Churton (1797-1853) and John Gare Butler (1781-1841), the second and third clergymen to be sent out by the company. All the Bolton's passengers were landed at Thorndon Beach and most lived in shanties known as Bolton Row

* Brougham, 25 June 1840 - 5 passengers
. including provisions to the NZ Land Company, Rose Cork butter, muskets etc. Captain Kettlewell cautioned the people of Wellington not to trust any of his Crew and would not be responsible for any of their debts. Colonel Wakefield sailed on it from Wellington to Bay of Islands, on 19 July, with the address to His Excellency Captain Hobson. Whilst there he obtained His Excellency's wishes respecting the Government House which arrived in the "Platina" (next)

* Platina, 6 July 1840 - brought out a number of immigrants and His Excellency, Captain William Hobson's Mansion

* Coromandel, 30 Aug 1840 - 44 passengers
. including Bennett Mather Hook, widow, and her 3 children & Stephen Pilcher, widower, and his 3 children. A daughter Sarah was born to Bennett and Stephen 2 months after they arrived. They married 2 years later and had another 6 children.

* David, whaling ship, 12 Nov 1840 - passengers Daniell, Ven Archdeacon Arthur Henry Stock (1823-1901), James Smith & M. Couper

* Martha Ridgway, 14 Nov 1840 - 225 passengers
. Smallpox broke out, several of the passengers were down when Port Nicholson was reached, so a quarantine ground was established on the eastern shores of Lambton Harbour. The ship was taken across and everybody was placed in strict quarantine for three weeks. This splendid Liverpool-built ship had been constructed expressly for the passenger trade. She had a very spacious poop with a height of 6ft 9in in the 'twixt decks and was replete with every arrangement for the comfort and health of the passengers. The end of the Martha Ridgeway was that, while bound from New Zealand to Bombay, she was wrecked on a reef at Nimrod's Entrance, Torres Strait and abandoned by the crew

* London, 12 Dec 1840 - 228 passengers
. the largest vessel that had up to that time entered the port. Among her passengers were Mr Frederic Alonzo Carrington (1807-1901), chief surveyor of the Plymouth Company, regarded as the Father of New Plymouth; Mr John Tylston Wicksteed (1806-1860), Agent for the Church of England Society, then for the New Zealand Company, farmed at Omata and became editor of the Taranaki Herald, later became a leading resident at Wanganui became editor of the Wanganui Chronicle and Mr Alfred de Bathe Brandon (1809-1886), who was well known solicitor in Wellington for many years

* Blenheim, 27 Dec 1840 - 197 passengers
. most from Scotland

* Slains Castle, 25 Jan 1841 - 224 passengers
. sailed with only 10 hands on board

* Lady Nugent, 17 March 1841 - 263 passengers
. built 1813, rebuilt 1843. Full Rigged ship of 668 tons. Ex convict transport. Made four immigrant voyages to NZ between 1840-1851

* Balley , 10 April 1841
. brought despatches from the Company & cargo

* Olympus, 20 April 1841 - 159 passengers
. including Dr Isaac Earl Featherston. Six years later, on 25 March 1847 Dr Featherston was challenged to a duel by Colonel William Wakefield,

* Lord William Bentinck, 24 May 1841 - 242 passengers
. chiefly of the agricultural classes and eight Cabin passengers

* Jane, 24 May 1841 - 172 passengers
. a privately-owned barque with passengers and a large cargo. During the voyage she was severely damaged while at Rio de Janeiro and had to remain there undergoing repairs until 2 Feb 1841. The Jane had a very disagreeable passage owing to a want of unanimity among the passengers, while the discreditable state of the ship led her to being likened to a pig-sty. A law case in the Wellington Courthouse threw a great deal of light on the incidents of the voyage. Mr William Swainson, FLS, FRS (1789-1855), English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist, artist & eminent English naturalist, came out on this voyage and settled at Lower Hutt. Another passenger was the runholder, merchant and member of the NZ Legislative Council, Hon. Charles Johnson Pharazyn (1802-1903)

* Mary, 10 June 1841 - 3 passengers Mr & Mrs Mocatta, Mr Moreing
. brought newspapers from all over Australia and cargo such as pork, beef, tobacco, beer, port & sherry, 2 cows in calf, 1 pure bred Durham bull and 2 British built whale boats

* Catherine Stewart Forbes, 11 June 1841 - 176 passengers
. name written Catherine or Katherine. The Katherine Stewart Forbes was a full-rigged ship built by William & Henry Pitcher at Northfleet dockyard in Kent, England in 1818. She was classified as "A1", a first class vessel made from first quality materials. The ship was launched for A. Chapman and Company and named by Katherine Stewart, the daughter of Charles Forbes MP in 1818, on 31 Oct - 5 Nov. In 1832 she was transported convicts to Van Diemen's Land. She was re-rigged as a barque about 1836. She was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1860 with Dougal as master and Chapman as owner, but without a home port or trade.

* Harrington, 15 June 1841 - 12 passengers
. Captain Mercer's wife gave birth to a daughter on board

* Sir John Falstaff, 16 June 1841 - 6 passengers

* Amelia Thompson, 2 Aug 1841 - 25 Cabin & 137 steerage passengers
. she carried a steam mill up to the Taranaki settlement

* Tyne, 9 Aug 1841 - 98 passengers
. with Sir William Martin (1807-1880), first Chief Justice of New Zealand and William Swainson (1809-1884), first Attorney General

* Lucy Sharpe, 23 Aug 1841 - passengers Mr & Mrs Penny & Mr W. A. Wansey

* Arrow, 28 Aug 1841 - 99 passengers
. arrived same day as the 'Ullswater' with stores for the NZ Company's settlement of Nelson. She brought news of the death of General William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), 9th President of the USA who died of pneumonia on his 32nd day of office. Arrow Rock was named by European settlers after the storeship Arrow, which arrived 1 Nov 1841, the first New Zealand Company ship to arrive in what was to become Nelson. It was captained by Arthur Wakefield. However, following the wreck of the Fifeshire on the Rock, it became known colloquially as Fifeshire Rock.

* Regina , 31 Aug 1841 -
. sailed with cargo for New Plymouth, landed Evans Bay. Wrecked at Taranaki in November

* Lady Leigh, 15 Sep 1841 passengers, Mr Fitzherbert & Langdon & bulk cargo

* Whitby, 18 Sep 1841 - 59 passengers
. brought to NZ, Captain Arthur Wakefield R.N. (brother to Edward Gibbon Wakefield) and Captain Liardet, R.N.

* Gilbert Henderson, 10 Oct 1841
. convict ship, first landed Sydney 6 June with 206 immigrants

* Clydeside, 11 Oct 1841 - 15 passengers
. sailed from Port Glasgow, first called at Adelaide. Brought cargo such as beef, pork, barley & seeds etc. Oatmeal, pearl barley, pease meal. Cottage doors & windows and rum, cognac, port & sherry

* Arab, 16 Oct 1841 - 208 passengers
. most of the Arab settlers, were said to be intended for the Nelson settlement. She arrived at Port Nicholson on 16 Oct, at which time of course, there was no such place as Nelson. No subsequent mention is made of these settlers, so we assume that they drifted across the Straits from time to time as occasion offered, after the sight of Nelson was chosen, or else they waited for the rest of the people in the Fifeshire and her three companions. All the passengers signed a letter of thanks to the ships surgeon, Dr W. S. Butler, for his humane conduct during their passage

* Oriental, 22 Oct 1841 191 passengers
. 170 for Taranaki

* Gertrude, 31 Oct 1841 - 220 passengers

* Mandarin, 21 Dec 1841
. The Mandarin was a private ship making a voyage to New Zealand under the brokerage of Marshall & Eldridge

* Fifeshire , 20 Jan 1842
. Mr Bryan Edward Duppa was to have sailed on her but changed his mind. Arrived with newspapers that confirmed the expected political change that Sir Robert Peel was Prime Minister. The Fifeshire was totally wrecked in early March on the Arrow rock at Nelson. When she got into the Narrows opposite the Arrow rock the wind suddenly died away and the tide drifted her upon the rocks. Having no support under her keel she was broken in two places and was a total wreck

* Mary Ann, 27 Jan 1842 - about 200 passengers
. brought a private letter from a Director of the NZ Company stating that it may be a matter of interest to know that they expected the seat of Government in NZ would be transferred to Wellington in spite of the reluctance of Governor Hobson

* Lord Auckland, 7 Feb 1842
. took the place of the 'Kelso' which caught fire while lying in the north side of the West India export dock, proceeded to Nelson

* Brougham, 9 Feb 1842
. brought Edward Jerningham Wakefield and was accompanied by a large suite of young gentlemen, engaged by the Company for three years as 'Surveying Cadets', proceeded to Nelson

* Clifton, 17 Feb 1842 - 287 passengers
. was mentioned that besides the Clifton having sailed (or were ready to) so too was the FIfeshire, Mary Anne, Brougham, New York Packet, Lord Auckland, Indemnity, Timandra, Lloyds, Martha Ridgway and Two Sisters

* Bolton, 28 Feb 1842 - 258 passengers
. for Port Nelson and general merchandise. Newspapers brought told that the stories... the distress among the labouring classes was more severe and extensive than had ever before been known in England & Scotland, It was stated that were were 19,926 individuals whose average weekly income was 11 pence. The whole of Syria would soon be freed from the presence of both English and Austrian forces in compliance with the treaty of 15 July. The rebellion in Spain made little progress. It appeared that Louis Phillippe actually was a party to it with the view of obtaining the young Queen of Spain as a wife for his son, the Duke of Aumale

* Birman, 1 March 1842 - 235 immigrants
* married men 53
* married women 53
* single men 15
* single women 12
* children age 7-14 47
* children age 1-7 38
* children under 1 16
The merchandise included 160 tons of coal and 41 cases Spanish wine. One of the passengers brought along a copy of the South African Commercial Advertiser of 1 Jan which contained a long account extracted from the London Times of the destruction by fire of the Grand Storehouse and Small Armoury in the Tower of London. On 13 April the Clifton, Birman & Bolton were still standing at Nelson due to having to ride out a heavy gale outside the Haven. The Martha Ridgway managed to sail.

* New York Packet, 6 March 1842 - passengers; Alexander Sheppard, the Colonial Treasurer (1797-1859), Mrs Sheppard, 4 daughters and 1 son. They were detained a whole month in Wellington awaiting a vessel to carry him to the seat of Government at Auckland. His stepdaughter, Jane Augusta Griffith, was married to/had a relationship with, Sir Frederick Whitaker (1812-1891) 5th Premier of NZ. Also arrived were Messrs A. W. Hort, Heathorne, J. Constable, Robinson and Brewster; Nugent, Esq., surgeon.

* Martha Ridgway, 30 March 1842
. proceeded to Nelson

* London, 4 April 1842 - 185 passengers

* London, 1 May 1842

* Clifford, 3 May 1842

* Indemnity, 19 July 1842 - 15 passengers

* Tobago, 14 Sep 1842

* Nelson, 24 Sep 1842 - 7 passengers

* Blenheim, 3 Nov 1842 - 159 passengers for New Plymouth

* George Fyfe, 7 Nov 1842 - 139 passengers

* Bombay, 29 Dec 1842 - 132? Passengers

* Prince of Wales, 3 Jan 1843

* Essex, 4 Jan 1843

* Thomas Sparks, 31 Jan 1843

* Indus, 26 Feb 1843

* Phoebe, 18 April 1843

* Mary, 9 Aug 1843 - 28 passengers

* Tyne, 11 Aug 1843

* Ursula, 12 Sep 1843

* Mandarin , 11 Dec 1843

* Governor, 1 March 1844

* Theresa, 22 April 1844

* Bella Marina, 31 May 1844

* Sydney, 31 May 1844 - 42 passengers

* Nelson, 18 Aug 1844

* Raymond, 5 Sep 1844

* Caledonia, 11 Jan 1845

* Slains Castle, 16 Feb 1845

* Mary Catherine, 2 Feb 1846 - passengers Mr & Mrs Kettle, Mr Polhill & Miss Knox

* Ralph Bernal, 28 June 1846 - Capt. MacLaren from London via Cape of Good Hope and Nelson. Passengers - Mr and Mrs Brodie and child, Mr and Mr Couper and child, Miss Morgan, Miss Makor, Mrs Sutton and son, Messrs W. Laylor, Lourey, St. Hill & Edwards.

* Louisa Campbell, 24 July 1846

* Madras, 3 Sep 1846

* Clara, 4 Nov 1846
. chartered by the Government to convey 250 men of the 65th Regiment to Sydney. 16 passengers & a large cargo to NZ

* Hope, 7 Jan 1847 - 14 passengers

* Nelson, 4 Feb 1847

* Elora, 19 Feb 1847

* John Wickliffe, 23 May 1847

* Saghalien,14 Oct 1847

* Blundell, 20 Oct 1847

* Ralph Bernal, 11 Dec 1847

* Indian, 2 April 1848

* Elora, 27 May 1848 - 15 passengers

* Philip Laing, 19 June 1848

* Victory, 16 Aug 1848

* Cornelia, 6 Sep 1848

* Bernicia, 21 Nov 1848

* Susan, 31 Dec 1848 - 6 passengers

* Ajax, 8 Feb 1849

* Duke of Portland , 17 Feb 1849 - passengers Mr & Mrs Greenwood, Mrs Cubitt, Mr Smith, 2 in steerage

* Diamond, 11 March 1849

* Mary, 14 March 1849

* Lalla Rookh, 15 March 1849

* Jane & Catherine, 29 June 1849 - 13 passengers

* Mariner, 12 July 1849

* Pilgrim, 20 Aug 1849 - 31 passengers

* Cornwall, 9 Sep 1849

* Enterprise , 30 Sep 1849 - passengers Mr & Mrs Carter & 2 children, Mr Spike, 14 adults & 3 children in steerage.

* Larkins, 21 Oct 1849

* Kelso, 5 Nov 1849

* Pekin, 26 Dec 1849

* Cornelia, 9 Feb 1850

* Lady Nugent, 1 May 1850

* Pelham, 4 May 1850

* Monarch, 22 May 1850

* Poictiers, 2 Aug 1850
. for New Plymouth

* Mariner, 2 Sep 1850 - 126 passengers

* Phoebe Dunbar, 14 Nov 1850

* Barbara Gordon, 23 Nov 1850

* Eden, 28 Nov 1850

* Emu, 13 March 1851

* Cornelia, 10 April 1851

* Cresswell, 22 April 1851

* Clara, 6 Oct 1851 - no passengers

* Simlah, 17 Oct 1851

* Columbus, 11 Dec 1851

* Chieftain, 3 Jan 1852 - no passengers

* Cornwall, 4 Jan 1852

* Maori, 16 Jan 1852
. The Maori, a ship of 800 tons, was a very slow sailer for her size, her average passages occupying about 120 days.

* William Hyde, 9 Feb 1852

* Agra, 1 March 1852

* Lord William Bentinck, 17 May 1852

* Gwailor, 28 Aug 1852

* Stately, 9 Sep 1852

* True Briton, 18 Dec 1852
. embarked Troops

* Minerva, 6 March 1853

* Royal Albert, 30 March 1853

* Tasmania, 30 March 1853

* Patrician, 5 May 1853

* Hampshire, 9 June 1853

* Admiral Grenfell, 12 Aug 1853

* Cornwall, 13 Aug 1853

* John Taylor, 2 Nov 1853

* Northfleet, 14 Dec 1853

* Constantine, 4 Feb 1854

* Duke of Portland, 12 Feb 1854

* Norman Morrison, 29 July 1854

* Cordelia, 29 Sep 1854

* Thetis, 15 Oct 1854 - 8 passengers

* James Scott, 1 Nov 1854

* Gipsy (Gipsey), 13 Nov 1854 - 35 passengers

* Surge, 16 Dec 1854

* Pudsey Dawson, 23 Dec 1854

* Royal Stuart, 29 Jan 1855

* Monsoon, 23 Feb 1855 - Passenger Mr Myer

* Sea Snake, 25 May 1855 - passengers but number unknown

* New Era, 27 June 1855 - 195+ passengers

* William & Jane, 1 Dec 1855

* Southern Cross, 24 March 1856

* Westminster, 14 May 1856

* Libertas, 8 July 1856

* Cossipore, 19 July 1856

* Lancashire Witch, 27 July 1856
. Troop ship via Australia, proceeded to Auckland

* Hastings, 14 Oct 1856

* Mariner , 25 Nov 1856

* Oliver Lang, 19 Dec 1856 - 450 passengers

* Philip Laing, 23 Dec 1856