The Hydrabad was wrecked at Waitarere Beach 143 years ago. It was only in recently that her wreck disappeared beneath the sand.
The Hydrabad was wrecked at Waitarere Beach 143 years ago. It was only in recently that her wreck disappeared beneath the sand.
A Waitarere Beach woman is doing her best to keep the memory of the Hydrabad shipwreck alive.
Sheila Milne recently purchased a collection of Hydrabad memorabilia from the family estate of the late Ron Hubbard.
In what could be described as a labour of love, Hubbard had done an extraordinary amount of research and amassed some stunning artefacts throughout his life.
He first discovered Hydrabad as a youngster in the 1940s, when you could jump from her bow into the sea, and chronicled and researched her history through his life.
A talented artist, he had painted some captivating images of Hydrabad, which are now on show at Milne's shop Gifts At Waitarere. He had also published a book about Hydrabad, too, along with making a small film.
Milne said she found that every weekend the Hydrabad was a talking point for visitors and tourists to her store, so it made sense to have these important historical items on show.
It seemed like a good fit for Hubbard's work, and the memory of Hydrabad. Milne had always stocked a book that Hubbard had written on Hydrabad in her store.
It gave a unique insight into the old ship's life, and was a popular item in the store.
"There are always people interested. So many come in here - several each day - so it just made sense," she said.
It often meant retelling the tale of how the old ship came to rest in the sand along the beach 143 years ago in a ferocious storm. There were 35 people aboard, including Captain Holmwood and his wife.
Captain Holmwood and his grandson Charles Edgar.
All survived.
There were several failed attempts made to refloat Hydrabad. And so she lies, separated further from the sea each year by a shoreline accruing sand.
"Occasionally there are people that know nothing about Hydrabad and they are very interested," she said.
"Or there are people that just love to talk about it, how their grandparents brought them here when they were growing up, or how they could jump from the Hydrabad into the sea.
"You have to keep it alive."
Although the old shipwreck had succumbed to encroaching sand dunes in recent years, there were efforts made to dig around her, and her bones could still be seen.
Milne was now gearing up for the summer season where she opened seven days. During the winter months the shop only opened on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Sheila Milne.
Gifts at Waitarere was nestled in a little shopping complex at the beach next to a cafe. The carpark was also a popular spot for car boot sales and pop-up food truck nights.
