Essex lad’s voyage to Nydia Bay

WENDY SIMONSEN
Marlborough Provincial Archives

In 1892, a young boy left his home in Essex and set sail on the 5,000-ton ship SS Arawa, headed for New Zealand. He had the splendid English name of Harcourt Roland Ernest Williams and ended up at Nydia Bay, in the Pelorus Sound.

He then wrote a record of his trip, which went like this:
“My name is Harcourt Roland Ernest Williams and I am seventeen years of age. I am sitting here at Walkers Farm overlooking the beautiful Pelorus Sound and thought I would share the story of my voyage.

“On the 24th of November 1892, on a cold and foggy day I left Essex to sail halfway round the world on the ship Arawa to an unknown place called Nydia Bay. All I knew was that it is in New Zealand, and that I would learn to be a farmer.

“I was a second-class passenger but even so my berth was quite small, at the rear of the ship and quite crowded with all my bon voyage packages from family and friends. There are five stewards and one stewardess for the forty or so second-class passengers.

“As usual in November, the fog was very thick and delayed the Arawa from leaving, eventually the next day we left.  I spent many days being ‘mal de mere’ or seasick, despite the good meals and time spent on deck.

“The passengers took up a sweepstake to see how many miles our ship covered in a day, I don’t think we ever got it right though. We had boat and fire drills, which were quite feeble, where the cooks came running with pails and the hose being got out, where the bosun had watered the deck!

“There was quite a bit of entertainment during the voyage, including a fancy dress ball, held by the first call passengers and many games of cricket, and obstacle races.”

“I climbed Table Mountain in Cape Town and on Christmas Day we had an excellent meal of Ox Tail Soup, Roast Goose, Plum Pudding and Mince Pies.

“On arrival in Wellington, it was raining heavily, and my accommodation was arranged at the City Buffet Hotel. I left Wellington on the Maori B, who called at various bays until I arrived at Nydia Bay to be met by the Walkers.”

Mrs Anne Jack is a granddaughter of Harcourt Roland. The sail and steam ship Arawa brought many immigrants to New Zealand and ended its days torpedoed and sunk in 1915.