Snowy Tundra

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Auckland Islands were first discovered by Polynesian voyagers, with traces of settlement dating possibly to the 13th century found on Enderby Island—the most southerly Polynesian settlement yet known. The whaler Ocean, captained by Abraham Bristow, rediscovered the islands in 1806, finding them uninhabited. Bristow named them "Lord Auckland's" on 18 August 1806 in honour of his father's friend William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland. The following year Bristow returned on Sarah to claim the archipelago for Britain. Whalers and sealers set up temporary bases, and the islands became one of the principal sealing stations in the Pacific. By 1812, so many seals had been killed that the islands lost their commercial importance. The sealing era lasted from 1807 till 1894, during which 82 vessels are recorded as visiting for sealing purposes; some 11 of these ships were wrecked off-shore. Relics of the sealing period include inscriptions, the remains of huts, and graves. In 1842, a small party of 70 Māori and their Moriori slaves from the Chatham Islands migrated to the archipelago, surviving for about 20 years on sealing and flax growing. Samuel Enderby's grandson, Charles Enderby, proposed a community based on agriculture and whaling in 1846. This settlement, established at Port Ross in 1849 and named Hardwicke, lasted only two and a half years. Māori and Moriori settlement continued until 1866, when most of the Māori and some of the Moriori returned to the Chatham Islands; however, most of the Moriori settled on Stewart Island, where some of their descendants continue to live today.

In Their Own Story

In 1864, the Grafton, captained by Thomas Musgrave, was wrecked in Carnley Harbour. That same year, the Scottish sailing ship Invercauld was wrecked in the Auckland Islands a few months later. François Édouard Raynal wrote Wrecked on a Reef about his experiences. In 1866, one of New Zealand's most famous shipwrecks, that of the General Grant, occurred on the western coast. Ten survivors waited for rescue on Auckland Island for 18 months. Several attempts have failed to salvage its cargo, allegedly including bullion. Because of the probability of wrecks, calls arose for the establishment of emergency depots for castaways in 1868. The New Zealand authorities established and maintained three such depots, at Port Ross, Norman Inlet and Carnley Harbour from 1887. They also cached additional supplies, including boats and 40 finger-posts, around the islands. A further maritime tragedy occurred in 1907, with the loss of the Dundonald and 12 of her crew, off Disappointment Island. The 15 survivors lived off the supplies in the Auckland Island depot. In 2019, a helicopter with three people on board crashed into the ocean near Enderby Island when they were en route to uplift an ill man on a fishing trawler. All three survived the crash, and were found the next day with only minor injuries. The rescue effort was led by Richard Hayes.

Reader's Guide

The Auckland Islands have a fairly constant cool and wet weather year-round, with neither winter being excessively cold nor summer excessively hot. Port Ross features a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc according to the Köppen climate classification system), characterised by near-constant overcast weather and never being too hot or too cold. Carnley Harbour also features a subpolar oceanic climate, though it is much wetter and more affected by ocean-moderation. The climate is most similar to that seen in the Faroe Islands and Aleutian Islands. The islands are of volcanic origin, dominated by two 12-million-year-old Miocene shield volcanoes, subsequently eroded and dissected. These rest on older volcanic rocks 15–25 million years old with some older granites and fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks from around 100 million years ago. The main island, Auckland Island, has an approximate land area of 510 km² and a length of 42 km. It is notable for its steep cliffs and rugged terrain, rising to over 600 m. Prominent peaks include Cavern Peak (659 m), Mount Raynal (635 m), Mount D'Urville (630 m), Mount Easton (610 m), and the Tower of Babel (550 m). The southern end of the island broadens to a width of 26 km. The narrow channel of Carnley Harbour separates the main island from Adams Island (97 km²), which is even more mountainous, reaching 705 m at Mount Dick. The channel is the remains of the crater of an extinct volcano, and Adams Island and the southern part of the main island form the crater rim. The marine environment surrounding the archipelago became a marine mammal sanctuary in 1993 and a marine reserve in 2003, measuring 4,980 km². The Subantarctic Islands marine reserves around the Auckland, Antipodes, Bounty and Campbell Islands combined form the largest natural sanctuary in New Zealand.

Did You Know?

• The Auckland Islands are the most southerly location where Polynesian settlement has been found, with traces dating possibly to the 13th century on Enderby Island.
• The channel between Auckland Island and Adams Island, Carnley Harbour, is the remains of the crater of an extinct volcano.
• In 1907, the Dundonald was wrecked off Disappointment Island, and 15 survivors lived off supplies from the Auckland Island depot.
• The Auckland Islands were part of the Colony of New Zealand under the Letters Patent of April 1842, then excluded by the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846, then re-included by the New Zealand Boundaries Act of 1863.
• The marine reserve around the Auckland Islands, established in 2003, measures 4,980 km².