Keam and Wills Family Voyage to New Zealand 1876-1877

Posted by Wesley Johnston, 20 Nov 2014, last updated 20 Nov 2014

The following is a quotation of Alisha Keam from page 3 of her paper "Samuel Keam and Hist Family: The story of a successful immigrant family".

"The prospect of a better quality of life drew settlers such as Samuel [KEAM] and his wife Phillippa to New Zealand. They travelled to New Zealand with Phillipa's mother (Mary [SARAH] Wills), brother (Frank) and sister-in-law (Ellen) and 260 others on the "Huruni" from Gravesend (London) on September 23rd 1876. The journey was uncomfortable and dangerous. Shortly after leaving port some cases of Scarletina and diphtheria were discovered on board and the ship docked at Weymouth where 14 disembarked and at Plymouth where a further 45 left the ship. After 14 days, the Huruni left Plymouth (10th November), only to collide three hours later with an unlit barque, and was forced to return to port for repairs. Several of the barque's crew drowned and 33 intending emigrants refused to sail in the ship. The Huruni finally left on 20th November to reach Wellington 18 February 1877."