Ill-Charted
A letter from the New Zealand Weekly News, August 31st 1966

Sir -
If I may add a little to what has appeared in the New Zealand Weekly News about the wreck of the trans-Tasman passenger liner Elingamite on one of the Three Kings islands in 1902, it is to repeat the tale told by a pioneer surveyor of the north.

In the 1890's Mr Thomas K Thompson was engaged in what is known as triangulation surveys in Mangonui County. He used to relate in 1894, when working near North Cape, he saw the ill-fated steamer Wairarapa heading for Auckland - the last person to see the ship before it was wrecked that night on Great Barrier Island.

Mr Thompson's surveys showed that the Three Kings were not correctly charted in relation to Cape Reinga, and he reported this to the Head Office of the Survey Department. It appears no action was taken until after the Elingamite was wrecked about eight years later. Mr Thompson later spent many years in the Auckland office of his department and died about 30 years ago.

A. J. Sheat             
Mount Albert