By Virginia Winder
Leggy pohutukawa trees stand like guards behind a row of white headstones in a windswept cemetery on coastal Taranaki.
A giant anchor rests on the memorial in the centre of these graves, drawing visitors towards it like fish to a baited hook.
The story behind these 12 lost lives has captured Opunake historian Ian Stevenson, who loves to talk about the wreck of the Lizzie Bell.
The Lizzie Bell
Huddled in a blue and black Swanndri, Mr Stevenson stands windblown and red-cheeked as he shares the terrible tale from that winter night more than 100 years ago.
At 11pm on 24 July 1901, an iron barque bound from Wellington to New South Wales slammed into rocks on the Waimate Reef.
On the rocks
The impact was so powerful two men fell overboard and were later found dead jammed in among rocks.
A story that appeared in the Hawera Star two days after the coastal tragedy said the surviving sailors climbed into the lifeboat, and for an hour stayed by the smashed ship until the main mast went over the side, followed a few minutes later by the foremast.
Soon after, the ship broke her back, nearly sinking out of sight. The line was cast off and the captain ordered the oarsmen to head out to sea in order to clear a point and reach a possible landing place.
It was a bitterly cold night with a keen wind and a big sea," the Star reported. "Some of the crew were drowned when the lifeboat twice capsized. After the second capsizing the crew had to sit up to their middles in water."
One by one the sailors began to die. Apprentice A. Jones, a member of the Naval Reserve, died in the captain's arms. "J. Mulligan, the Negro cook, had attempted to swim to shore after the first capsizing, but was drowned."
Survivors cling to life
After struggling through that wild winter's night, the survivors reached shore just south of the Good family's homestead and collapsed with exhaustion.
At dawn, chief mate W.G.E. Barrow and seaman J. Harding made their way to the farmhouse, where they were met by farmer W. Good. His daughter rode to Pihama for help, while the farmers raced down to the rocky beach.
There, they found both the dead and the living. The victims' bodies were taken to the Oeo Hotel and the survivors were carried to the Good homestead. A search was mounted for others.
One of lucky ones was apprentice W.J. Arbuckle, who was found lying in a weak state.
Describing his near-death experience, Arbuckle told the Hawera Star: "I heard the sound of music – strong and loud, like a band, and then I knew no more."
Detective work
Mr Stevenson, who owns the Ponderosa Museum, has pondered over what caused the Lizzie Bell to veer 45 miles off course. "I think the captain may have been drinking – that's what was suggested in the inquiry."
Other reports say there was an error of about 2½ points between the steering compass and the pole compass.
After a lengthy Magisterial inquiry, the court found that the course, as stated by Captain John Rees, was not steered and the shipwreck was caused by negligent navigation.
Captain Rees was suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay 25 pound towards the cost of the inquiry.
His mistake cost 12 lives and the loss of a beautiful ship.
Washed up
The Lizzie Bell was smashed to bits by crashing waves, leaving just her iron shell.
"Among the things washed ashore were a darning needle, a family bible and torn photograph of the first and second mates and the apprentices," the Star wrote. "A cook book was also found and a letter to one of the sailors from his father imploring his son to give up the sea."
Mr Stevenson says pieces of the wreck were salvaged and ended up all over the world, but some remain in the district. The ship's bell and spar went to the Oeo School, a tahaia was carved from salvaged wood, iron girders from the deck and timber were used to build a cowshed and yard and the anchor finally came home to rest after 60 years in the sea and 20 years in private gardens in Hawera.
In 1974, the graveyard was renamed the Lizzie Bell Memorial Cemetery.
Time to Remember: The Lizzie Bell Memorial.