1892 New Zealand Voyage

This was a voyage undertaken by Miss Donaldson-Hudson, Miss Grave and Lady Magdalen Lucy Herbert in the winter of 1891/1892

As you might imagine, being a fairly upper class family, the Donaldson-Hudsons have been recorded as taking a number of steamship trips abroad.

The first recorded trip was by Miss Donaldson-Hudson, Miss Grave and Lady Magdalen Lucy Herbert, to Auckland, New Zealand, departing from London to Sydney, Australia on the 23rd December 1891, on the Peninsular & Oriental Company’s Steamship Victoria, which had a registered tonnage of only 2,990. According to family records, the Miss Donaldson-Hudson in question was probably Doris, as her elder sister, Kathleen Marie, had been married since 1888, and her younger sister, Violet Marie would only have been 13 years old in 1891, and was also of a weak constitution.

The Miss Grave mentioned was almost certainly the lady, whose memorial is placed in St Katherine’s chapel at St Swithun’s church in Cheswardine. Her age is given (incorrectly) as being 24 on the ship’s passenger list, whilst that of Doris Donaldson-Hudson is given as being 26, when she was in fact 19 years old.

Their companion on the trip, Lady Magdalen Herbert, was the sister of George Charles Herbert, who became the 4th Earl of Powis in 1891. The Herbert family lived at Styche Hall, which is about 6½ miles north west of Cheswardine Hall. The sea journey from England to Australia and New Zealand would have taken about nine weeks, so they probably arrived in New Zealand on or about the 24th February 1892.

Whilst in New Zealand, they visited a number of locations, including Rotorua, where they stayed at Lake House. Besides taking the Government baths (Sanatorium), and doing a lot of sight seeing they devote much of their time to sketching.

The Countess of Jersey (Margaret Elizabeth Leigh, the wife of the 7th Earl of Jersey, Governor of New South Wales from1890 until 1894) the Countess of Galloway (Lady Mary Arabella Arthur Cecil, the wife of the 10th Earl of Galloway, Alan Plantagenet Stewart), Lady Magdalen Herbert and Captain Rupert Leigh (aide-de-camp to the Governor of New South Wales) arrived at the Geyser Hotel, Whakarewarewa on Friday last (26th February 1892) from Taupo. After seeing the wonders of this place the party continued their journey on Sunday to Ohinemutu where they stayed at the Lake House. During the day the steam launch Alice was chartered and a trip made to Mokoia and the Ngae, the party landing at the latter place where they were met by a special conveyance and drove to Tikitere, another of our wonderful sights, after which they returned to Ohinemutu and on the following day, Monday, left for Okoroire, en route for Auckland to meet His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand (2nd May 1889-24th February 1892), the 4th Earl of Onslow (William Hillier Onslow)and Countess of Onslow (Hon. Florence Coulston Gardner).

During her stay in, Miss Donaldson-Hudson donated £1 to assist in the provision of kneelrests in the local church. On the 4th April 1892, after a stay of over two months, Lady Magdalen Herbert, Miss Donaldson-Hudson, Miss Grave and Miss Walker took their departure for Tauranga, where they intended spending a week and then returning to England.

They returned to Great Britain on the Peninsular & Oriental Company’s Steamship Ballaarat, probably leaving the Antipodes on about the 12th April 1892, docking in London on the 8th June 1892, although Miss Donaldson-Hudson and Miss Grave had left the ship at Plymouth the day before, whilst Lady Herbert continued to London.

Below you will find a copy of information from The Times newspaper about the ships owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Company that conveyed the party to Australia and New Zealand.

Some information has been gleaned from the Bay of Plenty Times Archive, in New Zealand.