I Was There - Wahine Disaster

This 2013 TVNZ Heartland series saw veteran newsreaders present major moments in New Zealand history. In this episode Dougal Stevenson looks back at the Wahine disaster of 10 April 1968, when 51 people perished after the interisland ferry struck Barrett Reef near Wellington, in a southerly storm. Stevenson was a junior newsreader at the time. Along with archive footage, two eyewitnesses are interviewed: passenger William Spring, who recalls leaping from the capsized ship; and Roger Johnstone, who describes filming the disaster as a young NZBC cameraman.

As I say I was only 18 at the time, and that was my first experience of any sort of casualties. Historically now, it was a very big event and you were there, and it was probably hard to realise just how bad it was at that stage.

– NZBC cameraman Roger Johnstone recalls his experience of the disaster

Key Cast & Crew

Damien Christie

Writer, Producer

Sofia Wenborn

Writer, Interviewer, Research

Dougal Stevenson

Presenter

Tony Morley

Composer

Rachel Wood

Composer

Rhian Sheehan

Composer