HMS Orpheus (1860)

Painting of the sinking of HMS Orpheus by Richard Brydges Beechey

  • 20 x 8 inches ( 20.3 cm, 68 -pounder ) muzzleloader
  • 1 x 7 inch ( 17.8 cm, 110 -pounder ) Hinterlader

The HMS Orpheus was a flagship of the Australian Squadron. The Orpheus sank on February 7, 1863 at Whatipu off the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand. When the disaster came 189 of 259 crew members lost their lives. This is the shipwreck with the most deaths in New Zealand waters.

Data to the ship

The Orpheus was named after the Greek hero. It was from 1858 to 1860 at Chatham Dockyard in Kent, England, built. The ship belonged to the Royal Navy. It was 69 meters long and had 259 crew members.

Captain of the ship was Robert Heron Burton. It was destroyed in the New Zealand Wars, as it should provide ship equipment and troop reinforcements to Auckland.

Corvette Chatham (Kent) Draft (hull) Boiler (power generation) Breech-loading weapon
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