NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES
THE WHITE ISLAND (BAY OF PLENTY, NEW ZEALAND) ERUPTION
SEPTEMBER 1914
In 1914 White Island (known to Maori as Whakaari), an active volcano off the coast of the Bay of Plenty was being mined by the New Zealand Sulphur Company. Sometime between the 7th and 19th September 1914 a section of the volcanic cone collapsed pushing a lahar (mudflow) out from the crater. This completely swamped the miners camp, and the men and all buildings were hurled in to the ocean. No bodies were ever found though wreckage washed up on shore for weeks later.
| ANDERSON | A | No details |
| BYRNE | J | Married with 4 children |
| CHAPPELL (WALKER) | Robert H | Single - mother |
| DONOVAN | W J | Single - sister |
| KELLY | L | Single - brother and sister in Victoria |
| LAMB | R | Married with 4 children |
| McKIM (McKAIN) | A J C | Single - mother and sisters in Perth, Scotland, brother in America |
| WARING | R | Married with 1 child - supposed to be in England |
| WILLIAMS | Harry Edward | Married to Florence Maud WILLIAMS (nee GREEN). Aged 31. |
| YOUNG | Stephen Henry | Single - mother. See Bay Of Plenty Times, Volume XLV, Issue 6824, 2 February 1917, Page 4 for court case titled Sulphur Island Case |
TE PUKE TIMES, VOLUME II, ISSUE II, 29 MAY 1914
A distressing accident occurred at White Island last week, resulting in the death of John L. Williams, a married man of about 32 years of age. Williams was employed by the White Island Sulphur Company as fireman, and was on duty when one of the large retorts used in extracting the sulphur, suddenly burst under steam pressure, and he was terribly injured. The unfortunate man was scalded on, his arms, hands, legs and face, and succumbed to his injuries the following night. Death Entry 1914/10470 Williams John Llewellyn 35Y
MONDAY 09 DECEMBER 2019
On Monday 09 December 2019 at 2.11pm Whakaari/White Island erupted when 47 people on the island - 24 Australians, nine Americans, five New Zealanders, four Germans, two Chinese, two Britons and one Malaysian. Unfortunately there have been 22 deaths - 20 tourists and 2 guides. Those who died were:
Krystal Eve BROWITT, 21, from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Paul Anthony BROWITT, 65, from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Died 12 January 2020 Alfred Hospital, Melbourne)
Christopher (Chris) COZAD, 43, from Sydney, NSW, Australia (Died 14 December 2019 Concord Hospital, Sydney)
Gavin Brian DALLOW, 53, from Adelaide, SA, Australia
Richard Aaron ELZER, 32, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
Jason David GRIFFITHS, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
Barbara Jean HOLLANDER, 49, from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Berend Lawrence HOLLANDER, 16, from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Matthew Robert HOLLANDER, 13, from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Martin Berend HOLLANDER, 48, from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Zoe Ella HOSKING, 15, from Adelaide, SA, Australia (Step-daughter of Gavin Dallow)
Kristine Elizabeth LANGFORD, 45, from North Sydney, NSW, Australia
Anthony James LANGFORD, 51, from North Sydney, NSW, Australia
Winona Jane LANGFORD, 17, from North Sydney, NSW, Australia (Missing)
Tipene MAANGI, 24, from Whakatane, New Zealand (Tour guide)
Hayden Bryan MARSHALL-INMAN, 40, from Whakatane, New Zealand (Tour guide - missing)
Karla Michelle MATHEWS, 32, from Coffs Harbour, Australia
Jessica RICHARDS, 20, from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Julie RICHARDS, 47, from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Mayuri (Mary) SINGH [Mayuari CHOUHAN], 42, from Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Died 22 December 2019 Middlemore Hospital, Auckland)
Pratap (Paul) SINGH [Pratap Singh CHOUHAN], 49, from Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Died 29 January 2020 Middlemore Hospital, Auckland)
Horst Edgar WESTENFELDER, 64, German national (Died 2 July 2020 at an overseas hospital from medical complications)
FAMILIES I AM RESEARCHING | MISCELLANEOUS GENEALOGICAL STUFF | NEW ZEALAND — ON LINE GENEALOGICAL AND FAMILY HISTORY RESOURCES | NEW ZEALAND — YOUNG BOY IMMIGRANT SCHEME 1911 — 1914 | NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES | NEW ZEALAND MISCELLANEOUS GENEALOGICAL INDEXES | NEW ZEALAND LAND WARS — MISCELLANEOUS GENEALOGICAL INDEXES | NEW ZEALAND AND WORLD WAR ONE | NEW ZEALAND AND WORLD WAR TWO | NEW ZEALAND ROLLS OF HONOUR AND WAR MEMORIALS — BY LOCATION | NEW ZEALAND ROLLS OF HONOUR AND WAR MEMORIALS — BY CONFLICT | NEW ZEALAND ROLLS OF HONOUR — MILITARY NURSES | PAKEHA/MAORI TRANSLITERATIONS | PASSENGER LISTS TO NEW ZEALAND | SHAND — FAMILY HISTORY | SOUTH TARANAKI, NEW ZEALAND — GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES | SPONDON, DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND — GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES | WANGANUI COLLEGIATE SCHOOL 1865 — 1947 | WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY, NEW ZEALAND — GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES