Star of Canada - Te Moana Maritime Museum

The Te Moana Maritime Gallery offers a glimpse into 1000 years of maritime myths, legends, stories and development of the Tairawhiti East Coast region. Also included in this gallery is the arrival of Captain James Cook, the development of Gisborne’s harbour, local shipwrecks, surfing in this region, the fishing industry and surf life saving.

The Star of Canada was a young ship when she was blown onto rocks on the Gisborne foreshore on 23 June 1912. Built at Belfast in October 1909 by Messrs Workman Clark and Co, the Star of Canada was a twin screw general cargo steamer of 7,280 tons gross (12,000 tons fully laden), 470.3 ft in length, beam 58.4 ft, depth 31.6 ft while her engines were 749 h.p. nominal. A local engineer, Mr A.C. Mitchell, was in charge of the dismantling of the vessel, while Mr William Good, a local jeweller, bought the wheel-house and had it towed through town to an empty section next to his own home at 274 Childers Road.

In 1983, the Star was left to the citizens of Gisborne, provided a suitable use and site could be found. A major public appeal was undertaken to shift the Star to its new site on the Taruheru River, where she continues to provide a unique opportunity for museum visitors to walk in and around the two-storied wheel-house and captain’s cabin, and experience a piece of Gisborne's maritime history.

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