The fine iron ship Lastingham, a vessel of 1143 tons, chartered by the Shaw-Savill Company, came to grief under sad circumstances when on her second voyage from London out to Wellington. The disaster happened in the spring of 1884. All went well until the ship was within a few hours of her destination. Those on board were congratulating one another on the pleasant prospect of being at their journey's end, and then suddenly in the night the scene was changed, and what should have been a welcome to a new land became a tragedy. The story of the catastrophe serves as another reminder of the terrible risks incidental to sailing ships and those that sailed in them.

It was not until Cape Egmont was sighted that anything of note occurred on the passage, and there the ship ran into severe weather. As the day wore on the gale increased, and suddenly, at about nine o'clock in the night, land was reported on the port bow. Captain Morrison, the master, ordered the foresail to be cut away, the course was altered, and the ship stood out for about half an hour. Then the look-out reported land right ahead, and an attempt was made to wear ship, but unsuccessfully, and in spite of the crew's frantic work the ship was driven ashore on what was afterwards found to be Jackson's Head, Cook Strait. The scene that followed was heartrending, and of the 28 people on board, only 14 ever got ashore.