History – Strength forged on the frontier

When Sarah Ann Shepherd (née Longbottom) stepped aboard the Hanover in May 1862, she could not have known that her journey would test the very limits of human endurance. Born in Louth, Lincolnshire, in 1837, Sarah had lived a relatively comfortable life, educated privately and trained in her father’s drapery business. Yet the young wife and mother would soon prove herself far stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Sarah married John Shepherd in 1858, but their early happiness was shadowed by his failing health. Acting on medical advice, the couple joined a group of non-conformist settlers bound for New Zealand. With two young children and extended family in tow, they set sail full of hope.

That hope was quickly challenged. Just before departure, Sarah narrowly avoided being left behind after going ashore to fetch medicine for her sick children. The gangplank had already been raised when two strangers lifted and swung her on board. It was only the first of many moments where determination would carry her through.

The 106-day voyage was brutal. Sarah became gravely ill and could not endure the cramped quarters below deck, instead lying in a hammock slung on deck. Poor food and rough seas made life miserable.

When Tasmania was sighted on September 6, a violent storm struck, rising to a hurricane. Her husband’s sisters were swept across the deck with livestock, and the cow-house was washed overboard.

If the sea tested her strength, the land demanded even more.

Arriving in Auckland, settlers found no clear path to Port Albert. The journey north became an ordeal of mud and exhaustion. Still too weak to walk, Sarah was tied atop a load on a bullock dray as it lurched through rough bush tracks. She watched helplessly as clothes and books were ruined by mud and rain. Heavier goods sent by cutter around the North Cape were later lost in a shipwreck.
Yet, Sarah endured.

In early 1863, in a simple nikau hut, she gave birth to a daughter, Mildred – the first European child born in the settlement. At one point, their tiny shelter held her family, a stranded traveller and even a calf brought inside to escape the rain.

Food was scarce and conditions harsh. Sarah formed connections with local Māori, who traded food and offered support. She raised her family in circumstances few could imagine.

As the settlement developed, Sarah’s business training proved invaluable. While her husband managed the store, it was Sarah who became its driving force – travelling to Auckland, making decisions and ensuring its success.

Sarah Ann Shepherd proved herself a woman of extraordinary strength and determination. By the time of her death in 1919, she had helped shape the Albertland settlement.

On May 29, we will celebrate 164 years since the arrival of the Albertlanders to our district. Stories like Sarah Ann’s are just some of the many held within our museum, so come along and discover more about your Albertland ancestors.