Thanks to Karl Gillies of the Southland Museum & Art Gallery for providing numerous corrections and additional events for this timeline.
| A.D | 1200 | Auckland Islands discovered by East Polynesians, circa AD 1200. Significantly, this is the southernmost latitude ever recorded (to date) of East Polynesian/early Maori exploration. |
| August | 1806 | Cptn Abraham Bristow of the 401 ton whaler OCEAN rediscovered Lord Auckland's Islands. |
| 1807 | Bristow returned in the SARAH belonging to the same firm Enderby that owned the OCEAN. He took formal possession of the Islands. Before departing he released several pigs. | |
| December | 1807 | Cptn Sirone, COMMERCE arrived Auckland Is. from Sydney, procured 3000 seal skins. Pakeha Maori named John Marmon recounted two other gangs already present. Opposing parties were drugged with rum. |
| February | 1815 | Cptn Philip Good enough on BETSY lost one European Thomans Wilman, and a Lascar, from scurvy at Auckland Islands |
| 1817 | The ENTERPRISE an American Whaling ship on a sealing expedition stopped at the Auckland Islands and the Snares, rescuing 3 seamen from the latter. | |
| 1823 | Schooner HENRY reported by Cptn Benjamin Morell to have taken 13,000 of the finest furs from the Auckland Is. | |
| February | 1825 | Cptn R. Jameson on brig QUEEN CHARLOTTE secured 2200 and 2 tons oil at Auckland Islands. Reported seeing the WELLINGTON and the ELIZABETH AND MARY |
| June | 1825 | Cptn Thayer on the schooner YANKEE secured 2000 fur skins at Auckland Is. |
| November | 1825 | Cptn Lovett on the SALLY arrived to spend 3 months sealing in which she procured only 200 seal skins and lost 6 men. |
| November | 1825 | The SALLY lost two boats and six men at Auckland Islands. "By an untoward circumstance, two boats were lost and six seamen drowned, namely: John Cole, Edward Stowers, John Simons, Robert Hardy, George Howell and Rob Richardson. |
| December | 1825 | The SAMUEL left Auckland Islands for Sydney with 2000 skins |
| December | 1829 | Cptn Benjamin Morrell in US Schooner ANTARCTIC arrived Carnley. Returned glowing report of settlement prospects at Port Ross, no fur seals were sighted anywhere, only 5 sea lions living. Cptn's wife was on board. First recorded woman at Aucklands. |
| 1830 | John Briscoe in TULA and LIVELY of Messrs Enderby made a remarkable journey in the years 1830-32. The cutter was wrecked and there is no mention by Fricker of a later expedition except the chance meeting between Briscoe and Balleny at Campbell in 1838 | |
| 1833 | Reference to wreck of vessel in 1833. 'RIFFLEMAN ? 1833'. The site of the wreck is not shown. | |
| March | 1833 | SYDNEY PACKET was purchased by George Bunn 1833.0300 |
| October | 1833 | Cptn Joss SYDNEY PACKET left Campbell with shipwreck items from wreck on Auckland Islands given to him by Anglin of the CAROLINE. |
| November | 1833 | SYDNEY PACKET arrives Sydney with ship wreck remains from Auckland. |
| February | 1834 | Edwin Palmer of CAROLINE sealing at Auckland Is. examined recent wreck. He said no information could be got of vessels name. Many tons of wreck had been beached consisting of wool, oil, and shipping stores. He had charge of gang finding wreck. |
| March | 1834 | CAROLINE and SYDNEY PACKET returned from New Zealand. |
| August | 1834 | Captn Joss SYDNEY PACKET reported that there was not a vestige left of the wreck on Auckland Islands |
| May | 1835 | Capt Worth of the CAROLINE brought news of the Auckland Islands wreck |
| July | 1838 | John Balleny in ELIZA SCOTT belonging to Messrs. Enderby left London. On his voyage stopped at Campbel where he met John Briscoe also of Messrs Enderby on Jan17,1839. The SABRINA accompanying the ELIZA SCOTT disappeared after departing Campbell - CFM |
| March | 1840 | A Portuguese whaler, called SPECULACAO commanded by Englishman named Robinson anchored in the Head of Sarah's Bosom. Her whaling boats indicated her presence to D'Urville. She had come to Auckland after an unsuccessful cruise around NZ. |
| March | 1840 | Dumont D'Urville visited Port Ross in the ASTROLABE and the ZELEE, found graves of early whalers on Shoe Island. Stayed for 9 days. Saw PORPOISE and heard her guns as they arrived. Visited coast with whale boats from SPECULACO |
| April | 1840 | Three whalers anchored at the Auckland Islands. NORTH AMERICA, ROMAN, and the AMETHYST. The first sailed full on the same day and the other two a short time later for Bluff. Islands referred to as 'A whaling resort for Americans' |
| November | 1840 | Cptn James Ross visited Port Ross for 20 days in HMS EREBUS and HMS TERROR. Botanists Dr. David Lyall & Joseph Hooker collected 80 flowering plants. Released sheep, poultry, rabbits. Planted variety of vegetables and garden fruits. |
| 1841 | 150 Chatham Island Maoris landed about this time. | |
| October | 1842 | HANNAH brought Maori people plus flax from Chatham Islands. Party of 30 Maori under Chief Matioro and 30 Moriori slaves settled at Crozier point. |
| December | 1849 | 150 British settlers arrived at Port Ross in SAMUEL ENDERBY, BRISK adn the FANCY. Found over 60 Maori and Moriori already occupying the land. |
| January | 1850 | Hardwicke settlement officially named in honour of Earl Hardwicke governor of the company |
| November | 1850 | Isabel Younger, British settler died aged 3 months |
| November | 1850 | Governer General Sir George Grey visited Hardwicke on HMS FLY. He left pessimistic about the settlements future. |
| August | 1852 | HMS FANTOME sent to oversee disbanding of the shortest lived attempt at British colonisation. The last British settlers departed around this date. During settlement (2 years 9 months): 2 infant deaths, 5 weddings, 16 births. |
| 1854 | Party of Maori and Moriori arrived at Port Adventure (Stewart Island, New Zealand) from Auckland Islands. The surviving 19 Maori and 11 Moriori. Its believed that their rescuers planted a Ngaio tree in port Adventure which can be seen today (1994) | |
| 1864 | The MINERVA of Leith was, according to newspaper accounts published at the time DUNDONALD survivors were rescued, wrecked on the Auckland Is this year. 4 survivors were rescued 25mar1865. Neither Dr T. M. Hocken or R. McNab or CJN could not substantiate this. | |
| January | 1864 | GRAFTON driven aground in Carnley Harbour during violent storm. Cptn Thomas Musgrave + 4 companions survived at Epigwaitt. Brigantine believed to have been built from timbers of earlier wreck, possibly that of a Spanish Man of War. Was sealing out of Sydney. Crew spent 18 months on the Island before Captain Musgrave set sail in ships boat. Reached Stewart Island 6 days later. |
| May | 1864 | Cptn George Dalgarno INVERCAULD wrecked on western cliffs of Auckland Islands. 19 of 25 got to shore but only 3 survived in the following weeks, slowly starving and turning to cannibalism to stay alive. |
| May | 1864 | Musgrave recorded an earthquake lasting about a minute |
| 1865 | Musgrave, Mate & one of the men sailed to Port Adventure Steward Island in the refashioned ships boat after 5 days of stormy weather. | |
| 1865 | Mr Cross of Stewart Island with his vessel FLYING SCUD from Port Adventure took Musgrave and his men, first to Invercargill where money and provisions were raised and then back to Carnley Harbour to bring back the two remaining Men | |
| 1865 | Cptn Raynal in the SWORDFISH concluded that the dead sailer was from the INVERCAULD (John Mahoney). Year of visit unclear. Did he modify the gravestone ? | |
| 1865 | Crew of paddle steamer SS SOUTHLAND replaced wooden plaque marking spot of John Mahoney body with Painted Marble headstone with his name on it - spelt wrong. | |
| March | 1865 | 4 survivors were supposedly rescued from the MINERVA. Neither Dr T. M. Hocken or R. McNab could substantiate that the wreck took place. CJN attributes this story to Roderick Carrick who also apparently invented the story about the lady of the heather |
| May | 1865 | Spanish Brig JULIAN which had sprung a leak stopped at Auckland and picked up the Cptn, mate and a seaman, survivors of the INVERCAULD, off Enderby Island |
| August | 1865 | On her return voyage the FLYING SCUD looking for castaways found the body of a sailor whom had died not more than three months previously with a slate in one of the huts at Port Ross. They buried the corpse and returned to Invercargill. |
| September | 1865 | GRAFTON survivors finally landed in Invercargill more than 20 months since they were castaway. |
| September | 1865 | Erected by the crew of the SS SOUTHLAND over the remains of a man who had apparently died from starvation and was buried by the crew of the FLYING SCUD - 3rd Sept 1865 |
| October | 1865 | Inscription on Victoria tree by Cptn W. H. Norman reads "HMCS VICTORIA, Norman, in search of shipwrecked people, Oct 13th 1865". Cptn Musgrave was on board. Vessel sent from Melbourne. Castaway stores were left a suitable places around the Islands. |
| May | 1866 | GENERAL GRANT drifted into a cavern on the Western Cliffs of the Auckland Islands. 68 drowned, 15 landed in Port Ross, 10 survived including a woman. |
| 1867 | Brig AMHERST instructed to maps and provision depots at the Aucklands. Three were built. Erebus Cove, the head of Saddle Hill inlet, and at Musgrave's hut site in Carnley Harbour. They also left a spar on Beacon Pt to serve as a ships Beacon. | |
| January | 1867 | Chief Officer and 3 seamen from GENERAL GRANT set off in a small boat for NZ, never to be seen again. |
| January | 1868 | The whaling ship AMHERST (out of the port of Bluff, with Captain Paddy Gilroy) rescued the 10 survivors of the General Grant. Two woodhens were liberated on Enderby. First Castaway depot was built on Enderby but later burnt down. Was replaced by the SS STELLA hut in 1880. |
| 1869 | BLANCHE Inscription in rock face at the head of Tandy Inlet dated 1869 | |
| May | 1870 | A whale boat of 6 from the DAPHNE was lost with all hands attempting and examination of the GENERAL GRANT site. |
| July | 1870 | HMS BLANCHE surveyed the Auckland Islands and prepared a chart of them. Probably left Blanche Triangle at this time |
| October | 1874 | German expedition landed Terror Cove Port Ross to observe the transit of Venus. They stayed 6 months. |
| 1880 | Cptn McKenzie in the SS STELLA built a replacement Castaway Hut at Sandy Bay, Enderby | |
| 1883 | Cptn of SARAH W. HUNT sent two whaleboat loads of men ashore to search for herds of fur seals, and then sailed for NZ where he reported all hands lost. Govt Steamer STELLA rescued men in December | |
| March | 1887 | DERRY CASTLE struck a reef of Enderby Island. 15 perished, 8 survived. The crew list from Archives had 13 named, one unknown and a statement that no passenger died CAM. Iron Barque 1317 tons 240 ft. |
| August | 1887 | 8 survivors of the DERRY CASTLE were rescued by the AWARUA which was on an illegal sealing trip. |
| 1888 | Rose Is, Ewing Is, Enderby boat sheds built and Norman Inlet Castaway depot built | |
| 1890 | Botanist T. Kirk visited all the Sub-Antarctic Islands on the Government Steamer. Since 1887 each Island was checked twice per year for Castaways. | |
| 1891 | GSS HINEMOA was twice sent in search of the KAKANUI with 19 hands apparently lost after departing Macquarie Island. HINEMOA stopped at Auckland Is. Campbell and Snares but found no trace. | |
| March | 1891 | COMPADRE was wrecked on Auckland Islands, 15 survivors, 1 died after later. Survivors rescued by the JANET RAMSEY on 1891.0630 |
| March | 1891 | COMPADRE caught fire to the north of Auckland Islands. She was steered to shore in the hopes of saving life. Oil was poured on the water from the stern to calm the water. The ship struck with great force, all hands climbed onto the jibboom and everyone jumped for the rocks. |
| June | 1891 | JANET RAMSAY rescued 17 survivors from the COMPADRE. The vessel caught fire and was beached. All hands were saved but 1 died later. |
| 1894 | Subdivision of the Auckland Islands into 3 pastoral runs and offered for lease. Bought by W.J. Moffett, G.S. Flemming. Adams went to Joseph Hatch. Hatch's Cptn Drew was jailed for seal poaching and Hatch was not permitted to take his lease or similar | |
| 1895 | W.J. Moffett and Family of Invercargill took up lease and landed 9 shorthorn cattle, and 20 romney sheep on Enderby | |
| 1895 | Sir James Hector and Prof. T.J. Parker accompanied the Government Steamer to theAuckland Islands in 1895 and made collections. | |
| 1895 | HINEMOA discovers wreck of either STONELEIGH or MARIE ALICE. MARIE ALICE Steel Barque 999 tons 211 ft long. STONELEIGH was a wheat laden barque. | |
| 1896 | Loss of the Sally on Friday Island is shown on maps in both of these publications but no textual comments appear in PBMF1 the apparent source | |
| 1900 | G.S.Flemming established homestead in Carnley Harbour and landed 2000 sheep | |
| December | 1900 | Lord Ranfurly in the Government Steamer made an excursion to the Auckland Islands for Captain Hutton of the Otago Museum |
| 1903 | Dr. Cockayne visted all the Islands with the exception of the Snares due to bad weather making extensive and valuable collections | |
| 1904 | Cptn Scott (Sir Peter Scott’s father) landed at Enderby | |
| March | 1904 | DISCOVERY on return from the National Antarctic Expedition rendezvoused with MORNING and TERRA NOVA in Port Ross. The officers of DISCOVERY made several more collections during their stay. |
| February | 1905 | Several inscriptions in Camp Cove Castaway depot with this as date of ANJOU wreck. Ran aground in thick weather. No lives lost but survivors spent 3 months before being rescued by GSS HINEMOA |
| March | 1905 | ANJOU was wrecked near Cape Bristow, all hands got to safetly to shore and made it to a castaway depot in Carnley harbour. The crew used boats to enter Carnley via the West Passage. Barque struck rocks hanging the bow. Listed to port and seas broke over her. Struck at 8:30pm. Crew stayed on board overnight by orders of the Captain. All hands left ship before she sunk. Hinemoa visited wreck shortly afterwards and saw little |
| May | 1905 | Cptn Bollons of the GSS HINEMOA rescued survivors of the French vessel ANJOU |
| February | 1907 | TUTANEKAI at the request of Lord Plunket visited the Islands with Prof. W.B. Benham and Mr. E.R. Waite who conducted extensive collections.. |
| March | 1907 | DUNDONALD was wrecked on Disappointment Island, 12 drowned. The mate died a fortnight later from exposure. Eventually rescued from Erebus Cove by the GSS HINEMOA after 8 months. Vessel was on route from Sydney to Falmouth with a cargo of wheat. |
| October | 1907 | Some of DUNDONALDS crew manufactured a coracle and made their way to Port Ross returning with a boat left at the depot to rescue their companions |
| November | 1907 | Philosophical Expedition departed Bluff on HINEMOA, Cptn Bollons. Members included: C. Farr, H. Cook, L. Cockayne, J. Tennant, B. Aston, A Dorrien-Smith, R. Speight, A. Finlayson, W. Benham, G. Hudson, E. Waite, S. Page. |
| November | 1907 | HINEMOA arrives Port Ross. Found survivors of the DUNDONALD. After attending to needs of survivors proceed to drop Expedition party in Carnley Harbour. Landed at Camp Cove. |
| November | 1907 | Inscription in Camp Cove Depot by G.V. Hudson Entomologist from Philosophical Expedition with this date. |
| November | 1907 | HINEMOA collected members of Philosophical Expedition from Camp Cove and proceed to Port Ross. During the voyage L. Cockayne under instruction from the Governement collected 12 specimens of the Auckland Island flightless duck later released on Kapiti Is. |
| November | 1907 | HINEMOA visted Disappointment Island. While there also retrieved the remains of the DUNDONALDS first mate bringing him back for burial at the Hardwicke Cemetery |
| 1908 | Mr B.C. Aston from Philosophical Team returned to Auckland Island in HINEMOA making further botanical collections. | |
| 1910 | Adams Island protected as a Nature Reserve | |
| 1910 | Flemming forfeited his farming lease | |
| December | 1912 | Inscription in Rafter 3 of Erebus Depot "Instructors NZTS AMOKURA 10.12.12" |
| 1929 | Servicing of Castaway Depots stopped | |
| January | 1929 | Inscription in Castaway Depot on Enderby includes TUTANEKAI VI-I-XXIX |
| 1934 | Whole of Auckland Islands protected as a Nature Reserve | |
| August | 1939 | ERLANGEN departed Dunedin Harbour prior to the outset of war. She was beached in Carnley harbour and 250 tons of rata timber cut for fuel. Departed Oct 1939 She managed to evade two frigates which were searching for her and made a successful crossing to Valpariso, South America. |
| March | 1941 | TAGUA left Wellington with a complement of men to occupy 5 Coastwatcher stations positioned around Auckland Islands during World War Two. The posting became known as the Cape Expedition. Station 1: Stanaway, Mitchell, Wilson, Trustum. Station 2: Clifton, Sorenson, McDougall, Cameron, Cahill. Station 3: Knowles, Sorenson, Trigger, Duthie, Ineson. Station 4: Pollock, Balham, Stanbury, Oliver, Carlyle. Station 5: Sorenson, Atkinson, Copp, Sharman, Clinker |
| October | 1943 | CFR discovered the South Georgian Diving Petrel was nesting on Dundas |
| October | 1945 | Coastwatch stations from the Cape Expedition were demobilised |
| 1954 | Campbell Islands protected as a Nature Reserve | |
| 1961 | Antipodes, Snares & Bounty Islands protected as a Nature Reserves | |
| 1962 | MacArthur visited Enderby and Rose and probably other Islands also. | |
| A pre-European Maori woodworking adze (displayed in the Southland Museum & Art Gallery was discovered on The Snares, north of the Auckland Islands, supporting the theory that Maori reached the Auckland Islands long before European discovery." (Thanks to Karl Gillies of the Southland Museum for providing this information) | ||
| 1966 | Two groups scientists went to Adams Is + Main Is. Dropped and collected by USS KALKATERA | |
| 1971 | Sir Peter Scott & wife & daughter visited Auckland Islands on return from Antarctica | |
| 1972 | Dr. Balham (Coast watcher) made journey to Islands in 1972 on HMNZS CANTERBURY | |
| 1972 | ARCHERON & ST MICHAELS supported 1972-3 Scientific Expedition. | |
| December | 1972 | KETIGA and Gerry Clark at Campbell |
| 1975 | John Grattan's first attempt on the General Grant. Apparently a wreck was located which no-one could positively identify. Grattan returned the following year. | |
| January | 1975 | "General Grant Expedition". Carved in Enderby Boatshed. RV ARCHERON |
| January | 1975 | McCormack brothers discovered the wreck of the Dundonald |
| January | 1975 | A wreck was discovered on west coast in 8 metres of water on rock and sand bottom - at the time thought to be that of the GENERAL GRANT but was identified as ANJOU in 1986 |
| January | 1976 | "Commander Grant Expedition" Carved into Boatshed Enderby. RV ARCHERON, FV GOLDEN HARVEST |
| January | 1976 | General Grattan departed Dunedin to excavate wreck discovered the year before. Later identified as the ANJOU |
| 1985 | General Grant expedition in LITTLE MERMAID. Spent several weeks at supposed site identifying it eventually as the ANJOU. They then found another wreck site but didnt have time to investigate | |
| February | 1986 | Bill Day Expedition discovered 63 silver half crowns, 2 copper coins, 3 anchors |
| 1987 | Management Plan for the Auckland Island reserves was published. See PAMB for more details. | |
| 1989 | Maori fishhook and stone tools were discovered in a living site on the Auckland Islands (Enderby Island). These artefacts are thought to have been left by Maori who lived on Enderby Island in the 1840s. (information provided by CGK) | |
| January | 1995 | GEOMARINE departed Bluff for CAD Video trip. Director Southcoast Video filming expedition which produced "No Place for People" |
| 1997 | EVOHE visited Islands with Deep Blue team. | |
| 1998 | Professor Atholl Anderson’s "Southern Margins" expedition discovers a pre-European (prehistoric) site at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island which proves to the most southern example of East Polynesian/early Maori exploration known and also the earliest recorded human presence (1200 A.D) at the Auckland Islands. (Thanks to Karl Gillies of the Southland Museum & Art Gallery for providing this information) | |
| From the same site on Enderby visited by Professor Atholl Anderson et al, a fireplace was uncovered the same year in 1998 that gave reliable radiocarbon dates which group between 1100 to 1300 AD. |