23 July, 2026

Photo by Chris Bing

Media statement

NZ Chinese Association seeks heritage listing for the SS Ventnor wreck site

 

The New Zealand Chinese Association (NZCA) has released its submission for the heritage listing of the wreck of the SS Ventnor to provide context to an issue that is in the public interest.

The submission sets out the history, consultation, and reasoning behind our support for protecting the SS Ventnor wreck site as a place of national heritage significance. It is intended to inform public understanding. By releasing the submission, the NZCA seeks to inform the public and not to pre‑empt Heritage New Zealand’s independent decision‑making process.

The NZCA represents the identified descendants of those whose remains were lost on the SS Ventnor, as well as the descendant organisations that historically organised or inherited responsibility for the repatriation venture. This mandate has been reviewed and reaffirmed through ongoing consultation, including with family representatives, the Poon Fah Association, the Tung Jung Association, and others.

While the original intention in 1902 was repatriation to China, the circumstances today are very different. Following wide consultation in recent years, including a focused review in 2020, descendant representatives reached a clear consensus that the remains should be left to rest undisturbed, whether at sea or on land. This reflects contemporary cultural, spiritual, and ethical considerations, not a rejection of Chinese burial traditions.

Respect for the dead is expressed differently across time and context. For today’s descendants, care is shown through guardianship, memorialisation, and ongoing rituals of remembrance in partnership with Māori communities, rather than physical removal. The presence of the remains in Aotearoa New Zealand has also become a powerful symbol of belonging and shared history.

Māori communities of the Hokianga, particularly Te Rarawa and Te Roroa, cared for the remains that washed ashore for generations. Since 2007, the NZCA has worked in close partnership with iwi and hapū. Their views are integral to the understanding of the site as a sacred place and maritime grave, and to the consensus that the remains should not be disturbed.

The wreck site has been protected as an archaeological site since 2014. It contains human remains and funerary material, and any disturbance or removal is regulated under New Zealand law. The heritage listing application seeks to formally recognise the site’s national significance and strengthen long‑term protection.

Heritage protection does not prevent education or research, but encourages activity that is non‑invasive, respectful, and undertaken with the consent of descendant communities and other stakeholders.

The NZCA’s position is that the SS Ventnor wreck is a maritime grave and sacred site, not a recreational or salvage site. Any diving or activity must comply with the law and respect the presence of human remains. This is not about ownership or exclusion; it is about dignity, safety, and respect for the dead.

The NZCA does not claim legal ownership of the site or the remains. Our role is to represent the views of identified descendants and to work in partnership with tangata whenua. The submission reflects collective positions reached through consultation.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga will assess the submission independently, alongside other information and views. The NZCA has released its submission to support informed discussion and will respect the statutory decision‑making process.

The SS Ventnor is not just a shipwreck. It is a place of loss, care, and connection that sits at the heart of a shared Māori–Chinese history. Protecting the site honours those who were lost and those who cared for them, and ensures their story is passed on with integrity.

 

The application and supporting documents are attached at https://www.nzchinese.org.nz/

NZCA nomination for SS Ventnor wreck site heritage listing
Appendix A: Letters of support from primary consultation
Appendix B: SS Ventnor heritage survey report 2025
Appendix C: A continuum of community engagement
Appendix D: Map of Ventnor exhumations