By Roselyn Fauth
I first noticed the poster pinned to a community board — an invitation to mark the 70th anniversary of the Seafarers’ Service and March. It welcomed the community to gather, remember, and honour those who have served at sea. So, on Sunday morning, my husband Chris and I took our two girls down to the Benvenue Monument, opposite St Mary’s Church, to watch the ceremony.
I must confess, I didn’t know much about it. For years, I’d thought our local seafaring story was marked by our Deal Boatmen of the 1860s, those who rushed to the rescue at our Port, and the 1882 Benvenue disaster, the tragic shipwreck that took brave rescuers’ lives at Caroline Bay. But recently, while helping create the new history panels at the Benvenue Monument, I discovered that this annual service in Timaru connects not only to our own coastline but to a defining moment in world history: the Battle of Trafalgar and those who served.
A special thank you goes to Shirley Ashton, who kindly saved me a placemat from the Seafearing event, which included information about both the Seafarers’ Service and the Battle of Trafalgar. Reading it later over a cup of tea, I realised just how far back this story of duty, courage, and service at sea really goes.
Long before European sailors and settlers arrived, Māori navigators from nearby Arowhenua and coastal hapū were already skilled mariners, travelling and trading along these same shores in waka and whaleboats. Their connection with the ocean remains an enduring part of Timaru’s maritime story and reminds me that this coastline has always been shaped by those who read and respected the sea.
That realisation changed the way I saw the wreaths, the uniforms, and the flags fluttering in the morning breeze. What I once thought was simply a local memorial now feels like part of a much larger, 220-year story of courage, duty, and devotion to the sea...
How Did a Revolution Spark a Naval Battle Half a World Away?
To understand why the Battle of Trafalgar mattered so deeply, it helps to look a little further back. The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was born out of hardship and inequality. Ordinary people in France faced hunger, unemployment, and crushing taxes, while the wealthy nobility and clergy lived in privilege and paid almost none.
Society was divided into three rigid classes, known as the Three Estates. The First Estate (clergy) and Second Estate (nobility) held power and wealth. The Third Estate — everyone else — made up nearly 97% of the population but carried the heaviest burdens. The result was unrest that exploded into revolution.
The monarchy fell, and France declared itself a republic. But in the years that followed, the ideals of liberty and equality gave way to political turmoil and violence. Amid the chaos, a brilliant young general named Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in 1799, promising stability and national pride.
Europe was soon drawn into more than a decade of war as Napoleon sought to expand his empire. Britain, dependent on its navy for security and trade, stood almost alone against him. It was in this struggle that the Battle of Trafalgar took place.
What Really Happened at the Battle of Trafalgar?
The Battle of Trafalgar, fought on 21 October 1805 off the southwest coast of Spain between Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar, became one of the most significant naval battles in history.
A combined fleet of 33 French and Spanish ships, led by Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, faced 27 British ships commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson. Villeneuve’s fleet had been ordered to leave Cádiz to support Napoleon’s campaign in Italy, but when it slipped out of harbour, Nelson was waiting.
Off Cape Trafalgar, the two forces met. Villeneuve arranged his ships in a single northward line, while Nelson broke with naval tradition, dividing his fleet into two columns that attacked perpendicularly through the enemy line — a daring move that exposed his ships to heavy fire but allowed them to fight at close range.
At 11:50 a.m., Nelson hoisted his now-famous signal: “England expects that every man will do his duty.”
By late afternoon, the Franco-Spanish fleet was in ruins. Nineteen or twenty of their ships were captured or destroyed; around 14,000 men were killed or taken prisoner. The British lost no ships, though 1,500 sailors were killed or wounded. Nelson himself was fatally struck by a sniper aboard HMS Victory and died at 4:30 p.m., comforted by news of his fleet’s triumph.
The victory ended Napoleon’s hopes of invading Britain and secured command of the seas for generations to come.
How Did Trafalgar Reach Timaru?
150 years later, in October 1955, Archdeacon Ronnie Plaistowe, vicar of St Mary’s Church, held the first Seafarers’ Service to mark the anniversary of Trafalgar and to honour all who have served at sea. Plaistowe, who loved the ocean and maritime heritage, created a service that quickly became a local tradition. Each year, it brings together civic leaders, Navy personnel, Sea Scouts, Cadets, and port workers, supported by HMNZS Pegasus and the Royal New Zealand Navy. Inside the church, flags and ensigns line the walls, creating a vibrant display of maritime pride and remembrance.
Why Do They Lay Wreaths at the Benvenue Monument?
Since 1965, the service has ended with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Benvenue Monument, overlooking Caroline Bay. The monument stands as a tribute to those who lost their lives at sea — in war, in shipwreck, or in daily service. It also recalls the Benvenue and City of Perth disasters of 1882, when a violent storm wrecked both ships just off the Timaru coast. Local men launched daring rescue efforts through the pounding surf, and some never returned. Their bravery became part of the town’s collective memory — a reminder of the risks faced by those who go to sea.
Side Quest: What Does the Benvenue Monument Have to Do with the Seafarers?
When you first stand before the Benvenue Monument, it’s easy to think of it as a memorial to one single tragedy — the 1882 wreck of the Benvenue and City of Perth. But its connection to the Seafarers’ Service runs much deeper.
In the decades after the disaster, the monument became more than just a marker of loss — it became a symbol of courage, duty, and service at sea. The men who launched lifeboats through pounding surf to save others were remembered as local heroes. Their bravery reflected the same spirit celebrated in the story of Admiral Nelson’s sailors at Trafalgar — ordinary people showing extraordinary courage in the face of danger.
When the first Seafarers’ Service was held at St Mary’s in 1955, organisers wanted not just to remember distant battles, but to root that remembrance in local waters. A century after those lifeboatmen risked everything, the wreath-laying at the Benvenue Monument became the local expression of that global tradition.
Since 1965, it’s been the final stop of the annual Seafarers’ March — a place where history, faith, and community meet. Each wreath laid there links Timaru’s own stories of the sea with the wider story of all who serve upon it.
Standing there now, the connection feels clear: the Benvenue Monument anchors the grand story of Trafalgar in the reality of home. It reminds us that the same values — duty, service, courage, and remembrance — live on not just in naval history books, but right here on the shore.
Side Quest: Where do the heros and lost rest who are connected to the Monument?
After learning more about the Benvenue tragedy, we decided to visit the Timaru Cemetery to pay our respects at the graves of those who died in the 1882 shipwreck. Nine names are listed on the monument on Perth Street, Timaru as having perished, but there was also another hero who died later from his injuries — someone whose name is now often missed off the official records.
So far, the only marked grave we could find belonged to Harbour Master Captain Mills. But as we searched the old sections of the cemetery, I found two more unmarked graves, and with the help of another researcher, Carmen Hayman, we’ve now located six in total.
It made me wonder why so few have headstones. My guess is that instead of spending money on individual memorials, the town chose to pool their resources into building the Benvenue Monument — something visible and lasting, standing close by the sea, the church where everyone could see it.
When I stood with my fmailiy at the graves, marked and unmarked, I felt the weight of history and their story in a different way. While the monument display's their names, the ground at the cemetery holds their stories. It reminds me that remembrance isn’t always carved into headstones; it’s something we keep alive by continuing to look, learn, and care.
So Why Do They March?
The walk from St Mary’s Church to the Benvenue Monument is more than a short procession. It’s a symbolic journey — from faith to remembrance, from the safety of land to the edge of the sea. It honours courage and service across generations. For the Sea Scouts and Cadets who carry flags each year, it’s a living lesson in heritage and gratitude. For families watching, it’s a reminder that Timaru’s connection with the ocean — from Māori navigators to modern mariners... runs deep. As the wreaths are placed only a block or two over from where the waves crash on Timaru's shore, the message remains timeless: We remember those who gave their lives to the sea — and those who still serve upon it.
What Can We Learn from the Sea?
Learning about this history has changed how I see our place in the world. It’s taught me that understanding where we’ve come from helps us appreciate the people, duty, courage, and challenges that shaped our communities. It reminds me that who we are today is built on generations of resilience. From the sailors who braved wild oceans, the rescuers who rushed from the shore to danger to save others, to the families who built new lives on these shores, and those who rebuilt after loosing people that they loved and relyed on.
I think history is more than stories of the past. We can use this information and our reflection as a mirror for the present. I believe knowing these stories can help us make better choices for the future, we can learn lessons from the past mistakes and successes, and find courage in those who had to box on. Whether we’re caring for our environment, our people, or our shared heritage, we can take inspiration from those who stood their ground, faced uncertainty, and did their duty — not for glory, but for each other.
Sources include St Mary’s Church Timaru archives, the Timaru Herald (1955–2025), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Papers Past, and local research with Seafearer's Event Placemat supplied by Shirley Ashton, and research by Carmen Hayman (2025).
https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars/The-Treaty-of-Amiens
“Battle of Trafalgar | Summary, Facts, & Significance” — Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Trafalgar-European-history
Encyclopedia Britannica “Napoleonic Wars – The Treaty of Amiens” — Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars/The-Treaty-of-Amiens
Encyclopedia Britannica “Victory, flagship of the victorious British fleet …” — Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/Victory-British-ship
Encyclopedia Britannica “Horatio Nelson – Trafalgar, Naval, Hero” — Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Horatio-Nelson/Victory-at-Trafalgar