​The weekend celebrations will begin with a few descendants joining a commentated Wellington Harbour tour on Saturday 21 March. Most will join a guided tour of Wellington Museum, Queen's Wharf around midday Sunday before spending the afternoon together in the Loaves and Fishes hall at Wellington Anglican Cathedral.
Descendants will gather from around New Zealand and one couple are travelling from Perth, Western Australia. During the afternoon a book about the backdrop, the voyage, these immigrants and their descendants will be launched. Researched and written by descendant Terry Alve, From Bremerhaven to Wellington: the 1876 Gutenberg European Immigrants to Aotearoa New Zealand, this illustrated text offers 240 pages of information about this group of Europeans and their descendants to 1926.
Registrations to attend are still being received. For more information and the rego form visit: 
https://www.alve.nz/gutenberg-reunion.html

All is organised and I look forward to you joining me to celebrate the arrival of the Gutenberg Immigrants to Wellington on 22 March 2026.

After much research, writing and planning we now invite you to register and pay to attend this Wellington gathering. Pre-registrations representing 40 people, representative of Gutenberg families, suggest that this will be a fitting memorial to our courageous ancestors.

A programme for the day running from 10:30am - 5pm has been organised for central Wellington. During the morning around Queens Wharf and during the afternoon at the Loaves and Fishes room in Wellington Anglican Cathedral, Hill Street adjacent to parliament buildings.

For more details visit: ​https://www.alve.nz/gutenberg-reunion.html

In addition you are invited order the book written to coincide with this event, "From Bremerhaven to Wellington: the 1876 Gutenberg Immigrants to Aotearoa." Running to 230 pages and 75,000 words this history comments on why these immigrants came, who they were, biographies of 131 of the 165 immigrants and information about their first descendants. For those who attend, this is available at $30 per copy.

Terry Alve
027 600 1926

Year 2026 has arrived and it comes with our March opportunity to celebrate the arrival in 1876 of some of our forbears. Yes, the Gutenberg arrived in Wellington harbour with 165 immigrants aboard who had sailed from Bremerhaven after earlier journeys from their European home countries - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany. The sea voyage took 96 days: from 18 December 1875 to arrival on 23 March 1876.
Several descendants and friends have indicated their interest in attending a sesqui-memorial day in Wellington on Sunday 22 March 2026. If you want to express your interest in attending this day please signup here:
https://www.alve.nz/gutenberg-reunion.html
Formal registrations and payment will be invited later in January 2026.
​
Associated with this sesqui-gathering is the writing of a memorial history in which I have written about:

• the European and New Zealand backdrops to this migration;
• key people related to it;
• the 40+ year history of the ship Gutenberg;
• information about the immigrants and their immediate descendants;
• and, 200+ sources of information.

The publication is liberally illustrated with black and white imagery and will provide access to colour imagery.  It will be available at the Wellington gathering for $30.00. If you pre-order and pay before the Gathering on 22 March purchase price will be $25 if you collect it there. Delivery extra if not collected in Wellington on 22 March.

Terry Alve
​027 600 1926

Both of these Museums bordering Whānganui-ā-Tara shores are worth a visit. That's what I have done recently. Part of my motivation was to check their suitability for a visit from Gutenberg descendants on Sunday 22 March 2026 when we are together for the sesqui celebration of the Gutenberg's arrival in the Harbour. While neither has displays about the Vogel scheme or the ships, like the Gutenberg, I think the Wellington Museum displays are more helpful in gaining a better historical understanding of Wellington and its harbour. We plan to schedule a visit to the Wellington Museum on our Sesqui Sunday. Click on the images to visit websites.

The other two activities planned on Sesqui Sunday are a harbour crossing to Day's Bay on a East by West Ferry and Kai & Kōrero, possibly at the Loaves and Fishes hall at Wellington Anglican Cathedral, adjacent to the Parliamentary buildings (tbc).

This is the tentative title of a Gutenberg Sesqui-centennial book I am writing to help commemorate the Gutenberg, its immigrant passengers and early descendants. This project is proceeding apace and it's planned that the book will be with the printers early in January with publication before 22 March.
While it will be nigh impossible to have information about every passenger, particularly the single immigrants, it is hoped that all married couples and families will have a mention.
Draft extracts from this publication are below in a PDF file.

Book sale price will be $30-$40 and orders will be invited before year's end.

This is a final plea to (Wellington Trip) Gutenberg descendants. I am still seeking genealogical, historical, anecdotal and first generation information that may add value to the biographies that I seek to include in the Sesqui Publication. Anything you have (written or pictorial) relating to the Gutenberg immigrants: pre-departure, onboard or post arrival 1976 to 1926. A conveniently accessible passenger list is here for you to check if your ancestor travelled on the Gutenberg to Wellington.: ​

It would great to have your contributions by the end of November.

Many thanks,
Terry Alve
027 600 1926
​[email protected]

I have today published a first newsletter (attached) promoting a Gutenberg Wellington Descendant Reunion. This gathering will run from 10am-5pm on Sunday 22 March 2026. It will provide descendants and associates opportunities to interact, sail on Wellington harbour (Whanganui-a-Tara) and visit the Wellington Museum which features early Wellington maritime exhibits. We will korero and hear some input about conditions in Europe when our forbears left in 1875, receive information about the 100 day sea voyage on the Gutenberg sailing ship and how it was for these immigrants when they arrived in Aotearoa, including where they went. Click on the button to view the newsletter pdf.

Posted by Terry Alve -  Reunion Organiser.
027 600 1926  |  [email protected] ​

You can help by:

1. Providing key contact info for representative descendants who are willing to promote this gathering to their whanau;
2. Providing further info about the life of these immigrant families after their arrival in New Zealand;
3. Indicating your willingness to be part of a planning group who will arrange the 22 March 2026 event.

Watch this space for further posts about this event and these people.

Thank you.
Terry Alve
027 600 1926
[email protected]
Or, use the Contact form on this website.