About this episode

This episode explores the survival stories of the wrecked ships Grafton and Invercauld on the Auckland Islands in 1864.

In the winter of 1864, two ships met their fate on one of the most remote and unforgiving stretches of the Southern Ocean. The Grafton and the Invercauld were wrecked thousands of miles from civilization, leaving their survivors stranded on the desolate Auckland Islands. What followed was a remarkable test of endurance, struggling against the cold, hunger and isolation that would see feats of remarkable ingenuity and the lowest of humanity leading to two very different survival stories, separated by only a few miles of wilderness and a very, very tall cliff. SOURCES Musgrave, Thomas (1865) Castaway on the Auckland Isles: Narrative of the Wreck of the "Grafton". H. T. Dwight.Melbourne, Australia. Raynal, Francois (1880). Wrecked on a Reef, or Twenty Months on the Auckland Islands. Thomas Nelson & Sons. Edinburgh, UK. Druett, Joan (2007). Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World. Algonquin Books. NY, USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Cutmore

Topics covered

• shipwrecks
• survival stories
• Auckland Islands
• endurance
• history

Keywords

• Grafton
• Invercauld
• Auckland Islands
• shipwreck
• survival
• history
• endurance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dark Histories

Books & works: Castaway on the Auckland Isles: Narrative of the Wreck of the "Grafton", Wrecked on a Reef, or Twenty Months on the Auckland Islands, Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World

Places: Auckland Islands

More episodes of Dark Histories

• The Willie Starchfield Murder Mystery · September 7, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Early America & The Savage Crimes of the Harpe Brothers · August 25, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Summer Break - Charlotte Riddell: The Open Door · August 3, 2026 · 1h 17m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Dark Histories podcast page.