This washstand was one of the fittings on the 77 ton coastal steamer Waverley which was commissioned by the Pātea Steam Shipping Company in 1883.
An Evening Post report on the ship’s first visit to Wellington praised its cedar and crimson velvet upholstery, its “neat little smoking room” and its “ladies” cabin. The “snug” cabins housing the officers were another feature noted in the report.
Waverley quickly became a common sight in South Taranaki carrying passengers, produce and livestock and it turned a handsome profit of £4,359 in the 1885-86 trading year.
The vessel was sold to a Nelson shipping company in 1886 but it continued to visit Pātea, stranding a total of seven times. It was bought by another Pātea meat company in 1916 that used her refrigerated holds to transport frozen meat to Wellington.
Waverley was dismantled in 1928 and her hulk was washed up into the Wairau Lagoon near Blenheim where she was later used for target practice by the New Zealand Army.