SS Ventnor was a British cargo steamship that was built in Scotland in 1901 and wrecked off New Zealand in 1902 with the loss of 13 of her crew.

The wreck led to an end of the practice of exhuming human remains en masse in New Zealand and returning them to China.

[1] Rankin & Blackmore of Greenock built her three-cylinder triple-expansion engine, which was rated at 346 NHP[1] and gave Ventnor a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h).

[3] The charitable association Cheong Sing Tong chartered Ventnor to return the remains of 499 bodies exhumed from 40 cemeteries in New Zealand to their homes in southern China.

[12] However, Wellington had no suitable dockyard to repair her, so her Master, HG Ferry,[2] decided to continue to Auckland instead of returning or heading for New Plymouth or Manukau Harbour.

[13][14] Water rose in the number one hold faster than her pumps could remove it, causing Ventnor to settle by the head.

[12] All hands were ordered to abandon ship, and she sank about 9 nautical miles (16 km) off the coast, in 147 m (482 ft) of water, near Hokianga Heads on 27 October at 8:45 pm.

A third lifeboat later reached land safely,[12] but another capsized drowning 13 people including Captain Ferry and five of the nine elderly Chinese.

Remains were repatriated to China for many years after the sinking on an individual basis, but the Ventnor was the last attempt at a mass shipment.