Complex sentence: Following a concert tour of New Zealand, on 8 August 1896 "Auckland Star" 8 August 1896 the family left for the USA (via Tahiti) where they arrived in San Francisco at the end of 1896 or early 1897.
Split into simpler sentences: Following a concert tour of New Zealand, the family left for the USA via Tahiti. They departed on 8 August 1896 and arrived in San Francisco at the end of 1896 or early 1897.