Water - an essential of life

Glenn Ness Falls Piha Valley Photo 1930's J.M. Stewart 

Water, or lack of it ,has been the topic of conversation through the summer season of 2019 and 2020, through COVID 19 lockdown and now with the shortage said to be reaching dire circumstance for Auckland city. Yes, on the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains drought has impacted for our farmers. The water supply lakes of Auckland City are said to be drying up. This is not a new issue. This problem has gone on for decades - even back in that part of New Zealand history when Auckland town was first being settled. 

Early Engineer - railways and waterworks

Soon after arrival in Auckland, James Stewart set about the task earning a living and commenced practice as a Civil Engineer. As most business Immigrants to Auckland did, advertisements about his practice, including what could be offered, in the way of services, were placed in newspapers.

This was the beginning of what was to be a very long career. Auckland Province was in need of immigrant surveyors and engineers to develop roading, railways, mill machinery, waterworks and drainage. This was the "age of steam" - water an essential commodity to drive railways, steamers, gold mine batteries, flour mills.

Nevertheless he and others in these professions in the 19^th century not only had to deal with land settlement issues and boundaries, but the continual problems of government lack of funding, natural obstacles of terrain, technical and political obstacles confronting them. Whether it be a new Auckland Provincial railway, a new town or goldmine, a flour or flax mill or a growing Auckland town toward city status- it was always water that was needed and water that flowed through engineering works and community needs.

These were realities that followed Stewart’s career throughout, but ones that were adapted to in the many Civil Engineering projects.

Auckland’s Water Supply 1859.......

Auckland, in 1859, was the seat and capital of Colonial Government, as well as the main town of the Auckland Province. Here, decisions for settlement, roading, railways and river transport were made by Provincial Council. Completing an unfinished main sewer and upgrading of what was said, an inadequate and polluted water supply were areas of concern for Auckland at this time. 

While the responsibility for conducting the civic affairs for the town of Auckland was in theory the Provincial Government’s, little achievement to overcome these two problems happened.

Stewart had not long arrived and settled when Provincial Council advertised, calling for Civil Engineers and others to submit reports to a competition for a Water Supply Scheme for Auckland.

The premium for this competition was £50.

 At the 31January, 1860 meeting of Provincial Council, Mr. Williamson reported four reports had been entered – that of Messrs Heaphy, Baber and Edward Oakley, James Stewart and R Wood, with Colonel Mould’s decision favouring Stewart’s Report. 

Stewart’s “ scheme was to pump by steam from the Onehunga Springs one million gallons per day by 14 inch rising main to One Tree Hill, and then to gravitate by 12 inch main to the top of Wakefield Street via Newmarket, Khyber Pass and Symonds Street. Estimate £33,381, without reticulation.”  

View across to Newmarket, Kyber Pass, Symonds Street Harbour in distance

Although Provincial Council had the drawings and cost estimates of the four entrants and Stewart had a £50 prize for being successful, Auckland did not progress in spite of a proposal, with any Public Town Water Supply.

 Soon after the announcement of the competition results a group of Auckland Residents held a Public Meeting and headed by five prominent citizens of that time (J. Logan Campbell, Theophilus Heale, J.A. Gilfillan, Thomas Russell and Arch. Clark) petitioned Provincial Council. This included a proposal for the establishment of a Public Company to further Stewart’s winning report into a working water supply.

Words, meetings and committees flowed but water did not. The Petition was referred to a Select Committee of the Provincial Council, where the following week a Select Committee was formed. Their brief was to consider the Water Supply propositions of the Petition and report to Provincial Council the following week.

The Water Supply Select Committee reported back their considerations to Provincial Council and after debate the report was adopted with amendments. At a later meeting the Superintendent, Williamson, refused the proposal, reluctant to accept private interests being involved in the provision of a water supply.

Onehunga drew from the water supply source of the Onehunga Springs. Debate on a water supply source for Auckland City continued.  It was many years before any building of any substantial water scheme took place to cater for the growing and adequate needs of the city’s residents.  Water supply for Auckland was a “hot topic” in the newspapers and the subject of many reports, investigations, opinions and suggestions to the varying municipal governments over the years – Provincial Council, the Town Board, and the Commissioners of the City Board of Works 1862 – 1870, Auckland City Council 1871 – onwards.

The Hunua Ranges, Waikato River and Waitakere were amongst those explored and suggested options as suitable locations to supply that much needed commodity of water. 

The Daily Southern Cross in October 1863 reported that the Colonial Secretary in addressing the Provincial Council, discussed the possibility of a water supply from the Nihotipu River, Waitakere District, with a preliminary survey having been made and estimates being prepared.

Pariraha Gorge, Waitakere Ranges - photo JM Stewart 1930's 

An adequate water supply for Auckland still did not eventuate. The quest for that elusive water supply continued. An upgrade of the existing Domain Water Supply in 1866 provided only a temporary solution and research shows, not much extra water but for those decision- makers in authority, it was regarded as an economic solution. Although the upgrade did little to quench the water debate, the Domain Springs, nevertheless, provided Auckland with its first piped municipal water supply.

The debate for the provision of an adequate water supply continued.  As Auckland entered the 1870s two events for those administering the civic affairs of Auckland bought changes to the water issue. The first was a change in Municipal Governance which saw the winding up of the City Board of Commissioners and the rising up in 1871, in its place, the first Auckland City Council. ( a little like the story of the Phoenix)

The second change was what was known as Government’s “Vogel Scheme” wherein driven by Julius Vogel, then Government Treasurer, a large amount of money borrowed from sources in England, became available to fund immigration settlement, roads, railways, and municipal utilities. 
The newly elected City Council gained a series of investigative reports from various Civil Engineers – William Brogden, of the NZ Government contracted Railway Construction Company, the Nihotupu Water Catchment in the Waitakeres; C Napier Bell of Brogden & Sons Company, the Western Springs Water Catchment, and even E.O. Moriarty, an Australian Civil Engineer who was a Commissioner in 1867, for Sydney’s Water Supply. His report favored Western Springs. 

Even the volcanic cones of Auckland were looked at by as potential supply sources by those who saw themselves as water experts, who flooded the newspapers with their proposals, thoughts and ideas. 

Fairy Falls Henderson Valley- photo JM Stewart 1930's

A very dry season in 1872 “heated up” the water supply debate further and Council was faced with no longer being able to avoid or side- step the issue, so had to look seriously at somewhere. This they did and Western Springs became for them, the most likely option. The “water experts” continued to flood the newspapers with their theories and ideas which in addition to the volcanic cones even explored the idea of water being piped by bridge across the Waitemata from the Northshore.

 In 1873, two members of the Auckland Institute, both Civil Engineers – Mr. John Goodall, C.E. along with Stewart, contributed their ideas on a Water Supply for Auckland, in papers written and read to the Auckland  Institute meeting. Both Civil Engineers discounted the feasibility of a water supply piped across the Waitemata from Lake Takapuna. Stewart discounting the ideas of the “water experts” in the newspapers, contributing his thoughts, said:

“It is true that, in dealing with these lava cones and their so-called mysterious springs, many do not look to local rainfall as the source, but boldly scan some distant lake, and, totally ignoring the laws of gravitation and those regulating the flow of water, as well as the seemingly insuperable difficulty of intervening seas, point to a probable subterranean connection and source of supply.” ( Stewart, 1973)

While Mr. Goodall’s paper favoured Mount Eden as a probable water supply source, cheaper to pipe from than the Nihotopu, Western Springs or Onehunga Springs, Stewart’s paper favoured Western Springs to Mount Eden writing:-

“And the farther inland at which water is sought, the smaller and further apart will be those rivulets, until, on reaching the summit of the watershed at Mount Eden, the minimum will be obtained; and, although at that elevation a basin maybe found containing many million cubic feet of water, it would only be a work of time to exhaust it if the all-important points of rainfall and gathering ground are inadequate to keeping up the supply.” ( Stewart,1873) 

Finally in 1874 the Auckland City Council got beyond the many consultants reports and financial costs and proceeded with the Western Springs Water Supply, made possible with a loan of £100,000. Plans and designs were drawn up by William Eyrington and with John Goodall the construction was overseen by these two engineers to completion in 1877. The water flowed from Auckland City Council’s  first considered then, adequate waterworks and for the next decade the Water Debate dried up.

Meantime Stewart by 1874 was District Engineer Public Works Department for construction of all railways in the Auckland Province. Other settlements took his priorities. Clean water supply was an important component of a rail system to supply steam engines. A keen interest in water supply source was taken wherever he worked.

Back in Auckland water use continued to increase and true to Moriarty, the Australian Engineer’s prediction of a twenty year life span for Western Springs water supply, it happened. By the mid 1890s, the water purity of the Western Springs was under serious doubt, with the hunt on again for an adequate and pure water supply. Again reports and investigations flowed freely as the water from Western Springs became a trickle.

Stewart became involved again in the Auckland Water Supply issue. In 1898 alternatives to Western Springs as Auckland’s water supply were reported on by Stewart with William Anderson, the City Engineer. More reports from various other engineers ensued over the following six years. 

 In 1900 Onehunga and Cornwall Park continued to draw water from the Onehunga Springs. In 1909 Stewart referred to the continued water purity of these Springs and made observations in a paper he wrote and read to the Auckland Institute on the “Aeration of the Auckland Lava Beds

“The facts as above stated seem sufficient to warrant the conclusion that all the permeable mass of the volcanic formation in the County of Eden is subject to constant aeration. From a sanitary point of view, the significance of this fact cannot be overrated. It seems to afford a satisfactory reason to account for the continued purity of the western and Onehunga springs, not withstanding the fact that Onehunga has been settled for about sixty-two years, and Mount Eden district for about forty-five years. The population of the volcanic lands of Onehunga, Epsom, Mount Eden, and One Tree Hill at last census was 14970, settled on an area in which there is not a yard of surface stream in the ordinary sense of the term, and up to the present no system of drainage excepting that of natural or artificial drainage- pits.” ( Stewart, 1909)

Stewart concluded in the same paper:-

“  It must not, however, be  deduced from this that it would be wise to trust  to a continuance of the purity of the springs, without a regular system of drainage, at Onehunga, where a very considerable area of the crust is comparatively shallow, and where an accidental exposure of any of the larger fissures or cavities in the rock might lead to direct and rapid pollution.” ( Stewart, 1909)

Footnote:

However into a new Century, Auckland was moving toward an adequate water supply for that era. At Nihotupu Stream, the first of and temporary wooden dam in the Waitakeres was piped by gravity feed to the Western Springs water works by 1902. More reports, more pipes more dams planned and by 1908 Waitakere water truly flowed to the City of Auckland. Later years saw more water flowing from another dam in the Hunua Ranges where Stewart's grandson was a Ranger at Otau. As to James Stewart MICE. The paper wrote and read to the Auckland Institute as an outcome of  his engineering work  of drainage of the Epsom depot of the Auckland Electric Tramways was the last. Stewart died in 1914 having just returned from a Wellington meeting of the NZ Institute. His other love of scientific matters as a trustee of this organisation.  

The water or lack of it has continued into the new century and now we hear post COVID of new methods to provide water - obtaining it from waste water and salt water - a new era in our NZ history.

Karekare Falls Waitakere - photo JM Stewart 1930's 

Reference Sources:

• Bush, G.W.A. DECENTLY AND IN ORDER, the Centennial History of the Auckland City Council, 1971. Auckland: Collins Bros & Co, 1971
• Furkert, F.W. Early New Zealand Engineers. Wellington: Reed, 1953.
• Lawn, C. A. F. N. Z. I. S. The Pioneer Land Surveyors of New Zealand. Parts I-III. Auckland: N.Z.I.S., 14, October, 1977.
• By JOHN GOODALL, C.E. “ART VI. On the Probability of a Water Supply being obtained for the City of Auckland from Mount Eden.” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute, Volume 6, 1873: also in http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_06/rsnz_06_00_000550.html.
• By JAMES STEWART, C.E. “ART. VII.—NOTES ON THE PROPOSITION TO SUPPLY AUCKLAND WITH WATER FROM MOUNT EDEN.” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute, from Volume 6. 1873: also in http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_06/rsnz_06_00_000560.html.
•  By James Stewart, M. Inst. C.E. “Art. XXXIV.—On the Aeration of the Auckland Lava-beds .” In Transactions and Proceedings NZ Institute , from Volume 42, 1909: also in http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_42/rsnz_42_00_003270.html.
• Papers Past NZ National Library
• Daily Southern Cross. “Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 Daily Southern Cross, 30 December 1859, Page 4.” Papers Past.  (accessed April 14, 2009).
•  “Provincial Council. TUESDAY, JANUARY 31,1860. Daily Southern Cross, , 3 February 1860, Page 3.” Papers Past.  (accessed April 14, 2009).
•  “WATER SUPPLY. Daily Southern Cross, 13 April 1860, Page 3.” Papers Past. National Library of New Zealand (accessed April 14, 2009).
• “Provincial Council. Daily Southern Cross, , 17 April 1860, Page 3.” Papers Past. (accessed April 14, 2009).
• Daily Southern Cross. “Daily Southern Cross, 24 April 1860, Page 4 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1860.” (accessed April 14, 2009).
• Daily Southern Cross. “MONTHLY SUMMARY FOR THE ENGLISH OCTOBER MAIL. GENERAL SUMMARY. Daily Southern Cross,  5 October 1863, Page 3.” Papers Past. (accessed April 20, 2009).
• Auckland Museum. “Auckland War Memorial Museum Education Kit Volcanoes.” Auckland War Memorial Museum. pdf (accessed April 16, 2009).
•  Auckland City Council, written by G.W.A. Bush 5.8.98. “History of Auckland City Chapter 2 Building a solid city (1871-1918)The new City Council and Auckland's condition.” Auckland City Council . http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/Introduction/bush/chap2.asp (accessed April 17, 2009).
• “Waitakere Ranges.” Watercare Services Limited. http://www.water.co.nz/watercare/water-supply/waitakeres/waitakeres_home.cfm  (accessed April 22, 2009).
• IPENZ. “Western Springs Waterworks – Auckland .” IPENZ Engineering Heritage. (accessed April 17, 2009).

Crossing the Tairua River, Coromandel Peninsula

Damaged ford across the Tairua River Puketui Valley - photo courtesy Chris Ball 2009

Part of our past New Zealand history was river crossings - no less so the Tairua River and its four branches. Back in the mid 1800's gold, timber and gum extraction was growing fast. Typical of New Zealand rural bush and bush and bush ranges of the Coromandel Peninsula, there were no bridges across  With heavy rainfall, the waters of creeks and rivers would rise fast, becoming a real hazard for accident or drowning. 

On the Eastern Seaboard roads were non existance. Back in the early 1870s, was one enterprising William Benjamin  Jackson - manager of the Tairua Sawmill, Chairman of directors Tairua Goldmining Company, gum merchant, gum store keeper, postmaster Tairua 1872 - 1877, holder of Tairua bush liquor licence 1872,owner of 212 acre Pepe Block purchased from Maori owners 1871, shipper and ships master of the cutter Coralie and owner of the cutter Tairua, the schooner Firefly, yacht Starlight and short term owner of the fore and aft schooner Belle Brandon.

Jackson opened up tracks, using pack horses to transport goods and provisions across the rugged ranges to the bush camps of the Tairua Valley and goldmines newly opened up the Neavesville and used the coastal shipping route to bring provisions to Tairua and what became known as the upper landing, from the Port of Auckland. 

Showing a man on horseback below a pinnacle rock near Neavesville, Thames District
Taken from the supplement to the Auckland Weekly News 22 JANUARY 1914 p053
                                     photo courtesy  Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19140122-53-3                                                                                                                                                                                               

May 1875, the Auckland Star reported:-

 "Mr Jackson of Tairua  is cutting a good horse track from his store to the upper camp, which will be completed in a few days. He is reported to have 10 packhorses on the road conveying stores from his Tairua to his upper store"  ( Auckland Star, 03/05/1875,p2)

The multi crossings of the Tairua River and its branches were not the only hazard. Pack horse operators reported high cliffs a risk, the tracks  and their pack horses being killed through falls. The Thames Star reported one such incident, with a loss of animal to a Mr. Gallagher, in July 1875  The Thames Star wrote:-

 "Another horse has come to grief over a cliff. To-day a valuable animrl belonging to Mr Gallagher fell over a cliff several hundred feet high and was killed. A few more such accidents and packing to Tairua will not be looked upon as a very remunerative speculation."  ( Thames Star 08/05/1875)

Horses in the Auckland Province of 1875 were essential for transport and cartage of goods. THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF NEW ZEALAND 1875 wrote on the cost of horses:- 
" A good four-year-old horse can be bought for £20, and a very good serviceable horse can be bought for half that sum, and even for less money" 
( On URL Statistics NZ  )  Some horses could fetch up to £30 -  real price in 2019 realative worth - £2,776.00. Definitely why the newspaper's comment on packing to Tairua.

Mick Lennan - an old Hikuai resident also wrote about one Joe Dufty, who was said to have thirty horses and packed food to the many gum diggers  and bushman of the Kauri Timber Co. of the Tairua Valley. ( Ohinemuri Journal , Oct 1967)

Fifty six years on from 1875,   those pack tracks were still being used and not much better than 1875.  Returning to Hikuai at third branch of the Tairua river, Stanley John Morrison was thrown from the pack horse and dragged for distance . His left leg was caught in one of pack saddle hooks and badly injured.

In 1931, there was still no road over the Kopu Hikuai highway. That came much later when it opened on 23 March 1967.


Reference Source:

• By MICK LENNAN  Hikuai Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 8, October 1967
• Measuring Worth

• Thames Star 8 May 1875 Page 2
• Thames Star  6 July 1875  Page 2
• Thames Star 18 Sep 1931 Pg 3
• Auckland Star 19 Sep 1931 Pg 8

Bridges, footbridges and fording Rivers and Creeks Tairua Valley

Pepe Bridge with Pepe footbridge  across Pepe Estuary Outlet  June 2019 - Photo courtesy  Chris Ball

Known as Pepe Bridge, Tairua this is one of three well known one way bridges in the Tairua Valley crossing streams aka tributaries ,  which lead into the main Tairua River. Pepe bridge at the outlet  into Tairua of the Pepe estuary, Hikuai bridge across the Hikuai Stream and Graham's Creek bridge across Graham's Creek on SH25 - just before the winding road upwards past Te Karo ( Sailors grave ) road entry.

The Tairua River with four branches itself, winds down the Tairua Valley. From the river's source , just south of the area known as the wires,   to the sea and harbour mouth between Paku maunga and the sandspit of Pauanui. Throughout settlement of this valley, from iwi, to early gum digging, gold mining and kauri logging, a way across the Tairua River, its branches and tributaries was sought. 

The Auckland Star writing about  a tour of shareholders and directors, travelling from Tairua Landing, to Golden Belt battery at Neavesville in 1906, reported  that:

" The river had to be  forded eleven times before the Golden Belt  battery was reached"  

Drawn by C. L. Kerry. NEAVESVILLE, SHOWING THE BLOW FROM WHICH GOLD WAS TAKEN.

Photo Courtesy Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18960530-620-2

The early days of the Tairua Broken Hills Gold Mining Company, before bridges were constructed , necessitated other methods to cross the Tairua river with all that heavy machinery and equipment, Below a team of bullocks fording the river in 1899. 



FORDING THE TAIRUA ON THE ROAD TO THE BROKEN HILL MINE, THAMES.

Photo courtesy  Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18991104-828-1  Taken from the New Zealand Graphic, 4 November, 1899, p828

Fording not so for crossing the outlet of the Pepe Estuary in 1899. Back in the early 1880's, it is said that the mill hands of the then Union Sash and Door mill, on the shores of the Tairua harbour and river, constructed a footbridge.


Local folklore for our modern day times in the 21st Century has it and also written by NZ Herald in 2014,  that a good swim is jumping off the Pepe footbridge into the water -  at high tide of course.

Reference Source:

• E.D. Havill ( Bill) Mining Venture at Neavesville Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 19, June 1975
• Auckland Star 25 April 1906 Page 9
• NZ Herald 24 January 2014

ANZAC DAY NZ 2020

They shall not grow old

As we that are left grow old;

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them.

25 April 2020 - this was the first ANZAC Day since the first observed  back in 1916 in New Zealand,  that was not observed as in the 104 years before. That was the ceremonies and gatherings at RSA ( Returned Service Association) clubs and other clubs around the country. 

New Zealand on 25 April 2020 was still in lock down, Level 4 because of the world wide COVID 19 Pandemic. At home -  for all of us in New Zealand, except those working in essential services - people in Supermarkets, truck drivers, emergency services, medical staff, care givers in rest homes, farmers, food growers and other groups.

A new way for observing ANZAC Day and remembering members of our family. Some, whose lives were sacrificed during  the wars since the South African or Boer War. World War One saw 18,500 lives lost by New Zealanders. Our soldiers returning to New Zealand in 1918 entered and with them, another influenza pandemic - what was named the Spanish Flu.

Our National  RSA asked that we observe ANZAC Day by gathering in our " bubble" by our gateway or driveway at 6 am dawn. Where we could hear on the radio the last post being played and have a time of reflection for our own.

This year there were not the gatherings in our community halls at Whangamata, Hikuai, Tairua and Whenuakite, nor Pauanui Club. There was no marching up our main streets, nor gathering together, after  laying of wreaths ceremonies for a good old community get-together. A good old - "chin wag" remembering those 

who fought in those wars. 

However there was a new way of remembrance and observing. Poppies - made  from red shopping bags appeared on gateways, walk ways to the sea. Small poppies kept from previous years ( the RSA has done many Welfare activities as a result of Poppie Day - when one could donate money for a poppie)

Small poppies found their way into peoples windows facing the streets to join teddy bears of all shapes, sizes and colours placed in our communities windows for a " Bear Hunt. "

Yes - we will remember them and 25 April 2020 will go down in our memories as the year of COVID 19 when we did not forget to remember them.

Covid 19 Lockdown NZ

Sunset at Waiomu on the Western Seaboard Coromandel Peninsula NZ -  just before lock down date - photo courtesy  Chris Ball 15 March 2020

Thursday 26 March 2020 - an extraordinary and historic day for  New Zealand.  

This day was  lock down - Alert Level 4 - "Stay home , break the chain, save lives ". Our Government's  move to save lives in New Zealand  from the effects of the Pandemic Covid 19 virus sweeping the world. 

This move -  for our whole country. In our past NZ history  there has been a flu pandemic of 1890 -1894, a flu epidemic in 1918 at the end of WW1 with measures in place. Nothing like the extent of what has been put in place by the New Zealand  Government now. Back then there was no television, no internet, no cell phone. Then, there were different ways to manage.

Yes for us it is a new way of doing things -  much as it is around the world. More telephone, internet and cell phone with family and friends. Regular updates from the Government on television and via online media. Communities setting up community meetings using skype, zoom  and go to meeting - all new ways of communicating together. Teddy bear hunts to keep kids occupied while walking.

Yes this extraordinary time  will become very much a part of our New Zealand history in the future. With the future, no doubt there will be stories passed down families of this time and how we fared. May be even more  time with families for that is what is happening now. Like the two sunset photos on this blog, with the sun going down, the future tomorrow is a new day and new ways.

To all  around the world who look at this blog  and those who are going through these times around the world.

As we are told - " Stay home, stay safe, break the chain and save lives".  No matter who we are, where we are, we are all in this together. Kia Kaha.

Sunset looking up Tairua Valley, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ - before Covid 19 - photo Chris Ball 2018

Reference:

For accurate and good information

Link to NZ Government Covid 19

https://covid19.govt.nz/

Historic Kopu Bridge - Firsts and Records

The  historic Kopu Bridge was opened on 11 May 1928.  Since then it has been a very relevant part of our New Zealand history. Back in October 1926, the Auckland Weekly News reported the first pile of the Kopu Bridge being driven. The then Minister of Public Works, K.S. Williams, is attributed with driving the first pile of this  bridge.

WATCHING THE FIRST PILE BEING DRIVEN HOME : A STUDY IN EXPRESSION AT THE KOPU GATHERING. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19261014-4

From the first day the bridge opened it was a first for this bridge's span across the waters of  Te Waihou River at Kopu. 

A RED – LETTER DAY FOR THE THAMES DISTRICT: FURTHER SCENES AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW HAURAKI BRIDGE – YESTERDAY* Left: The first cars to cross the splendid concrete structure.New Zealand Herald,  12 May 1928 Courtesy Papers Past NZ National Library

Until the opening of a new Kopu Bridge in 2011,  the historic Kopu Bridge was part of State Highway 25 - the total length of the single-lane bridge being  463 metres (m) - made up of  made up of twenty-three 18.2 metre plate girder spans, with a central swing span of 42.6 metres.  Significant for this bridge was the central swing span to allow shipping vessels on the Waihou through. The first of these was S.S.Taniwha in March 1928. It was reported by the Thames Star that the "local maori felt the Kopu Bridge was going to be a very lucky one". Not so lucky for the S.S. Taniwha, a Northern Steamship vessel  which sunk at moorings , after hitting a snag near Puriri Beacon , in  September 1930

This central span drew the attention of a number of " parliamentary  dignitaries:" of that era- amongst them R A Wright - the then minister of education. Another first for this area of the Coromandel Peninsula.

The 11 October 1928 saw the first 11,000 volt cable across the Waihou River into service  at the Kopu Bridge - of benefit to the Thames Borough.

Historic Kopu Bridge March 2019 looking toward wheel house - photo courtesy Chris Ball

Captain Cook Obelisk

About 200 people, attended the unveiling of a memorial on a November  Saturday, 1941. This was a 10ft stone obelisk, unveiled  by Mr. J. Thorn, M.P., at a spot at Kopu near the Kopu Bridge, on the eastern bank  Waihou River . The memorial  took the form of a rock obelisk, triangular in shape, with 2ft sides and rising to a height of 9 feet from ground level. Goral stone from a quarry on the Kauaeranga Valley road was used, and  the pile carried  a bronze plaque, suitably inscribed  -  "Near this spot James Cook, with the naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, landed while exploring the River Thames in the ship's boats of HMS Endeavour, 21 November, 1769."

Here this memorial rock obelisk sat for some 40 years on the road reserve at the eastern end of the Kopu Bridge. That was until the early 1980's when it was moved, as a result of some roading renovations, to a site in front of the Kopu Hall, adjacent to the Kopu Station Hotel. Since then the obelisk has moved again and is said to be returning some time in the future.

Into a new century and 2011 saw a new bridge adjacent, opened. Along with ownership of the historic Kopu Bridge,  passing on 18 March, 2018, from NZTA to the Kopu Bridge and Community Trust, via a MOU signed between the two parties. It would seem that with this change, has come some breaking of records with a different sort of traffic using the bridge and enjoying the natural surroundings of the Te Waihou River and its banks.

Last Saturday  fortnight ( 9th November 2019 ) another world record was broken on the historic Kopu Bridge - a category 1 Heritage NZ structure at Thames, New Zealand. This was  Steampunk  the Thames attempt to break the Guinness  World Record for the largest Steampunks' gathering. The organisers of the Steampunk Festival and historic Kopu Bridge think they may have just achieved this with   252  steampunks in one place, on the  heritage bridge.

Steampunk Festival 2018 Thames NZ - photo courtesy Chris Ball

Back on 15 February 2019, the well known Brits at the Beach festival, celebrating all things British, held a fundraiser for Kopu Bridge and Community Bridge Trust for bridge repairs. Also part of this fund raiser was a world record attempt - the most British cars on a single lane bridge -  they achieved this with 60 cars.

Collage for Brits on the Bridge

Thus the historic Kopu Bridge - this iconic and significant category 1 heritage structure which is a tribute to the engineers who built it - remains a relevant part of our New Zealand history with many stories yet to be told.

Historic Kopu Bridge adjacent to new Kopu Bridge - photo courtesy Chris Ball

Reference  Source:

• Kopu Bridge  State Highway 25, Kopu, Heritage NZ
• Engineering NZ : Kopu Bridge
• A.J. Baker, 'Waihou River Bridge, Kopu and Piled Foundations', The New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers Proceedings, Vol. XVII, 1930-1931
•  C Furniss, Servants of the North: Adventures on the Coastal Trade with the Northern Steam Ship Company, Wellington, 1977
•  Captain Cook’s Landing Sites   Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 55,September 2011
• Papers Past National Library NZ
• New Zealand Herald,  12 May 1928
• Thames Star, 21 March 1928, Page 4
• Thames Star  21 March 1928  Page 4 
• Poverty Bay Herald  12 May 1928  Page 3 
•  Waikato Times  7 November 1928  Page 7 
• Manawatu Standard  26 November 1941  Page 6