 The memorial in 2022 | |
 | |
| 39°16′35″S175°23′21″E / 39.27639°S 175.38920°E | |
| Location | near Pokaka, Ruapehu District, Manawatū-Whanganui region |
|---|---|
| Type | obelisk |
| Material | concrete |
| Height | 6 feet (1.8 m) |
| Completion date | February 1909 [1] |
| Dedicated to | Last spike ceremony performed by Sir Joseph Ward |
The Last Spike Memorial is a monument in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand. It marks the location where the "last spike" was driven in 1908 for the completion of the North Island Main Trunk line.
The monument is located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) north of the locality named Pokaka, immediately north of the Manganuioteao Viaduct, and a short distance south of the Makatote Viaduct. [2]
A concrete obelisk was erected in early 1909. [1] The monument marks the location where the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, conducted a last spike ceremony on 6 November 1908. [3] A silver-plated spike was used, though the actual last spike was driven in about 300 m (980 ft) to the south, to complete work on the Manganuioteao Viaduct (then called Manganui-o-te-Ao), [3] where temporary tracks met on 3 August 1908. The monument is four-sided, 6 ft (1.8 m) high and 4 ft (1.2 m) across the base, with black lettering on a white marble slab. It was about 20 ft (6.1 m) to the west of the line, [1] but moved a further 10 ft (3.0 m) west in 1973. It is marked by road signs on State Highway 4 and a small carpark. [4]
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Designated | 10 December 2004 |
| Reference no. | 7575 |
As part of its "Engineering to 1990" project, the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ; now Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau) added the central section of the North Island Main Trunk line to its engineering heritage register. [5] In 1997, IPENZ put two new brass inscription plates on the monument. [3] On 10 December 2004, the monument was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) as a Category II structure, with the registration number 7575. [3]
The Raurimu Spiral is a single-track railway spiral, starting with a horseshoe curve, overcoming a 139-metre (456 ft) height difference, in the central North Island of New Zealand, on the North Island Main Trunk railway (NIMT) between Wellington and Auckland. It is a notable feat of civil engineering, having been called an "engineering masterpiece." The Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand has designated the spiral as a significant engineering heritage site.
The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is 682 kilometres (424 mi) long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of 1,067 mm and serves the large cities of Palmerston North and Hamilton.
Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau is a not-for-profit professional body that promotes the integrity and interests of members, the profession, and the industry. It seeks to "bring engineering to life" and has more than 20,000 members.
The following lists events that happened during 1908 in New Zealand.
The East Coast Main Trunk (ECMT) is a railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, originally running between Hamilton and Taneatua via Tauranga, connecting the Waikato with the Bay of Plenty. The ECMT now runs between Hamilton and Kawerau, with a branch line to Taneatua from the junction at Hawkens. The line is built to narrow gauge of 1,067 mm, the uniform gauge in New Zealand. It was known as the East Coast Main Trunk Railway until 2011, when the word "Railway" was dropped.
The Makatote River is a river of the centre of New Zealand's North Island. It flows west from the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, and from the Hauhungatahi Wilderness Area, before entering rough hill country, veering southwest and entering a gorge cut almost 100 m (330 ft) into the volcanic rocks. It joins with the waters of several smaller streams to become the Manganui o te Ao River, part of the Whanganui River system.
The Mohaka Viaduct is a railway viaduct spanning the Mohaka River in northern Hawke’s Bay, on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, near the small settlement of Raupunga. It was built between 1930 and 1937 by the Public Works Department (PWD) for the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). It is 276.8 metres (908 ft) in length, and at 95 metres (312 ft), is the tallest viaduct in Australasia.
The Mangaweka Deviation is a 7 km single track deviation of the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) railway line in the central North Island of New Zealand, between the settlements of Mangaweka and Utiku, south of Taihape. Opened on 18 November 1981, by the Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, it was constructed between 1973 and 1981 at a cost of $17m; to move the line away from geologically unstable land; and also to replace the high-maintenance steel viaducts including the Mangaweka Viaduct. It is the most recent and most significant deviation of the NIMT since it was opened in 1909.
Te Horo railway station was a flag station at Te Horo, in the Kāpiti Coast District on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.It was served by diesel shuttles between Te Horo and Wellington. Only equipment sheds and a passing loop now remain at the station site.
Ōhingaitirailway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.
Utiku railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand, and in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. It opened in 1904 and closed in 1986. It was part of the 13+1⁄2 mi (21.7 km) Mangaweka to Taihape section, officially opened by the Prime Minister, Richard Seddon, on 21 November 1904. It closed in 1986. A passing loop remains.
Mangaonoho railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand. For almost a decade, from 1893 to 1902, Mangaonoho was important as the northern terminus of the NIMT's southern section; even a refreshment room was planned. The route north was delayed by construction of major viaducts, the first being Makōhine. To build Makōhine a railway workshop was set up just north of Mangaonoho. Unlike many other NIMT construction camps, Mangaonoho gradually declined after the line was completed. By 1911 the population was down to 167. Decline continued, with removal of the stockyards in 1973 and closure in 1982. There is now only a single line through the former station site.
Te Kawa railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand, located at Te Kawa.
Te Kuiti railway station is a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand. The station was important in the growth of Te Kuiti.
The Makatote Viaduct takes the North Island Main Trunk railway (NIMT) across the Makatote River. It is 335.7 km (208.6 mi) from Wellington, at the foot of Ruapehu, in northern Manawatū-Whanganui, between Erua and Pokaka.
Waiteti was a passing loop on the North Island Main Trunk railway (NIMT) in New Zealand, built in 1939 to relieve congestion along a single track block, where the line rises steeply from Te Kuiti on a 1 in 70 gradient for 7 mi (11 km), including curves of 8 ch (160 m) to 20 ch (400 m) radius. It was 470.07 km (292.09 mi) from Wellington. From its opening it was under central control from Te Kuiti signalbox. The loop could hold 100 4-wheeled wagons.
The Waiteti Viaduct, 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Te Kuiti and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) north of the station site, was opened in 1889. It is the most northerly of the major viaducts on the NIMT. At its highest, the railway is 35 m (115 ft) above the road to Mangaokewa Scenic Reserve and the Waiteti Stream, a tributary of the Mangaokewa Stream, which flows into the Waipā.
Kakahi was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand, serving Kakahi. It formally opened on 9 November 1908. The rails were laid south of Piriaka by May 1904 and a daily ballast train was running by October, which also carried passengers. Kakahi Bridge has five spans of 44 ft (13 m) and one of 23 ft (7.0 m) supplied by G. Fraser & Sons of Auckland, which delayed construction to the south. It crosses the Kakahi Stream, which was sometimes called the Waitea River.
Horopito was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand. It served the small village of Horopito and lies just to the north of two of the five largest NIMT viaducts. It and Pokaka also lay to the south of Makatote Viaduct, the late completion of which held up opening of the station.
Pokaka was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand. It served the small village of Pokaka and lay to the south of Makatote Viaduct, the late completion of which held up opening of the station.