View of Wellington Harbour from Mt Victoria, showing inner harbour wharves. Anticlockwise from top right: Glasgow Wharf, Railway Wharf, Waterloo Quay Wharf, Ferry Wharf (with Eastbourne Ferry Terminal building), Tug Wharf, Queens Wharf. The end of Taranaki Street Wharf can be seen at centre-left, and Clyde Quay Wharf is in the foreground.
Wharves in Wellington Harbour have been essential to the operation of the Port of Wellington and to the development of the city and the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand.
There are 20 wharves situated around Wellington Harbour. These include large wharves in the inner harbour and port area, smaller wharves in seaside suburbs and fuel wharves at Point Howard and Evans Bay. The first wharves were built from 1840 by newly arrived European settlers, to enable them to move goods from ship to shore. The first publicly-owned wharf built in Wellington Harbour was Queens Wharf, completed in 1862. Wharves were built for various purposes – moving fuel, primary products such as timber, wool and meat coming from the hinterland, and other goods and passengers. Wharves for passenger vessels included berths for ferries transporting commuters and day trippers to and from the city and suburbs, and larger inter-island ferries going to Picton and Lyttelton. The wharves also serviced passenger liners from overseas and TEALflying boats.
Over time Wellington's wharves have been altered, upgraded, extended, truncated or buried in reclamation along the shoreline of Wellington Harbour. Many wharves have been repurposed in response to changing domestic and international conditions and requirements for maritime transport of passengers and cargo.
Wellington Harbour's first wharves were privately owned, built by businessmen to facilitate movement of goods from ships to warehouses and shops. Goods were transhipped from deep-sea vessels to lighters and then to the shore.[1] The names of these early private wharves changed as their ownership changed: for example, Hickson's wharf was also known as Ridgway's Wharf, Wills' Wharf and Houghton's Wharf.[2]
The first wharf built may have been one constructed by J. H. Wallace, opposite Bowen Street. A newspaper article in 1930 described the wharf: "its construction was of the simplest. An empty dry-goods hogshead was carried out as far below low-water mark as it could be placed. When it was filled with stones it constituted the outer pier. Rough wooden trestles were placed at intervals in the intervening space, on which were laid some long straight logs, bound together by wooden ties, and squared on top by the nimble use of an adze".[1]
Other early wharves include Tod's Wharf, in operation by September 1840;[3] Taine's Wharf, built by James John Taine who arrived in Wellington in 1840 and soon built a wharf opposite his premises in Lambton Quay;[4] and Rhodes' Wharf, constructed in 1841 by William Barnard Rhodes.[5] He built a wharf near what is now the Michael Fowler Centre carpark at lower Cuba Street to provide access to his goods store and iron store.[6]:11[7][8] Baron Charles Ernest von Alzdorf, land agent and hotelier, built a wharf opposite his hotel.[9] Alzdorf's Wharf was said to have been left high and dry fifty feet from the water after the 1855 earthquake raised the seabed.[10]
By the early 1860s many of these small private wharves were needing repairs[11][12] and were no longer suitable for serving the larger ships that had begun visiting Wellington.[1]
Queens Wharf (1862)
From 1856, Wellington Chamber of Commerce began calling on the provincial government to fund construction of a large publicly-owned wharf that could serve steamers on the Panama route.[1][13][14]:10[15] Queens Wharf, possibly named by local man Thomas McKenzie in honour of Queen Victoria,[16] opened in 1862 as Wellington's first public wharf and is Wellington's oldest extant wharf. The original wharf was constructed from timber, with totara piles. It was 170m (550ft) long with two cross tees extending 23m (75ft) on each side.[14]:10 The wharf was extended several times as harbour reclamation occurred and larger ships arrived, beginning in 1865–67 with a 61m (200ft) extension seawards, followed by a new cross section 91m (300ft) long, extensions to the original cross sections, and the addition of a steam crane and goods sheds.[14]:10
During the 1913 Great Strike, supporters broke through gates and barricades at Queens Wharf and Kings Wharf and boarded ships in an attempt to stop strike-breakers from working.[19] They also stopped goods vehicles and racehorses heading for Christchurch from entering Queens Wharf.[20][21]
In 1989 the Harbour Board was disestablished and a new company (Port of Wellington, now CentrePort Wellington) took over management of port operations.[22][23] The seafront from Shed 21 near the railway station to Clyde Quay, which includes Queens Wharf, was handed to Wellington City Council.[24]:13 In the 1990s Lambton Harbour Management, a company controlled by Wellington City Council, was involved in developing Queens Wharf as an entertainment area. Two large buildings, Queens Wharf Retail Centre and Queens Wharf Events Centre, opened in 1995. They were designed by the architect to look like wharf sheds. The retail centre was an immediate failure, and the building was sold in 1998 to be converted into office space.[25] The events centre, now known as TSB Arena, still operates and hosts music concerts, sports and other events.[26] Two old goods sheds on the wharf, Shed 3 and Shed 5, were turned into restaurants.[27][28]
In 2001, Waterfront Investments proposed to build a Hilton Hotel on the outer tee of Queens Wharf. Greater Wellington Regional Council supported the proposed hotel,[29] but a public survey showed that 86% of those surveyed did not want a hotel at this location.[30] In 2009 the Environment Court turned down the proposal, stating that "building a five-star hotel on a public wharf was inconsistent with the sustainable use of natural and physical resources".[29]
There is a memorial to Paddy the Wanderer at the entrance to Queens Wharf, outside the Wharf Office Building. Paddy was a dog which used to roam the waterfront during the 1930s, befriending sailors and wharf workers. The memorial includes a bronze likeness of Paddy, a drinking fountain and drinking bowls below for dogs. Erected in 1945, it was paid for by people who knew Paddy and includes stones from London's Waterloo Bridge, bombed during World War II.[33]
Views of Queens Wharf
Outer tee c.1936-1942. Shed 3 in centre, Shed 5 in foreground.
Tripod gantry crane on outer tee
Level luffing crane
Shed 6 and TSB Arena
Gates and Harbour Board Wharf Offices building
Dockside restaurant (formerly Shed 3)
Railway Wharf (1880)
Railway Wharf was Wellington's second deep-water wharf after Queens Wharf. It was built by the government and completed in April 1880 on newly reclaimed land near the Railway Station. Control of the wharf passed to Wellington Harbour Board after the Wellington Harbour Board and Corporation Land Act came into effect on 1 September 1880.[32]:149 From the start the wharf was designed to have rail access to facilitate handling of goods, and three separate lines were laid down. The wharf was angled on a north-north-west /south-south-east axis, the same as Queens Wharf, because at the time it was important to moor vessels "fore-and-aft" to align with Wellington's prevailing winds.[32]:148[34] From 1906 to 1951, Railway Wharf was Wellington's main wharf for unloading coal. In 1951 the railway lines were removed, and the wharf was extended and converted to become the base for the inter-island ferry to Lyttleton which had previously been at Waterloo Quay Wharf. Ferries to Picton also operated from this wharf.[32]:149 The wharf was renamed the Inter-Island Wharf, with the first ferries berthing in 1954.[32]:149 The wharf was altered again when roll-on/roll-off ferries were introduced, but after 1975 the wharf was no longer used by ferries.[32]:150 Railway Wharf is managed by CentrePort.
Waterloo Quay Wharf (1883)
The wharf now known as Waterloo Quay Wharf was completed in 1883, the first wharf built after Wellington Harbour Board was established in 1880. The wharf was built to serve the wool trade and was known as Wool Wharf or Wool Jetty. A shed that could hold 6000 bales of wool was built at the city end of the wharf.[32]:157 Originally the wharf was connected to land by a bridge, until the space between was reclaimed by 1906. Over the years the wharf has been altered and extended. In 1916 it was converted to serve the inter-island ferry to Lyttleton and until 1953 was known at first as the Wellington-Lyttleton Ferry Wharf, and later Lyttleton Wharf.[32]:157 The ferry terminal was then moved to Railway Wharf, and from about that time Lyttleton Wharf became Waterloo Quay Wharf, used by coastal trading ships. For many years until 2009 the Police Maritime Unit operated from Shed 19 on the wharf.[35] The wharf was also used as a base for the Lynx and other fast ferries.[32]:157 Waterloo Quay Wharf is controlled by CentrePort.
Former Eastbourne Ferry Building at Ferry Wharf.
Ferry Wharf (1897)
Ferry Wharf, also known as Ferry Wharf no. 1 to distinguish it from Tug Wharf (or Ferry Wharf no. 2) built beside it some years later, is located immediately west of Waterloo Quay Wharf. J H Williams had begun a ferry service to Days Bay in 1895, and Wellington Harbour Board wanted to take pressure off busy Queens Wharf.[35] Ferry Wharf came into use in 1897,[36] with additions in 1906 and 1912–1914.[37] The wharf was connected to land by a bridge until reclamation was carried out. In 1912, Wellington Harbour Board built a ferry terminal building at the head of the wharf for the Wellington Ferry Company. Eastbourne Borough Council leased the building from the Harbour Board and operated a ferry service to Eastbourne until 1948.[35] The building then had various occupiers until 2009, when it became the base for the Police Maritime Unit and national dive squad.[37] The Eastbourne Ferry Building is listed as a Historic Place Category 2 by Heritage New Zealand.[38]
Glasgow Wharf (1901)
The Harbour Board approved plans and funding for a new road and railway wharf in 1898–1899, as part of a larger scheme of harbour reclamation and development.[39][40] The wharf was named Glasgow Wharf after the late governor, the Earl of Glasgow.[40] It was about 180m (580ft) long and 43m (140ft) wide and constructed of imported ironbark timber.[41][42] The wharf was completed in November 1901 at a cost of about £60,000 including sheds and cranes.[42] The Evening Post reported that "the wharf is in all respects the finest structure of the kind in the southern hemisphere".[42] An innovative feature at the time was the installation of ten gantry cranes, built by the Hydraulic Engineering Company of Chester, which were said to be better for working on big ships than the cranes then in use at Queens Wharf.[43] The wharf handled frozen meat and produce needing cold storage.[44]
The wharf has been upgraded several times. In 1966 the Harbour Board installed 10 new electric tripod gantry cranes. These were then made obsolete by the introduction of containerisation. One crane was restored and is now on display at Queens Wharf.[44]
From 1992 until 2004, Glasgow Wharf was the base for the Straitsman ferry, and since 2003 Bluebridge ferries have operated from the wharf.[44] The wharf is managed by CentrePort and is not open to the public.
Taranaki Street Wharf (1906)
Link span building by Roger Walker at Taranaki Street Wharf
In 1898, the chief engineer of Wellington Harbour Board suggested construction of a wharf opposite Taranaki Street, to be used mainly for moving coal but also for timber and produce. After preparatory reclamation and dredging, the wharf was built in 1906. The wharf was 152m (499ft) long by 33m (108ft) wide and constructed from Australian hardwood. It had one fixed 20-ton hydraulic crane and 10 moveable 2-ton hydraulic cranes for shifting coal.[32]:209 Ornamental gates at the entrance to the wharf are similar to those at Queens Wharf. They were installed in the 1930s, replacing earlier gates.[45]
A major change to the wharf came in the late 1960s, when the wharf was converted for use by roll-on/roll-off ferries. A linkspan bridge with a control building designed by Roger Walker was completed in 1969.[32]:210 The Union Steamship Company planned to operate a fortnightly freight service to Australia,[46] but the freight service was soon overtaken by the introduction of containerisation based at Thorndon.[32]:210 The original bridge has since been replaced by a stylised version, and the building which housed machinery for operating the bridge is now used as a base by Wellington Free Ambulance.[47]
Land between Queens Wharf and Taranaki Street Wharf was reclaimed from 1969, allowing creation of Frank Kitts Park and Whairepo Lagoon and closing in the landward side of Taranaki Street Wharf. In 1989 two historic rowing club buildings were moved to the reclaimed area.[32]:210
In 2002, Wellington Waterfront Limited began transforming the Taranaki Street Wharf area to a public space. In 2011, Te Wharewaka o Poneke opened on reclaimed land between the wharf and the lagoon. This building is an enterprise by Taranaki iwi and Wellington Waterfront Limited. It houses two waka taua (ceremonial canoes) as well as a café and function rooms.[32]:211 Taranaki Street Wharf is now part of a waterfront public area and promenade stretching from Clyde Quay to Waterloo Quay and is managed by Wellington City Council.[48]
The floating crane Hikitia is berthed at Taranaki Street Wharf.
Kings Wharf (1909)
Kings Wharf sheds and cranes, c.1930s
Kings Wharf is a timber wharf constructed between 1906 and 1909, parallel with and to the east of Glasgow Wharf. Tenders for construction of the wharf and two double-storeyed sheds were accepted in September 1906, with Charles F Pulley as the builder. The wharf was 262m (861ft) long and 49m (160ft) wide. It was built on 903 ironbark timber piles, arranged in 42 bays each of 6.1m (20ft). The construction included two double-storeyed sheds (numbered 31 and 33) of timber construction. Railway tracks were provided on each side of the wharf, and large mobile cranes on special tracks were used for handling cargo between railway wagons and the holds of ships at the wharf.[35][49] The wharf was completed in 1909, with a ceremony for the laying of the last block held on 26 March 1909.[35][50] It was the last major wharf to be built in timber, as concrete was used for all other wharf construction after 1909.[35]:16–20
One of the notable vessels to berth at the wharf in the years immediately following its construction was HMS New Zealand, the Royal Navybattlecruiser of the dreadnought era. The vessel had been funded for the Royal Navy by New Zealand as a gift. It berthed at Kings Wharf in June 1913, during HMS New Zealand's 1913 circumnavigation.[51] Later in 1913, the wharf was the location of a strike by waterside workers that was an early stage of the 1913 Great Strike.[52][53] During the Second World War, another notable event at Kings Wharf was the arrival of USS Wakefield on 14 June 1942, carrying around 6,000 US marines from the 1st Marine Division.[54][55]
In the 1960s, the Thorndon Container Terminal was built with reclamation of land up to and including the east side of Kings Wharf.[56] However, berth 1 on the western side of Kings Wharf remains operational.[35]:18 Kings Wharf was pushed sideways by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, but has been repaired.[57]
Clyde Quay Wharf (1910) and Overseas Passenger Terminal (1964)
Overseas Passenger Terminal c.14 April 1965, with vessels Southern Cross and Rangatira
Clyde Quay Wharf was completed in 1910 by Wellington Harbour Board. Its location and purpose were controversial at the time. Trade in imported goods was decreasing by the time the wharf was completed, and the wharf was distant from the rest of the port, so it was never used as much as other wharves in the harbour.[58][59][60] The wharf was 170m (560ft) long and was the first wharf in Wellington built of reinforced concrete rather than timber.[61] It was also notable for a line of concrete arches 6.1m (20ft) high running the length of the wharf.[61] This was a crane track for electric cranes to run along, but initially the Harbour Board chose not to install a crane until it was proven necessary.[62] In 1961 the wharf was closed.
The wharf was then extended, and the Overseas Passenger Terminal was built on the wharf by the Wellington Harbour Board.[63] The building was constructed to replace inadequate passenger facilities at the wharves on the other side of the inner harbour. It was designed by an architectural practice owned by former Wellington Mayor Michael Fowler. The design was intended to give the appearance of an ocean liner and included customs and immigration facilities, a restaurant, café and waiting lounges. It was opened on 7 December 1964.[64] However, it was effectively obsolete at the time of opening because of a rapid decline in international passenger shipping resulting from increasing international air travel. The building was subsequently used as an exhibition and events centre and housed various businesses and restaurants.[60] The Overseas Passenger Terminal was demolished in 2012[65] to make way for a new apartment complex called Clyde Quay Wharf, which opened in 2014.[60]:3 The Clyde Quay Wharf apartments were designed by Athfield Architects and won several awards.[66] There are 75 apartments in the building, but the area at ground level around the wharf has been left accessible to the public.[67] The spire and four wall mosaics from the old building were used in the new one.[60]:6
Tug Wharf (1914)
Ngā Kina sculpture next to Tug Wharf
In the early 20th century, ferry services were important for conveying people from localities around the harbour into the city. By 1911, Ferry Wharf had become congested, with six boats needing to berth there.[68] In November 1911 the Harbour Board resolved to extend Ferry Wharf and build a new wharf 26m (85ft) long next to it to serve the ferries to Seatoun and Karaka Bay.[69] A contract was signed in June 1912 but construction was delayed due to difficulties sourcing timber and by the 1913 Great Strike, so the wharf was not completed until 1914.[35] By this time ferry services to Seatoun and Karaka Bay had ceased, but other ships and tugs used the new wharf. It was originally known as Ferry Wharf no. 2, but by the 1930s it was known as Tug Wharf.[70]
By the 1970s, reclamation nearby meant the landward side of the wharf could not be used, and in 1971 a walkway was built which connected Tug Wharf to Queens Wharf along the newly reclaimed area.[70] In 2007 Tug Wharf became part of the Kumutoto Precinct development, and a pedestrian bridge was built in 2008 to link the wharf to the rest of the promenade along the waterfront.[35] Further development in 2018 linked the wharf to the north Kumutoto precinct with two short bridges.[70][71]
In 2011, designer toilets nicknamed 'lobster loos' were opened between Tug Wharf and Queens Wharf.[72]Ngā Kina, a sculpture of giant kina (sea urchins) by Michael Tuffery, was installed at the water's edge next to Tug Wharf in 2012.[73]
Pipitea Wharf (1923) (former)
RMS Aquitania leaving Pipitea Wharf, Wellington – 2 May 1940
Pipitea Wharf is a former wharf in the inner harbour that was absorbed into the reclamation undertaken to create the Thorndon Container Terminal in the 1960s.[35]:7
The Harbour Board announced a commitment to the new wharf in 1912. At that time it was proposed to be 180m (200yd) to the east of Kings Wharf, 180m (600ft) long and wider than Kings and Glasgow wharves.[74] However, construction of the wharf was greatly delayed by the disruption and shortages of materials caused by World War I. The Board had called for tenders shortly before the outbreak of World War I, but had to withdraw the notice.[75] A new notice calling for tenders for the construction of the wharf was eventually issued in June 1919.[76] Steel reinforcing for the wharf did not arrive until 1920, and cement arrived in 1921.[35] The final pier of the wharf was driven on 13 February 1923. The final dimensions of the wharf were 289m (948ft) on the northern side, and 57m (186ft) in width, making it the second largest structure of its kind in New Zealand at the time (behind Queens Wharf, Auckland).[77] The Board elected to manage the construction of the wharf with its own resources and in 1923 reported that this had achieved a saving of 19% compared with the lowest tendered cost.[78]
There was a major incident in June 1936 when the inter-island ferry TSS Wahine collided with the wharf while entering the port in dense fog. The bow of the vessel was extensively damaged.[79]
During World War II, Pipitea Wharf was used for berthing large ocean liners that had been converted for use as troopships. One of these vessels was RMS Aquitania, of the Cunard line, the largest of the ocean liners to call into New Zealand during the war. The ship's draught of 11m (36ft) was a record for any port in New Zealand at that time.[35]:5 Pipitea Wharf was one of the berthing places for passenger vessels bringing assisted migrants to New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s.[80][81][82]
When the Thorndon Container Terminal was developed, Pipitea Wharf was part of the reclamation and became fully absorbed. However, in the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake, the fill surrounding some of the remaining original wharf piles subsided by around 300mm (12in), leaving the tops of the piles exposed.[83]
Jubilee Floating Dock (1932–1988)
Jubilee Floating Dock c.1935
In 1928, the Harbour Board announced a decision to procure and install a floating dock with a lifting power of 15,000 tons, to be used for ship repairs.[84] The floating dock was built in England by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson of Wallsend,[85] with the contract awarded in August 1930 for a dock with a lifting capacity of 17,000 tons, with dimensions 160m (540ft) long and 36m (117ft) wide.[86] It left the Tyne on 15 July 1931 and was towed for five and a half months at sea over a route through the Suez Canal,[87] covering 21,000km (13,000mi),[88] and arrived in Wellington Harbour on 28 December 1931.[89] A wharf was built adjacent to the Thorndon reclamation for permanent mooring of the floating dock.[90][91] The dock was powered by electricity and included a crane capable of lifting up to five tons.[92]:42 The dock was named 'Jubilee Dock' in honour of the Harbour Board's fiftieth anniversary in 1930.[93]
An initial test of the floating dock was undertaken with the passenger liner SS Ruahine, on 2 April 1932.[94] The first commercial service using the new floating dock was an overhaul of the ferry TSS Maori, from early April.[95][96]
One of the more notable incidents associated with the floating dock during more than 50 years of service was the repair of the trans-Tasman liner MS Wanganella after it struck Barrett Reef while entering Wellington Harbour in January 1947. Shortly after entering the floating dock, repair work on the vessel was halted because of an industrial dispute.[97][98][99]
In 1988, the Harbour Board sold the floating dock to an engineering firm in Nelson, and it was then on-sold for use in Singapore. The dock was taken in tow from Wellington, but broke up and sank on 2 January 1989, only five days into the tow.[100]
Kaiwharawhara Wharf (proposed)
From the 1960s, state-owned roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries to Picton, operated by Kiwirail and currently branded as the Interislander, have berthed at a terminal near Aotea Quay.[101][102]StraitNZ, a competing privately-owned company, operates its Bluebridge ferries from Glasgow Wharf. In 2020, following two years of discussion with stakeholders, Greater Wellington Regional Council announced that it had chosen Kaiwharawhara as its preferred site for a new wharf and ferry terminal. The terminal would be built on land owned by KiwiRail, CentrePort and the NZ Transport Agency. The new wharf would be able to accommodate the larger ferries that Interislander planned to introduce, and would replace the two separate facilities currently operated by the Interislander and StraitNZ.[103][104] In addition, CentrePort would be able to make changes to the layout of its other port operations. The plan includes a wharf about 250m (820ft) long, a ferry terminal building, changes to road, rail and pedestrian access, and marshalling and loading areas.[105] Resource consent was granted in January 2023.[104] The panel that approved the project called it the biggest rail capital project since World War 2.[104]
Site preparation began, but the cost of the project increased significantly. In December 2023, the new Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, declined extra funding to Kiwirail for its proposed new ferries and terminal infrastructure, and the project stalled while the parties involved considered their options.[106][107]
Eastern side of Wellington Harbour
Days Bay Wharf
Days Bay Wharf (1895)
Days Bay Wharf was built in 1895 by Neil McLean[108] for J. H. Williams to serve Williams' ferries bringing day-trippers across the harbour from Wellington city. Apart from benefitting day trippers, the wharf also improved access to bays on the eastern side of the harbour, which led to an increase in land values. In the early 20th century interest in Days Bay as an attraction decreased, and in 1905 Williams sold his shares to the Miramar Ferry Company which then formed into Wellington Harbour Ferries. The ferry company's lease on the wharf expired in 1909, and Wellington Harbour Board took ownership.[109] Today the wharf is used by East by West Ferries to transport commuters and visitors and is a popular attraction for people visiting the beach. Days Bay Wharf is listed as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand.[109]
Rona Bay Wharf (1906)
Rona Bay Wharf
Rona Bay Wharf was built for Wellington Harbour Board in 1906, with additions in 1908. The wharf has a bend in the middle. It was intended to serve passenger ferries, and also ships bringing supplies to the fast-developing area. In fact, few ships other than ferries used the wharf, and the ferry service ended in 1948. In 1960, the Harbour Board leased the wharf to Eastbourne Borough Council (now Hutt City Council).[32]:221 In the 1990s, Hutt City Council considered demolishing the wharf but after public opposition a trust was created to look after the wharf.[110] After a restoration project costing $3.3 million, the wharf was re-opened in 2018.[110]
Petone Wharf (1909)
Petone Wharf, 2023
In 1883–1884 the Gear Meat Company built a wharf at Petone so that it could move its products quickly to Wellington for export.[111][112] The company bought an old ship, the Jubilee, and moored it at the wharf to use as a freezing plant.[113] When the ship was full it was towed across the harbour to Wellington and the meat transferred to other ships for transport to markets.[114] The wharf deteriorated and was removed in 1902, and contractors for the Harbour Board built a new wharf slightly further east during 1908–1909.[115][116] The wharf has been used intermittently by passenger ferries.
Petone Wharf was popular with walkers and people fishing, but was closed to the public in January 2021 after suffering earthquake damage in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and two smaller subsequent earthquakes,[117][118] as well as damage from marine worms.[119] In May 2021, Hutt City Council voted to repair the wharf[120] but a year later the Council was still considering the best course of action.[121] In November 2023, Hutt City councillors voted to demolish the wharf at a projected cost of $6 million. A local resident expressed concerns that demolishing the wharf would disturb the Waiwhetu Aquifer, but the Council stated that the advice they received from engineering consultants indicates that the aquifer would not be at risk if the wharf is removed.[119] In February 2024, the 'Save Petone Wharf' protest group told Hutt City Council that new technology was available that would enable the wharf to be saved. Worm-damaged piles could be wrapped in laminate and the gap between the pile and the laminate filled with grout. The Council agreed to look into the proposal.[122]
Point Howard Wharf (1930)
Point Howard Wharf in 2023. At left is the oil pipeline to tanks at Seaview.
After Seaview was identified as a site for oil storage, the Texas Oil Company (Texaco, later Caltex) bought five acres in 1929 and built oil storage tanks. In the same year the Harbour Board started work on construction of a new oil wharf at Point Howard. The original wharf was made from hardwood logs and is 169m (554ft) long.[32]:242 As the wharf was not to be used to offload general cargo, it was designed with an approach that was only 4.3m (14ft) wide, much narrower than a normal wharf.[123] The wharf was completed in March 1930 and initially used by only limited numbers of tankers, but expansion of related industries in Seaview saw demand for the wharf increase. In 1933 the wharf was extended by adding a 159m long (522ft) tee-shape across the end.[32]:242 In the 1970s Point Howard Wharf was replaced as an oil wharf by Seaview Wharf, and by the 1980s it was only used occasionally, by chemical tankers. After the disestablishment of Wellington Harbour Board in 1989, ownership of the wharf passed to Hutt City Council.[32]:243
The tee at the end of the wharf was removed in 2013 due to deterioration.[124][125]:7 Point Howard Wharf was closed to visitors in 2018 after further damage to the piles was discovered.[126] Engineers have cautioned against demolition of the wharf because it is possible that disruption of the piles might cause major damage to the Waiwhetu Aquifer which supplies almost half of Wellington's fresh water.[32]:243[125]:10–11 (The aquifer was pierced during construction of the wharf in 1929.)[127]
Seaview Wharf 2023, with work being carried out to improve earthquake resilience.
Seaview Wharf (1977)
Seaview Wharf at Point Howard, Seaview, is owned and maintained by CentrePort and serves a fuel terminal, replacing the older Point Howard Wharf. Planning for the construction of Seaview Wharf began in the mid-1960s,[128] and the wharf began operating in 1977.[129] The Seaview fuel terminal is the main point of supply for liquid fuels for the lower North Island and is also a backup point of supply for other parts of the North Island. The landward end of the wharf is at Point Howard, and the wharf is approximately 600m (2,000ft) long.[129] Fuel pipelines along the wharf connect with bulk fuel storage facilities in Seaview. The fuel terminal handles approximately one million tonnes of fuel annually.[130]
In 2001, the wharf was equipped with an impressed current cathodic protection scheme to help prolong its life.[131] The wharf was damaged in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, but was able to continue operating.[132] A 2019 report published by the Wellington Lifelines Project included an observation that following a major earthquake:[133]:31
Fuel is critical to run generators, earth-moving plant and for the transport of residents around the region. There will likely be significant roads outages preventing fuel tankers getting into the region, therefore a robust refuelling and storage facility for fuel is critical.
In 2021 a $60m project commenced to improve the seismic resilience of the wharf.[132][134]
In 1904, an early wharf at Somes Island was reported to be in poor condition.[135] The Minister of Public Works reported to Parliament in September 1908 that a new wharf had been erected at Somes Island.[136] The current small wharf, built around 1948,[137] is used by visitors to the island, including East by West ferries which has a regular service for tourists.
In January 2024, the Kaitiaki Board governing the island announced that public access to the island would be closed for 6–8 months while the wharf was rebuilt.[138]
A patent slip and associated jetty wharves were built in Evans Bay for servicing vessels of up to 2000 tons. The Patent Slip was commissioned in 1873. After over 100 years' service, the slipway closed on 31 July 1980. The site was demolished and various equipment scrapped, sold or given to museums, and land was filled in for a new housing subdivision.[139][140] The site was listed as a Category 2 Historic Place in 1982.[141] Wellington City Council rezoned the site as a heritage area in 2003,[139] and the area is now known as Cog Park.[140]
Miramar Wharf (1901)
Miramar Wharf is situated on the Miramar Peninsula at the head of Evans Bay. Miramar Wharf was funded by the Crawford family and built in 1901 by Neil McLean.[32]:177[108] In 1909–1910 the wharf was altered and extended, and at the same time a concrete seawall was built to the south and land reclaimed behind it.[142][143] Tram tracks were laid from the wharf through the newly created Miramar Cutting to the Miramar Gas Works so that coal could be unloaded more efficiently.[32]:178 The wharf was further lengthened in 1921. In November 2015 the wharf, now owned by CentrePort Wellington, was closed due to deterioration of the piles.[144]
In 1886, the Crown took over land at Shelly Bay for defence purposes and in the following years it became the site for an anti-submarine mine depot which included a wharf.[145][146] The wharf was extended in 1902.[147] In 1907, the base was transferred to the Royal Navy,[148] which constructed a new wharf. The wharf complex was expanded during World War II.[147] Ownership of the base including the wharf was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy after its creation in 1941 and then to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1946.[149]TEAL flying boats used the wharf in the 1950s.[147] The air force base closed in 1995 and since then parts of the wharf have rotted away through lack of maintenance.[148][149] Shelly Bay was the site of a proposed major residential development, but the project was cancelled in September 2023, and the land sold to Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.[150]
Burnham Wharf (1927)
Burnham Wharf is an oil wharf located near Miramar Wharf at the head of Evans Bay. It was built for the British Imperial Oil Company and opened in 1927.[151] The wharf is operated by CentrePort. Aviation fuel for Wellington Airport is delivered by ship to Burnham Wharf and is then piped to the airport.[152] The 2019 Wellington Lifelines Project reported that the wharf and the fuel infrastructure were reaching the end of their design lives and were both vulnerable in an earthquake.[153]:88
Flying boat jetty (1951)
Flying boat jetty, with Miramar peninsula in distance.
A small jetty was built at Evans Bay in 1951 to serve a short-lived international flying boat service, at what is now Cog Park.[154]
In the months before the jetty was constructed, passengers were transported by launch between the shore and the flying boats, but in 1951 the jetty was built and connected via a gangway to a floating U-shaped pontoon made of 124 large square steel tanks connected together and ballasted with water and oil.[155] The pontoon was 110 ft long and 74 ft wide. The flying boat service to Australia ended in 1954,[156] and in 1957 the 400-ton pontoon structure, known as a 'Braby pontoon', was winched on to land, dismantled and transported in pieces to Auckland by road and rail, to be reused by the Air Force at Hobsonville Air Base.[157]
In November 2023, Wellington City Council announced that it intended to repair the jetty. The project would cost $500,000, but an anonymous donor had agreed to pay about half of that cost. Some city councillors raised concerns about the spending, given the Council's difficult financial position at the time of the announcement. The work is expected to begin in March 2024 and take several months, but may be delayed if little penguins (kororā) are found at the site. Wellington City Council has asked the Department of Conservation for permission to relocate any penguins in the way of the project.[158] The jetty is not heritage-listed but the Council intends to give it some heritage protection after the repairs are completed.[158]
Entrance to Wellington Harbour
Mahanga Bay Wharf (1886 – 1962)
During the 1870s and 1880s there were fears of a Russian attack on New Zealand. Defensive measures were taken around the country, including construction of Fort Ballance which was built during 1885–1886 at Point Gordon above Mahanga Bay.[159]:9 Mahanga Bay Wharf was built in 1886 to support the fort.[160] Submarine mines were laid in the harbour. These could be detonated from the shore, so a tide gauge was erected at the wharf for accurate measuring of the depth of the water between the mines and a potential target vessel.[159]:14 A tramway was laid from the wharf to the fort in 1904, and the wharf was extended in 1906.[159]:16,27 Although the wharf was under military control, vessels taking the public on excursions were sometimes permitted to berth at the wharf.[161] After World War 2 the wharf became neglected and was a danger to the public, so the Harbour Board and Defence Department agreed to demolish it, and in 1962 divers from the Royal New Zealand Navy blew up the wharf.[159]:18
Seatoun Wharf (1901)
Seatoun Wharf
The Seatoun Roads Board was formed in 1880 to agitate for improved transport to Seatoun and promote development in the area. It helped build Seatoun Wharf, which opened in 1901.[32]:199 The main part of the wharf is 67m (220ft) long and the end, which bends to the left, is 30.5m (100ft) long.[32]:201 Ferries transported residents between Seatoun and Customhouse Quay in the city. Demand for travel by ferry collapsed after the Seatoun tunnel opened in 1908 and a tram service commenced. The ferry service ceased in 1913. From the 1990s, East by West ferries ran a service in the harbour that sometimes included stops at Seatoun.[162] In 2021 Wellington City Council closed the wharf for 18 months for major repairs,[163] and when it reopened East by West Ferries stated that they would no longer offer a service to Seatoun.[164] The ferry company cited "increased running costs, passenger volumes, and scheduling issues" as the reason for the cancellation, saying that only one of their boats was able to berth at Seatoun in all tides.[164]
Karaka Bay Wharf
Karaka Bay Wharf (1901)
Karaka Bay Wharf was built in 1901 by Neil McLean[108] for the Seatoun Roads Board, in an effort to encourage settlement in the area. Ferries took local people to and from the city, but after the Seatoun tunnel was built and trams came to the area, demand for the ferry decreased, and the ferry ceased operating in 1913. Apart from a brief period in the 1920s when ferries ran again, the wharf has not been used since except by people fishing and swimming.[32]:189 The wharf used to be about twice as long as it is today, with a wide platform at the end.[165] In 2002, the remaining section was damaged in a storm and needed major repairs.[32]:189 The wharf is managed by Wellington City Council.
Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt, a part of Wellington, New Zealand. Lying beside the sea, it is a popular local tourist destination via car from Petone or from ferry crossings from central Wellington. An outer suburb, it lies on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour, five kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area and directly across the harbour from the Miramar Peninsula in Wellington city. A narrow exposed coastal road connects it with the rest of Lower Hutt via the Eastern Bays and the industrial suburb of Seaview. It is named for Eastbourne in England, another seaside town known as a destination for day-trips.
Wellington Harbour, officially called Wellington Harbour / Port Nicholson, is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait. Central Wellington is located on parts of the western and southern sides of the harbour, and the suburban area of Lower Hutt is to the north and east.
Matiu / Somes Island is the largest of three islands in the northern half of Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. The island is 24.9 hectares in area, and lies 3 kilometres south of the suburb of Petone and the mouth of the Hutt River.
Te Motu Kairangi / Miramar Peninsula is a large peninsula on the southeastern side of the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It is located at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, in Wellington's eastern suburbs. According to Māori legend, it was formed when the taniwha Whaitaitai beached as he tried to escape the confines of the harbour. It contains the suburbs of Miramar, Seatoun, Strathmore Park, and Karaka Bays.
Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a natural bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational boating, including personal vessels and pleasure boats providing scenic or party cruises. Ferries travel from docks on the mainland to the Islands, and cargo ships deliver aggregates and raw sugar to industries located in the harbour. Historically, the harbour has been used for military vessels, passenger traffic and cargo traffic. Waterfront uses include residential, recreational, cultural, commercial and industrial sites.
Oriental Bay is a bay and suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Noted for being both a popular beach and a luxurious centre of affluence in the city, it is located close to the central business district on Wellington Harbour.
Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL), the successor to the Auckland Harbour Board, is the Auckland Council-owned company administering Auckland's commercial freight and cruise ship harbour facilities. As the company operates all of the associated facilities in the Greater Auckland area, this article is about both the current company and the ports of Auckland themselves.
Ferries within Wellington's harbour carry commuters and tourists on Wellington Harbour and form a part of the Wellington public transport system. They operate between central Wellington, Days Bay, Seatoun, and Matiu/Somes Island. Until 2016, services also ran to Petone on weekends. Historically they also served Lowry Bay and Rona Bay—the ferries belonged to the Eastbourne Borough Council from 1913 to 1950—and briefly, until 1913, Miramar and Karaka Bay. The development of road connections around the harbour's edge, particularly once they were paved during the 1920s, reduced the importance of ferries to the city's transport network, but regular services still run.
The Auckland waterfront is a city-side stretch of the southern Waitematā Harbour coastline in Auckland, New Zealand. Previously mostly dominated by Ports of Auckland uses, from the 2000s on it is becoming increasingly open to recreational public use, with a number of former wharves being converted to office, entertainment, and later also some residential uses.
Steeple Rock/Te Aroaro-o-Kupe is a large rock off Seatoun at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The rock plays a role in warning ships off the coast. It is the location of a marine light and an unbeaconed trig station.
The reclamation of Wellington Harbour started in the 1850s, in order to increase the amount of usable land for the then new City of Wellington. Land plots in the early city were scarce, with little room for public buildings and parks, as well as inadequate dockside areas for shipping. Reclamation progressively advanced into the harbour throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, providing room for public, commercial and industrial areas for the city. Large reclamations were made in the 1960s and '70s to meet the demands of container shipping and new cargo handling methods.
Seaview is an industrial suburb of the city of Lower Hutt, in Wellington, New Zealand. Situated on the eastern coast of the Hutt Valley, the suburb lies between Te Awa Kairangi / the Hutt River and Petone, and the bays of Eastbourne to the south. Seaview is a centre for bulk liquid fuel storage for the lower half of the North Island, and a site for heavy industry. It is also a base for support services for trucks and transportation businesses and the location of the wastewater treatment plant for drainage from the Hutt Valley. Seaview is home to the Port Road Drags, the longest-running street drag races in Australasia.
Queens Wharf is a concrete wharf in Auckland, New Zealand, that continues off Queen Street. It opened in 1913, replacing the Queen Street Wharf, a succession of wooden wharves first built in 1852. Queens Wharf was owned and used by Ports of Auckland until 2010.
Days Bay is a residential area in Lower Hutt in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is walled on three sides by steep bush-clad slopes. Most of its level land is occupied by Williams Park and an independent boys' primary school, originally a part of Williams Park. Wellington shipowner, J H Williams, bought land in Days Bay near the end of the 19th century to create custom for his smaller vessels, building a wharf and turning the bay into a sports and resort development for day-trippers and holiday-makers. Williams sold his interest in 1905 and the new owners split off building sites on unneeded land. The Eastbourne Borough Council bought the ferries in 1913 and the accommodation, Days Bay House, was sold to Wellington's Croydon School. The following year the Wellington City Council with central government support and public subscription bought the resort for the benefit of the public though without its accommodation and, in view of the large cash contribution by the founder's mother, named it Williams Park.
Evans Bay is a large bay at the southern end of Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. Located between the Miramar Peninsula and Hataitai, it was the site of New Zealand's first patent slip and served as Wellington's international flying-boat terminal from 1938 until 1956. It is named after George Samuel Evans, an early Wellington settler.
Wellington Harbour Board was the body which formerly managed the shipping and commercial affairs of the port of Wellington in New Zealand. It was constituted in 1880 and was disestablished in 1989.
Quay Street is the northernmost street in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand. The Auckland Ferry Terminal, which has ferries running to Devonport, Waiheke Island, and other places in Waitematā Harbour; the Hilton Auckland hotel; and Ports of Auckland are on the north side of the street. The Britomart Transport Centre, Queen Elizabeth Square and Grand Mercure Auckland hotel are on the south side.
The Evans Bay Patent Slip is a heritage site of the former patent slip located in Evans Bay, in Wellington Harbour in the North Island of New Zealand. The first slipway on the site was commissioned in May 1863 to enable maintenance of the hulls of small vessels. The Wellington Provincial Council was keen to encourage shipping trade by improving facilities in Wellington Harbour and began planning later in 1863 for the construction of a larger patent slip. A concession was granted for the supply, construction and operation of a patent slip on the site. Equipment for the new slip was delivered in 1865 and 1866, but construction was delayed for several years because of a contractual dispute concerning the suitability of the design for the ground conditions. The original suppliers lost a court case and withdrew from the project. The Wellington Patent Slip Company was formed to take over the assets, and construction began in 1871. The Patent Slip was officially opened in March 1873.
CentrePort Wellington (CentrePort) provides land and sea infrastructure and manages port facilities in Wellington Harbour in New Zealand. The company is the successor to the Wellington Harbour Board, and was formed as one of the outcomes of the 1989 local government reforms. This article is about both the company and the port.
Wellington Harbour is a large deep-water harbour which has been an important port for the movement of domestic and international passengers and freight, since the arrival of European immigrants in 1840. The city of Wellington overlooks the harbour, and many residents take a keen interest in activity on the water. Following is a list of notable visits to Wellington by a variety of vessels. This includes vessels which were the first of their kind, or famous in their own right, or economically or politically important or controversial. Such visits attracted hundreds of spectators and were widely discussed in media.
↑ "[untitled]". New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator. 20 March 1841. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "Map"(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
↑ "[untitled]". Oamaru Mail. 13 February 1878. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "[untitled]". New Zealand Mail. 3 February 1883. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "Accidents and offences". Wellington Independent. 9 August 1861 – via Papers Past. Accident to Plimmer's Wharf. — During the afternoon of the 16th July, the seaward half of this wharf suddenly fell into the water in consequence of some of the piles having given way. [...] Swinbournes Wharf. — This wharf being in a most dangerous condition, has been closed to the public, and the local steamers have lnow no wharf alongside which they can moor.
↑ "Chamber of Commerce". Wellington Independent. 11 March 1859. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "A veteran's reminiscences". New Zealand Times. 31 December 1897. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023– via Papers Past.
1 2 "Queens Wharf". Engineering New Zealand. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
↑ "Harbour Board Gates". wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz. 28 September 2017. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
↑ "[untitled]". Evening Post. 13 April 1897. p.5. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023– via Papers Past. Special attention is directed to the fact that from this date forward the steamers will leave the new Ferry Wharf at Waterloo-quay for the Bay in place of the Queen's Wharf.
↑ "Clyde Quay Wharf". Athfield Architects. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
↑ "[untitled]". Evening Post. 27 October 1911. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "Extending the Ferry Wharf". New Zealand Times. 21 November 1911. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2023– via Papers Past.
↑ "Lost at sea". Press. 28 September 1965 – via Papers Past.
↑ Misko Cubrinovski; Jonathan D. Bray; Christopher De La Torre; Michael J. Olsen; Brendon A. Bradley; Gabriele Chiaro; Emilia Stocks; Liam Wotherspoon (30 June 2017). "Liquefaction effects and associated damages observed at the Wellington CentrePort from the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake". Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. 50 (2): 152–173. doi:10.5459/BNZSEE.50.2.152-173. ISSN1174-9857. WikidataQ111719924.
↑ "[untitled]". New Zealand Mail. 1 February 1884. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
↑ "Our frozen meat trade". Evening Post. 27 January 1891. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2022– via Paperspast.
↑ "Wellington Harbour Board". New Zealand Mail. 5 March 1902. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2022– via Paperspast.
↑ "Petone wharf". The Dominion. 27 January 1909. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022– via Paperspast.
↑ Council, Hutt City (1 July 2022). "Petone Wharf Rebuild". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
↑ Calibre Consulting Ltd (19 May 2022). Petone Wharf future options [Report]. Wellington, New Zealand: Hutt City Council. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
1 2 Lawson, Michael; Latham, Dean; Kooistra, Barry; Mandeno, Willie (2003), "Seaview Wharf: A Concrete CP Case Study", Coasts & Ports 2003 Australasian Conference: Proceedings of the 16th Australasian Coastal and Ocean Engineering Conference, the 9th Australasian Port and Harbour Conference and the Annual New Zealand Coastal Society Conference, Institution of Engineers, Australia: [1077]–[1086], ISBN978-0-473-09832-2, archived from the original on 11 July 2023, retrieved 11 July 2023
↑ "Shelly Bay". Wellington City Council. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
↑ "Arrival of Major-General Edwards". Evening Post. 22 October 1889. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023– via Papers Past. The party [...] were landed at the wharf in Shelly Bay after a pleasant run of about 20 minutes.
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