MOLESWORTH MEMORIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1932, Page 21

MOLESWORTH MEMORIAL

INTENDED FOR BEACON

Varii.us suggestions were made about fifty years ago as to what use should be made of the Molesworth Memorial, a cast-iron obelisk oSft high, weighing 00 tons, sent out from England by the Molesworth family to be erected on Pencarrow Head (which was named after the Molesworth estate in England), but not used for that purpose. It is interesting to note the steps that -were taken with a view to selecting a site on which the memorial could be erected.

Barrett's Reef, close to which Captain Cook anchored on 2nd November, 1773, was the danger of which i,fc was hoped the establishment of-a light at the harbour entrance would warn-ships, and with the object of further marking this reef, Captain Johnson, of the Marino Department, made an examination on 11th May, 1870. In company with the harbourmaster, he visited the outer rock at half-tide when the weather was fine, with a light south-east wind blow-

ing. He reported that -while there two or three rollers came well over the rock, thereby showing that any work done must be carried out in the summer when the prevailing wind was from the north-west. ■ The rock measured above water at half-tide about 30ft by IS or 20 feet, and the highest point was about 9ft above water. It was rather shaken, and had an irregular top, and lie considered there would probably be no difficulty in • erecting the ' Molesworth Memorial on it. VARIOUS SITES PROPOSED. This report seems to have been the outcome of- representations made in March, 1870, to have the memorial shifted from Pcaree's yard (now the site of Levin's Building) as a search was then being made for a suitable site ou which the memorial could be erected as a beacon. Sites which were suggested were Barrett's Reef, Rangitoto lleef (Auckland Harbour) and later on the point in Queen Charlotte Sound upon which the Penguin had struck, so that the latter point'might be distinguished from Bieffenbach Point. It had been impossible to ascertain who was the actual- owiier of the memorial at the moment. Mr. Bowler, from whom Mr. Pearce had taken over the business in 1858, could say nothing at that time beyond that it had been sent out some years previously by the Molesworth family.for the purpose stated above. In order to clear it from his yard Mr. Pearce sold it to the Government. CITY COUNCIL WORRIED. Bj' 1879 the memorial was a source of annoyance to the City Council, as, after being removed from' Pearce's yard it lay for some time on "tho reclaimed land." -After several representations from the council, which was anxious to kerb, channel, and metal Fcatherston street, between Mill's and Pert's (presumably where the Broadcasting Board's rooms are now located), it was shifted to the back of the present C4overnmeht Buildings. The suggestion of placing it on the outer rock of Barrett's Beef was again put forward, but the decision that it was not suitable for the purpose, together with the fact that the cost was considered too great, settled the question of using it as a beacon. Shortly after this the Colonial Secretary was urged to have the monument erected in the grounds of Government Buildings or some other, suitable Bite. "EASE TOR TIME BALL. Three .sites wcro put forward as suitablo, namely: In the Government Buildings grounds at the corner of Whitmore street and .Featherston street (where the old telephone exchange building stands); the north end of Cambridge terrace near Courtenay place and' Majorlbanks street;, and the end of Fitzherbert' terrace, near Hobsou street. Here the matter rested for a, time until, according to "The New Zealand Times" of 18th October, 18S2, a deputation urged that tho monument bo erected on the Featherston and Whitmore streets corner and used as the foundation for a time ball. This proposal, however, was condemned by tho harbourmaster, who considered that with future buildings and reclamation works, the time ball would not be visible to shipping. What eventually was the fate of tho memorial seems to have been forgotten, and, although it has been stated that the drinking fountain near tho Basin Reserve is tho Molesworth Memorial, this is not correct, as.the memorial was of quite a different description. Perhaps some reader may know (ho true history of the monument at the Basin Reserve, which has sometimes been called a Wakefield as well as a Moleawortlx memorial.