OAMARU HARBOUR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19473, 7 May 1925, Page 2

OAMARU HARBOUR.

FIFTY YEARS’ ANNIVERSARY. Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Rab Net. Among the events worthy of record in some almanacs for 1925 is the simple announcement : “May 6 —Oamaru breakwater opened, 1875.” Though Oamaru had many make-shift arrangements prbir to that for dealing with sea-borne traffic, it is 50 years ago since the official opening took place of what may be dignified a harbour, for then the inhabitants of the infant town gathered at the newly-completed Macandrew wharf to witness the opening ceremony of that adjunct to the town’s trade requirements. Mr James Macandrew was the Superintendent of Otago at the time, and it was out of compliment to that gentleman that the name was given to the now wharf. Half a century ago Oamaru was but a collection of houses few and far between. The architecture of the structures and the appearance of the town and streets were of a very primitive character, and but a poor caricature of the stately buildings and attractively laid-out town and planted streets that now give dignity and beauty to the “White Stone City.” Work a-plenty had been going on for the two decades prior to the chapter of history taken up in this narrative. With a spirit of unfailing hope and resolute endeavour the pioneers had taken up the challenge metrically expressed by a rhymstcr of 1858, Mr J. Barr, of Craigielee, who in the Otago Witness of that year, under date August 21, unburdened himself thus: There’s work enough to do, boys, And that same work Is rongh, There’s ploughing und there’s ditching, Prom Waitaki to the Bluff. There’s shepherding and shoemaking. There’s splitting posts and rails, There’s threshing by the bushel. Both by bullocks and by flails. The preliminary manifestations of the desire of Oamaru to get into touch with outside markets wore evidenced by discussions and meetings before the sixties; that concrete form was eventually given to the desire may be learned on reference to Mr W. H. S. Roberts’s “History of Oamaru.” to which I am indebted for most of the facts herein recorded. One passage says, under date April 28, 1858: “Tenders are invited from persons willing to take charge of the shifting ways, boat and other Government property being placed at Oamaru; conditions of lease to bo seen at Superintendent’s office.’’ Later in the year, the Provincial Government had erected a largo derrick or crane on top of the cliff at the south-west corner of the bay, above the landing place, by which goods were raised or lowered from or to the surf boats, as the vessels wore being loaded or discharged. | But the working of the vessels in the open roadstead was attended by many difficulties, and when the storms burst in their fury over the bay extreme danger was faced. A visitor, describing the drawbacks of that remote period, indicates that they were frequently relieved by incidents that were very ludicrous. When the paddle steamer Geelong was discharging her cargo and passengers into the surf boats on the seaside there was a horse to bo landed. The owner had gone out with a boat, and the horse was attached to the end of a long rope, while the owner in the boat took charge of the other end. The horse was then lo vered into the water to ho towed ashore. As soon as it touched water the ' spirt of perversity entered its head and, turning its eyes to the horizon, it immediately struck out for it. The owner at the • other end of the rope for a time experienced all the thrills of following in the wake of a harpooned whale before the horse turned shoreward and swam to safety. By the year 1865 the shipping business had increased to such an extent that the Government deemed a jetty necessary, and a tender for £7OOO for its construction was accepted. By 1867 the jetty was an accomplished fact, but a well-grounded fear that it would fall a prey to “the rude imperi-’ ous surge,’’ as did six vessels during the same year along Oamaru beach, led to an agitation for a breakwater to protect the jetty. But before the movement for tho additional structure crystallised into action tho jetty, which cost £IO,OOO, came to an inglorious end, for in 1869 a terrific storm scattered it piecemeal along the beach. Tho harbour authorities were discouraged but not dismayed, and considered what to do next, as-did Dick Swivoller under an accumulation of staggers. At that time there was a strong party in favour of a harbour at Moeraki, and, as a salve to Oamaru a railway was suggested to servo the town’s needs for shipping her produce and obtaining her supplies. But Oamaru, as tho site for an up-to-date harbour, found most favour and ultimately prevailed. The town, was in tho heydey of her youth; the alluring possibilities of tho district led to a most pronounced spirit of optimism, but this was not always companiod by p.rudonee. Visionary views of a great city, throbbing with the hum of factories and carrying a large population, fed the fancy of many. This prompted tho town to embaik on works of a colossal nature-; tho harbour and town water supply, being tho greatest and most costly, hung like millstones round the nock of the district for decades. But all’s well that ends well. Tho water works fulfilled admirably tho purpose for which they wore intended, and in addition —a- thing undreamt of by its originators—have now been utilised for generating electrical power for industrial and lighting purposes at a very moderate rate Tho harbour was a sink for money .for many years, but through tho consolidation of the loans, the negotiation of a new loan on advantageous terms, and other moans, in which Sir Joseph Ward assisted with special legislation, tho finances of the board are much better. At a send-off tendered to the chairman (Mr R. Milligan) a year ago on his trip Home it was stated that when he came to the board 19 years ago the indebtedness of that body totalled the huge sum of £380,400, which had now been, by the measures mentioned, reduced to £162,165, and a nest-egg of some £30,000 was in hand for improvements to the harbour whereby deeper water may be secured for deep-sea steamers. The pioneers of those days were never daunted by difficulties t«/ the extent their successors sometimes are. Their meetings were not all at decoious ns those of today. .Indeed, tho veracious chronicler of Oamaru’s ups and downs between 50 and 60 years ago records the demeanour of one august body, which -may be taken aa indicative of most of the deliberations of those far-off days: “The meetings were on the whole very enjoyable; a comfortable room, a bright fire burning in the grate, tho whisk) was, as a rule, tairiy good, and the cares of office sat lightly on each member. The meetings at the beginning were usually solemn, then argumentative, by and by—well not exactly inarticulate, and next, no, not drunk, but when the meeting broke up each had a 'wee drapple in his e’e.’ ” But the townspeople, despite meetings being rendered somewhat argumentative and combative in an atmosphere more moist than prevailing to-day, succeeded' In getting big works commenced and carried through to a triumphant issue. Fiftythree years ago pressure on the powers that be resulted in the North Otago District Public' Works Loan, 1872, being passed empowering the Colonial Treasurer to borrow £70,000 at per cent, for works in tho district; among the items being tho sum of £24,000 for Oamaru haroour. Before tho end of 1873 the contractors for the breakwater (Messrs Peyman and Walkoni) had run the concrete wall out a considerable distance from the shore. The Dock Trust, of Oamaru, which had been entrusted with the carrying out of the work comprised; Messrs John M'Lean, Henry John Miller, William Jukes Steward. Alexander M'Mastcr, James Hassell, John Lemon, John Campbell Gilchrist, John Stubbs Wait (the Mayor), and Thomas Forrester (tho secretary). Good reasons for expediting the work were that five Wrecks took place at Oamaru and two more at Allday Bay the same year (1873). The following year 3Coft of breakwater had been completed, while parallel with it Macandrew wharf, a concrete structure, was m process of construction. On May 6, 1875, this wharf was officially opened, and the harbour was an established fact, though the protecting oreakwatcr was not completed till 1878. A further extension was made in 1879 by Messrs ..Miller and SmiTlie. 1110 aim of the hoard to get a depth of 17ft within the basin prompted it to procure a dredge, and the Progress, as she was named, did good work for many years. The dredge was provided by Davidson and Conyers at a cost of £12,000. Later a nibble mole was run out from the western shore, making a complete enclosure, save for a 600 ft entrance) of 60 acres in extent. Tiie harbour works are of massive construction, oven judging by the standards of to-day. The breakwater totals 1850 feet .in length, is 36 feet in width, and 32 feet in height. It is built of concrete blocks

weighing from 20 to 25 tons each and capped with masses of solid concrete, each section or mass weighing 150 to 200 tons. Three immense monoliths, each weighing some SCO tons, complete the north end, and were put in position in 1884. The mole running from the shore is of rubble rock and has a length of 1600 feet. After half a century this Oamaru breakwater still spurns back the onslaughts of the foamy battery, and if at times it is submerged under a mass of spume and spray il still lifts its head in triumph, proclaiming the stability of its construction. Much in condemnation of the shortsightedness of the members of the original Harbour Trust, many of whom could not emtasa steamers of the calibre and depth of the Geelong, of 108 tons register, measuring 12t'eot, tile Samson, Beautiful Star, Maori, and other vessels drawing up to 12 feet, being superseded by steamers of the huge dimensions of today, has been indulged in, but let us be charitable in our judgment of the pioneers when we remember how few can accurately prophesy the next vicissitude in the steady, onward moving march of change. Captain Sowell, who arrived from Port Chalmers in October, 1860, with a staff to operate a surf-boat service, who was a couple of years later appointed Beach Master by the Government, and who subsequently became the town’s first harbourmaster, more expert and far-seeing than his laymen masters, urged the building of the breakwater further out where could be obtained the deeper water, which time would demonstrate as an absolute necessity for the accommodation of vessels of deep draught, but the Harbour Trust turned to the captain’s advice inattentive and incredulous ears, and Oamaru has had reason to regret the disregard paid to his views on the subject Now, 1 after half a century—of success alternating with periods- of adversity—the hoard is contemplating carrying out in the near future of some measures for redeeming the mistake made by its old-time predecessors. A sum totalling nearly £30,000 is on hand, and. when it has grown larger, a scheme designed to accommodate vessels of greater depth than can be worked in the harbour at present will be carried out. which will mean that the breakwater will undergo some structural alterations of an important nature. The original plans for the breakwater and harbour works wore prepared by Mr John M‘Gregor, C.E., of Dunedin, who was selected by the Harbour Trust for the position of engineer. It was a modification of these plans that was carried out by the contractors.