The Tug ‘Lyttelton’ Preservation Society is a non-profit organisation whose aims and objects are to restore and maintain the vintage steam Tug ‘Lyttelton’ in working order, to promote public interest in the vessel and make it possible for passengers to travel on it by means of public cruises and chartered voyages.
The tug Lyttelton and her engines were built in Scotland in 1907 by Fergusson brothers Ltd. of Glasgow, and was sailed out to Lyttelton through the Suez canal which had only recently been opened.
You can visit the official Lyttelton website by Clicking Here!
This was quite a distressing page for me to produce, as I believe this ship was in salvageable condition. Having been involved in a failed attempt to save her and bring her back to New Zealand in 2003, I was really upset to find she had been cut up. Only the Wheelhouse and machinery have been saved for future preservation.
An x-ray of her hull five years ago, found her to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately, due to the prohibitive costs of chartering one of the dockwise transport ships, all plans to bring her back to more friendly waters had to be abandoned.
Built by Lobnitz and Co in 1939 she was similar to the W C Daldy in many ways. Her engines were slightly less powerful, rated at 750 shaft hp each.
Another kick in the teeth is the fact that she was scrapped on the hundredth anniversary of her sister ship,
the Steam Tug Lyttelton, which is preserved and available for charter in Christchurch.
More Information about this vessel can be found here. Thanks a lot Melbourne, your really committed to preservation! You could have offered some of the scrap money you made to the Steam Tug Lyttelton in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It once pumped two million gallons from Western Springs every day, but for the past 80 years Motat”s beam engine has lain unused and rusting.
On Saturday 19th April, the engine was started again and the public were treated to an authentic piece of history in motion.
Former Prime Minister and Local MP Helen Clark opening the restored working pumphouse
Volunteers including engine enthusiasts from all over Auckland have dedicated hundreds of hours to bringing the engine back to life.
Steam section manager Ken Pointon has led the project.
An engine fitter and turner by trade, Mr Pointon says getting the engine working again has been very rewarding.
“No one ever really thought it would go again, but we decided bugger it. It”s a national treasure of New Zealand, we”re lucky it”s still here.”
Built in Scotland in 1877, the engine was shipped to New Zealand in pieces and assembled at Western Springs, where it has stayed ever since.
Click on movie above to play
Chief engineer Mike Austin says the pumphouse is now Motat”s oldest building.
“This building is the reason Motat is here.”
During it”s 51 years of use, it was the city”s main water supply, pumping water to reservoirs in Ponsonby, Mt Eden and Khyber pass.
It was decommissioned in 1928 after the dam at Waitakere took over as the main water supply.
It has become the biggest operational beam engine in the southern hemisphere.
Mr Pointon says it has been a huge task to restore it completely as parts of the machine had seized solid, requiring hours of piping and plumbing work.
Other work has included rebuilding valve spindles and installing a new cooling tower.
As for actually pumping water again, Mr Austin is optimistic.
Mike Austin with the Scotch Boiler that supplies steam for the pumphouse and the various other engines he maintains!
He says the next phase of work after the open day will hopefully see a pump hooked on to the engine but for now it is “one miracle at a time.”
In the most recent test run in December last year, the engine was able to sound Motat”s steam horn for the first time in 80 years.
Motat”s marketing and events co-ordinator Bridgette Johansen says it was exciting to hear the horn blow.
“People came running out of their offices all around Motat to see what was happening.”
Miss Johansen says they hope to spread some of their enthusiasm to the public on the open day.
“It”s getting people excited about history while tying in a quintessential piece of history, especially kids.”
Mr Pointon says there is a huge educational story behind the engine and the way water pumps work.
“Kids today just turn on a tap and see water come out.
“They don”t know how it got there.”
Miss Johansen says Motat”s April school holiday programme will also centre around water and steam.
The open day was a steam celebration day featuring a Victorian theme.
There were no fireworks, no tugs jetting their water plumes skywards.
There was little sign that an era in New Zealand’s maritime history was
drawing to a close.
At a little after 2200 hours tonight, Cunard’s iconic QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
slipped her moorings in Auckland, New Zealand and bade farewell for the
last time. An era had come to an end.
Three blasts of the ship’s siren was greeted with rapturous cheers from
the crowds of ordinary Aucklanders who turned out to say goodbye to the
Grand Old Lady of the Oceans.
But sadly, apart from an assembled flotilla of maybe half a dozen small
ferries, the preserved vintage steam tug William C. Daldy and just a
handful of private pleasure craft, her departure was a big non-event.
If it had not been for the hoards of “Joe Public” who had braved the
steadily building North-East winds and the operators of the commercial
vessels on the harbour (well done Fullers Ferries and WC Daldy
Preservation Trust!!), the Auckland City Council and Ports of Auckland
did nothing to mark the city’s ending of it’s association (an
association which began way back on 14 February 1978) with the ship
which has become, arguably, the most famous on the planet.
A moment in New Zealand maritime history which could have been built
into a spectacular celebration was completely ignored. She was just
another cruise ship moving out to make way for the next due tomorrow.
It is little wonder why the growth in numbers and sheer size of the
modern cruiseships is extolled in such passionate terms by port
company, business leaders and council. It seems to boil down to one
thing……. a desperation for tourist dollars. But surely the need to
draw in these much needed and welcomed funds should be balanced with a
perception of occasion and history. After all, we Kiwis do pride
ourselves and boast to the world that we are such a sea-loving nation.
No doubt the thousands who lined the city’s waterfront and East Coast
Bays think likewise.
QE2…………from the people of Auckland, “Thanks for the memories”.
Posted in General News on December 22nd, 2007 by Webmaster
5:00AM Saturday December 22, 2007
By Wayne Thompson
Cars can no longer park on Devonport Wharf.
Vehicles have been banned from one of the most popular spots for fishing and sight-seeing on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour, the Devonport Wharf.
North Shore City Council yesterday closed the 80-year-old wharf to vehicles, pending an engineering investigation of the concrete structure and repairs.
“We are keeping vehicles off as a public safety precaution on engineering advice,” said the council’s group manager for transport infrastructure, Phil Consedine.
He said there was concern about the state of repair of the wharf’s deck and its ability to take the weight of up to 40 vehicles at once, including trucks serving the vintage steam tug William C Daldy, which is berthed there.
“People can still fish there, there’s no danger. It’s just they can’t drive on.”
He said general structural repairs had to be done but the extent of the work and its cost would not be known until after a review in the New Year.
The wharf, which is known as Victoria Wharf, is separate to the ferry wharves and was built by the former Auckland Harbour Board in steel-reinforced concrete.
The council acquired the wharf in 2002 with the ferry wharves, and says the structure has deteriorated rapidly in recent years.
Investigations next month will determine whether it can be repaired or should be demolished.
The trust, which runs the tug, will continue to use the berth and is making alternative arrangements for loading supplies and coal.
Devonport resident and city councillor Chris Darby said he was alarmed by such a drastic requirement
and concerned that councillers were not alerted to the wharf’s poor condition earlier.
“It’s a busy recreational wharf … and we are heading into the peak recreation season,” he said.
“The wharf is also used for parking for wharf shops and overflow parking for ferry commuters.”
The council said there was enough parking in the immediate vicinity for the displaced vehicles,
and no further consideration or action was intended.
This could be a blessing in disguise providing the Ports Of Auckland can supply a more suitable berth for the tug. Devonport is hardly ideal with a 5 – 6 knot rip, it’s harsh exposure to ferry wakes and inaccessability for coaling, volunteers who live south of the bridge and passengers!
Have your say and contact us about this issue below!
