Architect of track building
One of life’s great teachers and stalwarts of track building in New Zealand, Roye Hammond, who has died aged 99, was a true Kiwi icon. The Milford Track may have been known as ‘‘the finest walk in the world’’ since the turn of the century, but it was under Roye’s watchful guidance that he, the next generation of track maintenance staff, and all those to follow, made the Milford Track we know and love today.
For more than 45 years, he gave New Zealand his grit, determination and good old Kiwi knowhow as he helped create a legacy in the outdoors.
Roye’s work in the Southland region began in
1971, when he came south from his home in Pukekohe to start work at
Pompoloma Hut in
Fiordland as trackman and guide.
After four seasons there, he took up work as a trackman at the Boatshed on the Arthur Valley side of the Milford Track for a season where he became track foreman.
It was during this time he worked with both the Tourist Hotel Corporation and the Fiordland National Park track staff to get a combined track maintenance plan going.
The two identities looked after two separate sections of the track – this was not a great success at the time.
But after the
Department of
Conservation took over all track maintenance in the
1990s, Roye’s vision did come to fruition.
Roye also worked at all the independent walker huts from 1979 to 1986.
Then for the following 19 years he returned to supervise the conservation volunteers and train young track staff on the subtle art of improving the track walking surface.
Thousands and thousands of hours, sweat and resolve went in to improving drainage and resurfacing the track centre. If it sounds unglamorous work, it’s because it is.
Nevertheless Roye broke up tons of rock with his spauling hammer, built cut-outs, protected and built up track edges and bridge supports, and got rid of trip hazards.
His last walk along the Milford Track – just to check we were still doing it right – took place in his 95th year. He returned for the track’s 125th celebrations, spending five days just being in his old haunts, and passing on advice to all.
He died on Wednesday, April 11, just three months shy of his 100th birthday, having packed into his life as much as could be conceivably thrown at it.
He’ll be forever remembered for his work as the architect of New Zealand track building, and for those who knew him, we’ll never forget the part in our lives he had.
The architect of New Zealand track building – what a legacy to leave. Track builder b August 1918 d April 11, 2018
– By Ken Bradley, former DOC worker