Motorised engine arrives in the south in 1912
The attitude that mudflats were unsightly and should be converted to dry land was prevalent in New Zealand and in an effort to speed up the reclamation of the estuary, cord grass was planted in 1932.
Cord grass or spartina is a vigorous hybrid grass, very efficient at trapping mud and seaweed and allowing pasture grasses to spread across what had been open mudflat.
More than a thousand spartina plants were established in rows in the estuary adjacent to Stead St, Invercargill, and measurements taken in the 1940s showed that an average of 19cm of land was built up in five years and by 1990 the eastern margin of the estuary resembled a field of wheat.
We belatedly recognised the value of open mudflats for rapid drainage of floodwaters and as a productive feeding area for birds and a breeding area for fish, and spartina has been eliminated.
After much experimentation it was found that repeated helicopter spraying with a grass-specific herbicide was the answer.
Fox farming
In 1934 in one of its least enlightened moments, the Southland Acclimatisation Society discussed the possibility of fox farming on the subantarctic islands.
One of the speakers said concerning the silver foxes, ‘‘I do not know if they are carnivorous or herbaceous animals but I understand they are farmed and penned in enclosures and I am sure that there are places in the Auckland Islands where such enclosures could be placed, or the smaller detached islands could be used. The subantarctic conditions of the weather in Canada are more severe than the subantarctic conditions of the Auckland Islands. The main features in dealing with farming the furbearing animals would be the cost in transport and getting suitable people to live there. One great thing that will be favourable these days is wireless which will help in a great way to overcome that feeling of isolation.’’
Auckland Island is the last of the subantarctic islands with introduced mammals – cats, mice and pigs, but mercifully not foxes as well.
Motorised engine
Invercargill’s first motorised fire engine was a thornycroft which arrived in Invercargill in 1912.
The Southland Times of January 16, that year, gave the details, ‘‘A 30 horsepower, four cylinder thornycroft motor fire engine, with chemical hose, nozzle, and service complete, at a cost of £839 15s.’’ It was built in Christchurch.
‘‘Superintendent Hamilton, of the Invercargill Fire Brigade, says that the motor will be similar to the three which have been found so successful in Christchurch, but will be about a foot longer. The motor will be fitted at the rear with two large chemical cylinders each with a capacity of 35 gallons. With these is a drum of hose 180 feet in length which can be used at any distance without unrolling the whole drum. When the chemical is exhausted the cylinders can be attached to a hydrant, and water can be used through the same hose. In addition the motor will carry about 700 feet of the ordinary hose.’’ It had a crew of eight.
The motor is capable of a speed of 30 miles per hour, and is fitted with a siren, whose weird shrieks will be sufficient to clear a track in view of the great speed which may have to be obtained.’’