Shifting sand A big-time project for Stead St
A massive amount of sand was mined in Otatara from 1910 onwards for a few years. It was used to build the embankment that became Stead St; but that has proved problematic as the fine sand is easily dislodged, leaving the rock wall in danger of collapse in extreme sea conditions. The recently completed sheet-piling has solved that problem.
The Otatara steam tram carried passengers between Invercargill and Otatara from 1908 to 1910 when it was converted as transport for estuary reclamation work.
The tramway went along Marama Ave South to Bryson Rd and most of the sand came from huge dunes at the Dunns Rd end of Marama Ave South which were mined down to the peat level, now going into housing.
The rock on the ocean side came from the old wharf at the Mokomoko Inlet.
No laughing matter
Plenty of vessels were lost in rough weather along the southwestern coast.
In January 1870 the brig Laughing Water, with a load of coal and already disabled by the effects of a gigantic storm, with shredded sails and splintered masts, struck an uncharted rock on the Fiordland south coast. Through good fortune only one life was lost.
Here is the captain’s account: ‘‘Land was sighted, 8 or 10 miles off, which was taken to be about Preservation Inlet, although, from having had no observation for the previous five days, through constant thick and rainy weather, we were not quite sure about it, when all hands were called to tack the vessel off the lane.
This was done, and she stood off till 10.16, going about 4 knots, when the ship struck violently on a sunken rock, staving the whole bow in at one blow. All hands rushed to get out the boats, but the ship was sinking so fast that only the smallest boat could be launched.
There was barely time to get all hands in her before the ship sank in from 11 to 12 fathoms of water. Mrs Gibson (the captain’s wife) and her child, aged 4 years, had to leave their berth clad only in their night dresses, while several of the crew were equally unprepared for the emergency.
Fifteen persons in all entered the boat – which was only 17ft, keel and square stern – a heavy sea running at the time.
The first idea was to pass through
Foveaux Straits to the Bluff, but, sighting a clump of rocks off Paihi point, they pulled in to seek shelter between them and the mainland. After searching a while a sandy beach was found, and the boat run ashore, and not before it was time, as the men were nearly exhausted with the 17 hours’ exposure and hard rowing.
The steward, H Davis, had steered the boat all the time with a piece of board torn off the floor. Davis and two other men then started, at 4pm, to seek assistance and shortly fell in with Mr Durbridge’s station. This gentleman immediately supplied food to all, and clothing to Mrs Gibson and child, and then took them to his house, where they remained until Monday, when they proceeded to Riverton overland.’’
Training vessel
The first visit to Southland by a sailing vessel for trainee sailors was at Christmas 1907 when the Amokura called at Bluff and Stewart Island.
Amokura was a training ship, formerly the HMS Sparrow, and between 1907 and 1921 over 500 boy cadets spent 18 months aboard before joining the navy or merchant service.
They were paid a penny a day for their first year aboard, then tuppence a day.