Golden Oldies of New Zealand

[kookaburra]

New Zealand's rich maritime heritage throws up some wonderful images, and I thought it would be good to create a venue here to show some of them occasionally.

I think the second 'sail' image of the Garthsnaid in the 1920s may be well-known - I see it offered as a days of sail poster in various places, but it comes from the National Library of New Zealand's public photostream here.

The third dramatic coastal landscape pic of HMS New Zealand was offered by Terry, and I'll message him to delete it as a duplication from the personal chat item on 'Shore Leave' where he kindly sent it to me. This seems a good place for it.

And lastly, a somewhat more recent, perhaps not quite a real 'oldie' - HMS Indefatigible in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1945.

Anyway, this is meant to be a 'seed' post, and I hope we'll find many others.

[astraltrader]

Thanks Jeff - I will see if I can find some other postcards to add to this thread.

[kookaburra]

An oldie: care and maintenance at HMNZS Philomel, the Devonport Naval Base and dockyard in Auckland. The grass grows something fierce over there in EnZed I hear.

[kookaburra]

Always a sad, but somehow intriguing sight: the Isles Class trawler and auxiliary minesweeper, HMNZS Sanda, RNZN 1941-46, lies in a breakers yard awaiting her fate. Taken about 1970. Of 740 tons full load, in her naval heydey she had a complement of 40, and was armed with a single 12 pounder, three Oerlikons and DCs.

Looks like another one astern of her.

[kookaburra]

A photograph of the paddle-steamer NZ colonial gunboat Rangariri [to right of picture] at a place called Ngaruawaha in 1863, during the Maori Wars.
I wish I could tell you some more about this photo with its frontier feeling, but I cannot.

[BAROONA]

Always a sad, but somehow intriguing sight: the Isles Class trawler and auxiliary minesweeper, HMNZS Sanda, RNZN 1941-46, lies in a breakers yard awaiting her fate. Taken about 1970. Of 740 tons full load, in her naval heydey she had a complement of 40, and was armed with a single 12 pounder, three Oerlikons and DCs.

Looks like another one astern of her.

its more like late 1950s, early 1960s

[Woodbutcher]

Re Kookaburra's earlier photo,
Grass maintaintenance at HMNZS Philomel should be headed:-
" NZ Prime Minister, Don Key, assisting Naval Rating preparing Navy sport field, prior to Base Main Gate construction"

[RANFAN]

New Zealand's rich maritime heritage throws up some wonderful images, and I thought it would be good to create a venue here to show some of them occasionally.

I think the second 'sail' image of the Garthsnaid in the 1920s may be well-known - I see it offered as a days of sail poster in various places, but it comes from the National Library of New Zealand's public photostream here.

The third dramatic coastal landscape pic of HMS New Zealand was offered by Terry, and I'll message him to delete it as a duplication from the personal chat item on 'Shore Leave' where he kindly sent it to me. This seems a good place for it.

And lastly, a somewhat more recent, perhaps not quite a real 'oldie' - HMS Indefatigible in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1945.

Anyway, this is meant to be a 'seed' post, and I hope we'll find many others.


Very interesting photos,

The 1st photo of the man of war merchant/ whaler which is beached in what appears to be 1902 on the image has anyone more info on what it would have been used for and what is that windmill contraption is?

[Old Salt]

I can find no reference to the 'Chance' in the 'Shipwrecks of NZ', recognised as the authority on this subject . One can only presume from the remarks on the photo that she was beached and broken up.

The 'windmill' ... I have no idea but if last used as a whaler. perhaps it was something to do with processing the whales ? Just a guess.

Brian

[Old Salt]

A photograph of the paddle-steamer NZ colonial gunboat Rangariri [to right of picture] at a place called Ngaruawaha in 1863, during the Maori Wars.
I wish I could tell you some more about this photo with its frontier feeling, but I cannot.

I have come across some interesting details about the river gunboat 'Rangariri' used in the Wikato River during the Maori Wars.
Source : The New Zealand Wars. A History etc. by James Cowan, F.R.G.S.

From below sketch of Rangariri (below) p.311'

The New Zealand Government's iron gunboats “Koheroa” and “Rangiriri” were constructed at Sydney by P. N. Russell and Co. from designs by Mr. James Stewart, C.E., of Auckland, who was sent to Sydney to superintend the work. A correspondent gave the following description of the “Rangiriri” in 1864: “This boat, which can turn easily in the space of a little more than her own length, may follow the bendings of such a river as the Waikato in its narrowest part, and may either be used as a steam-tug, towing flats for the conveyance of troops, or may be armed with guns at each of the singular-looking portholes [embrasures] which are closed with folding-doors in the middle of the lower deck; while the bulwarks on each side are pierced with twenty or thirty loopholes for rifle shooting, and the covered platform or tower amidships will afford cover to a number of men whose fire commands the river and its banks. The paddle-wheel is placed astern of the vessel so as to take up less room. The first of these gunboats, the ‘Koheroa,’ was built in less than six weeks after Messrs. Russell got the contract.” Both vessels were sent in sections to New Zealand and put together at Port Waikato.

From text p.311

Later in the war two stern-wheel iron gunboats, called the “Koheroa” and the “Rangiriri” were procured in Sydney, and were brought over in sections and put together at the Government's dockyard and stores depot at Putataka, Port Waikato. The high bulwarks of each steamer were pierced for rifle-fire, and there was a gun-position on the lower deck amidships. The “Koheroa” on one occasion towards the close of the campaign went up the Waikato River as far as a point near the present town of Cambridge.

Without this river flotilla General Cameron could not have carried on the Waikato campaign. The gunboats and the troops they carried enabled him to outflank the Maori positions at Meremere and Rangiriri, to capture Ngaruawahia unopposed, and to keep his army fed and equipped on the Waipa Plain. It was the great water-road into the heart of the country, Waikato's noble canoe highway, that gave the British troops command of the Kingite territory and prepared the way for the permanent European occupation.

[Tizme]

My Father served on HMNZS Sanda 4 June 43 till 11 Feb 44 as an ERA.

This tattered and now laminated photo is from his album and shows HMNZS Sanda in her prime.

I also have a couple of group photos from his earlier service as Ord. Signalman (Feb 42 to Apr 43) with names on the back. One looks like his Intake group.
If someone can point me to the right location to post them, they may be of interest to others here.

[buster185]

Hi Tizme, great picture of the Sanda. I just looked up her history on the RNZN Museum website which makes very interesting reading. It says that when she was sold off as surplus she was used as a 'shingle bin'. Any idea what that is?? or any of our other Forum Members have any idea??
Regards
Buster

[Tizme]

No idea, but sounds a bit like she ended up in a breakwater or something perhaps?

[Old Salt]

Hi guys

I think you are a bit mixed up there.

HMNZS SANDA At wars end a shortage of coal prevented her from clearing the Hauraki Gulf minefields; she was paid off in February 1946, and placed in reserve. Sanda was declared surplus in 1957 and broken up in Auckland in 1958

HMNZS HINAU , a Castle class minesweeper, was sold in 1955 to be used as a breakwater at Kaiaua in the Firth of Thames, NZ., where she remains (2007).

I acknowledge that photos 1 & 3 came from previous posts by other members of this forum

Brian

[patroclus]

Hi Tizme, great picture of the Sanda. I just looked up her history on the RNZN Museum website which makes very interesting reading. It says that when she was sold off as surplus she was used as a 'shingle bin'. Any idea what that is?? or any of our other Forum Members have any idea??
Regards
Buster

Just to muddy the waters a little, one usually reliable source has SANDA in Reserve 1946, then into commercial service in 1958 where she survived until 1970. Perhaps the latter period was as a "shingle bin" which may be related to storage or transport of shingle. The hull was apparently broken up in 1970.

[Tizme]

An oldie: care and maintenance at HMNZS Philomel, the Devonport Naval Base and dockyard in Auckland. The grass grows something fierce over there in EnZed I hear.

A 1944 book on HMNZS Philomel I have here mentions the donkey and devotes several paragraphs to it, including the fact that "Strong endeavours were made to persuade him to work for his keep by hauling the lawnmower on the recreational ground, but at best he was a temperamental worker....."

[Old Salt]

Just to muddy the waters a little, one usually reliable source has SANDA in Reserve 1946, then into commercial service in 1958 where she survived until 1970. Perhaps the latter period was as a "shingle bin" which may be related to storage or transport of shingle. The hull was apparently broken up in 1970.

Well spotted patroclus ! ;) Thanks for the heads up. After further review I find :

At wars end a shortage of coal prevented her from clearing the Hauraki Gulf minefields; she was paid off in February 1946, and placed in reserve. Sanda was declared surplus in 1957 and sold for demolition in Auckland in 1958. In 1959 her hull was towed to the Kawau Island area for use as a shingle bin. It was towed back to Auckland in May 1970 and broken up.

[patroclus]

We're still left looking for a reliable definition of a "shingle bin" - my version was only a guess.

[Old Salt]

We're still left looking for a reliable definition of a "shingle bin" - my version was only a guess.

Modern ' shingle bins' seem to be for collecting and transporting roof shingles.

Knowing the coastal area Sanda was in, that is unlikely : I think it was more likely for the storage of road shingle. I stand to be corrected of course.

Brian

[Tizme]

Curiosity got the better of me and I found this..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christchurch/2852375930/ regarding the old tug Lyttleton - "On the 5th of October, 1955 the vessel was towed across the Hauraki Gulf and run ashore at Lagoon Bay on Coromandel's Takatu Peninsula, where she was used as a shingle hopper for the Subritzky Shipping Company's scow Jane Clifford. When that industry declined in the mid-1970s the hull was left to become slowly buried in shingle drifts."

Seems that Sanda wasnt the only old workhorse to share that fate.

[buster185]

Thanks Tizme, Brian & Patroclus for your input. This seems to answer it but throws up other questions? Presumably only the hull was used as a 'shingle bin' so the picture in Post # 14 is likely to be 1957/58 as she sill has all her superstructure in place. The Subritzky Scow mentioned is probably 'Jane Gifford' which has been rebuilt as a historic ship, an interesting story in itself (please see link below). I guess the shingle was carried to various ports around the coast, the history of that industry yet to be discovered!!
Regards
Buster



http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?96607-Jane-Gifford-moves-(to-the-boatyard)

[Old Salt]

Thanks for that link, Buster, I had no idea exactly how much work and love was invojved in the restoration. A remarkable feat.

Brian

[patroclus]

Thanks Tizme, Brian & Patroclus for your input. This seems to answer it but throws up other questions? Presumably only the hull was used as a 'shingle bin' so the picture in Post # 14 is likely to be 1957/58 as she sill has all her superstructure in place. Regards
Buster
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?96607-Jane-Gifford-moves-(to-the-boatyard)



Agreed and that link was very interesting. A heartbreaking job!

[Tizme]

Kookaburra's photo of the Chance at the top of the thread sounded interesting and she turns out to have quite an interesting history.
check out Papers Past > Southland Times > 28 March 1902 > Page 2 > The Whaling Barque Chance.

A good yarn - but I didnt see anything about the wind generator on her deck. Nansen's "Fram" had one that looks very much the same though.

[Geoff Brebner]

Hello all,just a little more about Sanda and the definition of a "shingle bin".Brian's post re Sanda's fate is quite correct,she was towed back to Auckland and broken up in 1970.Prior to her going to Takatu she had been stripped down to an empty shell.A little snippet here,when the company that bought the four ships for breaking sold the anchors and cables,they more than recouped the total purchase price.The Takatu shingle quarry was an extensive deposit of shingle suitable for the making of high grade concrete.The two old ships were used to store the crushed shingle for loading into barges for transport to Auckland.This of course sped up the turnaround time.The using of coastal deposits of sand and shingle has been discontinued for many years now because of erosion problems.Another old ship,the Bird-class KIWI was also used as a shingle bin at a different location,same era.Regards to all,Geoff.

[patroclus]

Thanks Geoff; that certainly tidies it up.

[Tizme]

......Another old ship,the Bird-class KIWI was also used as a shingle bin at a different location,same era.Regards to all,Geoff.

I remember the Kiwi getting towed across to Mechanics Bay area to get chopped up June-July of '64 and it certainly didnt take them long. Did they only remove the superstructure and main deck at that time then?
Explains why it seemed to disappear so quickly.

[Geoff Brebner]

Hello all,me again.Going back to the old CHANCE methinks that the "windmill" may be a wind-powered pump.I remember way, way back reading of the old sailing Baltic Sea timber traders,the trade was referred to as the "onka" trade owing to the braying sound made by these pumps,carried by most of the wooden vessels engaged in this trade.Regards to all,Geoff.

[Vegaskip]

Thanks for that Geoff, I've often seen the word, now I know what it means.
When I was about 14, I was in the Sea Cadets. in the summer of 1955 we took an ex Navy MVF from Leith , round Denmark and through the Kiel Cannal.The the thing that sticks most in my mind was the TONK, TONK, TONK and the smoke rings from the single cylinder fishing boat engines.
All part of lifes rich tapestry
Regards Jim

[Stokers Son]

Hi TIZME,
I hope you don't mind but I cleaned up your fathers photo a little.
Regards
John