View north up the Timaru District coastline showing an interruption by the Timaru basalt formation. It forms the first hill south of the Canterbury Plains where Timaru's Hilton Highway ends (named after Timaru's first woman Mayor of Timaru City 1959-62). Photography courtesy of Geoff Cloake 2012.

The sandy beach at Caroline Bay is an area of reclaimed land, shaped since the 1880s by currents and the city’s changing coastline.

A volcanic reef shapes the natural harbour, wetlands and coastline of Te Tihi-o-Maru Timaru. It was formed over 2 million years ago, when lava flowed like fingers down sloping plains to the coast, helping to shape the terrain of Kā Poupou-a-Rakihouia (the South Canterbury coastline) as it is today.

Over time, the coast and shoreline has continued to change and evolve. 200 years ago, the sea directly met the rocky shoreline and loess cliffs along Timaru’s coast. Pohatu-koko Stream ran from the bottom of what is now the bottom of Wai-iti Road to the sea. Wetlands and coarse gravel beaches eventually gave way to a new sandy shore, and the Pohatu-koko Stream is now underground, piped beneath the current playground to the sea.

The construction of the Timaru Port breakwater in the 1880s changed the shape of the bay, and in doing so interrupted the flow of sediment up the coastline. Tides ground the gravel to sand, which then swept into the bay forming the sandy beach we know now. The changing shape of the coast also accelerated coastal erosion further north, affecting Waimataitai Lagoon (now Ashbury Park) and Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon. 

Lava once flowed from somewhere west of Claremont down a gentle sloping plain. The sea was probably nowhere near the erupting lava but has advanced occasionally, eroding the basalt and helping to form the current coastline. Diagram courtesy of Geoff Cloake.

The meaning and function of Māori rock art has been lost over time. CPlay was inspired by this image to tell the legend of the Ārai-te-uru waka within the playground design.  Photograph by Geoff Cloake. Image used with the permission from Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki.

Māori have many stories and traditions about how the world was created. These stories are so strong that they can influence all aspects of life and expressions of culture.

Te Tai-o-Ārai-te-uru (the Otago coastline) was named after an ancestral waka atua (canoe of the gods) that is said to have foundered here in a storm on its return voyage from Hawaiiki. The Ārai-te-uru waka sailed past Timaru, down the coast and was capsized at Matakaea (Shag Point) near Moeraki. Some of its kaihinaki (food baskets) and water gourds were washed overboard at Te Kaihinaki (Hampden Beach), where they were preserved in stone as the famous Moeraki boulders.

Many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, including Kirikirikatata who carried his grandson, Aoraki, on his shoulders. They needed to be back at the waka before daybreak, but many of them did not make it. These passengers were then trapped ashore, and instead turned into the landmarks of Te Waipounamu. 

The Mount Cook Range takes the name of Kirikirikatata, with Aoraki sitting slightly further north – on his grandfather’s shoulders. Passengers Pātītī (Patiti Point) and Tarahaoa and Hua-te-kerekere (Big Mount Peel and Little Mount Peel) were among others that became the hills and coastline of the area. 

Early Māori in the area included Waitaha, Rapuwai and Käti Mamoe. They later merged into Ngāi Tahu, and Arowhenua is now the local marae.

There are over 500 rock art images nearby created by early Māori. The meaning and function of Māori rock art has been lost over time, so we are left as viewers to interpret the art. Some of these drawings could depict waka and mōkihi used to journey the sea and rivers.

At Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art you can see an original piece of rock art from the Takiroa Rock Art Site at Kurow-Duntroon. CPlay was inspired by this image to tell the legend of the Ārai-te-uru waka within the playground design.

Māori rock art removed from Takiroa, Waitaki Valley, in the takiwā of Te Rūnanga o Moeraki". Photograph by Geoff Cloake. Image used with the permission of Te Rūnanga o Moeraki

"Patiti Point" 

"Pātītī Point is located on the South Canterbury coastline at Timaru. Pātītī was a passenger on the Ārai-te-uru waka, which capsized off Matakaea on the North Otago Coastline. After the capsize, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land. However, they needed to be back at the waka before daylight. Most did not make it, including Pātītī, and instead were transformed into many of the well-known landmarks of Te Waipounamu. In 1880, Hoani Kāhu from Arowhenua described Pātītī as “he kāinga nohoanga, mahinga kai, and he tauraka a waka”. - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

Huatekerekere "Little Mt Peel" 

"Huatekerekere (Little Mount Peel) is a mountain in the Tarahaoa Range. Huatekerekere was the wife of Tarahaoa, and both were passengers on the Ārai-te-uru waka that capsized off Matakaea (Shag Point) on the Otago coastline. After capsizing, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, however they needed to be back at the waka before daylight. Most of the passengers, including Huatekerekere, did not return to the waka in time, and instead transformed into many of the well-known geographical features of Te Waipounamu. Huatekerekere transformed into the mountain that can now be seen in the Tarahaoa Range”. - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

Tarahaoa "Mt Peel"

"Tarahaoa (Mount Peel) is the prominent mountain overlooking the Rangitata River in South Canterbury. Tarahaoa was a passenger on the Ārai-te-uru waka that capsized off Matakaea (Shag Point) on the Otago coastline. After the capsize, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, including Tarahaoa and his wife Huatekerekere. They were accompanied by their son and daughter, Kirikirikatata and Aroarokaehe. All the passengers needed to be back at the waka before daylight. However, most did not make it, and instead transformed into many of the well-known landmarks of Te Waipounamu. Tarahaoa and Huatekerekere transformed into the mountains now also known as Mount Peel and Little Mount Peel. Their children, Kirikirikatata and Aroarokaehe, are now represented by two large trees in Peel Forest. The local Kāi Tahu hapū of Kāti Huirapa, centered at Arowhenua, strongly identify with the mountain, often referring to Tarahaoa as their principal mountain. When the Arowhenua Native School (now the Arowhenua Māori School) was opened in 1895, the name Tarahaoa was given to the building. This building Tarahaoa, still stands in the south-western corner of the school grounds, next to Arowhenua Marae.” - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas 

Kirikirikatata "Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range"

"Kirikirikatata is the Māori name for the Mount Cook Range. Kirikirikatata was a passenger on the Ārai-te-uru waka that crashed near Matakaea (Shag Point) on the Otago coastline. After the capsize, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, including Kirikirikatata, who carried his grandson, Aoraki, on his shoulders. The passengers needed to be back at the waka before daylight. However, most did not make it, including Kirikirikatata and Aoraki. They instead turned into many of the well-known geographical features of Te Waipounamu. Kirikirikatata transformed into the mountain known today as the Mount Cook Range. Aoraki remained on his grandfather’s shoulders, and transformed into the mountain known as Aoraki/Mount Cook.” - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas 

Aoraki "Aoraki / Mount Cook"

"Aoraki (Mount Cook) is at the centre of the Ngāi Tahu creation traditions of Te Waipounamu. There are two specific traditions referring to Aoraki. In the first account Aoraki was an atua (demi-god) who arrived from the heavens with his three brothers. The return voyage went drastically wrong, and the waka crashed into Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), forming what would later be known as the South Island (its earliest name being “Te Waka-o-Aoraki”). Aoraki and his brothers climbed to the highest side of the waka where they turned into the highest peaks of Kā Tiritiri-o-te-moana (the Southern Alps). In the second account Aoraki was a passenger on the Ārai-te-uru waka that crashed on the Otago coastline. After capsizing, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, including Kirikirikatata who carried his grandson, Aoraki, on his shoulders. The passengers needed to be back at the waka before daylight. However, most did not make it, and instead turned into many of the well-known landmarks of Te Waipounamu.” - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

Matakaea "Shag Point / Matakaea"

"Matakaea (Shag Point), located immediately north of the Waihemo (Shag River) on the Otago coastline, is where the famed Ārai-te-uru waka capsized. The Ārai-te-uru waka came from the ancient homeland of Hawaiki, bringing kūmara to Aotearoa. After reaching Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island), the waka then travelled down the east coast of Te Waipounamu. The journey was reasonably smooth until the waka encountered heavy seas at the Waitaki River mouth. Here the round food-baskets and water-carrying gourds were lost overboard forming the Moeraki boulders; the waka then continued down the coast before capsizing at Matakaea. Many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, but did not return to the waka before daylight, and instead turned into many of the well-known geographical features of Te Waipounamu. Respected southern Ngāi Tahu leader Rāwiri Te Mamaru described in his evidence to the 1879 Smith-Nairn Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Ngāi Tahu land claims that Matakaea is a rae (headland), kāinga nohoanga (settlement), pā (fortified settlement), and kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering place).” - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

"Little Mt Peel" 
erekere (Little Mount Peel) is a mountain in the Tarahaoa Range. Huatekerekere was the wife of Tarahaoa, and both were passengers on the Ārai-te-uru waka that capsized off Matakaea (Shag Point) on the Otago coastline. After capsizing, many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land, however they needed to be back at the waka before daylight. Most of the passengers, including Huatekerekere, did not return to the waka in time, and instead transformed into many of the well-known geographical features of Te Waipounamu. Huatekerekere transformed into the mountain that can now be seen in the Tarahaoa Range.

Mahika kai literally means 'to work the food' and relates to the traditional value of food resources and their ecosystems, as well as the practices involved in producing, procuring, and protecting these resources. LEFT Tuna (eel) on display at the South Canterbury Museum. RIGHT Mōkihi display at Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre.

The coastline was abundant in marine life and offered bountiful mahika kai (food resources) for local Māori. There was an abundance of fish and shellfish on the reefs, plenty of sea birds, eggs and seal pups on the coast and tuna (eels), waterfowl and freshwater fish in the estuaries and rivers. Tuna (eel) and inaka (whitebait) patete (fish), and kōareare (the edible rhizome of raupō/bullrushes) were also important staples of the area.

Travel by sea was common and much faster than travelling by land. Many settlements were within sight of each other and only hours away in settled weather by waka (canoe) or the double-hulled waka hunua. Trading of food and resources between villages up and down the coast was an important part of the economy. Pounamu (greenstone) and titi (sooty shearwaters /muttonbirds) were sent north to trade in return for kūmara, taro, stone and carvings.

Rivers were like highways inland. Tākata whenua (local people) foraged inland for weka, ducks, harakeke (flax), aruhe (fern root/bracken) and tī kōuka (cabbage tree) and lowland forests provided a wide range of timber and forest birds.

Southern Māori developed a special vessel to navigate the fast-flowing braided rivers: the mōkihi. Made from bundled raupō (bullrushes) or kōrari (the flower stakes of the harakeke flax bush). They were lightweight, sturdy and could be made on the spot to guide down the river carrying heavy loads. The largest mōkihi could carry up to half a tonne in weight.

It was a long trek from the coast to the inland lakes and mountains, but mōkihi could make the return journey in a single day. Because there was no way to bring them back up-river they were often used just once. If they were to cross a river, there were left in a dry spot for the next party to use.

Local Māori communities have faced massive changes over the past 150 years as a result of European settlement, including loss of traditional food resources especially as the coastline changed and the city expanded.

Learn more here

Mōkihi are among the few human-made objects to be depicted in southern rock art. Mōkihi display at Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre.

Timaru

"Timaru was an integral component of the extensive Ngāi Tahu network of kāinga nohoanga (settlement) and kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering places) located throughout South Canterbury. Situated south of the prominent Te Waiateruati pā, Hoani Kahu from Arowhenua described Timaru as 'he pā nō mua, he kāinga nohoaka tūturu, he tūahu tapu, he urupā tūpapa, and he tauranga waka.' The foods gathered at Timaru included ika (fish), makō (shark), hāpuku (groper), pipi, pāua, kina, and kaeo." - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

Waitarakao "Washdyke Lagoon"

"Waitarakao (Washdyke Lagoon) is the brackish shallow coastal lagoon south of Tīmaru on Kā Poupou-a-Rakihouia (the South Canterbury coastline). Waitarakao was a renowned kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering area) for local Ngāi Tahu, with foods gathered there including tuna (eels), inaka (whitebait), patete (fish), and kōareare (the edible rhizome of raupō). Hoani Kāhu from Arowhenua described Waitarakao as an example of where a significant mahinga kai resource has been degraded." - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

Waimātaitai

"Waimātaitai was a hāpua (lagoon) situated near the Tīmaru foreshore, renowned as an important source of mahinga kai. In 1880 Hoani Kāhu from Arowhenua described Waimātaitai as “e rauiri” (an eel weir) where tuna (eel) and inaka (whitebait) were gathered. This saltwater lagoon was eventually lost in 1933 due to changes in sediment drift caused by the creation of the Port of Tīmaru." - kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas

These are some of the plants and animals in the Caroline Bay area that are Taonga (treasures) because, they are central to the identity and well being of many Māori. They also have an important role in healthy eco-systems.

Tuna - eel

Tuna is a generic Māori word for freshwater eels. Māori have over 100 names for eels.

They live: in lakes and rivers connected to the sea.
They eat: small insects larvae, snails, midges and crustaceans. As their mouths get bigger, they can eat kōura (freshwater crayfish), fish, small birds and rats. When scared they bite!
Did you know: they are the largest fish in Aotearoa freshwaters

There are three tuna species in NZ: The longfin eel, known as tuna, is one of the largest eels in the world.
LONGFIN EEL: (Anguilla dieffenbachii) Max size: 2m, 25kg
SHORTFIN EEL: (Anguilla australis) Max size: 1.1 metre, 3kg
AUSTRALIAN LONGFIN EEL: (Anguilla reinhardtii), Max size: 2 metres, 21kg

They are a taonga species: central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a significant mahinga kai (food).

Tī kōuka - cabbage tree

Tī kōuka (Cordyline Australis) can grow to be 20m tall with a skinny trunk and sword like leaves. They are so resilient, that they are often the last indigenous plant to persist within cleared land. 

Did you know: They were a significant food source for early Māori and provided a fibre resource prized for its strength. A good stand of trees is known as a para–kauru, with kauru being the name given to the food processed from the cabbage tree. They are also used for Rongoa (Medicine).

Super power: The fibre doesn’t shrink in water and is super strong and is used for making rope, kete baskets, clothing. 
They help the eco system by: using strong root systems to helps stop soil erosion and tolerate wet soil.
They are a taonga species: central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a important as food, fibre and medicine.

Kina - sea egg - urchin

They look: like a rolled up hedgehog and am the largest of our native urchins.
They live: around coastal reefs - 11 of the 70 sea urchin species in NZ can be found in coastal reefs.
They eat: plants and animals, but prefer brown seaweed. My mouth has a five-sided limy structure known as Aristotle's Lantern. My set of jaws and teeth help me grind up food.

Did you know? They are some of the noisiest species found on NZ reefs. At dusk, they create an “evening chorus” in the sea. This is the sound (which humans can hear) of their jaws grinding food. The sound bounces around and amplifies in our shells.

Super powers: Using fearsome spines to protect from predators. They also I hold bits of weed, shell and gravel on as camoflauge. Though they are small (16–17cm) they are no match for rock lobsters, snapper or seven armed starfish.
They help the eco system by: controlling and balancing the distribution of kelps and other encrusting species.
They are a taonga species: central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a significant mahinga kai (food).

Inanga - white bait

Whitebait is a term for small 4-5cm long freshwater fish that are tender and edible. Inanga (Galaxias maculatus) are the most common native fish species caught as whitebait. Other species that make up the whitebait catch are banded kokopu, giant kokopu, kōaro and shortjaw kokopu. These species are all migratory galaxiids.

Did you know: Their life begins as a egg laid in vegetation beside streams in late summer and autumn around the high water mark. After they are born in freshwater, they are swept out to sea with the tide. They return after 6 months and migrate upstream as whitebait and grow into adult fish by Autumn. They they are a mature fish, they will swim back down river to spawn in the estuaries. They usually live for one year. Most females only have one opportunity to spawn. If she finds good quality spawning habitat then about 80% of those eggs will survive.

Super power: You can see straight through them.
They help the eco system: as a food source in the marine food chain and help clean the ocean by filter feeding.
They are a taonga species: central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a significant mahinga kai (food).

Pipi

Pipi belong to the Mesodesmatidae family (clams) and are about 4–6cm long.

Did you know: they are a little fish that lives inside a shell.
To eat: they use their strong foot to burrow 10cm deep into the sand. They strain the water to find food particles like phytoplankton. As a filter feeder, they help keep the water clean which is important for the ecosystem.

My super power is: they can create a thread of mucus to make myself float in the water and move to a new location
I help the eco system: as a food source in the marine food chain and help clean the ocean by filter feeding.
They are a taonga species: central to the identity and well being of many Māori and are a significant mahinga kai (food).

LEFT A try pot used at the Weller Bros Whaling Station near this place 1839-1840. Members of the whaling gang were the first white men to live even temporarily in South Canterbury. RIGHT Looking up towards the viaduct near the Evans St and Wai-iti Rd intersection where the stream runs underground. Photograph courtesy of Roselyn Fauth

The earliest Europeans to arrive in the area were whalers. Their existence was rough and their work extremely dangerous, a far cry from what we could imagine living in the city today.  

In 1839 The Weller Brothers established a whaling station at what is now the corner of Evans St and Wai-iti Rd. Samuel Williams was the leader of this party, and boat steerer and harpooner at the new station. The layout of the land was different from what we could imagine then too.

The whalers described the area of gently undulating, tussock-covered downs cut by watercourse on their way down to a boulder-strewn beach. Between the valleys rose clay loess cliffs, and reefs that extended into the sea providing safe openings for ship protection. North and South lagoons extended far inland, and the only trees were cabbage trees. 

They set up camp near Pohatu-koko stream, which they nicknamed ‘Whaler’s Creek’ (see ‘South Canterbury:  A Record of Settlement’ by Oliver A. Gillespie, 1958, p39). Pohatu-koko shows up on some of the earliest maps of the area, but isn’t as well known today now that it runs underground.

The whalers are also rumoured to have given Caroline Bay its name too. The name first appears in descriptions of the sale by Māori to the Weller brothers of more than one million acres of land on 4 Dec 1839. Some say it was named ‘Caroline’ after the ship that came to pick up the whale oil.

The whaling industry was short-lived, and the station was abandoned. The men who lived there moved on from their temporary home, and it would be a few more years before Europeans settled permanently in the area.

In March 2021 Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua gifted us the priviledge of using the name Pohatu-koko for the new playground, named after the stream running below it. 

LEFT An early map of Timaru in 1860. RIGHT zoomed in area showing the labeled area "Pohatu Koko" next to the "old whaling station". The stream running through the area can be seen above. This stream is now piped under the viaduct at the bottom of Wai-iti Rd, under the playground and out sea at the end of the boardwalk.
Courtesy of the National Library. Archives New Zealand/Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga. Christchurch Office. Archives reference: CH1031, BM 245 pt 2, R22668176

Looking south over Caroline Bay from north of the Tennis Courts, c1933. Pohatu-koko stream can be seen to the left, running over the sandy bay. The cars are parked where the playground and tennis courts currently are today. Courtesy of South Canterbury Museum 0076.

Section of the mural at Caroline Bay by J .L. Wilson 2002. LEFT Kaiti, chief of Arowhenua kainga. RIGHT. Te Rehe. Photography Courtesy of Roselyn Fauth

In 1844 Edward Shortland crossed the streams running down to Caroline Bay, noting it as “the only spot where a boat can find shelter between Bank’s Peninsula and Te Awa-mokihi”. Guided by Te Rehe, Rangatira of Te Waiateruati Pā, he walked to Te Aitarokihi (what the whalers called ninety-mile beach). On the shores of Waitarakao (the Washdyke lagoon) he found a hut where Māori woman were drying fish about the size of whitebait on the hot sand. After getting lost in a flax swamp he spent the night at Te Waiateruati Pā.

1820-1895 :Tauamotu. Timaru. Camp of natives windbound. 17 October 1848 - Looking south along the beach line near Timaru towards a figure on the beach at a small campsite with a boat drawn up on shore. Mantell's three Maori porters are walking above the beach on flat land studded with cabbage trees towards a low hill - natlib.govt.nz/134166

Mantell, Walter Baldock Durrant, 1820-1895 :MotuMotu, Timaru. Oct 20 Friday 1848. - natlib.govt.nz/234057

LEFT The home of George and Elizabeth Rhodes, the first European house in Timaru. This photo was taken years later after the surrounding buildings were built, including the Timaru Landing Services Building. RIGHT A branding iron used at the Levels run to brand sheep and wool bales photo taken of it in display at the SC Museum. In 1850s is was compulsory to brand sheep and to build sheep dipping facilities. This is where the area Washdyke gets its European name. Photography courtesy of Roselyn Fauth. 

The early European settlers in Timaru were a group of interesting and hardy characters, bold enough to tackle a new life in a part of the world unknown and far removed from home.

In 1851 the Rhodes brothers (George, William and Robert) established the Levels sheep run, becoming the area’s first long-term European inhabitants. When George and his wife Elizabeth arrived, they lived in the first European cottage on the shore in Timaru. They then moved to the Levels, a successful sheep run and by 1854 they had 13,200 sheep on the three runs and 4,000 on a forth, a 25,000 acre block at Otipua.

Whaler Samuel Williams, his wife Ann and daughter Rebecca returned to Timaru in 1856. They moved to the Rhodes cottage, and subsequently Timaru's first European baby William Williams was born. His cradle was a gin case. The first edition of the Timaru Herald was also printed in his kitchen. A plaque comemorates this site at the Timaru Landing Services Building. 

In 1855 James ‘Jock’ McKenzie was accused of stealing 1000 sheep from the Levels run. He escaped from jail twice before being eventually pardoned.

Captain Henry Cain arrived in 1857, opening the first store (on behalf of HJ LeCren) and the first landing service. After being on the first council, Cain became Mayor of Timaru from 1870-73. He was  poisoned by his son-in-law.

Lieutenant (later Captain) Belfield Wollcombe arrived in 1857 and was the first magistrate and lived in a house in Waimātaitai Lagoon called The Ashbury with his wife, son and five daughters. He had been a naval officer and later joined the harbour board. His eldest daughter Laura Russell Woollcombe is thought to be the first New Zealander to become a qualified nurse. Her certificate was presented to her by Florence Nightingale.

The population continued to grow, and in 1859 120 settlers arrived on the Strathallan directly from the United Kingdom. By 1866 the population was around 1000.

30 years after the first sheep station was established in South Canterbury, the first export of frozen meat left Timaru for the United Kingdom in 1882. It was a huge turning point for the local economy and brought wealth into the area. Learn more here

However, the treacherous sea continued to cause issues for these early settlers, with around 22 ships believed to have been wrecked between 1865-1890.

Shows coastline from the sea from the north, with houses set near the water both at water's edge and higher up. There is some mist on the water in foreground. Hurt, Theodore Octavius fl 1860-1871 :Timaru, Canterbury N.Z. [1861-1871 - natlib.govt.nz/100087

A view on the beach, Timaru 1893-12-09 taken by William Ferrier - View this issue on Papers Past: paperspast/1893/12/09 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18931209-0481-01

"A VIEW ON TIMARU BEACH. A PICTURE in black and white can never do absolute justice to a scene like the beach at Timaru, which derives so much of its beauty from its brilliant colouring. But so far as photography and engraving may go, our reproduction goes, and it really gives a very admirable idea of the beach of one of our pleasantest watering places. The climate of Timaru is famous even in New Zealand, and on a bright day it would be very hard to find in the colony a brighter or more beautiful scene than Timaru Beach. Our picture is a reproduction of one of Mr Ferrier’s excellent photographs." - paperspast/NZGRAP18931209.2.2

South Canterbury Jubilee dinner at Timaru, 1909. Shows guests at a dinner held in the Drill Hall, with men and women seated at long tables. Flags hang along a wall. A banner compares import, export, mutton, and wool statistics of 1859 and 1909. Photographer unidentified. Toned silver gelatin print. - natlib.govt.nz/338563

A stormy sea, Timaru by William Ferrier, 1897-09-11 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18970911-0356-02

The Benvenue moored to a buoy 1880. The Benvenue was an iron full rigged ship of 999 tons. Built in 1867 by Messrs. Barclay, Curle and Company of Glasgow.  https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.195296

The wrecks at Timaru, New Zealand : the ships on shore. - wood engraving by Cooke, A. C. (Albert Charles), 1836-1902  - June 17, 1882 - slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/f/1cl35st/SLV_ROSETTAIE737295

The Ben Venue (left) and City of Perth (right) ships in Caroline Bay. The Ben Venue was wrecked at Caroline Bay in May 1882. The city of Perth collided with the wreckage and also ran aground but was eventually refloated carrying over 5000 sacks of milling wheat from newly broken in farms of the area. Photographer J Dickie Courtesy South Canterbury Museum 2014/056.01

With the increase in sea trade came an increase in danger and disaster. The sea in this part of the New Zealand coastline was treacherous, with strong swells and sudden, unpredictable changes in the weather. The swells threatened ships anchored offshore, and by the time the Harbour Board was first formed in 1877 more than twenty ships had wrecked around the Timaru Coastline.

Not only did the wrecks threaten lives, cargo and rising insurance premiums, they also hurt Timaru's reputation as a viable export hub. There was a lot of intense debate on whether Timaru should have a port and if it did how it would proceed. There was also a difficult choice on where to anchor ships. They were safer out at sea when a gale picked up, but this made loading and unloading more inefficient
Construction eventually began in 1878 on a breakwater, with 630 ton/400 cubic yards of concrete poured in situ. This original breakwater still stands today, though has been extended and modified over the years.

When disaster struck on May 14 1882, many people reaffirmed their support for the harbour. Nine lives were lost when the Ben Venue and the City of Perth both ran aground in heavy sea swells. All the ships’ cargo was lost in the disaster too, drastically damaging the local industry. The City of Perth was carrying over 5000 sacks of wheat, while the Ben Venue had over 500 tons of coal onboard. While anchored in the bay, huge rollers unexpectedly hit and knocked out anchors on both ships. The Ben Venue drfited first, with the City of Perth running aground and smashing into the Ben Venue shortly after.

Thousands of people had gathered on the shore and watched helpless as the devastation unfolded. Both ships had successfully evacuated with everyone ashore, but regrettably the harbourmaster, Captain Alexander Mills, made the call to attempt to salvage the City of Perth. Once aboard they quickly realized this was a fruitless endeavour. After launching their own lifeboats these too capsized, throwing 40 men into the water.

It wasn’t until the next day that they were able to ascertain how many lives had been lost. Captain Mills was among those who perished, dying from exposure the following day. He had saved many lives over the years that he was harbourmaster and he left behind his wife Margaret (nee Sinclair), four sons, and three daughters. You can see a stone obelisk monument to the wreck on the corner of Sophia and Perth Streets.

Melbourne : David Syme and Co., June 10, 18821882 Engraving published in Illustrated Australian news. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/253140 - https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE8283546&file=FL21663586&mode=browse

Illustrated Australian News (Melbourne, Vic. : 1876 - 1889), Saturday 10 June 1882, page 85 - nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63185597

 Section from a photograph taken by the Burton Brothers circa 1882; of the "Ben Venue" stranded. In the distance you can see the Caroline Bay coastline before the sand started to accumulate. 
Courtesy Te Papa (C.025205)

Timaru Volunteer Rocket Brigade. Photographer William Ferrier c1882. Courtesy of the South Canterbury Museum  South Canterbury Museum 0844

A Cry for Help the Life Line from the Shore.  A Cry for Help, the Life-Line from the Shore, Rocket Apparatus used by the Volunteer Life Brigade. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 8 January 1887.

How the Illustrated London News saw rowing lifeboats in action.

The wrecks at Timaru, New Zealand: Lifeboats rescuing sailors in heavy surf, one life boat named City of Perth. Wood engraving by Ashton, Julian Rossi, 1851-1942. slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/f/1cl35st/SLV_ROSETTAIE670476

The South Canterbury Museum has an exhibit that includes the Benvenue Bell and medals, the rocket brigade lifesaving launch and the canon that summoned the rocket brigade. Photograpy courtesy of Roselyn Fauth. 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEF: The Rocket brigade badge from SC Museum Display; Timaru Ben Venue Stranded (Timaru, "Ben Venue" stranded, stern, circa 1882, Dunedin, by Burton Brothers studio. Te Papa (C.025205). Bravery Medal from SC Museum Display; Benvenue Cliffs where the ship lies below; Section of mural at Caroline Bay by J. Nilson depicting shipwreck; Looking up Benvenue Cliffs to the Blackett Lighthouse. Photography courtesy of Roselyn Fauth. Learn more here

This photograph shows the Ben Venue wreck in the distance wrecked on the basalt rock apron below the cliff c1880s. Curtosey of Te Papa; Timaru, 1880s, Timaru, by Burton Brothers studio. Purchased 1991. Te Papa (O.034179)

ABOVE: The first Flour Mill in South Canterbury was built by John Hayhurst at Milford in 1864. Timaru Herald 11 June 1934 19822. RIGHT Advert taken out in the Oamaru Mail to sell by auction 5000 sacks of prime milling wheat in good order and condition ex City of Perth June 2nd 1882.

1896-02-29 - Evans Atlas Flourmill Company; Turnbull Street (Timaru); Flour mills - Timaru photography by William Ferrier - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18960229-0224-02

The Timaru roadstead was treacherous winds and reefs. From November 1865 until 1890, it was the graveyard of 28 ships.

1864 Herald Beached 10 miles north of Timaru because of a fire. Principal cargo bottled beer was lost.
1866 Prince Consort When lying at anchor at Timaru on 20 Dec. She dragged her anchor and became a wreck. Wrecked 
1868 Despatch Went ashore at Timaru on June 13th - Carrying livestock
1868 William Miskin Went ashore at Timaru on 4th February. One drowned. Wrecked 
1869 Collingwood Wrecked in Timaru Harbour on 23rd May when anchors dragged. Wrecked  Carrying Sacks of wheat
1869 Susan Jane Wrecked in Timaru Harbour on 23rd May when anchors dragged. Wrecked  Carrying timber
1870 Layard Was driven ashore near Timaru when anchor cables parted on June 8th. Wrecked 
1870 Aurora Refloated 
1873 Fairy Queen Parted her cable and was driven ashore at Timaru on 27th August. Wrecked    Carrying coal
1873 Wanderer Wrecked at Timaru when her cables parted on 27th August. Wrecked  
1873 Lady of the Lake Refloated 
1873 Duke of Endinbrough Refloated   Carrying timber
1875 Cyrene Run ashore at Timaru on 9th May. No lives were lost in the accident. Wrecked railway sleepers
1875 Princess Alice Dragged her anchors at Timaru on 9th May. No lives were lost in the accident. Wrecked 
1877 Craig Ellachie Went ashore Timaru on December 22nd after parting her cables in a gale. Wrecked 
1877 Isabella Ridley Wrecked at Timaru on 19th April after dragging her anchors. Wrecked 
1878 Lapwing Min. casualty. False keel knocked Refloated 
1878 Melrose One death. Sept.  Laden with coal went ashore at Waimataitai Spit. Wrecked  
1878 Fanny. Wrecked 
1878 Glimpse
1879 Akbar 5 drowned, struck 1miles beyond Dashing Rocks 
1879 Pelican All landed safely. Refloated 
1882 Ben Venue Sank on 14th May in heavy seas while lying at Timaru roadstead. No lives were lost. Wrecked 
1882 City of Perth Refloated. When the Ben Venue capsized, the crew made for the City of Perth, but she too lost her anchors and ran aground beside the Ben Venue. The crews took to lifeboats. All would have been well had the harbourmaster not headed for the City of Perth. Getting aboard, he realised the hopelessness of the situation, and some of his men launched a lifeboat. When it capsized 40 men were left struggling in mountainous seas. Nine died.
1882 City of Cashmere January 12 1882. Loss anchor.
1882 Duke of Sutherland Sank on 2nd May  while at anchor in Timaru roadstead. Wrecked 
1886 Lyttelton Built of  tons sank on 12th June 1886 at Timaru in fair weather. Wrecked 
1892 S.S. Elginshire Grounded on 9th March off Normanby Point south of Timaru in fog. Had 550 tons of meat from Rockhampton, 11,000 mutton carcasses and 300 wool bales shipped at Oamaru.

1958 Kaitoke Refloated 
1969 Holmglen  40 km east of Timaru 15 died. Wrecked 
1973 Delphis Sinks in the Port of Timaru after being crushed against the wharf by a bulk carrier.

Reference: South Canterbury Museum, rootsweb/wrecks, NZGS file ANZSHIPS and Papers Past

1873 The schooner "Duke of Edinburgh" (foreground) and the brig "Fairy Queen" (background) aground at Timaru, after being swept ashore in a southerly gale on 27 August 1873. Photograph taken by William Ferrier of Timaru. - natlib.govt.nz/132912

City of Cashmere. Timaru - Brodie Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria.- vic.gov.au/permalink/f/1cl35st/SLV_ROSETTAIE64399

The ship 'City of Cashmere' wrecked at Timaru 1882, Reference Number: PAColl-2197-15, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

Landing terrace for Timaru Shipping Company, Timaru  - natlib.govt.nz/512388

Annie Bow, Timaru. 1879? A broadside view of a small steam and sailing ship. By Arthur Lagden Haylock (1860-1948). 
Born in Akaroa. In 1877 he entered Government Service and was posted to the Land Office at Timaru. His interest in ships and the sea led him to join the Timaru Rocket Brigade, a group of volunteers which watched over vessels anchored in the roadstead. Involved in the attempts to save the 'City of Perth' and the 'Ben Venue' in May 1882. Transferred to Christchurch and then Wellington. After retirement active in the Anglican Church Men's Society and maintained his interest in compiling records of maritime events. He was only child of Charles Lagden Haylock's second marriage. Had 4 half brothers from a former marriage; Peter, Charles, George and Harry. (Source: Back PA3-0354 & PA3-0358). See also `A Tribute to my pioneer ancestors' by Greta M Haylock, 1974. He also designed the bravery Benvenue medals.

After the storm (Timaru Beach 1882, showing the wreck of the ships Benvenue and City of Perth, 1883). John Gibb 1883. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, bequest of Mr Thomas Peacock Esq, 1922

Since its retirement in 1882 the lifeboat has been a memorial to those who manned it and those it rescued.
Named after the wife of King Edward VII, Alexandra of Denmark, the Timaru lifeboat is one of the oldest vessels of its type in the world.

Timaru's lifeboat was imported from England by the Canterbury Provincial Council in 1864. It was built by the Messrs, Forrest, of Limehouse, under the direction of Mr. John Marshman, [Marshall] the intelligent emigration agent for the province of Canterbury in this country. In 24th May 1869 the boat was used and crew member Duncan Cameron drowned after the Alexandra capsized. Mr Mills, the Harbour Master, was ill at the time, having been injured by a rocket during a rocket brigade rescue. After the event the boat was not used. Her first active use for thirteen years was on "Black Sunday" 14 May 1882, when the City of Perth and the Benvenue were wrecked on Benvenue Cliffs. During the rescue attempts the Alexandra capsized four times and ten lives were lost. A memorial to the heroic rescue attempts was erected in Perth Street in 1932 on the 50th anniversary of the "Black Sunday", at a ceremony attended by surviving rescuers, the Alexandra was placed on Caroline Bay. In 1997 the vessel was moved to the Landing Service Building and full restored. It is now out of public sight in storage.

A lifeboat crew rowing to rescue shipwrecked sailors. published 1893-02-11 The New Zealand Graphic and Ladies Journal, 11 February 1893, p.121 - New Zealand Graphic; Wright, Henry Charles Seppings, 1849-1937 -  Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18930211-0121-01

The wrecks at Timaru, New Zealand: Lifeboats rescuing sailors in heavy surf, one life boat named City of Perth. . Wood engraving by Ashton, Julian Rossi, 1851-1942 slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/f/1cl35st/SLV_ROSETTAIE670476

Messrs Forrest of Limehouse life-boat building yard where Alexandra Timaru Lifeboat was built - The Illustrated London News Google Books - Page 478 

To summon help a signal gun was fired. Usually a warning was sounded first. Followed by a second firing of the signal gun to summon the rocket brigade.
The day before the Ben Venue disaster, all through the night Captain Mills, the Harbourmaster, kept constant watch on the ships riding in the roadstead. Daylight revealed these "ships riding heavily", so he fired the signal gun, at 8am to summon the rocket brigade. Straight away the brigade assembled. There were huge rollers, for several miles out, "were breaking foam". That sea was one of the heaviest known on the Timaru coastline for many a day. By 1pm the Benvenue was drifting. As a measure of precaution, the rocket brigade hastened to the cliffs at Dashing Rocks, in order to make ready to rescue the crew of the Benvenue with the aid of lifelines.. A boat was lowered from the ship, the crew clambered into the boat and made for the City of Perth. 

This gunnade is believed to have been delivered to Timaru for the use of the Brigade in 1882. Positioned outside the Timaru lighthouse, it probably saw little use. The gun is through to ave remained there for many years. Eventually it passed to the local collector, Keith McFadgen, who had the present gun carriage made to rest the cannon upon. - On display at the South Canterbury Musuem - Photography by Roselyn Fauth

Here you can see the passenger landing service sheds with signal station on the cliff above at Timaru - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1691-114 

Government landing terrace at Timaru, 1860s. Shows buildings by the waterfront. Photographer unidentified. - https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.366331

The Blackett Lighthouse was originally on the Terrace, No. 7. It was later relocated to the corner of Te Weka Street and Benvenue Ave, and then again to the Benvenue Cliffs. It is a Category II structure and the Historic Places Trust.  LEFT: The Lighthouse at its current site in 2021. Courtesy of Roselyn Fauth. RIGHT: Timaru's lighthouse being relocated 1980.  Courtesy of South Canterbury Museum 2014/107.73

John Blackett was a government marine engineer who worked on railways as and lighthouses. He designed the new Timaru lighthouse in 1877. It was a three-story, kauri timber lighthouse with a kerosene lamp. It was lit in July 1878 with Captain Meredith as the first lighthouse-keeper, just as work was about to begin on the initial breakwater.

The original plan was to construct a concrete light house at Patiti Point, but the government only offered to pay for the construction of a wooden lighthouse. As the towns ammunition supply (including over a hundred pounds of gun powder) was stored at Patiti Point, it was decided a wooden lighthouse with a kerosene lit lamp was safer further up the coastline. It was replaced by gas in 1890 and then electricity in 1920. It was eventually decommissioned in 1970 as the main harbour navigation light. The light house was shifted from the Terrace to Te Weka St and then to the current site above the Benvenue Cliffs.

Blackett himself was opposed to the new port. He declared the Timaru breakwater work a complete fiasco. Shingle was one of the main issues as it built up on the southern side of the structure. He could see the changes to the long shore drift and coastal erosion and said the breakwater needed to be blown up to save the railway. Some of the locals protested by parading an effigy of him down the main street to the end of the breakwater, stuffing it with fireworks and blowing it up leaving fragments scattered over the bay.

Blackett’s Lighthouse is historically significant as a prominent reminder of the role that shipping and coastal transport has played in the social and economic development of New Zealand.

Before the breakwater had been constructed Captain Woolcombe recorded that over 10 year period from 1858, 14 feet (4.2m) of cliff had dropped into the sea.

Learn more about Blackett's Lighthouse at Pt Opukuorakaitauheke Maori Reserve 884 (Railway NZ Gazette 1874, p282), Canterbury Land District here: heritage.org.nz/2044

DOWNLOAD The WuHooTimaru Colourful facts sheet on the Blackett Lighthouse

A set of the original plans for construction of the Timaru lighthouse hand drawn by John Blackett circa 1877. Courtesy South Canterbury Museum 2004/070.37

John Blackett was keen to construct inexpensive and easy-to-build lighthouses in New Zealand. The lighthouse features an innovative double wall filled with rubble. This allowed cheap, easy-to-handle wood to be used while achieving the weight to ensure towers were well founded in exposed positions.

Section of the HMS Ringarooma cruiser in Timaru Harbour where you can see the Blackett Lighthouse up on Le Cren Terrace 1895-02-23 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18950223-0180-01

The world on Mercators Projection. This dispatch atlas was printed in the Weekly Dispatch London 1863 and was created by Weller, Edward, 1819-1884. From the David Rumsey collection

And a close up of New Zealand on this Atlas.

View of Timaru Harbour 1877. View looking north along the waterfront, with sailing ships, men beaching a boat, and a large building, probably Belford Steam Flour Mill near the waterfront, alongside other wharf or factory buildings. From a sketch books held by Hocken Library. By Fanny Wright Brunton  - https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.59362 

C1877 The Roadstead, Timaru, N.Z. Engraving of Timaru from the original edition of the Illustrated Australian News.Courtesy of Fauth Private Collection.

Illustrated Australian News (Melbourne, Vic. : 1876 - 1889) Wed 3 Oct 1877. Page 155 TIMARU, CANTERBURY, NEW ZEALAND..

At the time it was reported that the town contains nearly '3000 inhabitants, and the district between 13,000 and 14,000. There is railway communication with Christchurch, and southwards to Dunedin.

"The grazing capabilities of the district are very great, and the export of wool is about 15,000 bales. The soil and climate are admirably, adapted for wheat and other cereals, and the last harvest yielded more than 1,500,000 bushels of wheat and oats alone. The trade of the district requires greater facilities for shipping produce than are afforded by an open roadstead, and harbor works for tho improvement of the port have been in progress for some time past. The rapid advance made by the town and district in commeroial matters may be understood from the fact that in 185S one whaleboat was sufficient to carry all the wood produced off to the vessels anchored in ' the roadstead and land the requisite supplies, while now a large number of surfboats, carrying from twenty to thirty tons each, are profitably employed in the trade. Our illustration shows the coast line, the roadstead, and a portion of the town viewed from the south." - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60096457/5730320#

The Norman McLeod is being towed out in Timaru Harbour - 1895-02-23 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18950223-0180-01

Wise's N. Z. directory plan of Timaru 1870-1879 shows a proposed Jetty at the foot of Strathallan Street - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Map 6537a

Wise's N. Z. directory plan of Timaru 1875

A map of the works to be carried out in Timaru Harbour 1886 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Map 3837

 Ship Lyttelton off Timaru 1883. Oil on Canvas by Laurence Wilson. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mrs A Scott, 1946

Engraving showing the Timaru Breakwater 1888. Picturesque atlas of Australasia"; The Picturesque Atlas Publishing Co.

Breakwater, Timaru 1885. Albumen print by Walter Burton, Alfred Burton. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1976

Page of coloured chromolithographs showing New Zealand landscape scenes, prepared as greeting cards and presented in a sample album by Archibald Dudingston Willis (Firm) :Lyttelton Harbour, N.Z. The Kaikouras (Marlborough). Mount Egmont, N.Z. (from the plains). Timaru breakwater, N.Z. [ca 1885]  Ref: E-936-f-024. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/30112552

New Zealand and clost up 1890 map shows the Port of Timaru. Feature topography; railways, streets, bridges, drainage, docks and soundings, with depths given in meters. Bookplate title pasted to verso: Pl. XI. Nouvelle-Zélande, Timaru. Appears in Sixième livraison. 14306154-DavidRumseyMap Collection-David Rumsey Map Center-Stanford Libraries

New Zealand Post Office directory map of the town of Timaru and suburbs, compiled by Smith and Boys shows the Breakwater loading warf, Warf No2, Lighthouse and the Baths. - 1887 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Map 6621

Sketches and plans entitled "Timaru breakwater and harbour", showing the construction of the breakwater begun in 1878 and completed in November 1886. Produced to celebrate the completion of the project. Image courtesy of the South Canterbury Museum CN 2010/153.01.

The proposal to build a new port at Timaru was surprisingly contentious and hotly debated. Opponents thought that because Christchurch’s port at Lyttelton was soon to be linked to Timaru by rail, a local harbour was unnecessary. But the scheme went ahead, as advocates believed that without its own harbour, the town would decline.

The breakwater design by engineer John Goodall was adopted and work started on the redevelopment of the artificial port in 1877. The first

The sixty-ton ketch Prince Rupert was the first to moore at the stump of a breakwater. Two days after the contract was completed, a public ceremony was held to celebrate. They ate dinner and fired rockets.

Sand washed south down the shoreline and began to build up against the northern mole, covering the rocky beach. This was the beginning of the extensive land reclamation around the Caroline Bay district, an area which is still growing today.

Work began in 1878 with the construction of the 700m southern breakwater. In the late 1880s, the northern breakwater was built to keep sand shoals out of the harbour. Between 1899 and 1906 the eastern extension of the main breakwater was completed, preventing shingle drifting north into the harbour. During the 20th century the breakwaters were extended, realigned and raised.

Timaru Breakwater. From the album: Scenes of New Zealand, circa 1880, Timaru, by Messrs F. Bradley & Co. Te Papa (O.042435)

The breakwater, Timaru, photographed ca 1910-1913 by William Ferrier - natlib.govt.nz/263897

Timaru breakwater photographed by William Ferrier circa 1896-1899. - natlib.govt.nz/85664

Timaru Harbour from Melville Hill, 1904-1915, Timaru, by Muir & Moodie studio. Courtesy of Te Papa. Purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. (PS.001046)

View of the Port from the sky in 2014. Photograph by Geoff Cloake.

Port construction continues in 1964. LEFT Loading rock at the Quarry on Kellands Hill for the North Mole extension at Timaru Port. The loads from Kellands Hill went Pages Rd, SelwynSt, White St onto Evans St then down to the bay and across the sand. RIGHT: Kellands Quarry Rock being tipped on to the North Mole at Timaru Port 1964. Photograph by George Kinch

William Gibb (1859-1931) Timaru Harbour, 1888, Oil on canvas, Aigantighe Art Gallery Collection 2002.10 

William Gibb was born at Innellan, Scotland and immigrated to Christchurch in 1876. He received his art training from his father, John Gibb (1831-1909), and then studied at the National Gallery School in Melbourne from 1877 to 1879. He returned to Christchurch in 1882 and painted portraiture and landscapes. In Timaru Harbour, Gibb has painted a snapshot of the shipping industry and the newly built wharves. Previously, ships anchored offshore and used smaller boats to transport their cargo ashore. But by the late 1860s, it was decided that this was restricting Timaru’s growth. In the 1870s and 1880s large concrete southern and northern breakwaters were constructed to shelter the area that would become the harbour. In 1880 the first wharf was built, followed by a second wharf in 1886. Gibb has captured this scene of commerce with The Bruce (the central ship with a red and black funnel) and The Taniwha (the small dredge moving out of the port) and other sailing ships contrasted against the backdrop of a purple sky and the swelling of seemingly electric blue ocean.

William Ferrier (1855-1922), Breakwater Timaru Running a Southerly Gale, 1888, Oil on canvas, Aigantighe Art Gallery Collection 2002.10

William Ferrier was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and immigrated to New Zealand in 1869. He trained as a photographer in Christchurch and Oamaru, and in 1881, set up his own studio in Timaru. Ferrier was the grandfather of the well-known New Zealand painter, Colin McCahon (1919-87), who was born in Timaru. Ferrier is known for his success in documenting a vital part of Timaru’s history on photographic film, but he was also a painter. His landscape paintings were exhibited with the South Canterbury Art Society, of which he was a founding member. He was also a member of the Otago Art Society and Canterbury Society of Arts. Breakwater Timaru Running a Southerly Gale was produced from one of Ferrier’s photographs (see reproduced above). This seascape, with its crashing waves and stormy skies shows the power of nature, and was a popular theme Ferrier returned to in both photography and painting.

People bathing at the beach in Timaru with the port in the background photograph by William Ferrier 1894-01-06 from the The New Zealand Graphic and Ladies Journal - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18940106-0001-02

Aerial photograph of Timaru, South beach looking north, Timaru Port, 1940-1949 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZMS-1803-01123

Showing crowd along Marine Parade, Caroline Bay, Timaru. P.W.Hutton and Co. Timaru - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 35-R1498

Rusell Clark's oil painting on board from 1930 view from marine parade looking to the Bay Hill with Chalmers Church and the Hydro Grand buildings in the distance.  Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Friends of the Auckland Art Gallery, with funds from the J B Spring Bequest, 1998

This detailed etching from 1923 shows a familiar view looking out over Caroline Bay. To the left is the Bay Hall built in 1914 which is still recognisable today. The cannon in the foreground was one of two cannons from the Crimean War (1853-56) that once stood either side of the Caroline Bay Sound Shell. In 1941 both cannons were melted down as scrap metal to be reused in World War II. A.J. RAE (1885-1971) Caroline Bay (1923). Etching on paper. Courtesy of Aigantighe Art Gallery.

The construction of the Port also changed the coastline, growing the stony South Beach and Evans Bay and forming the new sandy Caroline Bay.

The borough council leased the new foreshore from the harbour board in 1902 and created a European-style beach resort. Tea rooms, a hot-water swimming pool and a band rotunda were built. A ‘sound shell’ for concerts replaced the rotunda in 1937. Later, a piazza was built to improve access to the bay from the top of Bay Hill. Christmas carnivals have been held at Caroline Bay since 1911, attracting thousands.

This is is the only sandy beach between Oamaru and Banks Peninsula. In 2020, the area the beach extends is 34 hectares.

Caroline Bay and Express Train, Timaru, 1912, Timaru, by Muir & Moodie studio. Image purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (PS.001034)

Beach at Timaru, Timaru, by Burton Brothers studio. Te Papa (O.019251)

 Caroline Bay, Timaru, 1920s, Timaru, by Havelock Williams. Image purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (O.020793)

The view of the Caroline Bay coastline in 1874. This is a section of a watercolour painting by Sir Eliot Whately (1841-1927). Depicts Caroline Bay, Timaru in October 1874. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138581877

While tides and currents gradually change and shape our coastlines, the intervention of man-made structures also plays a significant role in accelerating coastal evolution and erosion.

The construction of the port and breakwater interrupted the northward flow of sediment along the Timaru coastline. Gravel was trapped south of the port and sand was pushed into Caroline Bay, causing the land in these areas to grow out towards the sea. To the north, beaches from Waitarakao to the Opihi River were conversely starved of sediment, resulting in an increase in erosion at the cost of land, coastal lagoon area and biodiversity.

Timaru Port provided a huge boost to the economy and resulted in the formation of Timaru’s iconic Caroline Bay beach by re-directing the flow of sand into what was previously an open bay with coarse gravel beach.

However, as Blackett predicted, the port development interrupted the flow of gravel along the coast resulting in a rapid increase in erosion to the north of Timaru. The increased erosion has had many negative impacts on the land and the environment, particularly affecting biodiversity and the once plentiful mahinga kai areas used by Māori.

J. S. Browning, (1831 – 1909), Timaru Looking North West, 1860, file copy print, Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago.

Next time you are at Dashing Rocks compare this painting with the view today. Note the changes to the coastline. This is a section of a watercolour painting by Sir Eliot Whately (1841-1927). Depicts Dashing Rocks bay looking out to Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon, Timaru in October 1874, commencement of ninety miles beach. Courtesy National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138582273

In 1929, the 400m long Memorial Wall was built with Bronze plaques feature the battlefield names where kiwis served in international wars. This was also the sea wall at the time.

In 2008 the sandy bay was more than 400 m northeast of the memorial wall and the sand will continue to build out until it finds an equilibrium.

In comparison the coast further north is starved of sediment, where for example Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon in 1881 was 253 hectares, but now is about 20. This was one of 15 fishing easements set aside in 1868 by the Native Land Court in to allow Ngāi Tahu to continue the practice of mahinga kai. For the longest time it had the perfect mix of saltwater and freshwater, allowing a diverse range of native species to thrive there. Now a combination of the port, industrial area, SH1 and railway prevent the lagoon from expanding, while the sea pushes the gravel barrier ever inland.

Aerial view of Timaru, showing Caroline Bay, harbour and town by Frank Douglas Mill - 1927-1937 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections FDM-0690-G

View from above, the Waimātaitai lagoon has drained and been reclaimed as Ashbury Park with an athletics track. Sand is accumulating in Caroline Bay and tennis courts, grass prominade and caretakers house are established.

ABOVE Arial view looking down to Caroline Bay and the Port of Timaru 2019  mapviewer.canterburymaps.govt.nz

LEFT The brown lines show the changes to the mean sea level since 1926. Graphic courtesy Roselyn Fauth 2019 with assistance from the South Canterbury Museum. RIGHT One of the mean tide markers along the North to South promenade at Caroline Bay.  Photograph courtesy Roselyn Fauth 2019

Aerial view of Timaru coastline with harbour in background, approaching from the north. 1927-1937. - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections FDM-0099-G

Credit is to Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections FDM-0690-G, F. Douglas Mill Collection.

Caroline Bay. Timaru. P.W.Hutton and Co. Timaru. No.1. Looking south along Caroline Bay, Timaru. Showing (above bay, centre) the Dominion Hotel -Stafford Street North (John Reilly - proprietor), to the right of this is the gabled Hydro Grand Hotel. Below the hotel can be seen the Piazza. Beneath this (at beach level) are the bathing sheds. At right is the Pavillion, and far right the tennis courts. - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 35-R1501

Children's playground area on Caroline Bay in Timaru, circa 1970. Photographer L W McGrath. Image courtesy of South Canterbury Museum 2014/008.055

Caroline Bay has come a long way from its beginnings as a rocky shoreline to being declared "The Riviera of the South".  Since the early 1900s Caroline Bay has continued to evolve, with Christmas carnivals, the addition of the iconic Soundshell in 1937 and the Piazza upgrades giving the area a link to the urban CBD in a totally unique NZ setting. No wonder the area has often been referred to as the “jewel in the crown” of the district. 

More recently in 2009 a $4.5 million revamp got under way. The Timaru District Council owns and maintains the area, and they included a boardwalk, 50-square metre viewing platform, outdoor showers, changing rooms and toilets and sand dunes in their upgrades.  The dunes are some of the most diverse in the country and studied by university students. Little Blue Penguins have now also established a colony in and around the bay.

After a long a varied history, Caroline Bay is ready for its next chapter. One area that lags behind is the playground, which is why we are excited to launch the new plans for CPlay.

A slide showing the children's playground area on Caroline Bay in Timaru, circa 1980. Photographer L W McGrath, Courtesy of South Canterbury Museum 2014/008.033

Helen Freeman (left) and Win Loach look to the The Piazza and Hydro Grand Hotel in Timaru 1997.  Courtesy of South Canterbury Museum 2014/126.03

The Bay has had many waves of redevelopment. In 2009 a $4.5 million revamp got under way. Above is a Caroline Bay Development Plan Proposal, supplied by the Timaru District Council.

Bill Steans, Timaru District Director of Parks and Recreation, sitting on play equipment at Timaru's Caroline Bay, 1995. Timaru Herald Photographer Anne Hatch. Courtesy of  South Canterbury Museum  2012/186.9372

Caroline Bay Playground 2020. Courtesy of Roselyn Fauth. 

Members of the CPlay committee and TDC Council met to discuss and workshop the playground upgrade design brief in 2020. Photograph curtosey Roselyn Fauth

In 2019 volunteers came together to start the rejuvenation of the playground. This project is an exciting opportunity to help our community connect through play. A strong guiding principal of the design brief is to make sure it is a space that everyone of all abilities can use. It also offers a unique way to share Timaru's story and to celebrate our environment, heritage, arts and culture.

Why a new playground? Caroline Bay is the most popular outdoor events and recreation area in South Canterbury but its current playground is simply not meeting community needs in our quickly ever changing world.  The plastic bridge, tower, slide centrepiece in the playground were introduced in 1985 and other equipment has been added on an ad hoc basis since. These are now starting to deteriorate and need replacing.

In 2017, after numerous visits to Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch, Owen Jackson "OJ" investigated the opportunity to develop an inclusive all ages playspace that celebrated the heritage of the area and would become a destination attraction for local and domestic tourism. 

By 2019, the Playground Upgrade Project had been set up , committee members recruited and a strategic plan put in place to investigate what needed to be done in order to create and deliver a $1.5-$2 million playground where the community could come to learn, play, relax and connect.

Operating under the umbrella of the Aoraki Foundation for fundraising purposes, CPlay has a close relationship with the Timaru District Council and has liaised with them at every level of the project, including discussion and action around improving the drainage in the playground area and funding support to get the project officially underway.

CPlay has engaged in a thorough consultation process with the public and a range of community, education, public facilities, charities, disability services and cultural groups. We have found widespread support to develop a playground that incorporates the rich heritage of our region and its people.

After a rigorous submission process, we engaged the services of Playground Centre New Zealand to present plans for us. These have been based on a design brief given to them by CPlay in collaboration with local John Rushton Architects.

These initial designs will be available to be viewed at the official fundraising launch over 2 days, March 7th at Children's Day at Caroline Bay for the public and on March 8th at Movie Max Digital for invited guests.

The new playground has clear and far reaching positive outcomes for the Timaru District and it is expected the fundraising drive will receive strong community and business support.

It is anticipated that CPlay and the Timaru District Council will open the playground in early 2022. It deserves your support.

Play at the Bay from over a century

From finding kai, whaling and shipping to recreating, Caroline Bay has served many generations in many ways. We're excited about the next chapter in the Bay's story, helping this area to be enjoyed by all of our locals and visitors for many generations to come. This playground is going to be transformed in something really special. The design has been inspired by stories of this coastline, to help inspire locals and visitors to act out imaginative play, reflect on our past and to make great decisions for our future.

• 2 million years ago lava flowed like fingers down to what is now the sea and formed habitiat for marine life.
• 250,000 years ago, a fine silt called loess blew over South Canterbury and formed our clay cliffs.
• 1851 George Rhodes used our headland to land stores and materials. 1852-1857 shipping wool and landing supplies was done with whaleboats, slow and tedious and oftentimes dangerous.
• 1852 30 ton schooner Henry brought a consignment of stores for Levels Station – flour, salt, tobacom Agnes nad Anna took away 11 bales of Levels wool.
• 1857 Captain Henry Cain opened the first store (on behalf of HJ LeCren) and the first landing service.
• 1857 Lieutenant (later Captain) Belfield Woollcombe arrived in 1857 and was the first magistrate and lived in a house in Waimātaitai Lagoon called The Ashbury with his wife, son and five daughters. He had been a naval officer and later joined the harbour board.
• 1858 First Landing Service Opens
• 1859 120 settlers arrived on the Strathallan directly from the United Kingdom. By 1866 the population was around 1000.
• 1860 Morris Corey, Robert Boubius first to be buried in Timaru cemetery - Deal Boatmen who drowned on a sea rescue.
• 1864 Alexandra life boat arrives to be used when the surf would be too heavy for ordinary boats to venture off. self-right - when full of water the boat self-ejects in 15 seconds. Many of the crew were boatmen and were paid. The boat was ordered by Canterbury Provincial Secretary. She was used on "Black Sunday", 14 May 1882, when the "City of Perth" and the "Benvenue" were wrecked. During the rescue attempts the Alexandra capsized four times and nine lives were lost. Previous to this she hadn't been used for thirteen years.
• 1866 Captain Alexander Mills (1866-1882) harbour master for 16 years. The job included the role of lighthouse keeper and pilot. Over this time there were 28 Shipwrecks while he was in charge. was frequently overruled by members of the Harbour Board who had associated commercial interest when he tried to tell them not to moore to shore too close.
  The lifeboat was named the Alexandra on a public holiday held to mark the wedding of the Prince of Whales and Princess Alexandra.
• 1867 Volunteer Timaru Rocket Brigade established about 1867, when a supply of rockets arrived from England
• 1868 control of the beach passed to the Timaru Gladstone Board of Works so harbour works could be undertaken.
• 1869 one of the lifeboat crew Duncan Cameron drowned when the boat capsized.
• 1875 construction of a groin of concrete block is built and is a failure.
• 1877 Timaru Harbour Board formed under the Timaru Harbour Board Act, 1876
• 1873 three vessels, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Wanderer, and the Fairy Queen, were all stranded in Caroline Bay.
• 1873 the rocket brigade had saved all volunteers, saved 51 lives. They used two rocket guns to fire cables to ships in distress and enabled crews to be hauled to shore.
• 1860s Plans Stars for Artificial Harbour - J.M. Goodall, engineer, for the Harbour Board - solid mole near the foot of Strathallan Street. “The Timaru Breakwater is, next to the Lyttleton tunnel, the boldest work that has been undertaken in New Zealand”
• 1871 First Sod Turned for Temuka to Timaru Railway
• 1878 Blacketts Lighthouse is built on Le Crens Terrace, with Captain Meredith as the first lighthouse-keeper, just as work was about to begin on the initial breakwater. The light house was shifted from the Terrace to Te Weka St and then to the current site above the Benvenue Cliffs.
  John Blackett (1818-93) was appointed Marine Engineer by the NZ Government in 1870 and then Engineer -in-chief of NZ in 1884. There were 24 lighthouse across NZ, 14 were timber. 9 of the original buildings remain and 5 re still operational. It was lit by Kerosine in 1878. The navigation light was replaced with gas in 1890 and then electric light in 1920. And decommissioned in 1970.
• 1878 Work Began to Construct Southern breakwater
• 1880 - Blackett declares the Timaru breakwater work a complete fiasco. natlib.govt.nz And recommends blowing it up to save the railway line as there was erosion at whales creek. Shingle was one of the main issues as it built up on the southern side of the structure. He could see the changes to the long shore drift and coastal erosion and said the breakwater needed to be blown up to save the railway. Some of the locals protested by parading an effigy of him down the main street to the end of the breakwater, stuffing it with fireworks and blowing it up leaving fragments scattered over the bay on June 6 1880. Blacketts main interest is building railways. Locals had suggested that the railway should be further in land because they had seen considerable erosion over 20 odd years. He was warned his railway in Timaru was in the wrong place. Blackett blamed it on the harbour works and wrote a report to Government. It was ridiculed and proved wrong. It opened a few controversial discussions.
• 1881 The construction of the railway and the accumulation of shingle and two George Street Landing services closed down.
• 1882 the worst ship wreck year was when 4 ships were wrecked and 1 refloated.
• City of Cashmere wrecked, Mills was blamed for not making enough effort to save the ship. 11 days before the Benvenue disaster he was reappointed to his former position.
  • On 14 May, 5 ships were lying in anchor.
  • Just a year after the first breakwater was completed.
  • Nine lives were lost when the Ben Venue (carrying coal) and the City of Perth (carrying 6000 sacks of grain valued at 10,000 pounds) both ran aground in heavy sea swells. All the ships’ cargo was lost in the disaster too, drastically damaging the local industry. The City of Perth was carrying over 5000 sacks of wheat, while the Ben Venue had over 500 tons of coal onboard.
    Four of the boatmen drowned, Neilson, Beach, MCDonald and Falgar.
    Captain Mills manned a landing service whale boat with a volunteer crew to reach city of Perth.
    Three boats were drifting and crew were struggling in the raging seas. Orders were given to use a life boat which had not been used for 13 years since 1869.
    Mills died an hour after being lifted from the lifeboat from exposure.
  • After the event ships anchored 1.5 miles from the shore
  • A few days later Mills had been accused of cowardice by the harbour board and dismissed him and advertised his position. The townsfolk wrote many letters and articles in the Timaru Herald with praise to Mills.
• 1883 Timaru had one wharf 880 feet long. 5 years later the moody wharf was built in 1908, and a wharf for fishermen was built 1911.
• 1885 The lifeboat crew continued to train and disbanded 1885.
• 1882 Signal Gun arrives for use for the brigade.
• 1884 the harbour works was a success
• 1900 William Evans persuaded the rate payers to consent to a loan of 100,000 pounds to what is now known as the Eastern extension. This was to combat the shingle that was filling the shipping channel. It was completed in 1915 432,207 tons of blue stone was quarried from Centennial Park.
• 1902 Bay first formed after creation of port breakwaters. The motion of the waves turned the shingle to sand. The area was decided to be created into a “European style beach resort” from 1902. From 1911 the annual Christmas carnivals began.