This week contributor Graeme Ferris sheds light on the debate over the original purpose of Sumpter Wharf, and reveals it was one of six such planned wharves.
Oamaru’s Sumpter wharf has been featuring in local Waitaki District Council and national news recently.
After a long period of various draft reviews, archaeological assessments, concept plans, various visions and engineer’s structural assessments, the reason for the delayed council decision on the future of this historic wharf was insufficient information! Not the news the Sumpter Wharf Action Group (SWAG) was hoping for.
There was however national publicity regarding the 125 years since the very first frozen meat ex-Totara Estate was shipped from Port Chalmers, on the vessel Dunedin direct to the United Kingdom.
Recently there have also been differing claims made regarding the early shipments of frozen meat direct from the port of Oamaru.
There was however national publicity regarding the 125 years since the very first frozen meat ex-Totara Estate was shipped from Port Chalmers, on the vessel Dunedin direct to the United Kingdom.
Recently there have also been differing claims made regarding the early shipments of frozen meat direct from the port of Oamaru.
Some say that Sumpter Wharf was built specifically for the frozen meat trade while others claim that the vessel Elderslie was the only locally commissioned specific item for this historic trade.
Whomever is correct, those at the time were obviously not talking to each other.
Whomever is correct, those at the time were obviously not talking to each other.
The Oamaru harbour board was busy ensuring that both sides of Sumpter Wharf were dredged to a uniform depth of 22 feet and at the same time the Elderslie was being designed and constructed, drawing a little more than 26 feet.
Some early photos of the Elderslie berthed alongside Sumpter Wharf show the vessel having an obvious list. This list probably had nothing to do with poor loading procedure but was most likely the fact that at anywhere below about half tide, 26 ft did not fit too well into 22ft; the ship was most likely briefly resting on the harbour bottom.
During the late 1800s period when public gardens were planned for the now King George Park area and also on the higher ground of the ‘cape’ ( the area now being named ‘Forrester Heights’) 44 separate residential sections were planned and drawn on this Oamaru harbour works plan.
Some early photos of the Elderslie berthed alongside Sumpter Wharf show the vessel having an obvious list. This list probably had nothing to do with poor loading procedure but was most likely the fact that at anywhere below about half tide, 26 ft did not fit too well into 22ft; the ship was most likely briefly resting on the harbour bottom.
During the late 1800s period when public gardens were planned for the now King George Park area and also on the higher ground of the ‘cape’ ( the area now being named ‘Forrester Heights’) 44 separate residential sections were planned and drawn on this Oamaru harbour works plan.
The biggest potential disaster showing on this ‘harbour’ plan however was no fewer than a further FIVE curved approach wharves within the still water basin, all similar and only slightly shorter than Sumpter wharf, two on the south harbour side and three from the north side.
The SWAG committee would have been very busy indeed, had these additional five wharves eventuated.
Graeme Ferris
The SWAG committee would have been very busy indeed, had these additional five wharves eventuated.
Graeme Ferris
Next time: Fancy a shag on the wharf? How about 500? In his next instalment Graeme looks at the problem regurgitative shags present to SWAG.
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