ONEHUNGA AS PORT

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 6

ONEHUNGA AS PORT

Modest Start In 1859 "The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, January 8. Little more than a century ago, when Auckland was a straggling village, what is today the Port of Onehunga was a muddy foreshore on which Maori canoes, bringing pigs and potatoes, wheat and fruit to feed the people of the new capital, were drawn up. Occasionally a trading schooner or brig from Sydney dropped anchor in the Manukau, but that was the only shipping activity. In 1847, Onehunga was established by the Governor, Sir George Grey, as one of four military pensioner settlements to protect the southern frontier of Auckland.

The proposal to establish a port there was supported by public opinion but shipping interests maintained at first that the port would be dangerous. In spite of all the argifinents for and against the establishment of a port at Onehunga, the foundation stone of the first harbour works was laid in 1859. It was planned to make a stone abutment 180 feet long leading out from a road formed to the foot of Queen street. The length of the wharf was to be 1100 feet. It was planned to enable ships drawing 15 feet to berth at low water alongside the wharf. By September 11, 1859, the stone abutment projected 250 feet southward and. as stone was plentiful, the engineer obtained permission to add another 150 feet, making a total of 400 feet. The Governor, Sir Thomas Gore-Browne, inspected the wharf works in October of that year and praised the enterprise of the citizens of Onehunga, who had provided funds from their limited resources and had given 400 days of free labour. Maori War Port

After the outbreak of the Waikato War in 1863 Onehunga became a port of great importance Warships from Sydney berthed there and supplies for the forces Sperating in the Waikato were taken by sea from Onehunga to Port Waikato and hauled up the river in barges.

From such modest beginnings the Port of Onehunga has grown in size and in importance. As a result of recent improvements costing £179.000, the wharf storage space has been doubled, a new 400-foot concrete wharf has been added to the horthern side of the old structure and a new access roadway and loading ramp constructed.

The 56 cargo workers who are employed at the port are proud of their wharves and the work they do. The president of the Onehunga Cargo Workers’ Union. Mr W. McCarthy, said: "One particular thing we are very proud of is the fact that we have often been able to load ships to their full capacity. That does not happen very frequently in other ports.” He added: “Of course, this is due to the fact that the turnover of cargo workers at this port is much lower than in most other ports, and consequently the men know their work inside out and there is the greatest co-operation here.”