Trade With Port In 1820's

Press, Volume C, Issue 29488, 14 April 1961, Page 17

Trade With Port In 1820's

Once again a flourishing port with ships plying from there to Wellington, Kaiapoi has a record associated with shipping dating some years before New Zealand became a colony. Possibly the early 1820’s provide the earliest recorded date of the use of the Waimakariri river as a port. This period was pinpointed by the late Mr J. Lowthian Wilson, for a lengthly period “The Press” representative at Kaiapoi.

According to Mr Wilson’s notes, the barque “Victoria” of 100 tons, under a Captain Price, visited the district and an entry in the ship’s log records: “I got some flax and pigs at Kaiapoi in exchange for powder, muskets, tobacco, etc,” The reference to pigs, however, indicates the Maoris had had previous contact with Europeans and a further indication of this was given by the fact they were keen to obtain firearms.

Early Development Shipping to the port played its part in the early development of the district and the province with cutters taking supplies a short distance up the Waimakariri river for survey parties in the early 1850 s, "Beyond the Waimakariri” records that George Day, of Sumner, began a regular monthly service between Heathcote and Kaiapoi early in 1852. and he could be chartered to carry station supplies at any other time. The “Lyttelton Times” records that In February, 1858, several immigrants took the opportunity of travelling to Kaiapoi on the Planet, which was making her maiden trip from Heathcote to the northern town. Other passengers made the journey as a pleasure trip, returning to Heathcote on the vessel, which took on a cargo of baled wool at Kaiapoi. The trip took something like four hours. A record for the run frorp Lyttelton to Kaiapoi of two hours and a half was set by the “Maid of the Mill” in 1866, but the usual time taken was about three to four hours.

Exports In 1864 the value of exports from Kaiapoi was £53.400 but by 1870 the trade had grown to a value of £147,024, including 5226 bales of wool, 335,950 bushels of wheat, barley and oats, and 2349 bushels of beans. A brisk trade was done through the port in the years preceding World War I. largely as the result of the capacity of the Kairaki, which was able to carry 580 tons. For a time the North Canterbury Freezing Company, Ltd., brought sheep through the port from Banks Peninsula to works at Kaiapoi. More recently, in the last operational year ending in November, something like 18,000 tons of cargo were handled through the port, and since then there has been a further considerable increase in the tonnage being handled.

Quicker Delivery While on of the main advantages claimed for the use of Kaiapoi as a port is that it provides a quicker delivery of goods between Christchurch and Wellington. In some cases handling may be reduced by the goods being taken direct to the shipside from warehouse or factory. . The operation of the port has provided employment for a number of men at Kaiapoi to handle the cargo, while it has resulted in some crew members and the harbourmaster, Captain C, Bell, establishing their homes in the town. Provisions for the ships are obtained from businesses in the town.

In the opinion of some, however, the main effect will, be a long-term one as they consider the working of the port could be an encouragement to some industries to set up in the area.