WATERFRONT TOUR

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 202, 23 May 1936, Page 8

WATERFRONT TOUR

Lord and Lady Galway’s Inspection INTEREST IN WORKING OF PORT Yesterday mowing his Excellency tbe Governor-General, and Lady Galway, accompanied by Captain Heber Percy, A.D.C., paid a visit of, inspection'to the Wellington waterfront and spent a considerable time in a tour of the wharves and cargo sheds. Their Excellencies were received at the Wellington Harbour Board’s offices by the chairman of the board, Mr. T. R. Barrer. Other members present were Messrs C. H. Chapman, M.P., C. M. Turrell, D. J. McGowan, A. Fletcher, and W. 11. Price, and the general manager and secretary, Mr. A. G. Barnett. The party first visited No. 21 store, where the “dumping” of wool and flax in the hydraulic presses was in operation, and a demonstration of the working of the overhead cranes and the bicycle crane was given. Lord and Lady Galway showed great interest in the mechanical handling of cheese and fruit in and out of the board's cool stores, and also in the sorting of general cargo in the huge shed on Pipitea Wharf. The great, extent: of the wharf system was revealed in a tour of Fryatt and Aotea Quays, which extended as far as the jubilee floating dock, where an inspection of the work on the Rangatira was made. The operation of the dock itself Was explained to their Excellencies, who showed great interest in the magnitude of the works carried out in recent years in the Tborndon area by the Harbour Board. It was pointed out that the great Aotea Quay breastwork would have a total length of about three quarters of a mile when completed, and that, the depth of water for its whole length was sufficient to float in safety the largest ships in the world.

On the return journey their Excellencies visited the hydraulic pumping station between the Glasgow Wharf and the Railway Wharf, and watched with great Interest the working of the powerful automatic pumps which supply power for the hydraulic cranes throughout the board's wharf system. At the conclusion of their tour Lord and Lady Galway took morning tea with the members in the board room, and were shown the board's splendid collection of photographs of the port and city from tbe early days up to the present time, as well as many of the valuable charts and plans and other historical records, in which they were deeply interested.