FIRST THORNDON RECLAMATION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 32, 8 February 1915, Page 16

FIRST THORNDON RECLAMATION

CHANGE OF MAYORS BIG LOSS TO THE CITY

In 1874 the Provincial Government was empowered to reclaim an area of 49 acres 1 rood 8 poles, starting from Levin and Co's present building, in Custom-house-quay, to Davis-street, and bounded on the sea side by the roadway of Waterloo-quay. The contractor was Charles O'Malley, who took the spoil

from the Rhodes's property on the Huttroad, wheie the Vacuum Oil and other kerosene bonds are now placed. The work was carried out in a systematic manner, a race of trucks and steam-engine conveying the tilling to the harbour. Before the dissolution of the provjnees, and judging by the trend of public opinion that their days were already numbered, the Provincial Government made an offer to the City Council to sell, at the eetual cost of reclamation, the land reclaimed up to that time. Mr. Joe Dranßfield. who was then Mayor, had previously purchased the piece of reclamation from Panama-street to Waring Taylor-street from the Provincial Government, and he recommended the Council to take over the other block reaching as far as Davisstreet. The Council was in favour of tho proposal, but an election coming on for the Mayoralty, Mr. William Sefton Moorhouse. M.H.R. for Lyttelton, who had started a legal practice in Wellington with Mr. (now Justice) Edwards, opposed Mr. Dransfield, and defeated him by a few votes. When Mr. Dransfield's proposed purchase of the reclaimed land came up for confirmation by the City Council, Mr. Moorhouse said, "We won't pay £80,000 for it. When Parliament meets I'll get the Government to hand it over free of cost to the city." Soon after Parliament met the Atkinson Government was defeated, and Sir George Grey became Premier in October, 1877. When Mr. Moorhouse asked for the reclaimed land as an endowment 'for the f ity, he met with a very distinct refusal/ on the ground that the assets of the provinces had been taken over by the General Government as well as their liabilities, and the land reclaimed belonged to the whole of the people of New Zealand. Three acres were cut up in sections and sold at auction by Mr. R. J. Duncan for the sum of 13s Id, while tho total cost of the tcclamation of nearly fifty acres only amounted to £60,511 18s 6d. Included in thtse items was 2 acres 2 roods 32 perches for the Government Buildings. This was reclaimed by the Public Works Department at a cost of £3724 15s. The old adage of the folly of ." swapping horses whilst crossing a stream " was well borne out by this transaction. The Government "netted £22,376 13s 7d over the sale of the three acres, after all costs of reclamation had been paid, and after deducting about eight acres for roading, there was still thirty-eight acres to the good for General Government purposes. Of the area in this reclamation, 24

acres 0 roods 22g perches was set aside for railway station, sheds, yards, etc. ; 1 acre 0 roods 1.7 perches for Supreme Court, Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, and Police Station ; 36 perches for a drillshed (in more recent years used as a Parcels Post Office) ; 1 acre 1 rood 20 perches for Government Buildings; 1 acre 0 roods 24 perches for the Government Printing Office ; and 1 rood 18£ perches for Marine and Telegraph stores. RECLAIMED LAND SALE, 1879. There was a boom in land values, both in town and country, for a few years alter the abolition of the Provinces and the jaicutioa of tha Public Work* pojicy

advocated and carried out by the late Sir Julius Vogel. Many old Wellingtonjans will remember the Bale held on the 4th February, 1879. on behalf of the Government, by R. J. Duncan, who »vi«ided the liammer while in a profuse Btate of perspiration, necessitating the throwing aside of his coat and appearing on the rostrum in his shirt sleeves. The land sold was between Waring Tavlorstreet _ and the Government Buildings, including some frontages to Lambtonquay as far as the New Occidental Hotel a-nd the intersecting streets and Feather6ton street. As these prices are of historical interest, they are appended :— Kirkcaldie and Stains (five sections), £45 3s to £66 per foot. Hon. Jolui Johnston (two sections), £40 and £42. J. M. Clelaud. £48. Hon, Dr. Morgan S. Grace, £56. E. W- Mills (four sections), £43 to £61. Zohrab, Newman, and Co. (two sections), £46 and £61. Sir James Prendergast {two sections), £42 and £46. Wellington Land and Building Co., £50. Robert Port, £50. Waddell, M'Leod. and Weir, £35. W. L. Hirst, Kaiwarra Tannery, £54. J. D. Baird, City Surveyor (two sections), £40 each. George Harper, Nelson (two sections), £55 and £40. Joseph Saunders, £50. Lord and Rutherford (two sections), £41 and £42. Thompson, Shannon, and Co., £40. Andrew Young, £31. Cattell and Diamond, £44. S. Danks and Son, £56. RAILWAY RECLAMATIONS. Under the Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881, and the Thorndon Reclamation Acts, 1881-88, the WellingtonManawatu Railway Company was empowered to reclaim 29a Or 24p, but of this area the company only retained 18a 3r 38. 6p ; for the Hutt Railway line 2a 3r 37p was taken by the Government, and 7a Or 28. 4p went for streets. | The cost of this reclamation may be ap- | proximately stated at £40,000. A large I quantity of the filling was obtained from the tunnel excavations further on. In 1884 the Wellingtoa-Manawatu Railway Company reclaimed an area of la Or lOp for the Government, the cost being £1080. This work was necessitated by the removal of the Hutt railway line from its original position beside Thorndon-quay to ite present location alongside the Thomdon-esplanade. Of the area reclaimed 2r lOp was taken for streets, leaving 2r for the railway line. In 1892 the Railway Department extended tho railway to Te Aro, and reclaimed an area of la lr of the land opposite the Post Office and a strip along Customhouse-quay. The Government afterwards transferred lr 17p to the Harbour Board on payment of £890, and the board, by arrangement with the Government, reclaimed tho land on which the wharf office building and P wool Store stand.