MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 146, 17 December 1931, Page 4

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

NEW TYPE OF OIL TANK

The first electric-ally^ welded oil tank to be erected in New Zealand, and the first tank of its size to be entirely fabricated and erected by New Zealand labour, was recently built at Waiwetu, Lower Hutt, for Buckleton Bros., Ltd.

Messrs. R. G. and J. G. Buckleton, sons of Sir Henry Buckleton, general manager of the Bank of New Zealand, are the principal shareholders in the British International Oil Company, Ltd., and they have formod a subsidiary company, Buckleton Bros., Ltd., for the purpose of the importation, storage, and distribution of Aerial motor spirit in bulk. They acquired property at Lower Hutt, and the first of a series of oil tanks has now been built.

The erection of this tank is of considerable interest to all New Zealanders, in that it is. a 100-per-cent. New Zealand job. All the material is British, and wherever possible everything made in New Zealand was used. The construction was done by W. Cable and Co. in the record time of nine weeks, and the tank, which has a capacity of approximately half-a--million gallons, is now under test. Rivetted tanks are likely to- be affected, when empty, by heavy winds, and in this respect the new tank (which is welded) is unique. Its erection has shown that New Zealand engineers can fabricate and erect in record time such installations.

Directly and indirectly the job has given employment to nearly 100 men, and, whenever they have been available, returned soldiers and married men tyave been employed. About 25 per cent, of the cost represents material,, and the balance New Zealand labour. The new plant is" causing a considerable amount of interest in engineering and constructional circles in Wellington, technical men being keen to investigate the manner of its erection.