TRANSFER OF GOLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 10

TRANSFER OF GOLD

LARGE SHIPMENT FROM SOUTH ISLAND SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS TAKEN (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 28. One of the largest shipments of gold which has ever been handled in New Zealand was taken by the Rangatira from Lyttelton this evening and will delivered into the vaults of the Reserve Bank in Wellington. The shipment represented nearly £1,000.000 in sovereigns and half sovereigns from the vaults of the city banks in the South Island. Considered to be the largest quantify of gold ever sent from Dunedin, a consignment representing £500,000 arrived in Christchurch on Monday evening and was held here in the vaults of the Banks of New Zealand and Australasia. This afternoon, - with the Christchurch consignment, it was taken in motor lorries from the banks to a train bound for Lyttelton, where it was loaded on the Rangatira under a guard of men from the bank staffs. The greatest possible secrecy was observed by those engaged in the transhipment from the banks, and although the public must have known that the shipment was to be made very little interest was taken in the operations. Police and staff guards watched the operations at the banks in Christchurch and escorted Ihe gold, which was carried in small boxes in lorries, to the train. The special van on the train to the port was closely guarded. At Lyttelton special precautions were taken to ensure that while being loaded the boxes should not fall into the sen, the safety nets between the Ship and the wharf being trebled. Only the bank guards watched the operations on the wharf.