EARLY HISTORY OF HARBOUR

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23111, 27 January 1945, Page 4

EARLY HISTORY OF HARBOUR

“ Modest ” Claim By

“ Weekly Scotsman ”

Reference to a “modest” claim by a newspaper, the "Weekly Scotsman,” that a Scots engineer had solved the initial difficulties of the Timaru Harbour Board, was made by Mr W. H. Hall at a meeting of the Board yesterday. The article said: “For many years the harbour of Timaru which ships the Canterbury lamb, lay idle and useless by the silting up of shingle after storms from the south. Millions had been spent on the construction of the harbour, every means had been tried to stop the intrusion of the shingle, and it was not until the arrival of a Scots engineer that they were able to overcome the difficulty at a comparatively small cost. “All he had to do was to study the tides and then construct a short breakwater at a new angle to stop the shingle and keep the harbour clear, and by diverting the shingle was able to build up acres of new land on which busy streets and warehouses stand tp-day. “Another unexpected amenity emerged from this improvement,” continued the article. “A rough shingly beach soon became covered with white silvery sand, and the town has changed into a seaside resort.”

Mr Hall said that the late Mr William Evans, who was then chairman, formulated the scheme, and the engineer, the late Mr Maxwell, had put it into operation. Members of the Board speculated on the author of the article so "modest” in its claim and so misleading in its contents.