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Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 2, Issue 5, November 1971

Early Wharves

Early Wharves

By the end of 1843 Port Nelson had under construction the three main jetties which were to handle most of the shipping until the late 50's. At Green Point (the hilly outcrop at the Junction of Haven Road and Wakefield Quay) were the Company wharf and Beit's wharf. Both of these had stone breastworks from which jetties ran out into deep water. Beit's wharf had a frontage of 120 feet with a private bonded store. At Auckland Point was Otterson's Jetty, about 200 feet long, running out to the channel of the Maitai River.

Between 1850–60 there was much activity around Green Point, the original Customhouse being built near the site now occupied by page 19the Customhouse Hotel. (An early illustration shows the first Customhouse Hotel, built out on piles over the foreshore, displaying a sign offering hot baths which presumably drained through the floor to the beach below).

The Queen's Wharf (alias Customhouse Wharf) is recorded as being in existence in 1854. In 1855, William Akersten (who was to open a ship chandlery opposite the Customhouse in the old building demolished recently), was allowed to lease this wharf on the significant condition that if the wharf fell down he was not liable, but if heavy goods fell through it, he was! Akersten built many wharves at Port Nelson and in 1857 he built the Albion Wharf opposite where the Tasman Tavern now stands.

There is an interesting connection between the Albion wharf and Thomas Cawthron who had a shipping business at Port Nelson for nearly thirty years, being the agent for most of the shipping lines trading to the port. When the old vessel "Albion" was condemned she was beached next to the old wharf site and her bowsprit extended across the land to where the Pier Hotel once stood, there being no road past at that time. Later on, around 1860, for some time Cawthron used the old ship as an office and store (4). By the 1870's the Albion Hotel stood on piles alongside the wharf.

A new Government wharf was built during 1859–60 (5) by Akersten and Turner near Green Point for about £4000. It was just west of the wharf leased by Akersten and commenced about where the Port post office now stands, and was angle-shaped. The main pier extended 380 feet seaward and was bounded by an arm 280 feet long and 40 feet wide, and vessels drawing 16 feet could lie alongside at low water spring tide. But alas! the black birch piles on which this wharf was built were soon eaten through and by 1874 the whole structure was rotten and beyond repair.

The provincial government passed a Loan Act of 1874, to raise £27,000 for a new public wharf. This time, the province built well and work was commenced in 1876, also under the supervision of William Akersten. This was to be the commencement of the main wharf as we know it today but originally L shaped. The extension to the north—to form the T shape of the present structure—came a long time later (1911). However, back in 1876 work included some reclamation, and a long sea wall was built from the Albion Wharf to the Customhouse, and (still in the 1870's) the third of these three was "Franzens" just east of Green Point on the site now occupied by the Nelson Reliance Engineering Company. Franzen was a sail-maker and ship-chandler, who serviced and even owned some of the Blind Bay hookers—the little ships which served the outlying settlements of Tasman and Golden Bay for so many years before the roads were built. It is also on record that Franzen was a part owner of a small screw steamer of 110 tons built in 1880 and named "Wakatu". The Harbour Board had to demolish Franzen's wharf in 1929 although the building remained for another few years.

page 20

Licenses for private wharves had been granted by the Railways Department, which still controlled the foreshore long after the Harbour Board was formed. Lukins had built a lime wharf off Haven Road, just where Collins Street commences, and this was later let to Mr. F. W. Greenslade. The old Gasworks Wharf, mentioned briefly earlier, was where Vickerman Street now joins Haven Road and had been leased to the City Council at a peppercorn rental since 1912.