"Observations of the Harbour of Auckland"
by William Powditch (1865)
(Page 4)
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Page 4
who has been engaged in such works before, and had experience of the obstacles to be avoided, and the natural circumstances to be taken advantage of in placing them in proper position. The building of the works when these points are settled is for the Engineer undoubtedly, but before he can undertake these he requires the aid or experience of the sub-marine Engineer, and of both ship-masters and merchants acquainted with the requirements, as well as with the differences attending discharging in rivers, on open quays, and in docks. The Engineer is a professional man so far as his work and actual experience goes, and no further.
I now propose to handle the Engineer's report in comparison with that of the Council, to ascertain what ground there was for such a hasty proceeding as that of a section of the Wharfage community, signing a petition full of false statements, and of sophistry, to deceive unthinking men, even to the leading them to abet the Superintendent in the violation of the law, and to set aside the Council from the performance of that duty for which they were special electedly by the people at large.
If I can I will try to offer such a sketch as will show the difference of taking a proper advantage of the resources we have without making any encroachment on the navigation, contrasted with the wild and unscientific scheme by the Engineer of the Province, who should from his position have nothing to do with the harbour trusts, but which should be put without any intermediate authority, under a marine Engineer, paid by the trusts themselves, which if the merchants will not undertake should nevertheless not be left to any one man, but by commission of not less than three persons to prosecute such works as they would recommend when approved, and the means given them for raising the money, by the full and proper provincial authority.
It is difficult to see what there is in the committee's report of a factious character, when they agree in every particular but one, with the Engineer's recommendations, and the sums required to perform the works were given and not objected to; the only difference being a preference of a wharf in Freeman's Bay, should funds permit instead of one in Gore Street, and had the question been submitted to them they would have recommended the Break Water from Point Britomart, north of Customs Street, to be as recommended also by Capt. Daidy, and at one time partly executed by the harbour board, although afterwards removed by Casey, this was also recommended by Mr. Utting, and recognized to become the base of the final dock works by Sir William Dennison, also in Rafferty's plan who proposed simply in meantime to take advantage of the stone for taking his outer break to the 3 fm. line of Commercial Bay N.W., proposing to deepen the inside to 22 feet, and to produce the work on to the point shown; Mr. Rafferty would not have adopted FitzRoy's landing step as a point to spring from had he not found them already raised above water, although he does not say where, but most likely from Point Britomart to the centre position, where as he says the 1 fathom and 3 fathom line nearly coincide. Mr. William Brown also recommended a quay from Britomart to Customs and Fort Streets, and had the Engineer
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You are here: home > William Powditch >
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