In 1880, F.W. Oakes won a tender to construct a race between the old dam and a pipeline connection near what is now Richard Prouse Park and Reservoir Road. The tender was awarded at a cost of £233 15s, in June 1880 and Oakes later secured another contract for additional race work valued at £7,439 7s 6d on July 1881. This marked a significant step in the development of Wainuiomata’s early water supply infrastructure.
The race was designed as a concrete covered race / culvert measuring 96 chains (1,920 metres) in length, 4 feet in width, and 2 feet 9 inches in height from the crown of the arch to the bottom of the invert. A concrete mixing machine was installed at the dam site to facilitate the construction process.
Engineering and Transporting Materials
The construction materials for the water infrastructure were transported efficiently to the work sites. The concrete used for the race and reservoir was mixed on-site using a machine under the direct supervision of the City Engineer. This machine featured an iron cylinder with a capacity of 100 cubic feet and was powered by the engine previously used in the steam launch “Perfect Cure”. Once mixed, the concrete was quickly transported down the Sinclair Tramway to required locations.
In addition to old newspaper records documenting this endeavour, numerous old tracks still run from Reservoir Road (the location of Sinclair Tramway) to Maintenance Road above, which ran parallel. The race was primarily situated between the tramway and this unsealed road / track above.
Construction of Colemans Tunnel
Coleman’s Tunnel was built around 1882 as part of the concrete race project. While it was tendered and constructed by William Frank Oakes, its interior was lined with bricks by John Coleman, after whom the tunnel was named. Despite its intended purpose, the tunnel and race were found to be inefficient due to excessive leaking. By 1899, both were abandoned and later bypassed with a pipeline running from the Lower Reservoir Dam to the 30-inch (760 mm) diameter cast-iron pipe which extended for three and a half miles ( 5.6 km).
Legacy of the Early Wainuiomata Waterworks
Despite the abandonment of the original race and tunnel, remnants of this early water supply system still exist. The concrete well and portions of the pipeline infrastructure serve as historical markers of the innovative engineering that supported Wellington’s early water needs. Over time, modern pipelines and treatment plants have replaced these early systems, but their legacy remains an essential part of Wainuiomata’s water supply history.
