This concrete hut was erected between 1901 and 1926. Today it is hidden deep inside the native bush of Wainuiomata Regional Park.
The conversion of the concrete water race to pipes to carry water to Wellington occurred in 1901, while the Ōrongorongo water supply scheme was completed in 1926. This building sits above the water race which is about ½ meter directly below the concrete floor.
Remnants of a water flow meter system adorn the wall/floor facing the track that leads to the structure. The meter system regulated the steel pipe beneath the track, measuring approximately 53 centimeters (21 inches) in diameter. Concrete sealing at both ends of the hut marks the entrances to the water race originating from the Lower Reservoir, leading to the shaft at Colemans Tunnel, near Richard Prouse Park.
The hut is of a rectangular design, measuring 3.365 meters along its longer side, corresponding to the track side or the south/north orientation. On the shorter side, measuring 2.455 meters, lies the east/west alignment. The height from the exterior to the arched concrete roof peaks at 2.5 meters. Positioned on the north side, the entrance features a window opposite on the west side, both fashioned from molded concrete.
Until the mid-1990s, the hut was visible from the Sunny Grove and Hine Road vicinity, but over time, dense tree growth has obscured the structure from view. Its exact location is on an old track that ran parallel with Reservoir Road that use to accommodate four-wheel drive vehicles until about 2008. Since then, nature has all but reclaimed this section of the old track / road. It was initially carved out in the early 1880s for the water race’s construction and had undergone widening over the years to facilitate vehicular passage.
Concrete Building Gallery
Special thanks to Jeremy Foster for his help with this article.
