The erection on the western side of the path which leads on to the Morton Dam of a new...
Wainuiomata: History
Articles exploring the history of Wainuiomata, dating back to the 1860s
Documenting the fascinating history of Wainuiomata with an ever growing collection of articles. Includes posts about the origins and pioneering period of Wainuiomata to historical sites and artefacts. Each article is dated, but the date represents the subject and not the date when the article was written. For example, when an article primarily focuses on a photograph captured in 1840 or discusses topics related to that specific year, the article will be time stamped with that year.
This approach provides readers with an experience, allowing them to traverse through history in chronological order and gain a precise understanding of how historical events and elements are situated within the broader timeline of Wainuiomata’s history. Nonetheless, when an article covers a lengthy period concerning its main subject, it will be time stamped based on the featured image, most recent image, or the date of the main subject.
Read our comprehensive page on Wainuiomata history here →
Historical Articles
Evening Post 04 May 1923
David Johnson / / / History, News, Newspaper, Orongorongo Catchment, Orongorongo Pipeline, Orongorongo Tunnel, Waterworks / 0The supervising engineer, mention Easter as the outside date, by which everything will be ready so far as the...
Evening Post 12 Jan 1923
David Johnson / / / History, News, Newspaper, Waterworks / 0At Wainui-o-mata both reservoirs are practically full, but they are no longer overflowing, and the ground in the catchment...
Orongorongo Caretakers House
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Homes, Housing / 0The caretaker’s house in the Orongorongo Valley was built around 1922 to 1923 during construction of the Orongorongo water...
Evening Post 04 Nov 1922
David Johnson / / / History, News, Newspaper, Waterworks / 0Authority has been given by the City Council for the purchase of 153½ acres of land at Wainui-o-mata for...
The party is now being moved to complete the survey of the Wainuiomata route, work on which was suspended...
Otago Witness 06 Jun 1922
David Johnson / / / History, News, Camps, Newspaper, Orongorongo Camp, Orongorongo Tunnel, Semple’s Camp, Waterworks / 0Three camps are installed here. The surveyors, numbering three men; the council camp of 21 workers doing the outside...
The History of George Creek Road
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Morton Dam, Orongorongo Catchment, Roads, Semple’s Camp, Streets, Waterworks / 0George Creek Road was built in 1922. It runs from Morton Dam to the Wainuiomata entrance of the Ōrongorongo...
Dominion 09 Mar 1922
David Johnson / / / History, News, Dams, Generators, Little Tunnel, Newspaper, Orongorongo Pipeline, Orongorongo Tunnel, Tunnels, Waterworks / 0Boring operations have been commenced and preparations are being made for the establishment of a permanent camp for the...
Little Tunnel
David Johnson / / / History, Artefacts, Orongorongo Pipeline, Pipeline, Tunnels, Waterworks / 0Little Tunnel in the Ōrongorongo Valley is a small but significant piece of infrastructure related to the water supply...
Forgotten Power Generator Site
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Artefacts, Orongorongo Catchment, Orongorongo Tunnel, Pipeline, Semple’s Camp, Waterworks / 0This hidden site in Wainuiomata is believed to have housed a power generator used during the construction of the...
Dominion 08 Oct 1921
David Johnson / / / History, News, Generators, Newspaper, Orongorongo Tunnel, Pipeline, Semple’s Camp, Waterworks / 0The gang has now returned to the main camp at the tunnel mouth on the Wainui side of the...
Semple’s Camp
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Camps, George Creek Road, Orongorongo Tunnel, Waterworks / 0Tucked away in a gully two miles from the Morton Dam in Wainui-o-mata, Semple’s Camp served as the central...
Evening Post 30 Jun 1921
David Johnson / / / History, News, Generators, Newspaper, Orongorongo Tunnel, Semple’s Camp, Waterworks / 0At the top of a gully two miles from the Morton Dam at Wainui-o-mata, eight huts, besides a kitchen...
New Zealand Times 30 Jun 1921
David Johnson / / / History, News, Bridle Track, Generators, Newspaper, Orongorongo Camp, Orongorongo Pipeline, Orongorongo Tunnel, Semple’s Camp, Waterworks / 0The progress being made with the tunnel boring contract at Wainui-o-mata, by means of which the city's water supply...
Dominion 30 Jun 1921
David Johnson / / / History, News, Dams, Generators, Little Tunnel, Morton Dam, Newspaper, Orongorongo Pipeline, Orongorongo Tunnel, Tunnels, Waterworks / 0(Mr. W. H. Morton), the town clerk (Mr. J. R. Palmer), and Press representatives, visited the works on the...
Scout / Pearson Hut
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Huts / 0Scout Hut, also known as Pearson Hut, stood from 1912 until 1995 in Reservoir Valley. It eventually succumbed to...
Orongorongo Tunnel
David Johnson / / / History, Photos, Orongorongo Pipeline, Tunnels, Waterworks / 0The Orongorongo Tunnel, also known as Semple's Tunnel, is a landmark in New Zealand's water infrastructure history.
Dominion 10 Mar 1921
David Johnson / / / History, News, Dams, Generators, Morton Dam, Newspaper, Orongorongo Tunnel, Tunnels, Waterworks / 0The tunnel, which is being constructed on the co-operative system by a gang of eight men under Mr. Robert...
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