The Sinclair Tramway in Wainuiomata was built around the 1860s. It was used primarily for logging and transporting timber from the surrounding forest. It was later used to transport people to the dam.
The Sinclair Valley Tramway played a crucial role in the family’s logging efforts, which began in the late 1850s to early 1860s. The original tramway was built with wooden rails, but in 1879, Mr. Sinclair requested tenders for the transport of 150 tons of steel rails, likely intending to replace the wooden tramway. It is believed that the steel tramway followed the same path as the earlier wooden one, although there is no evidence to support this. In fact, a February 1883 news article suggests otherwise, implying that a road needed to be built prior to the steel tramway being laid. This certainly opens up the possibility that each tramway took different routes through Sinclair Valley Reservoir Valley.
Here’s a reworded and paragraphed version:
There is at least one map that shows the full route of the steel tramway. However, the route or layout of the older wooden tramway does not appear to be documented anywhere. It is possible that this earlier tramway ran along the southern side of Sinclair Valley, near what is now the Gums Loop Track. It may have crossed the river at a location known as “The Triangle” to connect to the mill. If this was the case, the tramway could have extended further toward Sledge Track Creek as logging operations advanced deeper into the valley.
The southern part of Sinclair Valley, often referred to as ‘The Terrace’ due to its flat and elevated terrain, seems like a logical location for the older tramway. This area had a high concentration of trees, particularly in the valley and up the southern hills. However, parts of The Terrace are quite damp, with wetlands in some areas. If the tramway was situated here, it likely navigated around these obstacles by following along the lower flank of the hills at an elevation just above the wetlands.
There is some physical evidence to support this theory. Between Sinclair Cemetery and Sledge Track lies a route sometimes referred to as Sinclair Track. While much of it is now overgrown, certain open sections resemble an old track, and cuts in the bank can still be seen today. These features suggest that this track may have originally been a tramway route. Photographic evidence of this track exists near the Sinclair Cemetery end, and physical signs of it can still be observed in the surrounding landscape.
Further east of Sledge Track, additional cuts in the landscape appear to resemble a pathway suitable for tramway tracks, hinting at the possibility of the route extending farther in that direction. However, the tramway likely did not extend beyond the location of the spillway of the old dam (which did not exist at this time). At that point, the Wainuiomata River closely follows the hillside, and the terrain becomes steep and unstable, making further eastern penetration impractical. Regardless, what we do know for sure is the newer steel tramway followed the same route as Reservoir Road up to George Creek.
The Sinclair family not only owned the the land that the tramway sat atop, but also held the large expanse of land that they logged. Over the years, they constructed several homes on their land, including House Northbrook, a mansion located close to where the tramway ran along today’s Whitcher Grove. We also know that the Wellington City Council sought to protect the water catchment area at the top of Sinclair Valley for their water supply scheme in 1880, so they got agreements from the Sinclair family and from all other land owners where the water race passed through.
In 1883, due to bankruptcy, the Sinclair family’s properties, homes, sawmill, tools, tramway rails, tramway trucks, wagons, and other assets were sold off. Later, the Council expressed interest in purchasing the Sinclair land located inside the catchment area where Wellington’s water was sourced, but this land was now in the hands of a different owner who suggested an expensive plan to use his land. The council rejected the plan and instead relied on the previous agreement they had with the Sinclair family regarding use of the land as a water catchment to perpetuity.
When the Sinclair family fully ceased logging operations, they left Wainuiomata. But the steel tramway had a dual purpose. It continued as transport to the dam. Over time, the tramway was replaced by what is now Reservoir Road which is a private road and has a locked gate. Today, there are only one or two potential artefacts associated with the steel tramway. They are situated in the bush near what is thought to be the location of two huts. These are pictured in the gallery below.
