Evening Post 23 Jul 1881

The following tenders were received by the City Council for the construction of the Wainuiomata water-race:- Brown and Farrell £6,387 9s; W. F. Oakes £7,439 7s 6d; C. McKirdy and Co. £7,592 19s; Murdoch and Rose £7,778 8s 3d; J. and D. Sinclair £7,799 19s 1d; Robert Lyon £7,827 10s 3d; A. Whiteford £7,975 1s 8d; Robert Scott, £8,244 19s 4d; Walter Pell £8,320 10s; Joseph Saunders £8,319 13s 4d; Glendenning and Griffin £8,740; J. Lockie £8,765 3s 6d; Sinclair and Archibald £9,239 13s 6d; John Coleman £11,563 18s 6d. The first-named tender was accepted, but the tenderers being unwilling to take up the contract, the next lowest offer – that of Mr W. F. Oakes for £7,439 7s 6d – was accepted.