Skerretts Creek, one of the larger tributaries of the Wainuiomata River, has a particularly interesting history.
Location
Skerretts Creek, is another main tributary of the Wainuiomata River. It flows through Skerretts Gully where Sunny Grove is located. Originating in the hills behind Sunny Grove on the northern slopes of McKerrow, the creek descends down Skerretts Gully. As it descends to the valley floor, the creek flows behind residences on the odd-numbered side of Sunny Grove. It then runs adjacent to the Hine Road Recreational Area carpark and meets the Wainuiomata River below Reservoir Road.
Alterations
In the 1950s, Norman Elias Willis the land developer, changed the course of the creek where Sunny Grove is located, to enhance the valley’s suitability for housing. Initially, the creek followed a meandering course through the gully, mostly along the eastern side, but also shifted to the western side. An aerial photograph from 1942 vividly displays this, showcasing a sinuous line of trees that delineates the original route of the creek. (See photo to the right and zoom in to see the detail.)
The name
Skerretts Creek has changed in both spelling and its course. For many decades, it was known as Skerrets Creek. The spelling error was corrected in 2022. The course of the river was also altered to suit residential development.
In the cartoon (dated 1891-10-31) to the right, you can see the correct spelling of “Skerrett”. Sir Charles Perrin Skerrett, later Chief Justice of New Zealand, was a prominent Wellington lawyer and keen outdoorsman who regularly fished for trout in Wainuiomata Stream and River confluence during the 1880s and 1890s. His connection with the area is remembered through Skerretts Creek, named after him, where he may have also fished.
Skerretts Creek Water Catchment
Skerretts Creek is the location for a small water catchment that supplied water to Wainuiomata in the 1950s and 60s. Long since abandoned, a walk up the creek reveals pipes, concrete tanks, and other pieces of infrastructure being slowly eroded away and reclaimed by the forest. The water catchment was for local needs and was constructed to avoid paying Wellington for water who invested in and owned the infrastructure and water that came from Morton Dam.
Kitty Hawk Plane Wreckage
Skerretts Creek is the site of a plane crash. On May 1, 1943, a Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk plowed into the hillside above Sunny Grove. Parts of the wreckage still exist to this day, but are very hard to find.
The Black House
There was an old hunters hut near Skerretts Creek that according to oral reports, could have housed a ranger or caretaker for the water catchment. Although the hut burned down in the 1970s, remnants and debris from it can still be found at the site, now concealed by the regenerating forest.
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