BUILDING WAITAKI DAM
TVNZ’s Close Up has produced a poignant, simply brilliant reminder of why we celebrate Labour Day in New Zealand.
### TVNZ Published: 7:34PM Monday October 26, 2009
Waitaki Dam 75 years on
Source: Close Up
When Benmore and Aviemore and Clyde Dam were built, they had all the heavy equipment – trucks and diggers for a start. When they built Waitaki they had picks, shovels and crowbars and that was it. 75 years on the Waitaki Dam stands solid and proud. A monument to the men who toiled in harsh conditions, for not much pay and very little warmth, men like Arthur Wilson. He’s 100 now and believed to be the last man standing from those dam building days.
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Post by Elizabeth Kerr
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October 27, 2009 at 12:20 am
Otago Daily Times reporter David Bruce provides background on the Waitaki Dam project and some of the personalities, past and present.
17.10.09 Magazine: Harnessing the current
Happy birthday – the Waitaki dam celebrates its 75th anniversary at Labour Day weekend. David Bruce looks at its history, its future and some of the people who worked there. During the Depression, the project provided much-needed work for those without jobs, although they had to labour through extremes in a climate ranging from hot summers to freezing-cold winters. Link
17.10.09 Magazine: Cold, dam cold
The coldest day in Bruce Painter’s life was working to build the Waitaki dam in the 1930s with 40cm of snow on the ground, a 10degC frost and icicles more than 60cm long hanging off cottage roofs. Mr Painter, now deceased, recorded his recollections of working on the project for the golden jubilee celebrations in 1984, when he was 86 years old, and said working conditions were “very primitive”. Link
17.10.09 Magazine: Resident recalls night-carts, frigid winters and fun
The Public Works Department built the Waitaki dam, but Brenda Taylor says PWD stood for “Packwood, Wally and Dad”. Packwood was the engineer, R. H. Packwood, Wally was Mrs Taylor’s father and Dad was her grandfather Fred. Link
17.10.09 Magazine: Home is where the dam is
When Ivan and Noeline Wilson visit Lake Waitaki Village, they feel they are coming home. The couple lived there from 1977 to Easter 1988, when Mr Wilson was made redundant during a reorganisation by the then Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. Link
17.10.09 Old hand’s ‘dream job’ ‘driving’ the Waitaki dam
Syd Winward reckons he changed his jobs more than his underwear. Then he left Lancashire and emigrated to New Zealand in January 1968. After a couple of jobs when he arrived in New Zealand, he joined the Electricity Division, Ministry of Energy, 17 years after leaving school and found his niche. His “dream job” was working as an operator, “driving” the Waitaki dam. Link
22.10.09 Waitaki power station celebrates 75 years
Photos from our files of the Waitaki dam and power station, celebrating 75 years this Labour Weekend. Prints available from otagoimages.co.nz.
Slideshow
26.10.09 Dam’s 75th birthday a powerhouse celebration
The “grand lady” still has it, at 75 years old, pulling a big crowd yesterday. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of the official Waitaki dam opening, and owner Meridian Energy Ltd was overwhelmed when it opened it to the public yesterday. Link
October 29, 2009 at 10:22 pm
### ODT Online Thu, 29 Oct 2009
‘Grand lady’ draws a crowd of more than 500 for 75th anniversary
By David Bruce
At 75 years old, the “grand lady” still has it, pulling a big crowd on Sunday. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of the official Waitaki dam opening, and owner Meridian Energy Ltd was overwhelmed when it opened it to the public on Sunday.
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Special note: Two Kurow men associated with the project – the Rev Arnold Nordmeyer and Dr David McMillan – went on to become members of Parliament in the Michael Savage government and schemes they developed to help dam workers formed the basis for New Zealand’s social welfare system.