Engineering heritage in August

Featured Heritage Technology Museum

Te Toi Uku, Crown Lynn Museum
8 Ambrico Place, New Lynn, Auckland

Newly reopened after a restoration. The museum has many examples of the ceramics produced by the industry. The downdraught Gardner Bros & Parker kiln is right beside the Te Toi Uku Museum. “Built in 1926 and last fired in 1957, this kiln is the last remaining structure from New Lynn’s brick-making era.”

Find out more about the restoration. 

New Heritage Records

Te Rā – the Māori sail

Te Rā is the only surviving Māori sail. It is over 200 years old.

Polynesian ancestral voyaging to the eastern Pacific and to its island extremities was a feat of navigation underpinned by sophisticated technology. It is impossible to conceive the extent of the voyaging other than with the assistance of the wind, using sails – rā – in te reo.

When written records began to be created about Polynesian craft, sails were commonly described, but few physical examples have survived. Those depicted for Aotearoa New Zealand are of spritsail form, attached to two spars. This sail is of that form. It is rigged with a leading moveable spar, stayed to the waka and the trailing spar sheeted. A rigidly fixed mast was not used with this form of rig.

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Auckland Rail Renaissance

Auckland now boasts a world-class rail passenger transit system, but for many years the potential of rail to play a major role in meeting the public transport needs of Auckland was neglected. It came through a prolonged effort that is finally yielding a modern system but built on some heritage assets as well.

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New Biographies

Biographies for the following people are complete and now live on the website:

• Jack Lionel Woodward
• Cyril Firth
• Robin (Bob) Kingston
• Alexander William Aitken
• Colleen Kelly neé Nansett
• Read all our engineering biographies

Heritage in the News

Ruston crawler draglines

For many years the department of Public Works had two steam powered Ruston crawler draglines.
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Stylish profession

Engineers – a sartorially renowned profession?  – how we once dressed – a 1970 view.

Dunedin Gasworks Museum

“A closer look at the workings of our Bryan Donkin Booster in steam. There's something wonderfully hypnotic about watching these pistons glide back and forth as the engine runs”.
Watch the engine in motion

Daniel O'Connell Bridge 

Ophir is a cold spot in Central Otago. Watch a video of recent snowfall on the historic Daniel O'Connell Bridge. Read our Heritage Record entry for Daniel O'Connell Bridge

The Lost Belmont Viaduct

Hunting for Wellington's Ghost Railway: The Lost Belmont Viaduct

“Hidden deep within Wellington's northern suburbs lie the forgotten remnants of an engineering marvel”.
Watch the video

Dunedin cable car line

Dunedin cable car line remnants were recently found during watermain works. 
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Heritage in LiDAR

NZ Topo Map has a complete coverage of New Zealand in hill-shade LiDAR. There is much of heritage interest. LiDAR has the advantage of ‘seeing through’ vegetation. Read a Facebook post featuring LiDAR on one of our Record sties, Ruapekapeka Pa.

Read our Ruapekapeka Pā Heritage Record entry

The Thames School of Mines

Old but new at reopened heritage site. The Thames School of Mines is back in its home with a new, but old, look.
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Steam loco

From playground to powerhouse: Invercargill’s steam loco nears return. See more HereRead more

Railway footbridge restoration

Ashburton District Council are underway on restoring a railway footbridge. 
Watch the video

How to recycle a house

“When demolished, the average house becomes 100 tonnes of waste. Researchers want to turn that waste into something useful.”
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Wheel Of Time: Heritage Restored at Lincoln's Historic Mill Site.
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Truck engine takes pride of place

“OceanaGold’s Macraes Operation and Terra Cat New Zealand have joined forces to restore and transport a historic Macraes 789 dump truck engine to the Roger Mahan Heritage Centre in Geraldine”
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Rotorua’s Prince’s Gate Archway to be deconstructed after safety risk identified
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Heritage Anniversary

A determined recorder of our Engineering Heritage was Frederick William Furkert (1876–1949). It is the 150th anniversary of his birth.

He was a distinguished engineer with service in both World Wars and a past president of the Institution.

During his last years he set about completing Early New Zealand Engineers, a history, largely biographical, of pioneer engineering in the country's early days. It is a vital text to students of engineering heritage.
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Events

Australian Engineering Heritage Conference
Taking a holistic approach to engineering heritage – past, present and future.
11–12 November 2026
Swinburne University, Melbourne
Find out more

Featured Heritage Record

Christchurch tramways

At this tramway system’s peak, the South Island city of Christchurch had New Zealand’s most extensive electric street tramway. In the late 20th century small sections, which were reinstated, became well-known heritage features.

Christchurch’s tramway began to develop in 1880 when a standard gauge line was built from the city’s railway station to Cathedral Square in the centre of the city. Five Kitson steam tram motors originally hauled double-decked trailers. These steam tram motors were used for occasional duties through the electric era, and one – the only operational Kitson in the world – survives in use today at Ferrymead Heritage Park. Horses were also extensively used. Three companies built and operated the initial 19th century network.
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This update was written by Garry Law, Chair of the Engineering Heritage Board. The Board provides support and strategic direction to Engineering New Zealand’s heritage work programme.

There are plenty of ways to get involved with Engineering New Zealand’s Engineering Heritage Programme

Have something for the next update? Contact us at  heritage@engineeringnz.org