28 Nov 2025
Check out a roundup of the latest heritage news and discover new resources and featured content.
Featured Heritage Technology Museum
Wellington’s Cable Car Museum
“Located in the original winding house for the cable car system and set over two floors, the museum houses the winding mechanism operational from 1902 until 1978. It’s also home to two of the original grip cars that operated on the line.
Step back in time to see how Wellington’s most iconic transport system has developed.”
Engineering Heritage Tourism
Travelling and doing some heritage tourism? Here is an interactive Google Map of New Zealand’s technology museums, heritage exhibits and experiences.
And if you are into maps, here are the interactive Google maps showing our Heritage Record and Register sites: North Island, South Island.
Heritage in the news
Kōpū Bridge
Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga, recently featured its working model of the swing span on the Kōpū bridge on their Facebook page. It is one of our Heritage Register sites and its centenary is approaching.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers recognise NZ Locomotive
“We presented our 153rd Engineering Heritage Award to KiwiRail recognising the remarkable EF class electric locomotive, a lasting symbol of New Zealand’s innovation and sustainable rail transport.”
Matakohe-Limestone Island
Liz Ferry has written an interesting article on Limestone Island, in Whangarei Harbour. It is one of our Heritage Record sites and a scene of early lime and cement production.
Dunedin Heritage Rail Tunnels
The Dunedin Tunnels Trail project has received a $2 million injection from the government.
The funding will cover the extension of the cycle trail's second and third stages, which will take it through Fairfield, Abbotsford and Green Island, utilising two heritage railway tunnels.
Mataura Station Restoration
The Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand will receive an increased annual contribution to support its restoration efforts of rail heritage buildings and structures, Rail Minister Winston Peters has announced.
“We requested KiwiRail’s board consider increasing its public good investment in heritage and were pleased to hear from new Chair Sue Tindal that they have increased the annual contribution to the Trust from $125,000 to $500,000.”
Pumphouse Story
MOTAT, Auckland’s science and technology museum incorporates one of our Heritage Record sites - Western Springs Pumping Station. They recently published an article on this central feature of the site.
Image credit: Creative Commons Licence: Attribution CC BY Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1477-2872
Kuripapango Bridge Opening 1961
The Knowledge Bank, the Hawkes Bay Digital Archive Trust, posted this recently:
“The one-time coaching station of Kuripapango on the Napier-Taihape Road made local headlines recently. The 60-year-old kauri bridge across the Ngaruroro there was replaced by a super-duper meccano structure – a Callender-Hamilton bridge, designed by New Zealander A. M. Hamilton and built in knock-down form by the British firm of Callender.”
While Engineering New Zealand doesn't have a Heritage Record for this bridge, the Callender-Hamilton bridge system does: Callender-Hamilton truss bridges.
Takaka Tramway
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has a new record: Takaka Tramway Embankment and Rail Bridge. It is a Category 2 Historic Place.
“The tramway was instituted by the Takaka Road Board with funding raised via the Tramways Act 1872. John Rochfort surveyed the route, 8 miles and 25 chains long (13.4 kilometres), in 1880. The Takaka Tramway Company was established to build the line in exchange for eventual ownership rights. From late 1881 Manson Brothers constructed the formation, and John McCullock and Edward Christian did the plate-laying. The rails were 2-foot 6-inch gauge, and a locomotive, the Pioneer, was specially built by the Anchor Foundry.”
Anniversaries
This year is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Wairoa Dam in the Hunua Ranges. Part of the bulk water supply scheme for Auckland it was built by the Auckland Regional Authority and is now in the care of Watercare, the Auckland Council CCO. It is a Heritage Record site.
Our Board Chair Garry Law is feeling old, having been involved in the design and construction.
Image credit: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Featured Heritage record
Horahora hydroelectric power station
Initially commissioned for the Waihi Gold Mining Company in 1914, the Horahora Power Station was submerged in 1947 when the Waikato’s Lake Karapiro was created. Horahora hydroelectric power station was completed in early February 1914, and its power was delivered to the Waihi mines on 8 April 1914 by means of the just completed 80 km Horahora to Waihi transmission line. At the time this was the longest transmission line in New Zealand.
Interior of Horahora Hydroelectric station [circa 1912]. Ref: 1/2-112301-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22879893.
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, learn more.
Have something for the next update? Email heritage@engineeringnz.org
