During the Second World War, the continuing advance of the Japanese threatening the South Pacific meant an increased effort to provide defence for New Zealand's shores. The plan was to increase the number of operational aircraft (both United States and New Zealand), possibly up to 600 aircraft. This required more runways and fuel depots, over and above the existing air strips in New Zealand. Authorisation for the construction of three new runways just north of the Rakaia River was authorised on 10 March 1942. This was the secret Te Pirita Airfield, which was constructed to take American heavy bombers, as well as other smaller satellite airfields. Te Pirita has been described as one of New Zealand's biggest 'secret' World War II construction efforts. By early 1942 the Government had realised that it had insufficient fuel reserves to cater for the proposed increase in aircraft numbers Prior to this time, the reserve fuel supply was based on what was needed for training requirements for a period of 12 months. In order to meet the changed circumstances, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) was authorised to build Aviation Reserve Fuel Depots adjacent to its air stations. These depots were for use by increased numbers of New Zealand squadrons, United States aircraft based in New Zealand and for Allied planes being ferried to the front. It was planned that 17 depots of tanks protected by triple-thickness brick blast walls would be built, and by mid 1942 construction of most of these had begun. On 10 March 1942, the same day that authorisation was given for the Te Pirita airfield, it was decided that 'one bulk tank should be located on the railway near the dispersal area on the Canterbury Plains for the servicing of American heavy bombers'. The initial proposal for a fuel tank at Coalgate or some other suitable point on the railway on the Canterbury Plains Ultimately Bankside was chosen as the location to serve the nearby Te Pirita Airfield. The Bankside Fuel Depot was known as AR16, an abbreviation for Aviation Reserve No.16 because it was number 16 out of 17 planned aviation fuel depots, although it appears that two of the planned depots were not built (refer to table in Appendix 3). The Bankside Fuel Depot was the largest of all those aviation fuel reserves, with a capacity for 750,000 gallons of fuel to be held. Others with a large capacity were the Seagrove/Ardmore Aviation Fuel Reserve (AR8) at Wiri Mountain which had a capacity for 700,000 gallons, and Rukuhia (AR9) in Cambridge and Ohakea (AR5) at Kakariki which both had a capacity of 600,000 gallons. The other fuel depots had a capacity ranging from 11,000 to 500,000 gallons. The Bankside Fuel Depot was constructed alongside the main railway line, from which a branch had been taken to enable fuel wagons to discharge their contents into the storage tank. It was built in an old gravel pit, surrounded by bluegums which were considered useful camouflage. The site work was carried out by the Public Works Department and its construction was a major undertaking. Dick Cotton was the structural engineer in charge of construction, Mr Hickey was the foreman, and R L (Bob) Lindsay surveyed the site prior to the blast wall being constructed. Ken Burgess was on the 'drag shovel' that excavated the gravel pit. It was planned to have the storage tank completed by 31 July 1942 in time for the receipt of fuel. The tank itself was constructed from second hand steel which had been fabricated for the dredges of Associated Gold Dredgers Ltd. However, this caused some delays because holes in the plate had to be welded. A bomb blast protection wall containing 97,000 bricks was constructed for the tank to sit in. The tank itself sat on oiled sand to ensure that it did not buckle. Filling of the tank did not actually commence until 31 August 1942. Records show that each bulk fuel depot was to be supplied with two standard design prefab buildings, 20 x 8 feet (6 x 2.4m), one to provide bunks for eight men and the other to be fitted out as a messroom and kitchen. The Depot was protected 24 hours a day by guards who were rostered on in pairs for a duty of four hours at a time. The site was also protected by a scrim or netting cover as well as quick growing shrubs and a total perimeter wire fence. A new railway siding off the main trunk line allowed the fuel to be delivered. Two types of security fence were trialled at Bankside, an induction and an acoustics system. The fuel from the tank was pumped via a pipeline to a point west of the Depot, where it could be loaded into tankers and transported by road to Te Pirita. Public Works Department correspondence of 31 March 1943 indicated that problems had been experienced with the fuel pumps and fittings. Alterations were carried out to the tank later that year. By the time the Te Pirita airfield was completed the threat of invasion had largely receded and it was never used for heavy aircraft. The airforce subsequently installed a beam radio for guiding aircraft and it was used for beam approach landing practice. By 1944, the Depot (tank, hutted accommodation, technical buildings and extensive fencing) was no longer in use. Instructions were given to dismantle and salvage the valuable equipment installed. At this time the Depot was still being maintained in working order by a man stationed at the site to turn the pumps over and guard the place. The fuel tank was sold to the Associated Motorists petrol Company and the buildings associated with the site were removed. The remains of the Bankside Fuel Depot are only one of five surviving of the original 15 built in New Zealand. The blast wall remains because, as with all the blast walls for the other aviation fuel depots at this time, the cement mortar used to bond the bricks meant that the bricks were not readily salvageable. In addition to the blast wall, traces of the security fence and the pipeline remain. The rail sidings were lifted in 1947. The land returned to the Selwyn Plantation Board for the sum of £20. Trees were planted around the site and soon it was all but forgotten apart from a few locals who saw it as a convenient rubbish tip for old cars and other junk, and a few who used it for ‘secluded parties'.

At the time of writing this report, the site is deemed a contaminated site and no access is permitted. The physical description and analysis is based on site visits and description by Ian Hill of the Department of Conservation and from photographs of the site taken by Ecan (Environment Canterbury) after old cars were removed from the brick blast pit in 2006. The main surviving feature of the Bankside Fuel Depot is a circular brick walled tank pit, approximately 40 metres in diameter and 9-12 metres deep. The tank itself is no longer at the site. At some 8-10 metres to the south-west of the tank pit are two sets of vertical concrete shafts, side by side. The shaft closest to the tank pit has iron ladder rungs set into concrete. The shafts have been filled in to within one metre of the top. A bank, possibly the remains of a loading bank, is situated adjacent to the shafts. In this area there is a number of Army style concrete security fence posts (some broken) and one intact standing gate post, complete with gudgeon and hinge straps. To the north east of the pit, there are the remains of a pumping station building. The location of the fuel pipeline is visible. All other elements are fragmentary only. All of these features are included in the extent of registration. The tank pit is located in pine forest and the surroundings are overgrown with gorse, broom and blackberry. The area has been modified as the result of previous logging in the 1980s, whereas the brick tank pit remains relatively intact, albeit now as a dump.