Historical NarrativeThis historic area was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Proposal for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration.
History of the Area:
The history of Pupu Hydro Scheme landscape covers three major themes - the search for gold, the provision of power and the interpretation of heritage.
The early link with gold mining in the Takaka area reaches back to 1901 when a water race 1.7km long was constructed by Takaka Sluicing Company to deliver sluice water from Campbell's Creek to his claim near the town. Built on the true left of the Waikoropupu River east of the power station, it passes through rugged and difficult country. The sluicing company worked gold in the area for ten years, stopping when it was no longer commercial for it to continue. The Pupu Hydro Scheme reused this original race, a significant component of a larger archaeological landscape within the old Anatoki Goldfield and important in interpreting the gold mining operation.
The original Pupu Hydro Station was instigated by the Golden Bay Power Board, which was elected in 1924 but not formally constituted until 1929. The station was opened on October 11 1929, the day after the Golden Bay Dairy Company was officially launched. There was a grand opening, a special dinner and a "lighting up" ceremony when the power went on in Takaka. Frank Page, Chairman of the Board, explained the problems at the opening ceremony on Friday 11th October 1929. A strike in Australia prevented them getting iron bark poles so concrete was used instead. The large Murchison earthquake of June 1929 recorded 7.6 on the Richter Scale had caused problems and floods which led to delays. It was the earliest hydro scheme for public supply in Nelson and Marlborough which meant it directly and indirectly enhanced the cultural and social life of the community particularly in regard to the use of radio receivers and domestic appliances.
The consultant engineer H.R.Clilnie6 had suggested the Pupu location after surveying the area. He recommended utilizing the old water race once it had suitably restored and strengthened. A loan was raised for this work and the building of a powerhouse on the Waikoropupu Stream. It is believed that Pupu was New Zealand's first hydro station financed by a bank. A penstock was installed, 45cm of steel pipe leading from an intake area at the end of the original 1900s water race down a very steep slope to the powerhouse.
The generator supplied the Golden Bay area as a 'stand alone' system for 5 years before the load grew to the point where the Onekaka iron works generator, and the Golden Bay Cement Company's generator were also connected into the Golden Bay Power Board's area to handle the load. The growth in demand outstripped the capacity of the small station so in 1944 the board began taking supply from the State Hydro Department with the Pupu station continuing to supplement it. In 1976 the Tasman Electric Power Board (EPB) was formed amalgamating Golden Bay and Waimea boards. The Pupu station operated reliably for 52 years. It functioned as such until 1981 when generator damage forced it out of action.
In August 1981 the Tasman EPB offered its old hydro plant for sale by tender which stimulated local interest and lead to the establishment of the Pupu Hydro Society. The following August saw the signing of an agreement between the Board and the Society by which the Board retained the plant but society members were enabled to overhaul and repair it as an operating museum. The Society have progressively restored the station and run it as an operating museum, helped and supported by the Tasman EPB.
The enthusiasm of the Society was such that the restoration programme included extending and renovating the powerhouse, reconstruction of the penstock headwork's area and repairing and widening the race, with dry stone walling and additional concreting in places. New water control gates were built and installed and a motorized filter screen constructed at the penstock intake and screen equipment was added to the Headpond in 1987. An aging wooden viaduct, part of the race was replaced and a slipway weir reconstructed. The winch house built in 1985 and the original winch retained. Hand fabrication of various parts of the operation were carried out and intricate work undertaken by international company ASEA in Sweden.
At the same time as the water race was being restored, the then Lands and Survey Department had a project underway to construct a walkway running from the powerhouse to the top of the penstock by way of a zigzag track, then along the entire 1.7km of the water race. The public access is provided to the complete scheme, from intake to the tailrace.
This has all involved sizeable financial input and risk on the part of the Society members. This has included loans for over $140 000 repayable by electricity generated by the plant and sold at 3/4c unit in 2003. Teri Goodall and Jim Baird of Takaka, members of the Pupu Society, worked on the restoration of the Scheme fulltime for three years and others helped at weekends and whenever they could. They even mortgaged their homes to guarantee loans for the restoration project. It was worth it as 7 years after the restoration was complete they had paid off the money they had borrowed to finance it. On average the society earns $80 000 a year all of which is ploughed back into further restorations and road building. The station began in February 1988 after the restoration work was complete and was officially opened on April 10 by Miss Hilda Campbell, daughter of Charles Campbell, manager of Takaka Sluicing Company and after whom the creek was named. It has all involved sizeable financial input and risk on the part of Society members. Their esteem for the Scheme is well proven. As the headline in the Nelson Evening Mail of April 9 1988, p7 states, "They turned a pipedream into reality".
The stations generator a 250kVA 400V unit original supplied by ASEA, has been rewound and reinstated. A Boving twinjet pelton wheel drives the generator. The original buckets were replaced in 1987 in the style of the original drawings. Every effort was made to retain the original appearance of the station for its authenticity as an historical exhibit. The original generator produced about 0.8 gigawatts a year and since the restoration production has doubled to 1.8 gigawatts. The aims of the Pupu hydro Scheme, among others are, to preserve an item of historic interest and exhibiting the operating plant to the general public, and generally doing all the things necessary to maintain the plant, its surroundings and water supply system in a functional and aesthetically attractive condition. The Pupu Hydro Society has been highly commended for its huge efforts to bring all this to fruition. Its value as a museum is important in educating the public about New Zealand's industrial heritage, but also its location in an industrial landscape over 100 years old.
Pupu's place in relation to the history of power generation while modest is accepted as being significant contributor to the development of the Golden Bay, its domestic power users and for industry in the area. It is typical of many small-scale power generating plants erected in the early part of the 20th Century in New Zealand. Below is a chronology of electricity schemes in the area to put the Pupu scheme in its regional historical context. See Francis, L.G. 1976 'From Turbine to Grid' Tasman Electric Power Board.
1911 - Robert Ellis of Brightwater Flour Mill Station supplies Brightwater township. Private scheme.
1922 - January 25th Murchison County Council open Six Mile Hydro scheme. The complete scheme is in original condition and is an Historic and Scenic Reserve managed by DoC.
1922 - January. Motueka suction gas electricity plant.
1923 - Nelson City Council. Port Nelson steam electricity plant.
1924 - Robert Ellis opens Clover Road West hydro station, Brightwater.
1928 - Onekaka Iron Works hydro scheme Golden Bay
1929 - Pupu Hydro Scheme.
Physical DescriptionDesigner/Architect/Engineer:
Instigated by the Golden Bay Power Board
Engineer-Manager J. P. Cottier 1929
Consultant Engineer H.R. Climie
Harry Climie: The Pupu Hydro Scheme is associated with Harry Climie, (1884-1961) an engineer of significance in the power industry in New Zealand. He was involved in the design, assessment and construction of several early electricity schemes in this country, including the Golden Bay Scheme in 1929-30, and earlier schemes in Havelock North in 1920-22 Taranaki Power Board and Tariki in 1924-29 and Raetihi in 1916-17.
After the Napier Earthquake in 1931, he was appointed reconstruction engineer. On the completion of this big engineering task he spent a short period as electrical engineer to the Skippers Mining Company at Shotover. After the Labour Government established the State Housing Department in 1937, he was appointed Chief engineer for housing construction, a position he held till he retired from the Department in 1952, and he resumed practice as a consulting engineer.
Physical Description:
The Power House has concrete foundations and a nib wall approximately 1.5m high. It has a timber framing with galvanized iron cladding and the inside is partially lined with plywood. The building was doubled in size and rebuilt as part of the restoration project completed about 1985.
The Power House contains a generator and exciter (ASEA), a turbine governor, a main valve (Bovings), control monitoring and protection gears (various) and an overhead crane and lifting gear. Part of the building is closed off as a 'smoko' room approx. 20% area. It is gib-lined, wall papered, has cupboards, a sink unit and is carpeted.
The restoration programme included reconstruction of the penstock headworks area, and repairing and widening the water race, with dry stone walling and additional concreting in places. New water control gates were built and installed at each end of the race and a motorized filter screen constructed at the penstock (pipeline) intake in 1987. An aging wooden viaduct, part of the race, was completely replaced and a spillway weir constructed. The penstock when installed in 1929 was 45cm of steel pipe leading from an intake area at the end of the original 1900s water race down a very steep slope to the powerhouse the penstock is in the same location today.
Physical Condition: Well maintained by the Pupu Hydro Society
ReferenceCompletion Date
25th June 2003
Report Written By
Helen McCracken
Information Sources
Golden Bay Times and Argus
Golden Bay Times and Argus
Martin, 1998
J. Martin, People, politics and power stations: electric power generation in New Zealand 1880-1998, Wellington, 1998
Nelson Evening Mail
Nelson Evening Mail
Rennie, 1989
N. Rennie, Power to the People; 100 Years of Public Electricity Supply in New Zealand, Wellington, 1989
Francis, 1976
L G Francis 1976. From the Turbine to Grid. Tasman Electric Power Board.
Report Written By
Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.
