Wellington Harbour Board facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wellington Harbour Board

Coat of arms of the Wellington Harbour Board
Abbreviation	WHB
Motto	Latin: Fime dum fide (Strong but true)
Formation	January 1, 1880; 146 years ago (1880-01-01)
Dissolved	October 31, 1989; 36 years ago (1989-10-31)
Purpose	Port operator
Headquarters	Wellington, New Zealand

Head Office and Bond Store on Queens Wharf.

Wharf offices from the Government or Queen's Wharf.

The former wharf offices seen from Post Office Square.

The Wellington Harbour Board was a group set up by the New Zealand Parliament to manage the port of Wellington. It officially started on January 1, 1880. This board was made up of people chosen by different groups. These included shipowners, businesses that paid port fees, and representatives from areas like Wellington City, Hutt County, and Wairarapa County. The Mayor of Wellington was also a member, along with one person chosen by the government.

In October 1988, the way the port was run changed. The government decided that a regular business, called Port of Wellington Limited, should take over from the Board. This meant that the Board's plans to manage its waterfront land and become a company itself were no longer needed.

The government made new rules for how ports should be run in New Zealand. These rules were part of the Ports Reform Act of April 1988. Because of these changes, the Wellington Harbour Board eventually closed down. After selling its remaining properties, the money was shared among the local councils in the Wellington, Hutt, Wairarapa, and Manawatu areas. The Wellington Harbour Board officially ended on October 31, 1989, as part of bigger changes to local government.

How the Board Started

When the Wellington Harbour Board was first created, it had the power to charge fees for goods that passed through the port. However, it didn't own any land or buildings at the port. At that time, the Harbourmaster (the person in charge of the port) and the Pilots (who guide ships) were government workers. The Wellington City Council owned Queens Wharf and its storage building. There was also a new wharf and reclaimed land, but these belonged to New Zealand Railways.

Changing the Coastline: Land Reclamation

The Wellington Harbour Board played a big part in changing the shape of Wellington's coastline. They did this by creating new land from the sea, a process called land reclamation. This helped the port grow and allowed for more space for ships and buildings.

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  Lambton Harbour, a key part of Wellington's port.

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  The Container Terminal, built on reclaimed land.

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  Reclaimed land for future port expansion, including the stadium area.

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  Tugs like Kupe, Ngahue, and Toia help guide ships in the harbour.

Leaders of the Wellington Harbour Board

The Wellington Harbour Board had many different leaders, called Chairmen, during its time. These individuals were responsible for guiding the Board's work and managing the port. Here is a list of the people who served as Chairman:

No.	Chairman (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Term of office		Constituency
1	William Levin (1845–1893)		1880	1881	Governor
2	William Valentine Jackson (1832–1900)		1881	1883	Wellington
3	Edward Pearce (1832–1922)		1883	1887	Governor
4	John Duthie (1841–1915)		1887	1888	Wellington
5	Henry Rose (1833–1912)		1888	1891	Shipowners
6	William Booth (1837–1903)		1891	1892	Wairarapa
7	John Honeycombe Cock (1848–1892)		1892	1893	Chamber of Commerce
8	John Jack (1827–1909)		1893	1895	Wellington
9	Thomas John William Gale (1853–1903)		1895	1897	Chamber of Commerce
10	Francis Humphris Fraser (1833–1911)		1897	1899	Governor
11	John Hutcheson (1854–1940)		1899	1900	Government
12	Harold Beauchamp (1858–1938)		1900	1903	Wellington
13	Nicholas Reid (1837–1915)		1903	1904	Shipowners
14	William Cable (1848–1922)		1904	1906	Wellington
15	Kennedy Macdonald (1847–1914)		1906	1908	Governor
16	Thomas Wilford (1870–1939)		1908	1910	Governor
17	Robert Fletcher (1863–1918)		1910	1915	Wellington
18	Charles Edward Daniell (1856–1939)		1915	1919	Wellington
19	Joseph Harkness (1850–1930)		1919	1923	Governor
20	George Mitchell (1877–1939)		1923	1925	Wellington
21	Maurice Cohen (1862–1934)		1925	1927	Manawatu
22	John Cobbe (1859–1944)		1927	1929	Manawatu
23	John William McEwan (1856–1942)		1929	1931	Hutt
24	Charles Norwood (1871–1966)		1931	1933	Wellington
25	Charles Murray Turrell (1868–1944)		1933	1934	Shipowners
26	Thomas Robert Barrer (1863–1951)		1934	1936	Wairarapa
27	Dougall John McGowan (1880–1940)		1936	1939	Payers of Dues
28	Meldrum Alfred Eliott (1867–1946)		1939	1940	Manawatu
29	William Lockhart Fitzherbert (1877–1956)		1940	1941	Manawatu
30	William Henry Price (1872–1963)		1941	1954	Shipowners
31	Sir Will Appleton (1889–1958)		1954	1957	Wellington
32	Brian Edwin Keiller (1901–1977)		1957	1961	Manawatu
33	Ernest Toop (1895–1976)		1961	1966	Wellington
34	Barton Albert Barton-Ginger (1892–1969)		1966	1968	Mākara
35	Eric Malcolm Hodder (1897–1987)		1968	1971	Wairarapa
36	Rolland O'Regan (1904–1992)		1971	1974	Wellington
37	Henry Alan James (1924–2001)		1974	1980	Wairarapa
38	John King (1917–2012)		1980	1986	Feilding
39	Nigel Gould (1948–)		1986	1989	Lower Hutt