TEAL at Evans Bay in Wellington

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Here are some photographs of TEAL's flying-boat operations at Evans Bay in Wellington between 1950 and 1954. There are also some images of Imperial Airways' S.23 Empire flying-boat “Centaurus” at Wellington on New Year's Eve 1937 and New Year's Day 1938, plus a couple of photographs of TEAL's S.30 Empire 'boat ZK-AMA “Aotearoa” visiting Wellington in 1940. Also some photographs of BOAC's Short S.25 Hythe-class flying-boat G-AGJL “Hobart” during a visit to Wellington in February 1946.

Most of these photos were taken by photographers from Wellington's Evening Post newspaper, although some came from other sources including Whites Aviation. High-resolution copies of all images are available online from The National Library of New Zealand. Click on each individual photograph to view the source and a photo caption. Note that the dates on some of the captions at the National Library website are inaccurate.

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On 31st December 1937, Wellington received a visit from Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire flying-boat “Centaurus” (commanded by Captain John Burgess) as seen here at the Port of Wellington, with the crew welcomed ashore, then the flying-boat was watched by spectators while taxiing past Point Jerningham on Wellington Harbour. “Centaurus” was enroute to Lyttleton Harbour.

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On 1st January 1938 “Centaurus” was back on Wellington Harbour and being refuelled from the launch “Wild Duck” in Evans Bay prior to taking-off and flying on to Auckland.

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On 19th January 1940, TEAL's Short S.30 Empire Boat ZK-AMA “Aotearoa” alights on Evans Bay bringing dignitaries to visit the Centennial Exhibition — the exhibition site can be seen in the second photograph.

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On 28th February 1946, Wellington received a visit from BOAC's Short S.25 Hythe-class flying-boat (civil Sunderland) G-AGJL “Hobart” conveying the British Minister for Civil Aviation, Lord Winster (Reginald Fletcher), to a meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council. The Sunderland flying-boat was moored in the bay, then the minister and his official party disembarked into a launch and were transported to the Evans Bay wharves.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

On 18th October 1949, Wellington receives a visit from one of the new Short S.45A Solent 4 flying-boats — ZK-AMM “Ararangi”.

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The western shoreline of Evans Bay in December 1949 at Greta Point where TEAL built their flying-boat terminal. In the first photograph the ships “Wahine” and “Wingatui” are berthed at the wharf, while in the second photograph a ship is in the Patent Slip.

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Evans Bay on 26th February 1950 several months before TEAL began Solent services between Wellington and Sydney.

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The western shoreline of Evans Bay at the Patent Slip on 18th August 1950 with two ships berthed at the wharf. TEAL's flying-boat terminal was built just out of the photograph to the right.

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On 28th September 1950, Wellington receives a visit from a Solent flying-boat ZK-AMM “Ararangi” prior to the beginning of TEAL's Wellington to Sydney service the following month. A number of dignitaries were taken for a flight over the Marlborough Sounds. In the second and third photographs you can see the old Rongotai Aerodrome in the background. In the sixth photograph you can see TEAL's launch moored out in the bay.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

On 3rd October 1950 the first scheduled Solent flight departed for Sydney (ZK-AMM “Ararangi”). In the second photograph you can see a block of flats. Two of the lock-up garages were used by TEAL for stores. A third garage was used by Customs to process departing and arriving passengers — this continued until the international terminal building was completed the following year. Passengers were transported by launch from a jetty directly across the road from the block of flats out to the flying-boat moored in the bay until a land reclaimation was completed and the braby pontoon installed. This group of photos also shows the crowd gathered for the official speeches prior to the first flight. Presumably Captain Christopher Griffiths (seen in the launch) commanded the inaugural scheduled flight.

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On 6th October 1950, passengers disembarked from the first scheduled Sydney to Wellington flight.

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The weather can be wild in Wellington Harbour at times. ZK-AMM “Ararangi” with a damaged port float on 18th October 1950.

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A replacement port float and outboard propellor for ZK-AMM “Ararangi” on a truck at Evans Bay Yacht Club on 19th October 1950.

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ZK-AMN “Awatere” receiving maintenance to the No.3 engine, then taking off from Evans Bay on 24th October 1950.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

On 20th November 1950, two-month-old Mervyn Lee, TEAL's youngest passenger (to that date) on the trans-Tasman flying-boat services, is shown with his mother and a colour picture of ZK-AML “Aotearoa II” that was presented to him.

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NZ Prime Minister Sidney Holland and Mrs Holland departing from Evans Bay on 28th December 1950 bound for Rose Bay, Sydney then onwards by connecting Qantas Kangaroo Route flight to London.

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ZK-AMM “Ararangi” taxis for takeoff then is raced by Len Southward's speedboat “Redhead” across Evans Bay on 17th January 1951.

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Evans Bay on 3rd February 1951 with a TEAL Solent moored out in the bay. The photographs were taken from above the Patent Slip.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

A truck dumps a load of soil into the water at Greta Point in Evans Bay at the beginning of the reclaimation for TEAL's flying-boat base on 6th April 1951,

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Three photographs taken on the 7th & 21st April, and on 6th May 1951 showing the reclaimation in progress for TEAL's Evans Bay terminal.

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Members of the All Blacks team being transported by launch out to ZK-AML “Aotearoa II” on 8th June 1951, heading off for a rugby tour to Australia.

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Work under way on the reclaimation for TEAL's Evans Bay flying-boat base on 13th June 1951,

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TEAL's braby pontoon under construction at Seaview, Lower Hutt on 24th August 1951.

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These photographs were taken on 7th September 1951 when a group of school children were taken from the Evans Bay Yacht Club out to ZK-AMN “Awatere” moored in the bay.

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A view of TEAL's new flying-boat terminal building and engineering workshop under construction on the new reclaimation at Greta Point, Evans Bay on 7th September 1951.

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On 2nd October 1951, TEAL's new braby pontoon was launched in sections down the slipway at Seaview and towed by the pilot boat “Tuna” to Evans Bay where the individual sections were assembled together at Greta Point at the new flying-boat terminal.

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ZK-AMM “Ararangi” on Evans Bay with a missing starboard float and damaged port float following a landing mishap on 18th October 1951.

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ZK-AMM “Ararangi” berthed at the still uncompleted braby pontoon undergoing repairs on 19th October 1951 after losing a float the day before, with ZK-AMO “Aranui” moored out in the bay.

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A view of TEAL's reclaimation and braby pontoon at Evans Bay on 1st December 1951.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

On 31st December 1951 ZK-AMN “Awatere” is berthed at TEAL's Evans Bay terminal for the first scheduled departure to Sydney using the new international terminal building and braby pontoon.

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A Solent flying-boat approaching TEAL's Evans Bay terminal on 12th January 1952 then being towed back into the braby pontoon.

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A TEAL Solent docked at the Evans Bay terminal on 16th April 1954 about two months before the flying-boat service to Sydney ended.

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• CLICK HERE to view more photographs of TEAL's Short Solent flying-boat operations at Evans Bay, Wellington.

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TEAL operated four return Solent services a week from Sydney to Wellington as an extension of their Auckland to Sydney services.

Flights from Sydney to Wellington were scheduled to take seven hours, departing Sydney on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30pm (Australian Eastern Time) and arriving at Wellington the following morning at 7:30am (NZ Standard Time). The return trips departed Wellington on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11:00am and arrived at Rose Bay, Sydney at 4:15pm, with a scheduled flight duration of seven hours fifteen minutes.

The one-way fare was NZ£28 0s 0d or A£35 0s 0d and the return fare was NZ£50 8s 0d or A£63 0s 0d.

TEAL's Short S.45A Solent Mk.4 flying-boat services between Auckland-Sydney and Auckland-Nadi (Fiji) ended at about the same time the Wellington-Sydney services ceased in June 1954.

ZK-AML “Aotearoa II” and ZK-AMN “Awatere” were sold to Aquila Airways.

ZK-AMM “Ararangi” was cut up for scrap at Auckland following an engine fire during maintenance.

ZK-AMO “Aranui” continued on the Coral Route between Fiji-Western Samoa-Aitutaki (Cook Islands)-Tahiti, as well as Fiji-Tonga until September 1960, when it flew back to Auckland and was retired.

ZK-AMO is on display at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology along with an ex-RNZAF S.25 Sunderland Mk.5 flying-boat.

TEAL's four Solent Mk.4s (construction numbers SH.1556, SH.1557, SH.1558 and SH.1559) were the last big Short flying-boats to be manufactured. They were built at the Short & Harland factory at Belfast in 1949.

TEAL also operated a Short Solent Mk.3, ZK-AMQ “Aparima” (S.1296) which previously flew with BOAC as G-AKNR “City of Belfast” and before the Solent conversion was Seaford NJ204 with the Royal Air Force. It was scrapped at Auckland in 1957.

[chinapilot]

Fantastic..thanks for posting.
Learnt to swim at Evans Bay/Hataitai Beach..remember swimming out to the Sunderlands that use to moor there sometimes in the late '50s...
Later used to go to the Air Training Corps at the old Teal terminal...

[eieio]

cream cans on the wing.........did they" bleed oil" to the galley for spreading on toast?

[Peter Lewis]

Very evocative.
Thanks for digging those out for us.
Karma points for that effort.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Aug 14, 2010 2:28:37 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

Learnt to swim at Evans Bay/Hataitai Beach..remember swimming out to the Sunderlands that use to moor there sometimes in the late '50s...
Later used to go to the Air Training Corps at the old Teal terminal...

My Mum's cousin used to have an aviation radio & avionics business in Wellington and we often used to stay at his place during school holidays in the 1960s. Allan Macaulay was one of the RNZAF's radar boffins during WWII, then set himself up in business after the war and designed, built and installed all of the first-generation radar installations around NZ. The original radar setup on Hawkins Hill was made by him. Allan also used to carry out most of the emergency avionics repair work for TEAL, NAC and the RNZAF in Wellington. Consequently, while staying with him during school holidays, I got to go to all sorts of interesting places at Wellington Airport when he was called-out after hours, including into the cockpits of TEAL Electras, various NAC airliners, and once out to a Sunderland moored in Evans Bay. That was naturally before the days of over-the-top security at airports.

[Dave Homewood]

It's a great selection of photos. Thanks for re-posting them.

[dakman]

Great to see those pics
Have driven around the bays on the way to the
airport for around twenty odd years
and always thought the airlines worked from
Shelly Bay
Thanks for the post a reminder of our airlines

[dakman]

Another thought about flying off Evans Bay in Wellington
Not sure about the year but probably 2001/2002 saw the
Catalina PBY operating from Evans Bay
a great sight to see and hear
Wonder if the Catalina has returned to Evans Bay recently??

[chinapilot]

Allan Macaulay was one of the RNZAF's radar boffins during WWII, then set himself up in business after the war and designed, built and installed all of the first-generation radar installations around NZ

Many NZ light aircraft had 'Aviation Radio' made by him especially if it was an HF [eg Mt Cook Skiplanes]. I'm sure you know two sons went on to aviation careers.

[Peter Lewis]

Aug 14, 2010 21:11:48 GMT 12 dakman said:

Wonder if the Catalina has returned to Evans Bay recently??

Don't think they do salt water these days.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Aug 14, 2010 22:35:47 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

Allan Macaulay was one of the RNZAF's radar boffins during WWII, then set himself up in business after the war and designed, built and installed all of the first-generation radar installations around NZ

Many NZ light aircraft had 'Aviation Radio' made by him especially if it was an HF [eg Mt Cook Skiplanes]. I'm sure you know two sons went on to aviation careers.

Ian was a pilot with NAC, then Air NZ after the merger. He used to live on a lifestyle block (with his own airstrip) near Rangiora, but I understand he has retired to Wanaka.

Ron learned to fly with the RNZAF, then went to work for TEAL/Air NZ. I don't know where he is these days, but my 81-year-old Mum would know as she still keeps in touch with all of the living relatives.


With regard to TEAL's Solent service out of Wellington....I've often wondered why they stopped it in 1954 effectively ending the trans-Tasman service from Wellington until the new airport opened in 1959 and they re-started it with Electras. TEAL continued to operate Solents on the Coral Route, so perhaps there were financial reasons for ceasing the Wellington service five years before the airport opened?

[agile]

Great stuff KTJ!!! I was staying with a relative last week whose house at Mapuia overlooks Evans Bay and we were thinking it would be interesting to try to find some pictures of flying boat operations from the bay - and here they are less than a week later! Much appreciated - Karma for you!!

[shorty]

Could be that one of the reasons for ceasing the route to Sydney could be the facilities at the Aussie end. With a very limited number of passengers weekly it may be that the Australians decided to close down their terminal which would force TEALs hand, whereas the Coral Route really had no alternatives.
Economics win out in the end

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Rose Bay in Sydney remained a flying-boat terminal until late-1974 when Ansett's flying-boats were sold overseas after the Lord Howe Island service ended. Ansett were still operating flying-boats in 1974 when I lived in Sydney and I went for a flight in VH-BRC on one of many scenic joyride flights Ansett operated during the final months of their flying-boat operation.

I suspect the reason why TEAL abandoned Wellington for a few years was partly financial and partly logistical. Their Wellington flying-boat terminal was fairly basic with no facilities for major overhauls on the 'boats and their remaining flying-boat operation after withdrawal of Solents from the Auckland to Sydney service was based at Suva. I guess they decided it would be too difficult to run two separate flying-boat operations a considerable distance apart. Continuing to run a Wellington service would probably have necessitated basing a Solent at Sydney.

The Wellington service was effectively an extension of the Auckland-Sydney service. The 'boats (and crews) were rostered to fly a sector (departing at 12 noon) from Auckland to Sydney (arriving at 5.00pm), where both the Solent and crew undertook a minimum rest period before departing Sydney again at 10:30pm bound for an early-morning 7:30am arrival at Wellington. A fresh crew took over at Wellington and the Solent headed back to Sydney (departing at 11:00am, arriving at 4:15pm) and another minimum rest period before the flying-boat and crew departed at midnight again heading for Auckland, arriving at 8:45am.

The monthly Chatham Islands service using TEAL Solents departed Wellington at 7:00am and arrived at Chatham Islands at 10:30am. The return service departed at 2:30pm and arrived back at Wellington at 4:30pm. Those would be local times (with the Chathams being ahead of NZ time). Presumably a Solent was ferried empty from Mechanics Bay to Evans Bay for the Chatham Islands service, then ferried back afterwards.

I don't know if they carried any domestic passengers on those ferry flights between Auckland and Wellington. I must get a friend of mine to ask his father, Geoff White sometime. Geoff (who retired to Australia) was a RNZAF transport pilot flying C-47s and Bristol Freighters (he delivered one of the new B.170s from England a year before he left the RNZAF), then he joined TEAL and flew Solents, DC-6s, Electras, DC-8s and DC-10s before he retired. Geoff was the co-pilot on the last Sydney to Wellington Solent service (with Captain Cliff le Couter), then captained several Solent flights on the Coral Route between flying DC-6s to and from Fiji and on trans-Tasman routes. In later years, I understand Geoff flew the DC-8 test flights into and out of Wellington Airport, then commanded the first sheduled DC-8 passenger service out of Wellington. He also captained the last DC-10 sightseeing service to Antarctica before the fatal crash on Mount Erebus.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

I've just received a very interesting email from an elderly gentleman living in Tasmania who began working for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand at Sydney in 1945 (I gather from the content of the email he worked for their travel agency section). During the early-1950s, he spent time at the USSCo's Wellington offices, and while working there, was sent on a familiarisation flight in 1952 on TEAL's Solent flying-boat service from Evans Bay to Rose Bay, Sydney. He is writing his memoirs of working in the travel industry and privately publishing it in book form for his sons and grandsons (he is 82 years old) and while searching the internet for photographs to use as illustrations in his book, came across the photographs I posted to this thread, but in a thread at PPRuNe, where I posted them a few weeks ago. He is looking for permission to use one of them in his book. I've replied and pointed out that I don't own any higher resolution copies, but that if he is happy with what I posted, then go ahead, but credit the photos to the Evening Post (it was their photographers who originally took the pictures), or if he would like higher-resolution copies, then to contact the Alexander Turnbull Library who hold the original negatives in their archives.

However, I've also invited the gentleman concerned to join this group and told him members would love to read a first-hand account about the experience of crossing the Tasman on one of TEAL's flying-boat services from Wellington to Sydney. Fingers crossed that he takes the hint and does join up.

BTW....after working for the Union Steamship Company for several years, he went to work for ANA (Australian National Airways), then ANSETT-ANA (following the merger of the two companies), then ANSETT Airlines of Australia, before retiring in 1987.