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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 24, 2012 11:24:46 GMT 12
Same here Beagle, it beggars beliefe when you see how large it was and you could get round it in a lunchtime and still have time for a shower, etc afterwards. I hated running round there though, only did so leading up to the run test. Thank goodness I don't have to do that bloody test any more.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 24, 2012 11:26:25 GMT 12
By the way hightower, thanks for the super photo. It's not nice to see the airfield all carved up like that though.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 24, 2012 16:17:36 GMT 12
Great photo. I walk around the new streets every day. Amazing how quickly it is changing. The latest lot of sections to be released are almost all sold I see.
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Post by beagle on Mar 24, 2012 16:19:54 GMT 12
You must have good eyes Don, I can't see any For Sale signs in the photo. I must be getting old.
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Post by denysjones on Mar 24, 2012 21:20:18 GMT 12
Seeing the comments about car hitting the hangars in the 1990s that wasn't the first time.
I'm scratching the head on a date but when my cousin Bill Fitzharding-Jones was NCO S&S 6 Shed (F/Sgt) I was on base (forget asking the "how and whatever") watching Lady Wigram practice day from the room in the southeast corner of the hangar when one of the cars missed the chicane and came into the wall in front of us.
This certainly is mid 1960s stuff as I recall the dominant cars were minis but can't recall what hit the wall.
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Post by beagle on Jun 14, 2012 16:57:43 GMT 12
been out shopping today and on the way home came through wigram to check out progress on the extensions. Looking pretty good and cannot wait till it is finishedand filled with lots of nice aircraft. Went from there through the new subdivision, which we did only a month ago and WOW, lots more growth of houses built and new streets. Won't take long at this rate and it wll be all filled up. Excuse the darkness, just some quick shots on auto on a pretty bleak day down here.
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junior
Flight Lieutenant
Wibble
Posts: 95
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Post by junior on Jun 14, 2012 18:20:02 GMT 12
It is sad to see this history drestroyed. As I said the other day, Army and Navy history gets turned into a national reserve, Air Force history gets demolished. These buildings are very similar to the bomb dump buildings at Hobsonville, tunnels and all. I wonder how long before they are demolished for waterfront houses. That maybe a little harder to do than say, Dave..... i heard (many years ago when the idea that Hobby Airfield was going to be sold) that there was one area down the Hobsonville bombdump that COULDNT be sold because they had buried some radioactive waste there back in the dark ages.... trouble is.... no one can find the original maps to where it was burried. Can anyone verify? Might be a good rumour to start
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 14, 2012 20:53:27 GMT 12
been out shopping today and on the way home came through wigram to check out progress on the extensions. Looking pretty good and cannot wait till it is finishedand filled with lots of nice aircraft. Went from there through the new subdivision, which we did only a month ago and WOW, lots more growth of houses built and new streets. Won't take long at this rate and it wll be all filled up. Excuse the darkness, just some quick shots on auto on a pretty bleak day down here. More land for little boxes, little boxes........?
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 14, 2012 21:26:39 GMT 12
I dunno, 4 and 5 Hangars have never looked better..
This place could should have been a real asset to the people of ChCh.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 14, 2012 22:16:01 GMT 12
That maybe a little harder to do than say, Dave..... i heard (many years ago when the idea that Hobby Airfield was going to be sold) that there was one area down the Hobsonville bombdump that COULDNT be sold because they had buried some radioactive waste there back in the dark ages.... trouble is.... no one can find the original maps to where it was buried. Went for a walk right around Hobsonville last Sunday. The land sale promoters have put out quite a nice map of their plans for the area, I did note that the bomb dump area is marked on the map to be left undeveloped. I did wonder why, as it is prime waterfront and would fetch a high price. I did think it might be for fear of finding uxb in that area - now I know the real reason!
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 14, 2012 22:28:08 GMT 12
That maybe a little harder to do than say, Dave..... i heard (many years ago when the idea that Hobby Airfield was going to be sold) that there was one area down the Hobsonville bombdump that COULDNT be sold because they had buried some radioactive waste there back in the dark ages.... trouble is.... no one can find the original maps to where it was buried. Went for a walk right around Hobsonville last Sunday. The land sale promoters have put out quite a nice map of their plans for the area, I did note that the bomb dump area is marked on the map to be left undeveloped. I did wonder why, as it is prime waterfront and would fetch a high price. I did think it might be for fear of finding uxb in that area - now I know the real reason! Geez, do real estate agents have no idea at all, or what??? They could get top dollar for sections on the old bomb dump if they market the property towards the thrill seeker types who nude skydive for a lark, or whitewater raft without safety equipment - imagine the thrill of living on top of a bomb dump - that's really living on the edge! ;D
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Post by Calum on Jun 15, 2012 9:31:20 GMT 12
Does the RNZAF still own the hangars and tower complex at Wigram?
If so what are they used for (Musemn?)
What original buildings (or buildings I'd remember from when I was there in 1987 and 1989-1990) are left?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2012 14:55:00 GMT 12
The story of buried toxic waste at Hobsonville was made public years ago when the first mention of Housing Corps' plans to develop the land began. It was not, as far as I know, specified as radioactive. Any toxic waste should scare developers, look at what happened at Mapua for example and that's still ongoing.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 15, 2012 15:27:09 GMT 12
Does the RNZAF still own the hangars and tower complex at Wigram? If so what are they used for (Musemn?) What original buildings (or buildings I'd remember from when I was there in 1987 and 1989-1990) are left? Hangars 1, 2 & 3 are still RNZAF Museum, the tower and Hangars 4 & 5 are Ngai Tahu's (they are heritage protected and can't be modified externally or pulled down). Hangars 6 & 7 have been pulled down. No 1 Officers Mess, the Gym, sports field and Harvard Lounge are still there but the rest is all gone.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 15, 2012 17:12:38 GMT 12
Not much left alright. The new airmen's barracks have survived though as Wigram Lodge. It was after my time so don't know much about them.. not Trigg and Trent block though ?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2012 18:07:34 GMT 12
The newer barracks were called A Block and B Block. I lived in B Block room 33 for all my time at Wigram (May 91-Aug 93), and when I moved in the barracks were only about 2 or 3 years old. They were without doubt the best barracks I ever saw in the RNZAF. Comfortable, spacious, warm in winter, sinks in every room, etc. A hundred times better than the blocks I lived in at Woodbourne, Whenuapai, Hobsonville and Ohakea. I only ever saw inside one officers barracks, No. 2 Officers Mess at Wigram, and B Block was better than that place. Not as historic of course.
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Post by ngatimozart on Jun 18, 2012 19:08:11 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 18, 2012 19:30:26 GMT 12
''''''"They're going to be digging these things up for years," he said.'''''' Time to get the wife out and interested in gardening
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 18, 2012 20:52:15 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 18, 2012 23:13:02 GMT 12
Those are superb photos Don, and for me they have a rather ghostly, haunting quality to them.
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