Burke Street Wharf

The old Burke Street Wharf is a disused wharf built in the 1870s to service the Thames Gold Rush. It’s on the Thames Coastal Walkway and is a great spot to catch a sunset, and a popular spot for photographers.

A major problem with sea access to Thames was the shallow water and tidal nature of the Firth of Thames so wharves needed to be built. Eventually five wharves were built in Thames including Shortland Wharf, Curtis Wharf in Grahamstown, Holdships Wharf, built out from Cochrane St, Tararu Wharf, which had access to deeper water and Burke St Wharf, known as the ‘goods’ wharf due to its proximity to Prices Foundry

Challenges around silt buildup of these wharves led to the ill-fated Burke Street Harbour project undertaken by the Thames Harbour Board, which was financially underwritten by the  Thames Borough Council.

The plan for the 1920s harbour project included a harbour enclosure structure, consisting of dry stone walls, which were designed to provide a barrier against silt build up.

In 1929 the project ran out of funds before it was completed and the economic value was not realised.

This resulted in the Council being unable to repay the loans obtained for the project and put it under the control of a commissioner, a state of affairs that lasted until 1947. A consequence was a policy of austerity, and in order to reduce debt, meant that rates, as the main form of income for the Borough, had to be pursued in a somewhat draconian fashion.

This meant that some landowners unable to pay these new taxes, were forced to sell or surrender properties, which hugely affected Māori landownership.

The saga of the failed Burke Street harbour project is an unfortunate episode. The town literally went from being a national economic powerhouse to (effective) bankruptcy in a few decades. However, it is worth noting that the loan for the harbour project of £66,000 was a portion of the overall Council debt of over £300,000, so should be viewed in that context.

Burke Street Wharf location
From SH25, turn into Burke St, past the A&G Price Foundry to the corner of the road and wharf.

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Website:

Burke Street Wharf

The old Burke Street Wharf is a disused wharf built in the 1870s to service the Thames Gold Rush. It’s on the Thames Coastal Walkway and is a great spot to catch a sunset, and a popular spot for photographers.

A major problem with sea access to Thames was the shallow water and tidal nature of the Firth of Thames so wharves needed to be built. Eventually five wharves were built in Thames including Shortland Wharf, Curtis Wharf in Grahamstown, Holdships Wharf, built out from Cochrane St, Tararu Wharf, which had access to deeper water and Burke St Wharf, known as the ‘goods’ wharf due to its proximity to Prices Foundry

Challenges around silt buildup of these wharves led to the ill-fated Burke Street Harbour project undertaken by the Thames Harbour Board, which was financially underwritten by the  Thames Borough Council.

The plan for the 1920s harbour project included a harbour enclosure structure, consisting of dry stone walls, which were designed to provide a barrier against silt build up.

In 1929 the project ran out of funds before it was completed and the economic value was not realised.

This resulted in the Council being unable to repay the loans obtained for the project and put it under the control of a commissioner, a state of affairs that lasted until 1947. A consequence was a policy of austerity, and in order to reduce debt, meant that rates, as the main form of income for the Borough, had to be pursued in a somewhat draconian fashion.

This meant that some landowners unable to pay these new taxes, were forced to sell or surrender properties, which hugely affected Māori landownership.

The saga of the failed Burke Street harbour project is an unfortunate episode. The town literally went from being a national economic powerhouse to (effective) bankruptcy in a few decades. However, it is worth noting that the loan for the harbour project of £66,000 was a portion of the overall Council debt of over £300,000, so should be viewed in that context.

Burke Street Wharf location
From SH25, turn into Burke St, past the A&G Price Foundry to the corner of the road and wharf.

Phone Number:

Email:

Website: