Evans Bay — Wellington's 1st international airport

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Following 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.

Most of these photos were taken by photographers from Wellington's Evening Post newspaper, although some came from other sources.

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On 31st December 1937 a group of spectators watch Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire flying-boat “Centaurus” (commanded by Captain John Burgess) taxi past Point Jerningham on Wellington Harbour. “Centaurus” was enroute to Lyttleton Harbour.

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On 1st January 1938 “Centaurus” was back and being refuelled from the launch “Wild Duck” in Evans Bay prior to 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.

[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 photograph you can see the old Rongotai Aerodrome in the background. In the fifth 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 19th 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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TEAL's new 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 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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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 Auckland 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 and were eventually scrapped at Lisborn, Portugal in 1971.

ZK-AMM “Ararangi” was cut up for scrap at Auckland in 1954 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. Today, 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. 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.