The Flying Boat Jetty is the latest maritime heritage project to be completed as part of the coastal wharves upgrade.

The historic Flying Boat Jetty, also known as the Cog Park Jetty, was built in late-1940s as the arrival and departure point for Wellington’s first international aviation connection with the wider world.

The recent upgrade work has ensured the structure is now safe to use for recreational purposes, as well as preserving a piece of aviation history.

The Flying Boat Jetty project has been made possible thanks to a generous donation from Sally and Brian Hasell towards the costs of the jetty renewal, interpretative signage and landscaping of the Patent Slipway.

“We were pleased to be able to support the restoration of this site,” says Sally.

“The arrival of flying boats would have been a major contribution to reducing New Zealand’s isolation.

“Thank you to the Council and staff, and the contractors for their enthusiasm for the success of the project,” she adds.

Wellington City Council’s Project Manager Joel de Boer says it’s important to preserve the history of Pōneke now so future generations can also appreciate it.

“The identity of Pōneke Wellington is made up of centuries of multicultural and diverse influences, events, politics, environmental factors and seismic activity – so it’s important to preserve heritage buildings, icons and sites that reflect this history.

“The upgrade of these coastal structures is also important as they make a valuable contribution to retaining the character of the city, making it more resilient, and provides an economic benefit through tourism and business interest.”

Signage will provide information about the history of the site, and new seating and landscaping will make the area more appealing to visitors.

The Frigate Wellington F69 propeller has also been incorporated into the landscaping. The propeller comes from the frigate scuttled off the south coast of Wellington in 2005 to create an artificial reef. The other two propellers from this frigate are in Houghton Bay and Waitangi Park.

Throughout the project, Wellington City Council worked with interested parties, including mana whenua, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Heritage NZ, as well as managing the potential impacts of construction on penguins in the area.

The Flying Boat Jetty will be blessed on Wednesday 11 December during a private ceremony.

Media are invited to attend an event at 3pm on the same day acknowledging the work and generous donation provided by Sally and Brian Hasell.

The coastal wharves upgrade works were funded in the Annual Plan budget 2019/2020 and are part of a 10-year investment strategy to ensure coastal structures are maintained appropriately. The overall cost of this project was $650K.

© Scoop Media