Ōtamahua/Quail Island #2: Quarantine Station and two jetties

After the deaths of the Ward brothers Ōtamahua/Quail Island changed hands several times, including being owned for a short time by Mark Stoddart of Diamond Harbour and, for an even shorter time, by his friend Thomas Potts of Ohinetahi, Governors Bay. In March 1874 Potts offered the Minister of Health the use of Quail Island for human quarantine purposes, the facilities on Ripapa Island having, at times, proved insufficient to accommodate large numbers of quarantined immigrants. The Provincial Government wasted no time. The plan was to use Quail Island as a ‘spillover’ site for those unfortunate new arrivals whose ships had carried an infectious disease. By early July single men’s quarters had been completed and in September the Superintendent, William Rolleston, bought 100 acres from Thomas Potts. Single men from the Rakaia (in quarantine on account of outbreaks of mumps, measles and scarlet fever) were transferred to Quail Island just as the whole island was proclaimed a quarantine station on 11 February 1875. 

The single men's quarters and cookhouse on Ōtamahua/Quail Island c.1890. Note the stock jetty in the distance. Edmund Wheeler & Son, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington

The building on the right of the main photograph is the caretaker's residence and the two-storeyed structure is the quarantine hospital. The inset shows a cottage for one of the leprosy patients (see later post). Weekly Press image, CCL.

Different view of the Quarantine Station from The Weekly Press. The large building in the centre distance was (I think) the women's quarters. Taken from  https://ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-search/show/1000

When completed the quarantine complex included two large hospital wards, a kitchen and day room, barracks and a caretaker's cottage - designed to accommodate 200 people. This was a serious amount of building given that all the materials had to be brought to the island by boat. Because the jetty closest to the building sites was not built until 1881, the point of landing and departure must have been the 'outer jetty' on the site of the present-day wharf. This jetty could be used at all tides but was more exposed to the prevailing easterly winds. It was also further away from the main construction sites. I haven't been able to determine exactly when this jetty was built - the earliest reference I can find is to 1889. But it is possible that the jetty was purpose-built for the construction of the quarantine station.

Map dated 18 May 1889 showing 'outer jetty' on Quail Island. ECan/ Archives NZ 

This 1907 survey of Quail Island shows two wharves, marked with arrows. The eastern wharf lay in deeper water. The more southerly wharf was only accessible at high tide but was closer to the areas of settlement. Image taken from Peter Jackson's Quail Island: A link with the past, 57

The eastern or 'outer jetty', Quail Island, 1953 before its rebuild in 1981. 
Ministry of Works and Development, Archives NZ, CALW CH167 Box 17

In fact, after all that work, Ōtamahua/Quail Island was little used for immigrant quarantine purposes. The advent of steam ships in the late 1870s and early 1880s shortened the travel time from Britain to New Zealand, making it less likely that infectious diseases would spread on board. The island was instead used more for those suffering from infectious diseases within New Zealand. For example, in December 1879, following an outbreak of diphtheria, all 102 children from the Lyttelton Orphanage were quarantined on the island. They returned to the orphanage in late January so hopefully they got to enjoy some of the summer’s pleasures of the beach and sea. The island was also used as a convalescent sanatorium during the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918/19 despite the, by then, dilapidated condition of the quarantine buildings. I will write about the Leper Colony on the island in a later post.

In November 1881 five acres on Quail Island were set aside as a quarantine ground, this time for cattle. Later the area was extended to accommodate sheep, horses, pigs and dogs. Tenders were called for the building of a stock jetty to land the quarantined animals. The spot selected was relatively sheltered and had a depth of 6ft at low tide.[1] J. Stinson won the contract and on 8 August 1881 the Star reported that the jetty was almost finished and was “a most substantial piece of work.” It consisted of a 60ft-long stone embankment joined by a wooden jetty of a further 48ft which enabled vessels to use the jetty in any tide. A rock sea wall abutted the road from the jetty to the quarantine buildings. As with the retaining walls around the quarantine station buildings, this was built principally by prisoners from the Lyttelton Gaol. 

In early 1906 the Stock Wharf (also known as the ‘southern jetty’ or ‘inner jetty’) was widened by 4ft, the landing stage increased to double the original size and the hand-cranked, double-winch crane raised. Landing steps were also added. The largest crates and boxes containing sheep or cattle could now be landed or taken off with ease.[2] A short railway with hardwood rails ran from the top of the ‘T’ junction to the shore. It facilitated the landing of quarantined animals in boxes as well as supplies to service the island. 

Planned extensions to the inner and outer jetties, Quail Island, 1905. Lyttelton Harbour Board, ECan/ Archives NZ 

Ponies being landed on the stock jetty, Quail Island. Note the shed at the far end and the rails running the length of the jetty. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/quail-island 

Inspection of the stock jetty, 1953. By this time it was closed to the public.
Ministry of Works and Development, Archives NZ, CALW CH167 Box 17

Inspection of the stock jetty, 1953.
Ministry of Works and Development, Archives NZ, CALW CH167 Box 17

Over the years both jetties fell into disrepair. In 1939 the 'outer jetty' it was fenced off for public safety reasons and with a view to eventual dismantling. Ten years later nothing further had happened. It was still used by visiting launches and by the resident farmer who used the crane for  loading his wool clip. A February 1953 letter to the Secretary for Marine stated that:

Further to my previous correspondence on the subject of the jetties on Quail Island I have now to advise that a recent inspection shows both jetties to have deteriorated still further and while the Harbour Board has no responsibility in this connection, I feel you should be made aware of this fact.

It is the opinion of the technical officers of this Board that you should issue instructions that launches and passengers should be forbidden the use of the jetties until such time as the Lands and Survey Department put them in a proper state of repair.[3]

Private notice for the stock wharf, 16 March 1939. Department of Lands and Survey,  Archives New Zealand 25529 WBTN LL1 VC 287c C602 917 ABWN W 5021 7609 Box 826.  

Sometime between 1953 and the 1970s the 'outer wharf' was taken down and in 1981 a new jetty was built on the same site (more about this in a later posting). Further neglect of the stock jetty lead to the final dismantling of the nearly 140-year old structure in 2018.

The stock jetty in 2015 (Jane Robertson)

Stock jetty in 2017... (Jane Robertson)

...and in 2019 (Jane Robertson)

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[1] Star, 28 April 1881. Despite this figure, the stock jetty was not the preferred low-tide landing point.

[2] Press, 2 February 1906
[3] Lyttelton Harbour Board, Can/Archives NZ, XBAH A002 406