As with the upper reaches of the Auckland Harbour, especially Beach Haven and Birkdale in the 1920s, motor launches proved their usefulness in moving cargo and passengers to and from the East Coast Bays, for a time. From March 1923 Vere Harrison and Frederick Henry Mackay provided a launch service (weather permitting) using the 63-passenger capacity Koa for excursions on the Auckland to Browns Bay and Deep Creek (Waiake) route. Koa was built in 1922 by Bailey and Lowe. Harrison and Mackay sometimes also used their launch Masport for that route, including an evening service. In early 1925 they were offering a 9.30am outwards and a 3.30pm return, along with a 5.15pm Monday to Friday return to Auckland, but ceased all services in October 1925.
Arthur Eden Patterson’s launch Wynona offered a service to Browns Bay from December 1922 to March 1925, and it's likely there were other launch services as well. Ongoing lack of patronage, even for excursions, the constantly uncertain weather conditions along the coast and rivalry from other means of transport ultimately ended those launch services. Both the Masport and the Wynona were built by Leon Warne in 1922.
As well as steamers and launches, barges and scows were also important for sea transport. David Langdon’s ‘A history of New Zealand scows and their trades’ (2009) lists 140 scows across New Zealand (the last built in 1925), and describes cargoes including timber, cement, coal, sand, shingle and firewood. Some barges and scows likely called in at East Coast Bays wharves and beaches. He also describes the scow Glenae (built by David Mackey Darroch of Omaha in 1904) which foundered off Browns Bay in 1936, as well as the scow Rangi (built by George Turnbull Niccol in 1905 at 98 gross tons) which was wrecked off Browns Bay on 14 January 1937, with a cargo of timber logs.
By the late 1920s, road transport to the eastern bays was greatly improved, making the area now much more accessible, and was better able to compete with coastal steamers or launches for passengers and cargo, or scows for cargo only. The Browns Bay Motor Bus Company dates from around February 1920 and by 1926 there was a regular bus service including Browns Bay, Murrays Bay and Campbells Bay. Often those services terminated at the old wharves. The Browns Bay Motor Bus Company service connected with the Takapuna Tram and Ferry Company’s steam trams at Milford, and from 1927 with the North Shore Bus Company buses which took over that tram service. The East Coast Bays wharves then fell into disrepair.
I have read suggestions of bringing back a coastal ferry service to the eastern bays, including Murrays Bay and Browns Bay. Maritime historian David Balderston tells me that any new ferry wharves would need to be fully covered to keep passengers dry, and also require both a large car park and connecting bus service. The berth would need large fenders for the ferries, skilled ferry staff and ferries specially designed for working in swells and tempests. Ultimately, would there be sufficient passenger demand to warrant that amount of infrastructure?
The Auckland to Gulf Harbour ferry service dates from the mid-1990s and Fullers began the Hobsonville and Beach Haven ferry service from February 2013. There had previously been the ‘Yellow Water Taxi’ service between Beach Haven and Auckland from December 2003 to 2004, and the Auckland to West Harbour Marina service dates from 2004.
david.verran@xtra.co.nz
