44-619: The Museum of Transport and Technology ( MOTAT ) is a transport and technology museum located in Western Springs, Auckland , New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium , Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park . The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles. An ongoing programme is in place to restore and conserve items in
88-451: A Corporal rocket and general science exhibits. There is also a 'colonial village' of early shops and houses, including a fencible cottage and a blacksmith shop. The MOTAT printery demonstrates type making, type setting and printing on a variety of different manual and mechanical printing presses operated by Volunteers printing giveaways and small publications. A volunteer bindery group also demonstrate their talents and hold classes. In
132-460: A Manukau Māori warrior chief, fought local iwi at a ridge site overlooking Te Wai Ōrea named Te Raeokawharu (Kawharu’s brow), where Surrey Crescent is situated today. In 1830-40, during the Māori musket wars , Ngati Tahinga , Waiohua and Te Taou lived in the wider area, which was named Te Rehu . After European colonisation, the area became part of a block of land farmed by William Motion,
176-461: A Scottish settler. Colonists named the area Western Springs to differentiate it from the springs in Pukekawa / Auckland Domain to the east of the town. The main source of the water that feeds the lake at Western Springs is rain falling on the slopes of the volcanoes Te Tātua a Riukiuta , Ōwairaka / Mount Albert and Maungawhau / Mount Eden . The water runs underground for several miles through
220-470: A lake with a variety of birdlife. Auckland Zoo , Western Springs Stadium and M.O.T.A.T. (the Museum of Transport and Technology ) are situated around the park. The park is the location of the annual Pasifika Festival , one of Auckland's most popular public events. Across the road from the zoo is the school of Western Springs College , with a student population of around 1848 . Historically, Māori valued
264-792: A population density of 1,475 people per km . Westmere South-Western Springs had a population of 3,099 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 60 people (2.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 315 people (11.3%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,074 households, comprising 1,473 males and 1,629 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.9 males per female. The median age was 37.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 663 people (21.4%) aged under 15 years, 582 (18.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,632 (52.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 225 (7.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 84.1% European/ Pākehā , 11.6% Māori , 9.4% Pacific peoples , 6.4% Asian , and 3.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
308-594: A selection of former New Zealand Government Railways, light industrial locomotives, wagons and carriages. On 9 September 2011 a new and larger display hangar was opened at the MOTAT Aviation Hall. The existing blister hangar was moved and restored as part of the same project. With the construction of the new hangar it was now possible to display the restored De Havilland Mosquito and Lockheed Hudson. Short S25 Sunderland Mk V and Short S45A Solent Mk 4 were in moved inside as their overhauls and external painting
352-416: A small ceremony on 10 July 1877. The pumphouse was superseded by Auckland's extensive dam system and reticulation in 1935. Restoration and earthquake strengthening of the building was completed in 2002 and overhaul of the long dormant Beam Engine commenced at the start of 2005. On 11 October 2007 the engine moved under pneumatic pressure for the first time in 79 years and was finally tested under steam during
396-721: A wide number of other vehicles. Also in the collection is one of the Ferguson Company tractors which Edmund Hillary used to lay supply depots for the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition , and with which he beat British explorer Dr Vivian Fuchs Sno-Cats to the South Pole on 3 January 1958. MOTAT also houses a small collection of Police vehicles, including former New Zealand Transport Department, later New Zealand Ministry of Transport (M.O.T.) patrol cars and patrol motorbikes,
440-439: Is a residential suburb in the city of Auckland in the north of New Zealand. It is located four kilometres to the west of the city centre, Auckland CBD . The park is situated to the north of State Highway 16 and the residential suburb is located southeast of the park on the opposite side of State Highway 16. The suburb is dominated by Western Springs Reserve , also known as Western Springs Lakeside Te Wai Ōrea, which features
484-713: Is displayed at MOTAT 2. The Road transport collection rotationally displays in excess of 100 cars, trucks, motorbikes and emergency vehicles. Some of the iconic vehicles in the collection include one of the first Trekka utility vehicles, New Zealand's only homegrown production vehicle built between 1966 and 1973, based on Czechoslovakian Škoda engines and chassis. Other vehicles include a 1960s Cooper Climax race car, an early American Brush Motor Car Company runabout, an International horseless carriage, an Austin Motor Company beer tanker (the first in New Zealand) and
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#1732786811747528-483: The Auckland City Council embarked on developing the park in earnest. The lake, which had become completely choked by introduced waterweed was reclaimed, and the overgrown landscape was carefully cleared of weeds and rubbish. In 1953 a plan was put forward to use the area around the lake as an amusement park with a scenic railway, fairground and rollercoasters, but this was soon discovered to be beyond
572-545: The Southern Cross , Jean Batten 's England–New Zealand flight and later record breaking efforts (her Percival Gull is exhibited at Auckland Airport ). The larger civil aviation exhibits continue over at MOTAT 2 with displays relating to the Pan American Airways and Imperial Airways flying boats of the late 1930s and TEAL flying boats of the 40s and 50s. The engine from Jean Batten's Percival Gull
616-676: The Wright brothers ), a replica of the craft which was flown and his third aircraft (an attempt at a VTOL tilt rotor craft). The pavilion also holds relics from the Walsh Brothers ' flights and school, and a library and archive of transport resources named in memory of the Walsh Brothers available to all MOTAT visitors and via the MOTAT website for virtual visitors. Also celebrated is Charles Kingsford Smith 's trans-Tasman flight in
660-614: The "Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation Collection" opened Friday 9 September 2011. Also known in the past as the 'Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield', named after Keith Park , the Battle of Britain and Battle of Malta hero, MOTAT's aviation collection is on a separate site, neighbouring the Waitematā Harbour and Auckland Zoo. It contains memorials to Fleet Air Arm and RAF Bomber Command pilots, radar and other aviation related material, as well as workshops for work on other vehicles, but
704-527: The 1970s visitors to MOTAT were entertained by the MOTAT Chorus, a group of barbershop singers who later became the Auckland City of Sails Chorus. The 'Pioneers of Aviation' Pavilion holds memorabilia of early aviators. The displays include miscellaneous parts from Richard Pearse 's experimental aircraft, (together with research supporting the claim that he made uncontrolled hops/flights prior to
748-469: The area. The height of the reservoirs above sea level meant pumping was kept to a minimum as the water could be gravity fed downwards to the city. Use of the pumphouse ceased in 1936 after the Waitākere Ranges dams were completed. From the early 1920s onwards various developments around Western Springs took place; The Auckland City Council Zoological Gardens were established to the north of the lake. To
792-559: The collection from the RNZAF . There is also a military section which restores and demonstrates a selection of Second World War military trucks, light tracked vehicles and tanks of Allied forces. The military section has regular open days when the Military Reenactment Society displays and demonstrates the vehicles and uniforms. MOTAT Aviation Hall also has an operational railway with 1 km of track, stations and
836-600: The collections. This work is largely managed by volunteers but, since the passing of the Museum of Transport and Technology Act in 2000, has been supported by full-time professional museum staff. New public programmes and facilities now promote the collections. MOTAT was established in 1960 by a combination of groups including the Old Time Transport Preservation League, which was formed in 1957 and preserved trams and railway locomotives. MOTAT
880-459: The council tasked Australian civil engineer Edward Orpen Moriarty with the task of supplying Auckland with water from Western Springs. The city bought William Motion's mill and 120 acres (486,000 m ) of land, including the spring. In 1875, the swampy ground was made into a 15-acre (6ha) artificial lake 6 feet in depth and capable of holding 22 million gallons of water. Over the course of its construction, workers removed 20,000 cartloads of spoil from
924-439: The evening of 29 November the same year. The Beam engine was re-commissioned in a special public opening on 19 April 2008. A range of other early steam engines are kept in running order including a 1910 Tangye steam engine, an impressive 1911 triple-expansion engine built by Campbell Calderwood from Paisley , Scotland, which was formerly from the ill-fated Sydney Ferry Greycliffe which sank on 3 November 1927 after being hit by
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#1732786811747968-439: The financial capabilities of Auckland City Council. In 1964 the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) was established to the south-east of the lake, the old pumphouse forming its centrepiece. By the 1980s major landscaping work had transformed the area from a former dumpsite into one of Auckland's most attractive parks. New plantings were introduced to complement the mature trees from the 19th century, and careful planting of
1012-619: The government for state housing . To the north of the zoo was an area of mangrove swamp where the Western Springs creek reached the sea near the Meola Reef lava outcrop. This was utilised as a landfill dump and hence reclaimed during the 1950s and 1960s. The reclaimed land was developed as playing fields and an additional area for the MOTAT Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield, and serves as
1056-447: The islands in the lake and its surrounding wetlands have made it a successful breeding ground for a large variety of native and exotic waterfowl . Artworks by several New Zealand sculptors were installed in the park during the 1980s and 1990s. The statistical area of Westmere South-Western Springs, which includes part of Westmere , covers 2.02 km (0.78 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,980 as of June 2024, with
1100-488: The lava flows, and emerges from the ground at a constant rate that is well filtered by the miles of scoria rocks. As Auckland grew over the mid-1800s, city officials found that well water was no longer sufficient at supplying the burgeoning population. In the 1860s, a pipe from the Auckland Domain Springs was constructed, but a more permanent solution was required to service the growing demand. In 1874,
1144-609: The main feature is the collection of New Zealand's civil and some Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft. A Grumman TBF-1 Avenger NZ2527 1943 torpedo bomber was completed in December 2013, it is a RNZAF Pacific combat veteran and representative of Avengers operated by the RN Fleet Air Arm. In November 2011 a Douglas A4K Skyhawk jetfighter was permanently loaned to MOTAT followed by a de Havilland Devon and Aermacchi MB-339 jet trainer in 2012. A BAC Strikemaster may join
1188-618: The much larger Union Steam Ship Company 's Royal Mail Steamship Tahiti with the loss of 40 lives. The engine ended its commercial life in the Tīrau dairy factory. Steam for the Beam Engine and other artifacts provided by a 1957 Daniel Adamson steam boiler, which was formerly used at Frankham's Mill, Te Puna . Exhibits include trams, trains, vintage traction engines, carriages, cars, buses, trolleybuses and trucks, particularly fire engines, electrical equipment, space flight exhibits including
1232-419: The pre-dominantly Chinese market gardeners, and an attempt was made to convert the boggy land around the lake into a park. However, over the next three decades much of the land deteriorated as it became overgrown and used for illegal rubbish dumping. The council used some of the more usable land to construct council housing in the 1920s, and in the 1930s sold much of the land previously used for market gardens to
1276-466: The pump was high however, and by the end of the 19th century Auckland's size required a much greater and more reliable source of freshwater, coinciding with public pressure to safeguard the remaining native forests of the Waitākere Ranges west of the city. Auckland City purchased land and built large reservoirs in this secluded area, thus safeguarding both the water quality and the flora & fauna of
1320-483: The pumphouse left the inner Western Springs area with no specific use. Its often rough and uneven land was unsuitable for housing, as apart from the lake it contained large stretches of boggy ground. Unable to divest itself of the land, the Auckland City Council was at a loss what to do with it. Some light industry and market gardens were developed along Great North Road and Chinaman's Hill, named due to
1364-575: The road policing duties of which were combined into the New Zealand Police in the early 1990s. The NZ Police Collection of 40 plus vehicles were housed at MOTAT for a number of years until 2011. Trams are displayed at MOTAT 1 and operate daily between MOTAT 1's Great North Road Site, via Western Springs Park and Auckland Zoo to MOTAT 2. The extended line was opened by then-Prime Minister Helen Clark on Friday 27 April 2007. MOTAT Aviation Hall's NZ$ 15 million extended aviation pavilion housing
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1408-518: The site of the Westpoint Performing Arts Center. In the 2000s the landfill was found to be emitting methane gas and was subsequently capped with clay. After the war, the population of the surrounding suburbs grew markedly and it became obvious that the untidy state of Western Springs was an embarrassment. As a wilderness of bogs full of rubbish, rats and mosquitoes, it was unattractive and a potential health hazard. In 1961
1452-475: The site, and used 7,850 cubic yards of earth to construct the embankment which was 40 feet (12 m) wide at the base and 9 feet (2.7 m) wide at the crest. They also excavated the 25 feet (7.6 m) deep Engine Pond and dug a 60 feet (18 m) long tunnel between the lake and the Engine House. A pumphouse, which opened in 1877, was designed by City Engineer William Errington and built of brick. It
1496-566: The tram line was further extended by a distance of 636 metres, to the aviation hangar at MOTAT 2, the service commencing on 27 April 2007. The tramway is dual gauge, employing 4-foot and 4-foot 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches gauges, the rail welded and set in mass concrete. Trams are operated daily between MOTAT, alongside the Western Springs Park and precinct, past Auckland Zoo to the MOTAT Aviation Hall and connect both Museum sites. Western Springs, Auckland Western Springs
1540-509: The west, around the corner of Motions Road and Great North Road, a camping ground was set up which was later converted into a transit camp for American servicemen during World War II . To the south of the lake, the Chamberlain Park Golf Club was established, and to the west, land was set aside for primary, intermediate and secondary schools to service the growing suburbs of Westmere and Point Chevalier . The closure of
1584-412: The wetlands they named Te Wai Ōrea, meaning 'the waters of eels', for the clean, clear spring water and ōrea or New Zealand long fin eels that lived in the stream. A traditional Māori story involves Ruarangi, a chief of the supernatural Patupaiarehe people, escaping a siege on Owairaka / Mount Albert through lava tunnels and emerging at Te Wai Ōrea. During a battle fought in the area, Kawharu,
1628-443: Was $ 54,100, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 966 people (39.7%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,461 (60.0%) people were employed full-time, 408 (16.7%) were part-time, and 66 (2.7%) were unemployed. Western Springs College is a coeducational high school (years 9–13) with a roll of 1848 as of August 2024. Walsh Brothers The New Zealand Flying School
1672-468: Was 23.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 62.7% had no religion, 27.5% were Christian , 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.9% were Hindu , 1.5% were Muslim , 0.7% were Buddhist and 2.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,221 (50.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 159 (6.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
1716-629: Was completed. Aircraft including the NAC DC3 Dakota can be seen inside the maintenance Blister Hangar. MOTAT features several major collections of transport vehicles: Tramlines on sleepered track set under bitumen were laid within the museum boundaries with trams commencing operation on 16 December 1967. The Museum tramline was later extended beyond the Museum grounds along Gt. North Road and opened on 19 December 1980. A further extension along Motions Road to Auckland Zoo commenced services on 5 December 1981 using rail set in mass concrete. In 2006–07
1760-529: Was excavated creating a 6-foot-deep (1.8 m) dammed lake, which is filled by three natural springs . This area is now the Western Springs Lake and parkland. The engine is a Double Woolf Compound built by John Key and Sons of Kirkcaldy in Scotland, who also built the long scrapped Lancashire boilers that originally provided the steam. The Western Springs Water Works officially opened in
1804-433: Was fitted with a steam engine, known as a beam engine , which is still in working order having been restored. The engine pumped water up to the two new reservoirs; one on the corner of Ponsonby Road and Karangahape Road , and the other in the block bordered by Khyber Pass Road , Symonds Street , Mount Eden Road, and Burleigh Street from where the water was gravity fed down to the city. The cost of running and maintaining
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1848-557: Was formally opened in 1964. MOTAT was built around the site of a beam engine pump house, which originally provided Auckland's water supply, a system similar to the Crofton Pumping Station and Markfield Beam Engine . The Auckland Council engaged the services of William Errington , to design and construct the Pumphouse and Boiler house to provide the first pressurised water supply to Auckland. Adjacent swampland
1892-635: Was formed in 1915, by the Walsh Brothers, Leo and Vivian , to train pilots for the Royal Flying Corps . The school flew a fleet of home-built and imported flying boats from Mission Bay on Auckland 's Waitemata Harbour , near where a sculpture [1] now stands to commemorate the Walsh brothers. Over 100 pilots trained at the school, most of them going on to serve in the First World War , including ace Keith Caldwell . The flying school
1936-554: Was sold to the New Zealand Government in 1924 after struggling to survive after the end of the war . The flying school first began operating from a shed in Ōrākei , taking the first three pupils on 2 October 1915. On 28 November 1915, the school moved to Mission Bay , and for many years operated adjacent to the Melanesian Mission . The first regular student intake was in 1916. Between 1915 and when
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