Monowai History - Bridge built in 1921 for Monowai Hydro Power Station project & the Scott Family
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Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
Monowai History - Bridge built in 1921 for Monowai Hydro Power Station project & the Scott Family: This image shows Percy (on left) and Tina Scott (on right) with their Essex after crossing the Monowai bridge around 1928. Standing with them are their children Dorothy, Malcolm and June (little girl at far right). Percy's wartime mate Tom Keen and his daughter Mavis (little girl to the left). The image has been kindly donated by Ken Bowie, a descendant of the family, as part of our "Waiau River - from Source to Sea" story, to celebrate the history of this mighty taonga and the power generated from its traverse. More history on Monowai Power Project follows an overview of the family. SCOTT FAMILY, BRIEF HISTORY: This family has long-standing connections to one of the earliest settlers in the local Waiau District. Malcolm Mouat snr. who came from Shetland and was an early ferryman on the punt at Clifden over the Waiau River, married Anna Bella Scobie of the Eastern Bush Accommodation House/Hotel fame. Their third daughter, Clementina (known as "Tena") was to marry nearby farmer, Percy John Docton Scott, the eldest surviving son of Isabelle and George Andrew Scott of Feldwick, on 15 July 1925 at Eastern Bush. The couple had four children, but one sadly passed away aged 9 days. Earlier, another brother and sister of these two were to also marry. Percy Scott was to be injured by gassing in WW1 and was never the same again, but on returning from war, he was to farm along the Otahu Flat, on part of where the Sandfords property is now. We are working on a more full history of this above Scott family, and as this is completed, it will also be put up online in our family history collections, so keep an eye out for this in the future. And if you can add to it, please do! In the meantime, we have some of the family history at our CWArchives Hub. MONOWAI BRIDGE HISTORY: This bridge was specifically made to transport both machinery and materials across the Waiau River, to the Monowai Hydro Power Station works at Lake Monowai. Initially the punt was used. The bridge is said to have swayed while being driven across, which must have made for some interesting trips for those hauling gear for these works and also for the public on excursions! The Power Station and associated works were a popular tourist attraction for locals on a day's drive out about in the district, as it began to be built just as motorcars and public buses became part of everyday life for those with the money to be able to afford one. Tourist trips were very popular and buses ran to the Hydro Station works from different Southland townships. Supplies for the Monowai Power Station works, both for building and the machines required to do the work, were railed to the end of the branch rail line which stopped at Tūātapere back then, then driven by road to the site. There had been earlier investigations as to if the items could be floated up the river, but after a visit to the mighty Waiau, those in charge, said no way! The bridge shown here was unfortunately burned down accidentally in a scrub fire nearby in 1959, and only the concrete abutments remained, along with the cables that fell in the water as the structure burned. Stewart Mouat, a local district farmer and relative of the photo owner Ken Bowie, remembers that back in the day when he was younger and the family took boats down the river here, they had to gather speed to skim or "jump" over the buried cables, so they did not tangle up the boat as it went over them! Remains of the bridge can still be seen in the water and on the banks of the river, around a couple of kilometers downstream from the bridge you drive across today. It was fortunate that this bridge was already completed before the fire, so access was not lost after the old bridge had burned down. But it is certainly sad that such an amazing historical structure was lost this way. CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS: As we are soon celebrating the 100 years Centennial of the Monowai Hydro Power Station and associated workings, at the anniversary of its public opening, on 1 May 2025, so there will be a lot more photos and information coming on the Monowai Power Station works, and we have been donated albums of project works too. In the meantime, it would be wonderful if more people contributed memories, photos and other memorabilia to add to the story and history of these life-altering project works. If you can help, please comment in the section at the end of this page, or contact us ASAP.
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Details
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Title
Monowai History - Bridge built in 1921 for Monowai Hydro Power Station project & the Scott Family
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Maker
Unknown
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Date made
c1928
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Subject
Waiau District, Power Stations, Monowai, Road & Bridge Building, Bridge, Vehicles, Transport or Vehicles, Infrastructure, Energy Production, Early Travel, Tourism, Boating, Fire, Waiau River, Scott family, Otahu Flat, Mouat Family
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Additional information
Digital only file copy of original Also a B&W copy in book - "West to the Waiau"
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Rights
Public Domain
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Location
Main Rd, Tūātapere, next to the old Railway Station. We also belong to the internationally recognised 'Safe Space Alliance'.
Whare taonga | Organisation
Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
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Text adapted with permission from Te Papa and Digital NZ
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