Kōrero: West Coast region

This triumphal arch was erected on Lambton Quay, Wellington, for the visit of the Duke of York (later King George V) in 1901. The West Coast Times of 18 June 1901 described it enthusiastically:

The lofty Westport arch comes into view; this is the most imposing of all, standing 50ft high and particularly massive in appearance. Over £500 has been expended on it. The prevailing colour is white with ornamented cornice and transparency ‘Westport’s Greeting’. The piers and buttresses are panelled with coal and solid blocks each a cubic yard in size stand on the pedestals; smaller gilded blocks represent the gold yield, and the inscription ‘The coal that saved the Calliope’, is a proud reminder of the day that the British warship with the help of Westport coal bade defiance to the Apia tornado.