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Kōrero: Marlborough region

Wairau River diversion, 1963

Wairau River diversion, 1963

Flood-control efforts in the Wairau River valley culminated with the opening of the Wairau diversion on 30 April 1963. The diversion established a course for the Wairau River which ran from State Highway 1 at Tuamarina directly across country to Cloudy Bay. The usual course of the river meandered for some kilometres south-east before reaching Cloudy Bay at Wairau Bar, and was unsuited to handling surges of water.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Marlborough Historical Society, Marlborough Museum & Archives

Reference: 000.900.1003

by Norman Brayshaw

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Malcolm McKinnon, Marlborough region – Climate, plants and animals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/31741/wairau-river-diversion-1963 (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Malcolm McKinnon, i tāngia i te 9 May 2011, updated 1 November 2016.

Comments

Ted Church
07 September 2020
I was wondering if there are any pictures of the construction of the Wairau Diversion as my father Laurie Church was plant overseaer at the time and in charge of the construction and the men on the Diversion job. I have his picture on the D8 at the time of opening of the cut.