ZLW Map Around 1960

Jim Pye remembers the steep rise of the access road after leaving Orangi Kaupapa Road. A CF Bedford van loaded with electrician’s gear got up the rise easily with minimum rear type slip, however, an empty CF van was a challenge, with a great amount of skidding.
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Picture 1: Map made from memory. The transmitter hall is the full size building with supervisor’s office and power distribution room on the North side of the building

ZLW Map 2006 With Pictures
With the help of Elsa Kelly, daughter of Jamie Pye, we have been able to reconstruct a map of the old ZLW Wellington Radio location with current pictures of the road and views.
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Picture 2: The access road is marked in white on the map
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The Following Details Refer to Picture 2 Above

This picture shows the complete ZLW location as it was in November 2006. The access road is shown as the white curvy line.

On Picture 2 the NUMBER is the picture number showing the position on the road where the picture was taken

The ARROW associated with the number on Picture 2, shows the direction that the photographer was looking in when taking the picture

The POSITION of the Cell antenna and Tower is shown with the ARROWS and LABELS 4–Cell and 4–Tower on Picture 2
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Picture 3: Transmitter building in 2006. Now half the size it was in the 1960s
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Picture 4: Looking towards main transmitter building from sharp corner
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Picture 5: View along ridge with Mt Kaukau in distance
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Picture 6–Cell: Cell antenna on left and tower on right
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Picture 7–Tower: View up the main antenna tower
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Picture 8: Looking up the road with the Receiving Office location on your right hand side
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Picture 9: The clay patch that was the Receiving Office location
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Picture 10: Looking down the road with the Receiving Office at your back
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Picture 11: The steep bit
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Picture 12: Start of the climb. The entrance to ZLW from Orangi Kaupapa Road
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NOTES
Jamie Pye reports that he does not remember the houses to the right, just up from the entrance, as being part of ZLW on Tinakori Hill in the 1960s. A careful inspection, by Elsa Kelly, of the area around the old Receiving office location, shown no signs of the accommodation block removed in 1975. Jamie Pye remembers the accommodation block as being opposite the Receiving Office but on the left of the road when going up.

The condition of the access road is poor in places especially once passed the old Receiving Office location. Trees and bush are close to the road in places.

The map for Picture 2: was obtained from Google Earth
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ZLW Past Pictures

These pictures were obtained from various sources (as noted) and give an idea of the how ZLW started and its progress to a fully operational coast and radio communication station.
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Picture 13: Inside the accommodation hostel in 1960. A candid view. Warwick Purser (then ZL2AMK, now VK4NN} sitting, facing the camera and Jamie Pye {ZL2NN) standing, facing the camera using hand semaphore. Sitting, a friend playing cards
Picture source: VK4NN
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Picture 14: Inside the accommodation hostel in 1960. A candid view. On left a friend and on right Warwick Purser (then ZL2AMK, now VK4NN} sitting
Picture source: VK4NN
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Picture 15: ZLW at its start. This is the 1912 opening celebration when the 2.5 kW spark transmitter from the General Post Office Wellington was transferred into the new building on top of Mount Wakefield, Mount Etako or as it became known as Tinakori Hill, where it provided a wireless telegraph service to ships within a 1000 km radius
See note 1 for picture source details
See note 2 for historic source details
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Picture 16: The outside of the ZLW Wellington Radio Receiving Office (commonly called “The R O”) with Wellington City in background. Picture taken in 1943
See note 3 for picture source details
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Picture 17: Location of ZLW in relation to Wellington City. ZLW is indicated by the black circle. The word "Wellington" outlined in orange, in the lower right hand corner, is about the centre of Wellington City
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Picture 18: Harbour view from ZLW Wellington Radio about 1943
See note 3 for picture source details
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Picture 19: ZLW Wellington Radio on Tinakori Hill from the Rangitoto as she sails out of Wellington Harbour in 1963. The peak is where the transmitter hall is
See note 4 for picture source details
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Picture 20: ZLW Wellington Radio on Tinakori Hill from Wellington Harbour zoomed in to show the antenna towers. The towers are shown on the skyline above the white vertical bars
See note 4 for picture source details
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Picture 20A: The equipment at ZLW in 1937. What a lethal looking lot! If you are not cooked by the RF you would be zapped by the near exposed high tension suppies
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NOTES
1. Alexander Turnbull Library Reference number: 1/2–047307–G Radio Telegraph Station, Tinakori Hill, Wellington http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz/
2. A Brief History of Regulation of Radiocommunications in New Zealand www.rsm.govt.nz/publications/pibs/radiohistory/nz-radio-history.pdf
3. WELLINGTON CITY, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara – The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, updated 26–Sep–2006 URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/1966/W/WellingtonCity/en
4. From http://seapixonline.com

These pictures were obtained from various sources (as noted) and give an idea of the how ZLW started and its progress to a fully operational coast and radio communication station.
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Picture 21: Top of the hill looking towards the first transmitter building
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Picture 22: Marked as taken in 1910 but looks very similar to Picture 23
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Picture 23: Marked as taken in 1912 so could be in the Receiving Office and a diferent view from that shown in Picture 22
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Picture 24: Looking down the access road in 1966
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Picture 25: Access road
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Picture 26: Demolition of the Receiving Office in 1975
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Picture 27: The parking area in front of the accommodation. Continuing across the flat area and up the road to the left, you would go to the transmitter building
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Picture 28: Removal of the accommodation block in 1975
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Picture 29: The start of the steep decent to Orangi Kaupapa Road
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ZLW Pictures Taken October and November 2006

These pictures were taken by Elsa Kelly in October and November 2006. Elsa is the daughter of Jamie Pye who worked at the station 1959 to 1961
You may find that an emphasis is placed on the access road in some of these pictures. The access road was a very important part when working at Wellington Radio. The road was steep and narrow and had some stories to tell.
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Picture 30: The picture on the left was taken in 1912 while the picture on the right was taken in October 2006. Both pictures have been taken from about the same place. The transmitter hall which these pictures show, started as the building shown on the left. It was doubled in size before 1958 with the addition of an extension coming out from the wall facing the photographer. The extension also had an office and power distribution room added, bringing the wall facing the photographer closer. These extensions had been removed by the 1980s and the building on the right is basically the original building as it was in 1912.
The main entrance to the building was changed from the middle of the wall where the crowd is in the left hand picture, to the wall closest to the tower where it is today
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Picture 31: ZLW Transmitter Building West Side with Antenna Tower and Cell Tower at Back
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Picture 32: View of Cell Tower and Antenna Tower
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Picture 33: Just before sharp bend at top of access road showing the road in poor condition
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Picture 34: Main Building with Young Operator Hannah. Granddaughter of a ZLW technician Jamie Pye who worked here 1958–1961
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Picture 35: A sweeping look around Wellington Harbour from the ZLW on Tinakori Hill. From left; You are looking towards Seaview on the Eastern side of Petone with Somes Island in centre of picture. The middle picture has Point Halswell sticking out from the right hand side. Starting from the left of the right hand picture shows Point Jerninghams sticking out and moving to the right, Oriental Bay then Wellington City on the right margin
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Picture 36: Panorama of Wellington City and the suburb of Newtown in the middle right distance
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Picture 37: A side road
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Picture 38: View of Towers from a distance in 2006
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Picture 39: Bush is creeping over the road in places
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Picture 40: Top of the hill looking towards the top of the access road
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Picture 41: Main entrance is in the same position as it was in the 1960s
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Picture 42: The main entry and exit path before the cell building was installed in the way
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