Built in 1877, the Pumphouse was the newly created Auckland City Council's attempt to fix Auckland's water shortages by using the permanent water supply from Western Springs.
The Council hired famed engineer, William Errington, to design and build the Pumphouse. The mighty beam engines pumped the water up the hills to reservoirs at the top of Ponsonby, Khyber Pass and Mt Eden Roads from where it was distributed. In its day, the Pumphouse was considered one of the most advanced public water supply systems in the world.
The Pumphouse or Engine House has three levels, the basement, the ground floor and the gallery. Supported by cast iron columns and brackets the machinery passes through all three. The exterior walls are red brick with cornerstones of basalt. Originally, the roof had slate tiles, but these have since been replaced with corrugated iron.
The day-to-day operation of the Pumphouse was in the hands of an Engineer and a Fireman, who both lived on the site. The Engineer's cottage is still part of MOTAT and forms part of the Victorian Village.
Now restored to its former glory the Pumphouse has a ‘B' classification from the Historic Places Trust and in 2009 the Pumphouse, Beam Engine and Engineer's Cottage won the internationally recognised UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Merit for the Culture Heritage Conservation programme. They are the first New Zealand buildings to receive such an award.
Building specifications
Date built
1877
Owner
Auckland City Council
Engineer
William Errington
Contractor
T&S Morrin Ltd
Period of Operation
1877-1936
Engine specifications
Engines building
John Key & Sons
Country Manufactured
Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Cylinder
High pressure: 68.5cm diameter
Low pressure: 106.6cm diameter
Flywheel
67.3 cm diameter weighing 16 tonnes
Horsepower
300 HP at 14.5 rpm
Capacity
4.5 million litres per 12 hour shift
