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Story: Ports and harbours

Bluff’s all-weather loaders (1st of 3)

Bluff’s all-weather loaders

By the 1960s New Zealand ports were congested, and the limits of conventional technology had been reached. Mechanical all-weather loaders were built at the southern ports of Bluff and Timaru, which speeded up loading. They looked impressive, but containers soon made them obsolete. Although often called meat loaders, they also handled other products. Shaw Savill & Albion’s Gothic, pictured here, had served as the royal yacht for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953–54.

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Bluff Maritime Museum

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How to cite this page:

Gavin McLean. 'Ports and harbours', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 24-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/ports-and-harbours/5/1/1