Paekakariki Station Museum

 

The Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust was formed in 1993 by a group of people from the local community, who were concerned about the very fast decline of Paekakariki’s rail heritage. The primary objective was and remains to ensure that the 1909 built railway station was saved from destruction. To achieve this goal, the Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust was formed and work commenced on a complete rebuild of the dilapidated station interior. The completion of this major reconstruction work saw the Paekakariki Rail and Heritage Museum opened in 1995.

 

 

Paekakariki is a North Island Main Trunk railway town, which is very rich in  history. During the early years the town was occupied by the private Wellington & Manawatu Railway Company employees, until the Government took over the line in 1908, and the staff where transferred to become NZR personnel. The first school was built in 1886 with the coming of the Railway and the Surf Club was established in the early days by railway people. Many of the town inhabitants are still today either ex railway or come from railway families.

 

During 1992 rumour had it that our railway station was either going to be physically bulldozed or downsized. The station building itself is a famous Paekakariki landmark and local town folk were abhorred with the thought of a small plastic shelter, as well as any other radical alteration that would change the look of the town. Besides, the town had already lost the original refreshment girl’s hostel to accidental fire. The old hostel used to stand in Ames Street, later being used as a railway employee’s house. In the early 1990’s, the railway station itself was damaged in an arson attempt. Fortunately the local volunteer fire brigade were on the job very quickly and the old building was saved.

 

Paekakariki once had a locomotive depot, the site now being occupied by Steam Incorporated. Long gone too is the hut settlement and Wellington & Manawatu Railway Company’s social hall, which stood opposite Steam Incorporated’s site. Paekakariki’s used to also have a “bank” engine, which helped the heavy freight trains to climb up the hill, but this finished in the 1980’s.

Electric units are still stabled in the yard overnight, and with the advent of the half-hourly unit timetable, there is once again a fairly large railway train crew based at Paekakariki. Across the tracks from Steam Incorporated is a modern signals depot which was abandoned in 2003, with the privatisation of railways. The whole yard once contained many railway houses, the earliest ones being built by the Wellington & Manawatu Railway Company. These too are long gone, with the very last constructed NZR houses being removed in the 1980’s.

With so much lost, it was therefore essential that what was left of the township’s railway heritage somehow be preserved. As well as the rail heritage items, shops, hotel, cafes, a very popular swimming/surfing beach and Queen Elizabeth Park, all are within walking distance from the station. There is also no shortage of places to stay at in Paekakariki, with a motel, motor camp, hotel and backpackers.

The Station Museum consists of 4 major sections, General History, Maori Taonga, Railway History and a section containing US Marines WW2 items. The railway section of the museum is very popular and displays are regularly rotated. Admission to the museum is by donation.

 

2008

Historic signal box arrives back at its old spot at Paekakariki railway station, in a project that aims to recapture the glory days of the seaside town’s rail heritage.

On Wednesday 6 August the Parliamentary Special Train celebrating 100 years of the NIMT steamed out of Wellington Station bound for Auckland.

The first stop was Paekakariki where the restored Signal Box was officially opened by Hon Winnie Laban

2013

One hundred years ago on February 18 1913,  railwayman Walter Pengelly died in heavy surf at Paekakariki, but two friends who were in the same boat wreck were saved after a heroic rescue by five other railwaymen.

The tragedy shocked the small community and at a public meeting held on March 2, 1913, in the Railway social hall, it was agreed unanimously to form a Railway Surf Life Saving Club.

This led to the formation of one of New Zealand’s oldest, and most famous, surf clubs.

In 2013 the Paekakariki Surf Life Guards are marking Mr Pengelly’s death — and the 100 years’ of life guarding that followed.

To celebrate the formation of the club, present-day members gathered at the Paekakariki Station Museum on the afternoon of Saturday, March 2, 2013