BANKS PENINSULA: Okains Bay
SOUTH ISLAND.
NEW ZEALAND.
( 173d, 03`, 43e. 43d, 41, 42S )
The Chinese established their site at Okains Bay, to exploit the local iron ore.
A ramparted fort c. 210m long x 45m wide was constructed. Large lengths of the
double (and in part triple) ramparts are still visible. A magnetic anomaly survey along the line of the ramparts indicated that the stone foundations of the walls are still in place.
The fort consisted of two sections. The southern section is c. 90m x 45m and contains the foundations of twenty-one barracks. Unlike Roman forts, Chinese fortified areas do not appear to have specific building, identifiable as storerooms. One can assume 50% barrack room occupancy, with each barrack block having eight occupants per room, and eight rooms per barrack, plus one for officers. ie 64 x 10 barracks would equal 640. An early Roman fort of this size could well hold a cohort, 480men, so the comparisons are not unreasonable.
The northern section is slightly tapered for c.45m to c.30m, and is 90m long.
There are no foundations in this section. However, a large water storage cistern was located. This was fed by an aqueduct running in from the east, and we can assume that this area was used to stable the cavalry’s mounts.
There is considerable evidence of quarrying on the site, with iron ore seams clearly visible in the adjacent cliffs. Two caves have been excavated to access the seams. Adjacent to the ore workings are two rows of smelter ramps, with their adjacent building foundations. Each building of c.5m x 4m housed a water wheel which operated a bellows, thus supplying the furnace’s combustion. The water wheels were fed by an aqueduct.
It would appear that the original Chinese cliff-face working road, which followed the iron ore seam at a higher level, was reused to access a deep water pier when the Okains Bay
Community was founded in the early 1800s. The roadway and pier incorporate
timbers from a wrecked sailing ship.
The local museum is extremely well endowed with exhibits that well portray life in the 1800’s and 1900s. Included in the exhibits are the remains of a ship’s frame, secured with
non-ferrous pins. Displayed with the timber are a large number of large fishhooks formed from identical non-ferrous pins, presumably from the same wreck. It is interesting to note that the Ngai Tahu (Maori) invaded the area in 1680.
From the fort area a stone path accessed the beach and a small stone harbour, both now covered by sand. The harbour consisted of two stone arms – the arms are 50m long, 1m wide and are spaced 12m apart. The harbour was designed for a 47m x 11m junk and could be closed by a temporary gate. The harbour was empty and the junk’s outline was located by a magnetic anomaly survey, broached to 20m north of the harbour, presumably washed out of the harbour by a storm. One 13m x 10m junk (possibly a horse boat) was traced alongside the harbour, bow to the sea. A further junk’s outline, 20m x 7m, was located broached to, south of the access path from the fort to the harbour.
T.C.Bell July 2003.
