BANKS PENINSULA: Akaroa
Evidence indicates that the complete peninsula was controlled by the Chinese for a considerable period of time. In this period they appear to have constructed harbours, roads, barrack blocks, exploited the mineral wealth and operated smelters. The harbours indicate that sea trading was in operation.
Akaroa Fort appears to have been the headquarters of the Banks Peninsula operations. This fort was situated on the site now occupied by the cricket field (43d, 48`, 06S – 172d, 59`, 01E). The outline of the fort and its 12m wide external main gatehouse can actually be seen outlined in the parched turf. Fortuitously the cricket pitch is Astroturf.
The fort covered an area c90m x c70m, with the main double gateway facing away from the harbour. The four corners of the fort being protected by towers of a square section. One single gateway faced south and a further single gateway faced the sea, this both accessed the external 6m x6m ablution block, (47d, 48`, 13S – 172d, 58`, 03E) and the fort’s harbour. This harbour was 40m wide (North South) and 70m long, the end of the harbour coincides with the ramp to the ferry. There are no junks within the harbour, although it was large enough to accommodate three 47x11m Junks, side by side. The fort was served by two aqueducts: one ran into the NE corner of the fort, the other served the ablution block. Within the fort MAS located the foundations of two rows of 12 Barrack blocks each comprising 8+1 rooms, ie accommodation for c768 persons, based on the Roman occupation figure of 8 per room. Either the ninth room was a store room, or a communal eating room. But as no specific store rooms have been located on any site, therefore my thoughts tend to the ninth room, the only one paved at the end of each barrack block, as being the food store.
COMMENTS
In each of the four bays surveyed in Banks Peninsula, the remains of the junks have been located, safely in the harbours, with anchors out. Yet at Akaroa Fort, the strongest site on the whole Peninsula, there are no Junks in the harbour. It would appear that all of the other sites were overwhelmed by a superior force, whilst some of the defenders of Akaroa managed to escape. One will wonder for ever, if they returned to China.
In June 2003 A ground radar survey of the site was carried out to check the accuracy of the magnetic anomaly survey. The ground radar confirmed the accuracy of the first survey. The opportunity was also taken to utilize the local council’s innovative use of a
website to access a satellite site photograph of the cricket field, coupled with the facility to project the local services onto the site photograph.. The satellite photograph had picked up the scorched grass over the line of the fort walls. Noting this scorching had led to the original site survey being initiated.
T.C.Bell UK July 2003.
