Big Days, Long Ago

Things were humming in Gisborne in the 1920's. With World War I over, the district took giant strides to make up for the previous decade's lack of development. By the mid-twenties the harbour scheme as it can be seen today was well on the way.

The scheme called for converting the river channel, then used as a harbour, into a harbour channel, the excavation of the present harbour basin, and the diversion of the river into a fresh channel nearer Waikanae Beach, known then as now as "The Cut".

The cut was put through in 1927.

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The panorama, sent in for publication by Mr J. Legge, 3 Willow St., shows the dredge at work digging away the new channel for the river. Beyond the dredge is the area now planted and used as camping grounds.

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The harbour basin as it used to be is shown in the picture opening of the Gladstone Road Bridge in the mid-twenties.