A look at Lyttelton's 'best-kept secret'

A former ammunition storage bunker is preserving a rare piece of New Zealand's maritime history.

Tucked in behind the Naval Point Club, the Lyttelton Torpedo Boat Museum is home to the remains of an 1882 spar torpedo boat.

Thornycroft torpedo boat number 168 was commissioned at Lyttelton in 1884 for defence purposes.

Museum trustee David Bundy said the London-built boat was one of four purchased by the government to protect major ports against a perceived naval threat.

"It was at the time when the big Russians scare was on."

The boat spent 15 years on duty in Lyttelton, manned by military and volunteers, before becoming obsolete and sold. It was eventually dumped on the beach at Purau.

Museum volunteer and trustee Reuben Marsden is leading the younger brigade preserving an important piece of New Zealand's naval history. Photos: Geoff Sloan

"We excavated the torpedo boat in the late nineties, and we had the job of restoring the building here first because it was roofless and abandoned. So we restored the building whilst we were putting the torpedo parts together. We have the steam engine from the Dunedin boat."

The 19m-long military vessel was powered by a 173hp steam-powered engine, reaching a maximum speed of 17 knots. It was designed to launch the spar torpedo on its bow under the water, powering it at speed into the side of an enemy vessel and then reversing away at high speed.

Museum trustee Reuben Marsden said it was great that New Zealand's defenders never had to use it.

"It was a hidden gem, and if folks like David Bundy didn't dig it up and find it and present it, this would be a part of history.

The spar torpedo boat was designed to launch the torpedo on its bow under the water, powering it at speed into the side of an enemy ship.

"I wouldn't know, you wouldn't know, and many other people wouldn't know."

Marsden's a keen historian, and decided to answer the call to help out to preserve a rare piece of history.

"With the decline in the older members who set the foundation, it's the responsibility of the younger generation to step up, listen to the stories and make sure we keep that going."

The small museum currently attracts just 500-odd visitors per year. Marsden says while its location on the shores of Magazine Bay may be a bit out of the way, he believes 'Lyttelton's best-kept secret' is well worth the visit.

- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air