It's a good year for engineering heritage, with anniversary celebrations of significant achievements, including 130 years since commencement of the Otago Central Railway line, 75 years since commissioning of Waitaki power station and 70 years since completion of NZ Railways Road Services Garage in Dunedin.
A topical book should be a welcome addition.
Matthew Wright's Big Ideas: 100 Wonders Of New Zealand Engineering (Random House, $45, pbk) is a personal selection of noteworthy projects and most are illustrated by excellent images from archives.
It ranges from pre-European fortifications through to recent navy ships.
More than a quarter are railway related, but there are few on engineering for agriculture, such as New Zealand's first freezing works, one of the backbones of the country's development.
Several are in Otago, such as the Kawarau Gorge suspension bridge, Ross Creek reservoir and Hillside Railway Workshops.
Unfortunately, the information is flawed by mistakes.
For example Dunedin Railway Station was designed by George (not Gordon as claimed) Troup, aka "Gingerbread George", and the clock tower was strengthened, not truncated.
The Percy Burn Viaduct in Southland is given the wrong date, dimensions and builder's name.
Although it has an index, the book lacks a table of contents and a map, which would have helped readers to see at a glance the author's 100 engineering feat choices and where they are located.
Maybe the author can be persuaded to provide an errata sheet or post corrections on his website.
- Lloyd Smith is chairman of the engineering heritage chapter of the Otago Southland branch of IPENZ.
