Port opens to public for anniversary

Port Otago will celebrate its anniversary with a public open day on Monday, allowing the community to take a look behind the scenes of a busy working port. PHOTO: PORT OTAGO

Port Otago will throw open its gates to the community on Monday (Labour Day), providing a rare opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of this key Otago business, as it celebrates 150 years.

Port Chalmers Open Day co-ordinator Carolyn Bennett said the day’s activities, which would run from 10am until 3pm on Monday, would include bus tours of the port, fishing off the Beach St wharf, displays of dredging plant, straddles and forklifts and displays by Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Coastguard.

There would be family activities, such as face painting, bouncy castles and food stalls at the open day.

In addition, extra tours and rides would be available, including tug boat rides, ship-to-shore crane tours, pilot launch rides and container ship tours.

The event would be "a great way to celebrate with [their] kaimahi and neighbours" — the people they worked alongside "every day of the year".

"We are looking forward to proudly showing off our operations," she said.

Proceeds raised through the event will be donated to Port Chalmers Maritime Museum, Dunedin Marine SAR Water Rescue, Iona Church, Koputai Lodge Trust, Otago Navy Cadets, Royal Albatross Centre and Terra Nova Sea Scouts.

These Port Otago vessels will be on display during the Port Chalmers open day on Monday, October 28. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Port Chalmers Maritime Museum

A trip to Port Chalmers for the Port Otago open day will also give Dunedin people the chance to visit the redeveloped Port Chalmers Maritime Museum, which opened its doors again last weekend after 18 months of building and refurbishment.

Port Otago and the Port Chalmers Historical Society, which manages the museum, formally partnered in 2020.

Port Otago assumed responsibility and ownership of the museum building through until 2055, the museum remaining as the sole occupant.

As part of the project, the category-1 listed stone museum building, which has stood at the bottom of George St, Port Chalmers, since 1877, was extended and linked to the steel-and-glass Port Otago administration building.

The two buildings are linked by a glass extension and internal laneway, and include an elevated viewing space where members of the public can look out over the port.

Port Chalmers Historical Society president Kaye Henderson said the museum was dedicated to its role as "a repository for the local community — particularly of photographs and items of social history".