BRIGHTON
asking for “the conversion of the horse-road into a dray-road.” The request was not granted, and the road remained a six-foot-wide pack-track.
An event that awakened great interest in Charleston and sent many of its people posthaste to Brighton as sightseers, was the wreck on 18th January, 1902, of the steel barque Alexandra at Hatter’s Beach. This ill-fated vessel of 610 tons, Captain Ankerson, was bound from Sydney to Westport in ballast. All hands were saved, but the vessel became a total wreck. Some of her bones are visible to-day. The wreck was sold by auction on 24th January, 1902, for £20.
Besides the sightseers, several business men from Charleston gave attention to the wreck. One of them contemplated salvaging it, maybe refloating it, at least obtaining from it sufficient material to build another but much smaller craft. His hopes did not materialise. Another Charleston tradesman purchased her stores and fittings for resale. The vessel was but three days out from Sydney, then a record passage to New Zealand, and apparently the master, belittling his vessel’s sailing capability, found himself on a lee shore while believing himself well clear of land; the weather had been very thick. She went ashore stern first, the head pointing seaward; and the crew found little difficulty in laying planks from stern to land, and walking ashore. It may be mentioned that the signal gun of the vessel is now an ornament upon the verandah of Mrs. Henry Nahr’s residence at Westport.
All supplies for Brighton were seaborne; vessels lay offshore and cargoes were landed in boats. In 1867 the Provincial Council negatived a motion to provide wharfage accommodation for this port. It, however, was declared a warehousing port in that year.
An early, probably the first, Harbourmaster appointed was Thomas Bradby, he being given charge of “Woodpecker Bay and Fox’s River.” Mr. John Grant was appointed Signalman in February, 1881, and William Stephenson about 1886, though there was then only occasional shipping.
In 1868 the Customs revenue included spirits £234 at 12/- per gallon; tobacco £68 at 2/6 per pound; wine £5 at 4/- per gallon.
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