Kopu

[rayman]

don't know what happened there

[Khephre]

My grandmother used to travel on the Kopu, along the Piako River and across to Thames for music lessons, not that long after the Kopu was launched.

[kiwimodeller]

I live in Waihi, only about 20km from Paeroa, last time I was over there she was looking in an even worse shape than your photo shows, especially the stern so I doubt that anyone will be mad enough to take on a rebuild. I will check upon what happened but if my memory serves me correctly (which it often does not) she was hit by a larger boat while at Puke wharf and sunk. Maybe a model to remember her by might be worth a thought if plans still exist. Cheers, Ian.

[rayman]

Kiwi, that is what I had in mind myself. Should not be too hard, not much shape in her really. I have all the dimensions. Could you post a few pics sometime. I don't have any of her stern. As she was built for towing the paddle shaft is about midships. I don't remember how much info Hillary has at the museum. Can you e-mail me please, ray283morey at yahoo.com.au      Kephre, your gran must have been a patient lady, Kopu was not very fast, even with the tide I believe.   rayman

[Khephre]

I think everything moved more slowly back then...

She used to tell me that getting to a music lesson was twice or three times as long as the lesson itself - she typically harnessed a horse and rode it to the Piako River landing at the end of the road. Waited for the Kopu or for a local riverboatman - down to Thames for a two hour lesson in the Brian Boru (still standing), then all the way back again.

She said that once she and her sister were rowed by the riverboatman from the Piako (just downstream from Ngatea) all the way to Thames - a trip that took most of the day to complete - had to stay overnight in Thames, before being rowed all the way back the next day.

Mind you we're talking around 1910, most of the plains was still Kahikatea swampland back then - a bit like the Kopu 2 picture.

Would be good to see Kopu sailing again

cheers
Tony

[Khephre]

For the record:

Paddle steamer Kopu

Built 1897
Builder John Young at Thames.
Tonnage 18 net
Type Paddle steamer
Entered service 1897
Left service c1935/1936
Career:   
1897 built for R. Gibbons of Kopu but bought by Northern Steam Ship Company while building. Used for towing up to two barges on the Waihou and Piako rivers.

1935 or 1936 was sunk at her mooring on the Waihou River near the Ngahina Wharf, a mile and a half from Paeroa. Vandals or children are thought to have interfered with a valve, which caused the vessel to fill with water.

1980 raised and moved to a mud berth at Paeroa. 1999 owned by Paeroa Historical Maritime Park.

She was fitted with a two cylinder non-condensing engine of 5 nhp. This drove the paddle shaft via spur gears.

She was also notable for having escorted Bernard Freyburg on his historic swim from Te Aroha to Paeroa in 1910.

For the non-Kiwis and history-impoverished: Major General Freyberg VC, was born in London but spent most of his childhood in New Zealand. He fought at Gallipoli, where he used his swimming skills to swim to the beach where he lit flares to distract the Turks, for which he was awarded the first of four DSOs. Won his VC at the Somme.

Was overall commander of the Allied forces during the Battle of Crete in WW11, fought in North Africa and Italy (commanded my wife's late father NZ 2nd Div, British 8th Army), became our country's Governor-General in 1946, and 1st Baron of Wellington and Munstead in 1951. He became the Deputy Constable and Lieutenant-Governor of Windsor Castle in 1953.

So our poor shabby remains of the Kopu have some claim to history-by-association.

[jock]

Love that first picture so I started a pencil sketch of it.

[rayman]

Kephre, thanks for the info, makes a subject more interesting,  we all had Freyburg's history and accomplishments at school but must admit it had long gone to the "forget bin" and stoker, that is just part I cut out from a much bigger picture if you would like to see it. I do think a model could be justified.

[Harold H. Duncan]

Hi, have just come back from Paeroa (research related to Rangiriri/Freetrader/Koheroa engines) and have taken a heap of photos of the Kopu as she is at present. Very sad looking, and the boiler that is in her is not the original. (The original boiler is off site).The engine (in bits) is stored in a shed nearby. When I have done research and drawings for Rangiriri, will do a set for the Kopu. My drawings are of the full size vessel complete with all interior construction detail as this is how I build. (complete enough to rebuild the full size boat). I will be going throu to Thames within the next month or two, so if required I could call into the Kopu again if anyone would like more photos and/or dimensional sketches. Paddles forward the hull is fairly true to profile, but the stern has collapsed and the bulkheads split and dropped.
ok.

[rayman]

Harold D. I was over there in Feb. this year and the museum was closed up. The Rangiriri/Free trader engines went for scrap long ago and I have long had my doubts about the original wheel as I am sure the crank windows in the Freetrader stern are further apart than the Rangiriri. Engine beds are still in place in both vessels though. If you contact Jeanette Roose (Mrs Bill Thomas) she will probably let you go up and measure Free Trader's stern, and I have several pics of her in two different boiler house arrangements. and accomodations

[Harold H. Duncan]

Thanks Rayman. I have spoken with Jeanette Roose a number of times and will be arranging a visit to the Freetrader soon. Any pics would be of great interest to me. As a last resort if all else fails I will take trips to the wreck sites of the Cleopatra (Koheroa's engines & boiler) and the Pioneer, and see whats left if anything.