12/06/2026
One of the prominent public roles in early Timaru was the Harbourmaster. Just recently we received a collection of papers relating to James Tait, appointed to that role in 1909.
James had already served Timaru as the dredge master since 1897. But his appointment to harbourmaster in 1909 was a significant step up in responsibility. The collection includes his contract, signed 30 November 1909, and a schedule of duties. The job was like most, lots of routine jobs including the paperwork of shipping registers and monthly reports to the Harbour Board. But it also included responsibility for: taking soundings, overseeing the dredge (the then new Dredge No.350), moorings, operating the pilot boat (the Eslie Evans) and acting as the harbour pilot. Managing harbour staff and operations, including moorings, and all manner of other tasks related to the operation of the harbour. All for £350 a year and use of the harbour master’s house on the Terrace.
The collection of papers, entrusted into our care by his family, also offers further insight into the depth of his experience. Various certificates of discharge from vessels he served on before ‘coming ashore’, along with testaments of his service from the Greymouth Harbour Board are also included. These would have been used to demonstrate his suitability for the job here in Timaru.
These offer an awesome insight into someone that served our town and harbour for two decades, ending in 1917 when he died of an illness while still in office. Most of this small treasure trove of documents are yet to be processed, but we’re looking forward to exploring these further and making them available for research.
Image: Captain James Tait and his contract as Harbour Master at Timaru, dated 1909.
