1886: Reefton Electric
November 24, 2024
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 24 November, 1886, Reefton caught the electricity bug well and truly. This was the official start of the revolution from the age of coal and steam that had replaced horsepower and wind power. Now came electricity and oil; The age we are still in.
Walter Prince had come to New Zealand to set up electric light for the Lyttleton Wharves but moved on to work for in Otago. He was sought for lighting up the Auckland wharves too but after that fell through he was brought in to the West Coast gold town of Reefton. In November 1886 Prince had already lit up Dawsons Hotel, Reefton, using power generated from the brewery down the road. So it was gold and beer that launched the new technology and Reefton was the home of both!
“Walter prince was to be the New Zealand Electric Light Co.’s engineeir in charge of installing lighting at the Lyttleton Harbour Board’s wharves. But he ws to prove that his real strength was as a promoter rather than an electrical engineer…”
“..the irrepressible Prince reappeared in Reefton in November..and just happened to have a 1kW dynamo in his baggage…he demonstrated the wonder of of electricity by lighting up four of the main hotels on Reefton’s Broadway, ..some time after 1890 he disappears from recorded history in New Zealand.” – Power to the People, Neil Rennie (1989)
“Petition of Walter Prince and Others, of Inangahua. The petitioners pray that telephonic communication may be established between Inangahua Junction and Lyell. I am directed to report that, in the opinion of the Committee, this petition should be referred to the Government for consideration. 13th December, 1887.” – AJHR (1887,) Papers Past
Walter was the man who rigged everything up for Reefton. Private enterprise, of course, not government, developed the innovation. Prince followed up his earlier demonstration in the hall of a Friendly Society (Kater’s Oddfellow’s Hall) that became a private company leading the way for domestic electricity. It wasn’t until 1946 that The State took over in the form of the Grey Electric Power Board.
Prince and others even had plans for a telephone line to nearby gold town, Lyall. The big switch-on for the town came in August 1888. What ever happened to Mr Prince? He’s far less famous than he ought to be as the ‘midwife’ of our electric revolution.
Prince was pioneering electricity in Auckland, Thames, Canterbury, Otago, and on the West Coast. Yet, very little is known of him. He had experienced a very bad fall (fractured his skull) earlier in 1886 from a horse on the way to the diggings at Skippers. Then, in December, 1889, another great fall. This time Walter fell from a moving express train train between Christchurch and Dunedin..
“He had a massive head injury in Dunedin. Nearly died. When he looked like he was recovering all he talked about was electricity and horses. He fell from a horse and leg caught in stirrup, dragged, traveling on skippers road to the mine.” – Ina Lineham to AHNZ (2023)
“…he was seated on the platform of a carriage reading a newspaper, when in some unexplained way he fell off. He was found an hour afterwards in an uoconseioiis condition, and was taken to Che Seacliff Hotel, where it was found that beyond a severe shaking he had si^tained no injury. Mr Prince sustained serious injury to his head a few years ago through a fall from a horse in the Lake district, and for a long time his recovery was despaired of. ” – Southland Times (1889,) Papers Past
It’s unclear what happened to the charismatic young man and research is ongoing. I wrote to local historian Ina Lineham who seems to know the family and more facts but they are yet to be confirmed. It may be that Walter found his way to Australia and hard times. It’s hard going being a Tall Poppy.
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Image ref. Walter Prince, Jade’s Adventures; Youtube (2017)
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