Lyttelton Timeball Station
Encyclopedia
The Lyttelton Timeball Station was a heritage-registered timeball station and prominent local landmark in Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....

, New Zealand. The station was significantly damaged by a series of earthquakes and aftershocks in 2010 and 2011, and finally collapsed on the 13 June 2011 after a magnitude 6.3 aftershock
June 2011 Christchurch earthquake
The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST . It was centred at a depth of 6.0 km , about 13 km from Christchurch, which had previously been devastated by the February 2011 magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake...

.

Context

A time ball is a large painted wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time, principally to enable sailors to check their marine chronometer
Marine chronometer
A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...

s from their boats offshore. While latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...

 has long been easily determined first using an astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...

 and later a sextant
Sextant
A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight...

, timekeeping is one way of enabling mariners to determine their longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....

 at sea. The key to this was accuracy, as an error of four seconds translates into 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) of actual distance at the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....

, and 3000 feet (914.4 m) at latitude 60 degrees.

History

John Thomas Peacock
John Thomas Peacock
John Thomas Peacock MLC JP was a New Zealand businessman, philanthropist and politician. He came to Canterbury in 1844, several years before organised settlement started.-Early life:...

, a businessman and politician, first came to Lyttelton in 1844. He built the first substantial wharf and was well established by the time large numbers of settlers started arriving six years later with the First Four Ships. Peacock first promoted the erection of a time ball station in Lyttelton as a Member of the House of Representatives
New Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....

, but his suggestion was rejected. He was also a Member of the Canterbury Provincial Council, and his suggestion in 1870 for a Lyttelton time ball found support. It was the third time ball in New Zealand, after Wellington (1864) and Dunedin (1868).

The station, which was designed by local architect Thomas Crane, was completed in 1876. The castle-like complex initially comprised an octagonal tower supporting the time ball and a three storey building which provided accommodation, work areas as well as housing the clock. The materials used were local scoria
Scoria
Scoria is a volcanic rock containing many holes or vesicles. It is most generally dark in color , and basaltic or andesitic in composition. Scoria is relatively low in mass as a result of its numerous macroscopic ellipsoidal vesicles, but in contrast to pumice, all scoria has a specific gravity...

 and contrasting lighter coloured Oamaru stone
Oamaru stone
Oamaru stone is a hard, compact limestone, quarried at Weston, near Oamaru in Otago, New Zealand.The stone is used for building purposes, especially where ornate moulding is required. The finished stonework has a creamy, sandy colour...

. Additions were made to the building between 1877 and 1878 and again in 1912. The astronomical clock
Astronomical clock
An astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.-Definition:...

 originated from Britain and the time ball was supplied by Siemens Brothers
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

 of Germany.

The tower was damaged during the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....

 and the operation of the time ball stopped. The buildings were significantly damaged during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The New Zealand Heritage Trust decided that it would be dismantled after engineering advice indicated that the building could not be saved due to public safety concerns. The Trust hoped to salvage the time ball mechanism and were investigating whether reconstruction was a viable option. The tower collapsed during an aftershock on 13 June 2011
June 2011 Christchurch earthquake
The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST . It was centred at a depth of 6.0 km , about 13 km from Christchurch, which had previously been devastated by the February 2011 magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake...

.

Heritage listing

On 7 April 1983, the building was registered as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number being 43. Including Lyttelton, there were only five time ball stations in working order worldwide at the time, and the one in Lyttelton was the only one remaining in New Zealand.

External links

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