HMNZS Tasman – The Story Continues
You will remember that during WWII Communications Training was conducted at the shore establishment HMNZS TASMAN located in Lyttleton. John Bullock has been digging and has come up with the following information.
click on image to enlarge
Here is a bit of history on an ex-HMNZS Tasman building which was located at the site of present Lyttelton Oil Terminal. It seems the following photographs show the only surviving building from that Lyttelton Naval era. They obviously have been refurbished; however the basic long rectangle shape is much the same.
The story goes in 1957, a Edgar Wilson (local farmer) Patron of the Belfast Rugby Club purchased a building from HMNZS Tasman, Lyttelton, for new club rooms for 550 pounds, cost of shifting and putting on foundations at the new rugby club site for 349 pounds, 17 shillings and 5 pence. Section cost 650 pounds and the club rooms were officially opened on the 13th December 1958.
Today there are new rugby club rooms, but the old “Tasman” building survived and was shifted to another site owned by the Elim Church at 801 Main North Road Belfast 8051 where it stands today.