 1950 - 1998 The Decline The State Fire Insurance valuation In August listed the Board's assets and value as follows:
In 1952 part of the shed was let to the State Hydro Department. Power was installed in the shed in 1953. Previous lighting was provided by a generator. It is not clear whether power was carried along the wharf. The Tolaga Bay Golf Club was offered the Austin tractor for £10 1957. In 1958 the Board wrote to the Richardson Line complaining about the poor service to Tolaga-Bay. In 1959 the Board held discussions with the Minister of Marine with regard to the position of the Board's finances, shipping and general falling off of revenue due to decentralising of shipping, lack of fertiliser imports over the wharf and road competition. In November 1960 the Harbour Board considered the falling off of trade to the port, and decided that rather than replace the existing Harbour Master (who had tendered his resignation), to pass the control of the wharf over to the Uawa County Council, who accepted. November 29, 1961 was the final meeting of the Harbour Board.  In November 1963 the southern side of the wharf was closed to shipping due to damage and deterioration. A report on the condition of the wharf from a Mr Booth gave the structure a conservative 15 year life in 1965. By now the cost of shipping wool from the Tolaga Bay wharf shed direct to Napier was higher than the cost of trucking from the wharf shed to Gisborne and shipping from there to both domestic and British markets. I.H. Lowe (Lowe's Fishing Co.) was permitted to establish a fishing base on the wharf in 1968. In the same year a "six-wheeled" railway wagon was taken to Gisborne and apparently thence to Ferrymead Museum, Canterbury. Most importantly, 1968 marked the closure of the port for shipping. The Harbour shed office rooms were let to Titirangi Station as a tea-room. In May 1973 Cook County assessed the contents of the shed, sold some and gave (?) some to M.O.T.A.T., Gisborne. In July further wharf plant was sold as scrap. In 1977 Cook County banned all vehicular traffic on the wharf. The wharf shed was generally used for the storage of cray-fishing boats, tractors and fishing gear, including a fish freezer.  The Cook County Engineer presented a report in 1984, on alternatives for the future use of the wharf building to Council. The authors J. Dwight.. and L. McDonald proposed "doing nothing", partial demolition, and "total restoration". In 1995 the report above resulted in demolition of the decrepit 1940s lean-to, the earlier western lean-to being spared. However the main timber-floored original building was irreversibly (economically speaking) modified by the chain sawing out of a substantial area of timber floor, the removal of its foundations and the reversion to an earth floor to create "garage space" to be let for the storage of fishing boats and equipment. The southern lean-to, being accessible to vehicles, was already being let for boat and associated storage. A large section of the removed floor was up-ended and, complete with floor Joists as studs, was used to wall-off the newly formed 'garage'. Demolition iron from the northern lean-to was used to re-clad the original northern wall, including the 1929-34 loading-out doors, and a wide door-way was cut at the western end allowing vehicular access. In 1989 the wharf shed was sold to Mr S.P. Destounis, fisherman, who has not modified the building since.  The wharf in 1998. No longer part of a registered port and considered too dangerous for vehicular traffic or berthage, the structure has evolved into a very popular fishing place for locals and tourists alike, and particularly for travellers, a challenge, because of its unusual length and the high scenic value of its environment. At present there is no on-site interpretation of the historical and social significance of the port. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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