The Timaru Host Lions Club has officially set sail on a new fundraising voyage to preserve a piece of Timaru maritime history.
Last Thursday, the lifeboat Alexandra was wheeled out of storage for the first time since 2019 and displayed in front of the Speight’s Ale House to celebrate the launch of a new $350,000 fundraising effort.
The fundraiser aims to bring the lifeboat back to Caroline Bay and store it in a purpose-built shelter to display and protect the vessel for future generations.
Timaru Host Lions president Russell Cowles said the club wanted a special project for its 60th anniversary.
‘‘Eight or nine months ago our member Stan’s [Whitley] wife had the idea.
‘‘With the anniversary we discussed what projects we were coming up with and we decided let’s do something we haven’t done for a long time — let’s do something semi-major.
‘‘Then at the 60th anniversary itself, [Timaru mayor] Nigel Bowen announced that we could go ahead with it, so we started off with pricing but of course there was hold-up after hold-up.’’
After deciding on the design and cost, it was now finally time to begin fundraising, he said.
‘‘We’ve put $45,000 of our own club money in to start things off. We’re also going to be applying for a grant from Lions International and we’d like to think we’d get another $40,000 or $50,000 from there.
‘‘For the remainder we’ll just be relying on businesses and the local community.
‘‘It’s a completely different thing to CPlay. This is something that the older people can remember and we want it to go back on display so the younger generation can learn from it.’’
The lifeboat was commissioned by the Canterbury Provincial Council for £300 from London and was launched for the first time almost 161 years ago to the day on July 10, 1863.
On May 24, 1869, the boat was used and crew member Duncan Cameron drowned after Alexandra capsized.
Following this incident, the Alexandra was taken out of service and not used for 13 years, until one fateful day.
On May 14, 1882, the lifeboat was pulled out of storage and raced into action when a strong southeasterly gale broke the anchorages of Benvenue and City of Perth and swept them towards the Benvenue Cliffs.
As no other boat could handle the sea conditions, Alexandra was selected to lead the rescue attempts.
During the rescue the vessel capsized four times, resulting in the loss of 10 lives but saving 43.
The day would come to be known as ‘‘Black Sunday’’.
The lifeboat was disbanded in 1885, and heavily featured in Timaru’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1909.
A memorial was erected in Perth St in 1932 on the 50th anniversary of ‘‘Black Sunday’’.
The harbour board then gave the boat to the Timaru Borough Council and it was put on display at Caroline Bay until 1997, when it was taken to the Landing Service Building and fully restored.
In 2010, the lifeboat was moved into storage and was no longer on display.
It is one of only three historic lifeboats of its kind remaining in the world, the other two being located in Victoria, Australia and Yorkshire, England.
Despite the big new project, the club would not be forgetting about the other local community fundraisers it ran, Mr Cowles said.
The response to the Alexandra project had been very positive so far, he said.
‘‘There’s been lots of discussion on places like the Timaru history page on Facebook and it’s been great getting them excited about it.
‘‘You’ll always get one saying, ‘Wow $350,000 — it must be goldplated’, but what needs to be understood is it’s got to be in a building that will preserve it.
‘‘It’s not our decision where it goes — it’s the council’s — but my personal opinion is there is only one place for it and that is the bay.’’
The club hoped to complete the project by September 2025 and anyone wishing to contribute to the fundraiser can do so by visiting the Lifeboat Alexandra page on the Aoraki Foundation website or getting in contact with the Timaru Host Lions Club.
