Paekakariki Railway Museum

There is a very interesting little museum in Paekakariki tucked away in the railway station. We wandered up there with the caravan club members in the weekend to check things out. Paekakariki is a working station, on the main trunk line. As we were looking through the artefacts on display, one train after another rumbled past, making the old wooden building shake. A trolley full of suitcases and trunks from a bygone era were piled high. Surely they hadn’t all been left behind by their owners?

Old suitcases piled high

There were all sorts of interesting items on show, including this bright red jigger and other railway equipment. There are lots of photos of early times and of the trains which were in service at the time.

The Wellington to Auckland trains pulled into Paekakariki Station and everyone rushed into the cafeteria. Pies, ham sandwiches, fruit cake and tea and coffee were served on the thick white crockery which was synonymous with the railway dining rooms all over the country. Each refreshment room had their own colour banded and numbered NZR crockery, Paekakariki was number 2. Travellers just had time to collect their food and hot drinks before clambering back aboard the train to continue on their journey.

Time for a cuppa

Displayed alongside the Railway memorabilia, are many items relating to the time when Paekakariki hosted the American Marines. During WW11. The threat of Japanese invasion was great and many of our armed forces were engaged in battle in Europe and North Africa, so people feared the worst. President Roosevelt promised Winston Churchill that the United States would protect allied countries. Camps were set up for forces to use as bases for recuperation, training and preparation before embarking for battle.

American Marines memorabilia

In April 1942 the Public Works Department were given six weeks to build and set up camps to house 1st and 2nd Divisions of the United States Marines. Prefabricated buildings were shipped up from the South Island, and all available plant, machinery and tradesmen were pressed into service. Temporary buildings were set up on private land at Paekakariki to house services such as cleaning and pressing, milk bars and a bake house. Large sheds were erected at Paekakariki Railway Station to store supplies and a brig (jail) was built at Mackays Crossing. By the time the Americans arrived, roading, streets, paths, water supply, electric power, vehicle parks and a sewage plant were completed. The Marines were put through their paces with intensive artillery training, marches and exercises in the surrounding countryside. Some of them were at the camps for barely a month before heading off to battle again. The park’s sandy beach and rural surrounds close to Wellington were an ideal training ground for the troops preparing to fight in the Pacific. Three camps were built, Camp Russell, Camp Paekakariki and Camp MacKay. Together they housed 30,000 Marines from June 1942 to November 1943.

Flag on display

We finished our afternoon with a coffee and a hot scone at Finns Cafe, situated in the rebuilt Paekakariki Hotel. There is a slight family connection to these licensed premises, as my Dad worked here for a while over 50 years ago.

Enjoying our afternoon tea