Anti-Aircraft Battery Tinakori Hill

This was one of six heavy anti aircraft batteries built in Wellington. It was constructed in 1942 and decommissioned in 1944. It was built to the Type-A design with four emplacements and one command post.

Tinakori was the first site to be demolished during the 1969-1970 demolition program carried out in Wellington. It had been the subject of adverse commentary for many years. A sketch of one of the emplacements appeared in the Dominion in December 1966, with an appeal for either their use or removal. Then in 1968 the Wadestown Group Scout Committee took it upon themselves to ensure the removal of these emplacements. The Chairman wrote to the Town Clerk of Wellington on 11/12/68 urging that work be carried out to remove the emplacements as soon as possible. “It should not be necessary for me to detail the physical and moral hazards that exist in these emplacements. My committee simply asks that the Council look urgently into the possibility of demolishing, filling in, or otherwise blocking access to the emplacements as soon as possible, thus removing this danger from the area”.

After the initial controversy over who was responsible for the demolition of old defence structures, the Ministry of Works started on the Tinakori emplacements. An investigation of the site was carried out in June 1969, the recommendation being that the emplacements be demolished and be buried on site. The estimated cost came to $2500. MOW commenced demolition on the 10th of November 1969 using bulldozers and other heavy equipment. It would appear that the emplacements were levelled to their base, and then buried.