Timaru's 1960 tsunami alert
By FLEUR COGLE - The Timaru Herald
Timaru residents flocked to the Bay Hill after a tsunami alert was issued on the afternoon of
Thursday, May 26, 1960.
Schoolchildren came in organised parties to line the bank above the stadium seating on the Bay.
"Mothers with babes in arms and elderly folk walking with the assistance of sticks" wandered
down Virtue Ave.
It was the busiest day of the year for the St Andrews Masonic Hotel as a stream of motorists
pulled up, parked strategically with bonnets pointing towards the hills and filled the bar to
overflowing, The Timaru Herald reported on May 27.
The expected wave turned out to be "really nothing unusual" according to harbourmaster,
Captain FJ Callan, but after days of surging tides, and devastating tsunamis in Chile, Hawaii and
Japan, countries around the Pacific were on high alert.
Concerns began when Chile was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes, the most severe of
which struck at 7.11am NZT on May 22. According to the United States Geological Survey
website, the quake measured 9.5, the largest recorded since 1900.
The Timaru Harbour Board's nightwatchman noticed no unusual tidal activity on Monday night,
but effects of a tsunami were reported in Lyttelton, Mt Maunganui and Whitianga.
By Tuesday morning Timaru was experiencing the effects of the tsunami. The caretaker on
Caroline Bay, Mr WS Garven and his wife, evacuated their house after fishermen rushed to tell
them one wave had occurred and another was coming.
"It looked like a big oily bank of water in the light of the lamps above Benvenue Cliffs," Mr
Garven said. "As it swept up into the darkness we could not see how far up the beach it came.
From where we were it looked about six feet high."
That day fishermen called out to attend their boats approached the railway bridge at the end of
Virtue Avenue "to find the northern road approach to the Bay were under water". The sea
covered the northern car park and children's play equipment and had crossed the road to lap the
grassed car park near the tennis courts, The Timaru Herald reported.
A series of waves, starting at midnight, had threatened the Marine Parade Store throughout
Tuesday. The third wave, at 4am,"really raised the anxiety" of store proprietor Gilbert White, his
wife and two children. This wave brought water to within centimetres of their feet, and the sea
was breaking over an outer section of the Marine Parade.
Adding to the tension, there were reports of major loss of life in Chile, Hawaii and Japan, and
there was a small earthquake in the South Island on Wednesday morning (which stopped
Timaru's town clock), and authorities were not taking any chances on Thursday afternoon when
another "tidal wave" alert was issued at 1pm.
Farmers were advised to move stock to higher ground. Pareora was evacuated, and schools were
closed.
First reports indicated a wave of unknown intensity was likely to arrive about 1.30pm.
Rumours that Lyttelton had been battered and a 5.2-metre wave travelling at 45 knots was
practically on Timaru's doorstep kept the wave alert alive.
Had an actual wave of that size hit Timaru it would have devastated the port, The Herald
reported.
What is the danger of getting warnings that come to nothing?
If a significant Tsunami did hit Timaru what type of facilities would be in the firing
line?
If you lived in that area and were told you had 30 minutes to get to higher ground
what would you take with you? Why?