Karori Reservoir Tower

• 1874
• Original construction
• 1998
• Dam decommissioned

• unknown
• Not assessed

Not assessed

The water tower building is an excellent example of the Carpenter Gothic style. It is octagonal in plan, with a lancet shaped opening to each facet of the wall. One of these opening is a door, while the others have ventilating slats. The steep pitched turreted roof, clad in flat sheet zinc, has a small gabled dormer to dour of the eight facets, infilled with ventilating slats and the roof finishes at the apex with a turned timber finial. The foundation of the building is a circular concrete tube that extends to the base of the dam. There are concrete corbels at water level which support a continuous walkway with a steel framed bridge which connects the tower to the shore. Above the walkway level, the structure of the building is timber framing clad in rusticated weatherboards.

Timber joinery

Rusticated weatherboards

Concrete base

Flat sheet zinc roof

The tower is a part of a large heritage landscape defined by the Lower Karori Dam, a major public utility situated within the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (Zealandia). It is accessed from Waiapu Road, and the valley in which the dam sits is located in Karori between Highbury and Wright’s Hill.

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  The water tower building is an excellent example of the Carpenter Gothic style and has architectural value for its design, style, materials, and craftsmanship. The picturesque design-aesthetic, and location, elevates the importance of this building greatly above its mundane function.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  The water tower has significant group value as part of the original water supply infrastructure for Wellington City. Other elements within this group include the water supply lakes and damns, the pipes and pumping mechanisms and the former boatshed building.

• Townscape

  Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

  The tower is a part of a large heritage landscape defined by the Lower Karori Dam, and is only partially visible from Waiapu Road. The tower adds significant visual interest to the area.

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?

  The Karori Reservoir Tower is a structure that, along with the reservoir itself, has gained significant historic value as part of the beginning of the municipal water supply to Wellington City. The dam is the first water supply dam built in New Zealand by a municipality and is the second purpose built water supply dam in the country.

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  The dam and associated tower are an important industrial archaeological site that has undergone some previous investigation – NZAA R27/276.

• Educational

  Does the item have educational value for what it can demonstrate about aspects of the past?

  The dam and its various elements, including the tower, have the potential to tell a dramatic story about the importance of water supply in early Wellington, water capture techniques, and the substantial engineering effort required to achieve a sustainable water supply.

• Technological

  Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?

  The tower is of technical interest as an element of the whole dam structure, as well as for its craftsmanship in timber.

• Identity Sense Of Place Continuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  This structure has considerable historic significance for Wellington city and the Wellington region in their functions, and national significance for the construction and design of the dam. The tower and the dam create a highly picturesque landscape that contributes well to the sense of place and continuity in Wellington.

• Public Esteem

  Is the item held in high public esteem?

  The tower is part of a publicly available area with high use values, great visual interest, and obvious attractiveness to visitors. It is held in high public esteem as a part of a historic landscape and the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary/Zelandia.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  This building has had few alterations and has been kept in good condition; it has great integrity and authenticity.

• Local Regional National International

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  As a part of the dam historic landscape, the Karori Reservoir tower, is of regional significance. It is part of an intact industrial landscape, has architectural value, has important historic associations, is of educational and technical value, and contributes well to the sense of place in Wellington.

• Rare

  Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?

  The Karori dam and the tower is the first of their kind built in New Zealand by a municipality, and the second purpose built water supply dam in the country. The tower has some rarity value due to this association.

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  The tower is an excellent example of the Carpenter Gothic architecture style, and has had a significant history as a part of an important historic landscape.

Not assessed

• Bowman, Ian. Karori Reservoir Heritage Assessment for Wellington Regional Council, Bulkwater (1995)
• Historic Places Trust, ‘Nicholas Marchant’, Professional Biographies, accessed 14 November 2013,
• New Zealand Mail, 28 February 1874
• Salmond, Jeremy. ‘Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Heritage Management Plan.’ Prepared for Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Salmond Reed Architects Ltd, 2008.
• Zealandia website, ‘Karori before the fence’, accessed 14 November 2013,
• WCC Heritage Inventory 2001 ref WAIA1

Not available

Not available