Liz drawn back to Mangahao

Liz drawn back to Mangahao

Alfred Maxwell and six of his colleagues died in a tragic accident during the construction of the Mangahao Power Station near Shannon in 1922. A series of serendipitous events has led his great-grand-daughter to a site visit more than 100 years later. PAUL WILLIAMS reports.

Liz Parlato has always been aware that her great-grandfather, Alfred Maxwell, had died in a tragic workplace accident. A tragedy like that ripples through generations, and growing up her family had mentioned it often in remembrance.

She’d done a primary school project on the Mangahao disaster. But as a youngster living north of Auckland, for her it was hard to place exactly where that was. It just seemed like . . . somewhere else.

But several twists of fate saw her given a tour at the weekend of the very power station that Alfred had a hand in helping construct as a foreman and engineer.

The first – but not least – twist was meeting her husband, Craig Parlato, who grew up in Shannon. A chance conversation with her dad’s cousin made her aware that Mangahao was just up the road from there, so when she mentioned it to Craig’s family, she found that not only was Craig’s grandfather well-versed on the history of Mangahao, he was able to show her photographs and tell her more.

Liz and Craig settled down in Opiki 16 years ago. She has often visited the Mangahao site since – it’s relativity close to town at the foot of the Tararua Ranges. But she had never had a chance to go inside the power station. Until the weekend.

And that opportunity also came by chance. Through her work she was introduced to Lisa Mead, wife of Manawa Energy general manager Todd Mead. Manawa Energy own 75 percent of Mangahao Power Station.

Lisa put Liz in touch with the right people who made sure there was a seat on the bus for a rare planned public tour of Mangahao alongside former workers and their families, and media.

Todd Mead and King Country Energy chief executive Chris Fincham were on the same bus as Liz and took time to acknowledge her and acknowledge the tragedy of 1922.

A remembrance plaque is on the wall of the power station, and a museum upstairs that houses photographs and memorabilia also mentions the disaster.

“I’ve been really impressed with the staff, all knowing the story of the people that lost their lives” Liz said.

Alfred, who was 54 when he died, was an experienced engineer whose company constructed the impressive Drurie Hill Tower in Whanganui, and the elevator leading to it from Maxwell Road.

The tragedy of July 2 1922, happened while the men were building a tunnel leading to the dam. Almost five kilometres of tunnels and pipes were required.

A fan had failed and engine fumes turned the tunnel where Alfred and William Butler were working into a gas chamber.

Fellow workers William Miller, father and son Frederick and William Birss and brothers Philip and Frederick Graham formed a search party and never returned.

A rescue attempt was launched, but to no avail. It was a national tragedy that plunged a small town into mourning.

Liz and Craig have made sure they have told the story of Mangahao to their children who are growing up less than 20 kilometres away from where this important part of their family history took place. Their youngest son is named Grayson Maxwell, after his great-great-grandfather.