After a century of service she could do with a lift herself.
The world’s last surviving self-propelled, steam powered floating crane was launched in Glasgow in 1926, SS Hikitia travelled the 12,000 nautical miles to Wellington where she began work almost immediately.
Her crane was built by William Arrol and Co, the same civil engineers responsible for Tower Bridge in London and The Forth Bridge in Scotland.
Both national treasures.
As well as playing a vital role in the construction of the waterfront infrastructure, Hikitia saved Wellington from a huge munitions explosion aboard the U.S Liberty ship ‘John Davenport’ in 1943. She also spent over 5 years salvaging the wreck of the ‘Wahine’.
