Location: Virtue Ave and Rail Bridge Viaduct, Timaru
Access: Public
Associated years: c 1940s
Associated people/groups: Timaru Borough Council
Find a WuHoo: Stand under the rail viaduct and see if you can spy hinges that once held gates to block tanks on Caroline Bay
During the Second World War, fears of invasion led to defensive preparations around key coastal areas.
At Caroline Bay, large concrete cylinders were placed near important access routes from the beach.
Their purpose was practical: if an invasion occurred, the cylinders could be rolled into position to block roads and slow enemy movement inland.
The black and white striped ends made the cylinders more visible.
The presence of these cylinders in the scene suggests the photograph was taken during or not long after the Second World War.
After the war ended, the cylinders were no longer needed for defence.
Some were later moved or dumped along the beach, possibly to help reduce erosion.
Over time, sand built up around them and many became buried.
Some cylinders were once visible in the small pond at the northern end of Caroline Bay after it was created.
Today, sand has hidden those remains.
I was told by the South Canterbury Museum that a similar wartime cylinder can still be seen at the Ealing rest stop, just over the Rangitata Bridge.