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Camp Bay Quarantine Station
Camp Bay, located in Diamond Harbour, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand, was one part of a large section of land that had been granted to the super intendant of Canterbury, from the Crown, on August 29th, 1855. It was initially given for the use as a quarantine station for arriving farm stock. At that time ships transporting cargo would also carry various classes of passengers, some were cabin/saloon class (allocated as first, second or third) and others were government assisted or colonial nominated passengers (a scheme where certain passengers were provided credit from the New Zealand government). These were mostly people of limited financial means. During these early years the number of passengers arriving at Lyttelton were quite modest, and as such health issues were not, at that particular time, a great concern.

In around the period of 1862 things changed. The emphasis on immigration was significantly strengthened and ships started to carry on board a much larger amount of passengers, specifically in steerage class.

On January 26th, 1863 a letter by Doctor Donald was given to the provincial secretary, which provided his professional recommendation that Camp Bay be made as a suitable quarantine facility to accommodate ship passengers. It was only two days later, after the doctor’s recommendation had been made, that the sailing ship Chariot of Fire had arrived with ten passengers having died during its crossing to New Zealand. Later that year, in the month of July, Doctor Donald’s recommendation was approved.

Camp Bay was selected on the grounds that it had fresh water (other available information suggests this was incorrect), a deep bay with easy access and was sheltered from the prevailing winds (not exactly true as it got the easterly). Work to construct quarantine facilities was commissioned to go ahead in August 1863, after a letter was sent to the provincial secretary on August 4th saying it was time to establish facilities on the land.

A month later, no progress had been made on the planned construction. When the passengers and crew of the sailing ship Captain Cook arrived September 1st, they found themselves being placed under strict quarantine and were the first occupants of the area. According to accounts, the government had prepared barracks, sent from Christchurch, for use as shelter. It seems that these were all tents that were erected ready for quarantine, around September 3rd or 4th. Later statements account that these tents suffered badly in the conditions and were eventually blown down from the strength of the winds.

Work on the planned barracks at Camp Bay began in September 1863. During the start of October, the infirmary building was finally completed. It was to be later complemented with other buildings; one for the use of single men, one for the use of single women, two buildings for the use of married couples, a store, master’s house, two kitchens and washhouses. All at a cost of approximately 4,067 pounds.

Construction ended in December 1864. The following February the buildings were officially signed off as completed and James Daymond and his wife were appointed master and matron of the bay. A report was filed to the provincial secretary stating the facilities inside the buildings were unfit for purpose. A report made in July stated buildings erected on the southwest were not habitable. Another report filed in March 1865 concluded that all the misgivings of the quarantine station had been resolved and that the buildings were ready for immediate occupation.

Weather created a lot of problems at Camp Bay. In June 1865 strong winds had moved the single men’s barracks from its piles. Other instances were recorded of sections of roof getting blown away, chimneys cracking and dislodging, and an entire building being thrown into the sea and subsequently destroyed. These types of destruction seemed to be a constant, ongoing matter, particularly when gales and storms hit the bay.

Camp Bay remained solely as a quarantine station until around April 1873. When new quarantine facilities had been established on Ripapa (Ripa) Island, the barracks at Camp Bay became used as a convalescent ward; to shorten the length of stay for those who had shown no signs of sickness either during the voyage or on Ripapa Island after a minimum length of time. As healthy immigrants waited at Camp Bay, the immigration officer organised housing for them and the opportunity to undertake new employment.

In 1874, it was decided to completely abandon Camp Bay’s use as a convalescent ward and set up a new convalescent ward on Quail Island. The barracks at Camp Bay were removed. By early October, two new wards, capable of hosting up to two-hundred people, had been built on Quail island. Its first inhabitants arrived around February 8th 1875; all being single men from the ship Rakaia. On May 18th, 1877 it was recommended that ten acres at Camp Bay be leased to the Education Board Canterbury. The area was then re-classified as an Educational Reserve as a source of income for schools and the university. In 1881 there was another application from T. Westlake and Sons to lease the land for the use as a fish curing station. At the end of World War One the reserve was dissolved and then sectioned into farmland followed by the construction of a jetty.