Evans Bay Patent Slip

Evans Bay Patent Slip
NZGSS Matai, on Patent Slip at Evans Bay
Nearest city	Wellington
Coordinates	41°18′15.1″S 174°48′07.4″E / 41.304194°S 174.802056°E / -41.304194; 174.802056
Built	1863
Demolished	1980
Current use	Public park
Owner	Wellington City Council
Heritage New Zealand – Category 2
Designated	25 November 1982
Reference no.	2895

The Evans Bay Patent Slip is a heritage site of the former patent slip located in Evans Bay, in Wellington Harbour in the North Island of New Zealand. The first slipway on the site was commissioned in May 1863 to enable maintenance of the hulls of small vessels. The Wellington Provincial Council was keen to encourage shipping trade by improving facilities in Wellington Harbour and began planning later in 1863 for the construction of a larger patent slip. A concession was granted for the supply, construction and operation of a patent slip on the site. Equipment for the new slip was delivered in 1865 and 1866, but construction was delayed for several years because of a contractual dispute concerning the suitability of the design for the ground conditions. The original suppliers lost a court case and withdrew from the project. The Wellington Patent Slip Company was formed to take over the assets, and construction began in 1871. The Patent Slip was officially opened in March 1873.

A second slipway was constructed at the site in 1922. The original slip operated until 1969, and the second was closed on 31 July 1980. Most equipment has been removed from the site, and a residential development now occupies some of the original land. However, the site has been listed as a Category 2 historic place by Heritage New Zealand, and the area is classified as a heritage zone by the Wellington City Council.