The Commonwealth Pacific cable (ComPac cable) was an undersea telephone cable system connecting Canada with New Zealand and Australia. The Auckland to Sydney section shore ends were laid first in April 1962 and the cable ran across the Auckland isthmus from Muriwai beach to Takapuna beach.
The cable itself spanned 11,000 miles and had 80 two way speech circuits which allowed reliable global voice connections. In June of 1962 the Auckland - Sydney connection was opened with a phone call between the countries respective Prime Ministers. This part of the network was 1273 nautical miles in length and had 50 repeaters to boost the signals being carried. The entire network was officially opened as a Commonwealth connection by the Queen in 1963 and public service commenced in December of that year.
This black and white silent film was produced by the New Zealand Post Office and documents the work and processes involved in laying and connecting the Compac cable and the installation of terminal buildings and associated infrastructure.
INTERTITLE: Map showing route of cable from Muriwai beach to Takapuna and location of terminal stations.
INTERTITLE: “Cableship “Retriever” paying out shore end main transmission cable at Takapuna beach.”
HS Overlooking men standing on deck of CS Retriever near buoys.
GV Cable laying ship CS Retriever moored off Takapuna beach - Coastal properties atop headland in background.
GV Men on CS Retriever carefully coiling rope on deck as it is played out
GV Man in bonnet descending from CS Retriever to small motor launch, men in launch handling ropes and equipment.
Men on deck of CS Retriever paying out coil of rope.
GV Men in small motor launch towing rope from bow of CS Retriever towards Takapuna shoreline.
GV Small motor launch nearing shore of Takapuna beach towing rope behind it - CS Retriever in background. Men wade into sea to help with dragging rope ashore
WS Line of men dragging rope ashore on Takapuna beach, motor launch in background.
GV Man in bonnet talking on radio to ships officer aboard CS Retriever.
GV Men gathered around 1923 model Thorneycroft truck with winch mechanism [Truck may have been named “Gertie”].
GV Men gathered on Takapuna road leading to beach. They are handling rope being hauled ashore by winch truck [Gertie]. Many spectators gathered to watch.
GV Men filling inflatable floating buoys on deck of ship.
GV Men assisting with rope and cable being played out over pulleys on deck of ship - inflatable buoys being attached to rope.
GV CS Retriever moored in harbour with rope and buoys trailing from bow.
WS GV Men wading in ocean and on beach handling rope and cable attached to buoys - CS Retriever in BG.
GV Men in small motor boats sailing alongside line of buoys using billhook to cut lines - Takapuna township in BG.
GV Men in small motor boats retrieving inflatable buoys and towing them to CS Retriever - Buoys stowed on deck.
INTERTITLE: “Lowering 4-core earth cable off Takapuna beach.”
GV Men handling large sea earth cable box and thick cable on deck of ship - lowering cable box over bow.
INTERTITLE: “Fitting of cable anchor on beach”
GV Small excavator digging trench at waterline on beach - men lowering logs and cable into trench.
GV Men standing in trench on beach splicing cable ends together and tightening connector.
Men posing for camera besides winch truck “Gertie”.
GV Men standing talking on beach front Takapuna road.
INTERTITLE: “Brazing of centre conductor and copper ferrule”
GV Men inside tent using electrical apparatus to braze cable conductor - Men investigating cable using magnifying glass.
INTERTITLE: “X-ray examination of moulded joint”
GV Truck towing small caravan parking besides tent on roadside.
GV Man placing small portable x-ray device over cable join and handling x-ray film.
Man inside caravan processing x-ray film and placing film over lightbox.
GV Men inspecting x-ray film on lightbox using magnifying glass.
GV Man wrapping metal strips around cable.
INTERTITLE: “Completing the armouring with ‘barrel splice’.”
GV Men inside small tent erected over trench on roadside splicing cable.
INTERTITLE: “40kv test applied to section of main transmission cable”
GV Man standing near truck parked on roadside handling cable attached to electrical instruments.
INTERTITLE: “New Zealand terminal repeater station”
GV Crane lifting large packing crates from truck and being opened by men outside building.
GV Men moving large electrical apparatus inside building.
PAN R Across large generators.
GV Men assembling and connecting electrical and telecommunications equipment inside building.
GV Men filling large banks of batteries with acid
GV Men assembling and connecting electrical and telecommunications equipment inside repeater station building.
GV CS Retriever moving towards Auckland port in Waitemata harbour escorted by tug - Rangitoto and Auckland harbour bridge in BG.
HS Overlooking small boats alongside CS Retriever.
GV Cable being played out from deck of CS Retriever onto deck of small boat alongside.
GV Men at small cove bringing ashore cable being played out from small boat.
GV Small boat sailing up inlet of Waitemata harbour [Brigham Creek, Rangitopuni Creek area].
GV Men bringing cable ashore in muddy estuary.
INTERTITLE: “Excavating for inland section”
TRACKING SHOT GV Driving past roadside trench with men handling and laying cable.
GV Excavators digging trenches and ditches on roadside.
GV Small bulldozer working on roadside.
INTERTITLE: “Transporting and installation of rigid type repeater at Muriwai”
GV Large cable and repeater on frame being moved along deck of ship.
GV Large cable and repeater on frame being hoisted from deck of ship and lowered onto truck.
GV Truck with repeater on frame driving on rural roads and across paddocks.
GV Crane lowering repeater on frame into trench in paddock - technicians working on repeater and examining components.
INTERTITLE: “Paying out shore end at Muriwai”
GV Men standing talking on Muriwai beach.
GV Earth moving machinery carving gully through sandy dunes.
GV Men erecting device atop poles on rise near beach.
GV Small motor boats powering through breakers at Muriwai beach - cable ship in BG.
GV Men dragging line and cable ashore and attaching it to winch truck on beach.
GV CS Retriever moored off shore.
GV Tractor pulling rope and cable along beach.
GV Men collecting inflatable buoys and barrels from amongst waves.
GV Tractor pulling rope and cable along beach - cable extends back into ocean where CS Retriever sits offshore.
GV Men laying cable into trench on beach, excavator working nearby.
LS CS Retriever moored offshore.
INTERTITLE “THE END”.