ClockTower apprentice returns nearly 70 years after memorable mishap

A former apprentice who had the job of winding the University of Auckland's ClockTower clock in the 1950s returned to campus to revisit the landmark building and share his memories with Vice-Chancellor Professor Nic Smith.

Rhys Rogers worked on the clock in 1958 and 1959, climbing the tower every Monday to wind its mechanism and make sure it was keeping time.

Now living in Canada, he returned with his family for a visit arranged as a surprise by his daughter, Katie Rogers.

Among the memories Rhys shared was one occasion when things didn't quite go to plan.

He went away for a long weekend and forgot to arrange for someone else to wind the clock. By the time he returned, it had stopped.

“The boss wasn't too happy with me,” says Rhys.

“They made out that they'd stopped it on purpose to do some repairs.”

The ClockTower, which celebrated its centenary earlier this year, is one of the University's most recognisable landmarks. Its clock mechanism was installed in 1926 and, a century later, continues to keep time.

Rhys worked for clockmaker Eric Paton, whose father Neal helped create the original ClockTower clock at Auckland's Gane Manufacturing Company.

The clock was considered a remarkable piece of local engineering, designed to run for a week between windings. By the late 1950s, Eric's firm was responsible for maintaining it, with the weekly winding duties passed from one apprentice to the next.

The job involved winding the clock by hand using a large crank, oiling its moving parts and setting the time each week.

Rhys also remembers climbing a ladder high inside the 54-metre ClockTower to reach the clock mechanism, without the safety measures that are in place today. His approach back then was simple: “Just don't fall.”

For the Vice-Chancellor, Rhys's return was a reminder of the generations of people who have helped shape the University.

“When you join an institution, you inherit its history. As vice-chancellor, I see my role as a custodian of that history. It's not just about the buildings, but the generations of people who have worked and studied here, and the part they've played in making the University what it is today.”

While the ClockTower has undergone changes over the years, its mechanical clock is still in operation.

It is maintained by Jamie MacKinnon of Precision Watch Company, whose father took over responsibility for the clock in the 1970s.

Like Rhys, Jamie began working on it as an apprentice, winding the clock by hand before an automatic winding mechanism was installed.

He says it remains one of the most accurate of the 22 clocks his company maintains around Auckland, generally keeping time within about ten seconds a week.

After his apprenticeship, Rhys moved to Canada on what was intended to be a two-year working holiday. He stayed, raised a family and established an engineering business, which he operated for around 40 years.

Rhys has fond memories of his apprenticeship, particularly the time he spent looking after the University's clock.

“I didn't like school, but I liked my apprenticeship,” he says. “It was very exciting to come up and do it every week.”

Returning to the ClockTower nearly 70 years later was a special experience for Rhys.

“It brought back a lot of memories,” he says. “It was a good time in my life.”