Simon Mehrtens, from Absolute Stainless, with Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai and Hank Easterbroek from the About Time Trust "turning of the soil" for the About Time rolling ball clock project at the Town Basin.
A unique addition that will be tracking time at Whangārei's Town Basin has had its first formal start - the first sod has been turned for the rolling ball clock to be built adjacent to Claphams National Clock Museum.
The ball clock project has been the brainchild of a group
of Whangārei volunteers who about 15 years ago came up with the idea for a small rolling ball timepiece after being inspired by a ball clock at Claphams Clock Museum.
But the idea grew and the "time travellers" from the About Time trust have put the spade in the ground for the project that will see a fully functioning ball clock built next to Claphams.
The first sods were turned by Simon Mehrtens, from Absolute Stainless - which is building the machine - with Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai and Henk Oosterbroek from About Time.
The entire project will cost about $800,000 and so far they have $750,000, which includes funding from the Provincial Growth Fund and Whangārei District Council.
