‘Despicable behaviour’: Thieves use crane to steal 205-year-old Crimean War cannon from Auckland waterfront

A 205-year-old decommissioned war cannon has been stolen from Auckland’s waterfront by thieves using a crane to lift it onto a truck.

The Crimean War weapon, which has been in Auckland for 163 years and situated at Ōkahu Bay for 71 years, was gifted to New Zealand in the mid-1800s.

CCTV footage shows the cannon being uplifted by a crane at 3.15am on June 1 onto a blue flatbed truck while in storage from Ōrākei Marina near Ōkahu Bay.

“This is despicable behaviour. An iconic piece of such historical significance has been stolen and it’s hard to understand the purpose behind such a brazen act,” said Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson.

Simpson says the incident was immediately reported to the police.

“I am angry and disappointed that this has happened. I hope the cannon is found and returned to the people of Auckland,” Simpson said.

A police spokesperson said the cannon holds huge historical significance and was gifted to New Zealand after the war in the mid-1800s.

Stuff reports that the cannon was just hours away from its relocation to a secure storage site.

Ōrākei Local Board meeting minutes reveal the cannon was set to be relocated down the road, to 19 Tāmaki Drive.

The relocation was happening because of the closure of the Landing Hardstand, where it was being stored.

Ōrākei Local Board deputy chair Sarah Powrie says the theft of items of historical significance is disgraceful and the board is shocked by the news.

“We hope the cannon is recovered. It has been in New Zealand for over 150 years and provides a tactile way to connect with the past,” she said.

Police ask anyone with any information which may assist with their investigation to contact police via the 105 phone service or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report and referencing the event number P054847888.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Crimean War cannon history

The stolen cannon was manufactured in 1817 at a foundry in Lugansk (now Luhansk, eastern Ukraine) and is only one of the 10 made at that factory.

It is the oldest of the 10 sent to New Zealand and Australia, and arrived in Tāmaki Makaurau on 17 March 1859 with appropriate cast iron carriages.

The disabled cannon was formerly displayed in Albert Park before being relocated to Ōkahu Bay in 1941 during World War II.

Following the war’s end, the guns were returned to Albert Park. However, in 1951 the council decided to keep them at Ōkahu Bay in the care, but not ownership, of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club and placed on display for the public.