The Edgar Stark bridge was built by Wilkins and Davies for the cost £19,524 3s 6d. It is 113 ft high and 288ft in length. It was officially opened on 13th November 1946 and in 1947 the Dunedin City Council reported that the costs to date for the dam £64,105; Edgar Stark Bridge £24,873; and the causeway approaches £46,112.
The original power scheme in the Waipori River gorge was conceived and run by a private company of miners who formed The Waipori Falls Power Company, and Mr Stark had been employed by them as the Electrical Engineer.The first definite offer of Waipori rights and undertaking was contained in a letter to the Mayer and Councillors of Dunedin in October 1904. In further correspondence on the 17th November 1904, Mr Stark was instructed to see the mayor as early as possible.
There was clearly a stalemate and it wasn’t until January 1906 the Council Tramways Committee advised that Mr Stark’s services would no longer be shared on the indefinite footing pending completion of the purchase. Clearly something had to give.
In 1907 the City Council purchased the Waipori Falls Power scheme, and Edgar Stark was employed by the City Council alone from 1907. Edgar Edward Stark was an American Electrical Engineer who was employed as the City Electrical Engineer from 1907 to 1914 at the time of the construction of the Dunedin City’s Waipori Power scheme.
However, while he was undoubtedly proficient in his vocation, he came to a serious disagreement with the City Council over further road works associated with the building of the dam and the power houses In his 1913 report Edgar Stark called attention to the economies of building a new road to serve the Waipori Power Scheme ;Starks report and this was the beginning of the acrimony between himself and the council.
Mr Starks Positionin the matter.
He was finally dismissedfrom his position in 1914.
Nothing has changed over the years as the Council was determined to "save"money at any cost.