Jim Sharp - Kaikorai Cable Car Gripman
Jim Sharp Jim Sharp - Gripman
Jim at his residence 23 Nov 2006
Photograph by Alan Gilchrist
 		 
Cable Car No.4 at Highgate
Kaikorai Cable Car No.4 at the Highgate stop.
The first cable car to run on the Kaikorai line was on 9th October 1900 and the last car ran from the Octagon to the sheds at 11.10pm on Friday 31st July 1947.
Jim Sharp, aged 92 years in 2006, was frequently the gripman for No.4 cable car, in fact he was the gripman on that last cable car from the Octagon to the sheds at 11.10pm on Friday 31st July 1947.   He has provided some interesting information relating to the early cable cars. Jim is also an amateur radio operator with the call ZL4DN, and has been in that hobby since 1938.

After the cable cars' demise Jim found employment at Butterfields department store in the Octagon and became a very well known figure. It was while he was employed at Butterfields that he met his wife Philippa. Sadly, Philippa passed away on 2nd September 2007.

October 2007 - Jim is now residing at the Montecillo Rest Home in Bayview Road, Dunedin.