I was lucky enough recently to have a look around an historic Timaru blue stone residence that has been presented for sale on the local property market. 

Situated just off Claremont Road, it sits on a back section and has a sunny open aspect. It is private and peaceful, nestled in amongst the neighbouring sections and is surrounded by the sounds of native bird call that drift up from our wonderful Centennial Park.
The cottage was built by David Fyfe in the 1860’s and overlooks the site of his quarry near where the northern branch of the Otipua Stream flows into the Scenic Reserve.

The Fyfe family were from Dundee in Scotland and David brought with him some impressive masonry skills, he became a great proponent of building in our local basalt. 

The original cottage, of standard rectangular form, was constructed out of bluestone quarried from the Scenic Reserve by Fyfe. The bluestone walls are in great condition and it is still, in part, a rare surviving example of early settler architecture in New Zealand.
Upon close inspection, you can see where the cottage's original roof line was and where it has been extended over the years. Alterations have been carried out to enhance its liveability, but it still preserves some of its historic charm.

David Fyfe operated private quarries in the Gleniti area, extracting our distinctive Timaru bluestone, basalt, for use in local buildings, bridges and infrastructure, contributing to Timaru’s unique architectural character. The park was also the site of several quarries owned by the Timaru Harbour Board. 

Our bluestone reserves are plentiful and come from lava that flowed down to the shore of Timaru from Waipouri Mt Horrible 2.5 million years ago. They make for a remarkable building material and solid foundation for our town to sit atop.

The Otipua Creek area was then a rural locality, also known as Beaconsfield. It was settled by European immigrants in the 1870’s and became a thriving village. It has gradually been encompassed into the suburb of Gleniti in the Timaru Township.

Another nearby small building of note is the Dynamite storage shed that sits within a quarried area along Otipua Stream on the other side of Claremont Road. The use of dynamite was essential for breaking apart the hard basalt found throughout the quarry. The shed was in close walking distance but kept the explosives secure and isolated from the main worksite and residence.

It is also made of stone and built to be fireproof and blast-resistant. It’s remote placement and thick walls reflect the sensible safety practices of the time.
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You can follow David Fyfe’s fascinating journey to New Zealand on the Wuhoo Timaru page under Wuhoo Timaru Fyfe House.  

Karen Rolleston


Mr Fyfe is survived by his widow, two daughters and three sons. The Misses M. D. and J. Fyfe live with their mother at Glen-iti. The sons are Mr D. J. Fyfe, Wellington; C. Fyfe, Christchurch; and W. Fyfe, Wairarapa." 

This site is located 8km South West of Waimate. Heading through the gorge you turn onto Kapua Road and you’ll find an information panel detailing the area of an interesting historic discovery in the 19th century.
The land owner in 1894, Mr T A MacDonald, discovered a large cache of Moa bones while clearing a spring hole for water supply to his farm. The find was reported in the Newspaper and the article caught the eye of Professor Frederick Hutton, then curator of the Canterbury Museum. He paid Mac Donald twenty pounds to excavate the site and also sent a taxidermist, Mr W Sparkes, to oversee the dig.
The resulting dig revealed the largest and most varied collection of moa bones ever obtained from one place. During these excavations up to seven railway wagons of bones were taken away, with estimates that 2.5 million bones were removed. A mixture of bones from 6 Moa species was recovered.
The site of the find was on a plain some 3 miles long by 1 mile wide that sat in the basin of a former lake.  When European settlers first arrived in the area there was still a small pond which was later drained and this is the area where the bones were discovered.
Moa roamed throughout many habitats, ranging from open shrub land and riverine grassland to dense forest and at altitudes from sea level to subalpine. Before Moa became extinct this location was a bountiful feeding area dotted with spring holes connected to ground water supplies.
Many of these springs were covered by vegetation and the most likely scenario is that, over the course of generations, a number of unfortunate moa became bogged in these holes and were unable to lever themselves out. Naturally death followed and as the birds decomposed their bones would fall down the holes. The bones at Kapua have been dated from 1014-714BC.
Looking at the peaceful farm land that lies there today is it incredible to think that it was once the grazing grounds for these amazing birds.
Waimate Museum has more information and photos available including footage of a later 1984 excavation that was carried out.
There is also a fascinating Frank Film called Remembering Moa that details the history of Moa in the area, this can be viewed online if you are interested.
Karen Rolleston

Driving South after Anzac weekend I was touched to see the many small crosses set up near war memorials in our provincial townships. They present such a focal point for our communities to gather at, show our respects for and to remember the names of the many people in our districts who went to fight in wars in distant lands.

South Canterbury is no different from anywhere else in New Zealand in that we have our share of war memorials to commemorate the men and women lost to our communities. By the end of 1918 over 1000 South Cantabrians had been killed. In the following years many others would die as a result of their wounds. Each death sent out deep waves of grief and loss throughout the community.

On the roadside above the township of Cave sits a war memorial, a large basalt rock with a poetic inscription on the front that reads…'So long as the rocks endure and grass grows and water runs will this stone bear witness that through this low pass in the hills, men from the Cave, Cannington and Moutakaika Districts rode and walked on their way to the Great European War 1914-1918.’

This memorial was commissioned by Thomas Burnett MP, owner of Mount Cook Station from 1903 to 1941. It was erected on the site following World War 1. He personally drafted the inscription and his notes still exist along with other memoriabilia relating to the Memorial. Another inscription was later added after the losses in the 2nd World War.

As well as this war memorial Thomas Burnett and the Burnett Valley farms also commissioned the building of Cave’s beautiful St David’s Pioneer Memorial Church in 1930 along with several others to commemorate the achievements of the European settlers and pioneers of the region.

Returning veterans of the war formed the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association (RSA) three days after the first Anzac Day in 1916 to focus on the needs of former soldiers. Locally the South Canterbury RSA was founded in May 1916 and by 1919 RSAs had also been formed at Temuka, Waimate and Geraldine.

How lucky we are to be able to celebrate another peaceful Anzac weekend in our corner of the world.

Lest we forget.

Karen Rolleston

​This old building sits on a corner of the road opposite the Taiko war memorial at the junction of Taiko Hall Rd and Sutherlands Rd.

Following land reform legislation in 1892 the Levels Estate was split into over 200 small farms and sections, the district was named Rosewill Settlement. An influx of families successful in the 1904 ballot meant a school was required to service the area.

A 4.5 acre block, which had been donated by a local farmer, Mr J. Armstrong, was decided to be the ideal location.

The Department of Education used their then standard design for a 1 teacher classroom which was fairly basic but fulfilled the requirements of the day. The local school opened in May 1906 with a role of 22 children headed by Miss Honora Crowley. It continued to run for the next 42 years with the annual roll fluctuating between 12 and 30 pupils, 250 pupils and 13 teachers in total over its 42 years of operation.

The School Board of 5 local residents oversaw the running of the school that provided a curriculum of arithmetic, English, geography, history and domestic skills. Older pupils were harnessed into assisting with school maintenance and as helpers in the classroom.

The building also served as a centre for the community with meetings, services, social, cultural and sporting events being held here. The school grounds boasted a rifle range and tennis court.

Fundraising events including dances, card evenings and working bees helped to keep the building and grounds in good condition.

Eventually the costs of running these small sole charge schools became prohibitive and this coincided with improvements in roading and transport services so in 1948 the school closed and amalgamated with the Pleasant Point District High School as did many other small local country schools.

This did not mean the end for the building which became the Community Hall and in 1957 it was legally gazetted as a Hall site. After ongoing modifications and renovations it is still locally managed and serves as a social centre for the Taiko community.

Most of this information came from the information board on the roadside outside the gates of the hall, this was unveiled in a small ceremony on the 8th December 2020, an event attended by around 60 local people including some past pupils.

Karen Rolleston

In 1964 the property, Otiritiri, owned by Mr K Burns and situated at the end of Pages Road became available for sale. He was keen to see the property remain whole and not be broken up into smaller sections.

The original large brick two-storied Homestead and cottage were set upon 35 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens on the outskirts of Timaru.  Mr Burns was an enthusiastic and expert gardener who opened his property yearly to the public to visit and enjoy during daffodil season.

The existing Gleniti Golf course sat across the road and was then a 12 hole course, the club were keen to increase their grounds to allow for a full 18 holes.

The idea of buying the property was discussed at a special meeting, called for by Les Darling. And a purchase price of 18,000 pounds was approved. Mr Burns offered to leave in some money at a very low rate and the deal was sealed on October 8th 1964.

Much fundraising was done with raffles and debentures.  Daffodil bulbs at the Pages Road boundary were lifted and sold at a good profit and the trees along the north face were also sold off to be milled at a later date.

The Homestead was ideal as a clubhouse and did not require a great deal of alteration.

The kitchen, toilets and bar were upgraded. The maid’s staircase was removed from where the Ladies Room is now situated.

After golf, the balcony was a favourite place to sit as it was shaded by trees and I understand an upstairs lounge was considered but did not proceed, as the stairs, after a few beers were consumed, were considered hazardous.

Then the main entrance was via Pages Road, past the cottage, through the poplars to the house however this was considered too expensive to maintain so access was opened up from the side road, Oakwood Road. This is where the current carpark is today located on the site of the old Orchard.

Opening Day arrived- May 23 rd 1965, Gray Cup Day. This was when the first official match and opening were held on the new 18 hole course with Mr M Holden, then president, in charge.

I am sure Mr Burns would be delighted to see his old home and grounds, long after he sold it, still intact, well used and appreciated by another generation of golf playing Timaruvians,

Karen Rolleston

The Timaru Herald began life in Sam Williams’ kitchen in a small cottage on lower George St on June 11th, 1864.  A once weekly edition for the settlers when our then mostly unsettled and only partially developed district was just getting started. This was only a temporary arrangement and the press and cases of type were soon transferred to a building in another part of George St.
Over the course of its history it has moved location several times, spending its longest period, some 99 years, in Sophia Street. Eventually the Herald ran out of space and a new building was needed.
Situated on Bank Street you can see the interesting modern building that became the 6th home for the Timaru Herald.
The brief given to the building designer was that it had to complement the city library while also adding depth and distinctive shape to a conventional existing structure. It was the biggest commercial contract Barrie Walsh Design Ltd had undertaken in the then 7 years he had been in business in Timaru.
The existing structure, the site of a former sock and clothing factory, was a fairly standard two storey, gable ended rectangular building and the designer had to work within the constrictions of the walls, heights and internal fittings. Mr Walsh worked in close consultation with structural engineer, Mr Ralph Littler, and numerous engineering design features were embodied into the distinctive façade they created.
Mr Walsh said that the basic idea for the exterior design came quickly enough but took some time to refine. Originally the tower structures were to be a solid pour of concrete but this method was ruled out and, with the assistance of other local contractors, precast concrete panels were lifted into position by crane on pre-assembled steel frames.
The new $1 million dollar building was opened by PM Rob Muldoon. The Timaru Herald printed a souvenir supplement to celebrate the opening of the new premises on 30th March 1984.
How times have changed in the newspaper business. When the new building was completed it contained floors full of spacious offices for editorial and managerial staff, graphics art and advertising departments, camera suites, fax transmission room, typesetter’s room and a visual display area as well as board room, foyer, lift large circular stairwell, canteen and staff bathrooms. By the late 80s the Herald had two printing presses producing several newspapers for the whole of the South Island. A far cry from its humble beginnings in Sam Williams’s cottage.
However, 28 years after moving into the Bank St building the rapidly changing world of newspaper production meant that the site was far too big and so the Herald was on the move again, to its current leased site on Sophia St.

Karen Rolleston

The building at 30 Elizabeth St, Timaru, extending back to 72 Grey Rd, stands as a remarkable testament to the various incarnations a commercial building can go through.

This fine, two-storey brick structure is a prime example of Edwardian commercial architecture.

Its arched windows, substantial keystones, cornices, and scroll-decorated parapets project a formal, civic presence of stability and prosperity, anchoring the intersection.

Completed in 1910, as proclaimed by the date stone on the corner parapet, the building’s history is rich and varied.

In 1911, it housed a grocer owned by J.S. Cavanagh. From 1914 to 1955, it primarily served as a general store, sharing its premises with multiple other businesses, including a butcher, painters, a chauffeur, and a bookbinder.

The 1960s saw the building transformed into a hair salon, while the 1970s brought a dairy. In the 1980s and 1990s, it became Bago’s second-hand sporting goods store.

Following this period, it was home to the Aurora Paint Centre, and today, it hosts Goldfinger's hair salon.

Today, the area is predominantly residential, making 30 Elizabeth St stand out as an unusual landmark.

However, when the building was constructed, Elizabeth St was a modest yet active part of the town, less significant than Stafford St and a mix of residences, small businesses, and light industry.

Despite this, the building would have appeared ambitious and aspirational, comparable to other commercial buildings nearby, such as 70 and 97 Church St, which remain as vestiges of the area’s former character.

Andrew Paul Wood

Catastrophic events do become history.

The severe losses resulting from the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11 will pass into memory.

But many of the building owners badly affected are justified in feeling angst.

For many years, the populace was told that improvements in structural design would prevent such severe damage to recent buildings because they were constructed to higher design standards.

This photo of George St in Timaru shows how urban texture is enhanced when younger buildings are mixed with older heritage fabric.

More than a few structural engineers have pointed out that the older unreinforced masonry buildings in the Christchurch central business district performed better than expected, while many newer buildings suffered damage, much to the disappointment of engineers.

Throughout the 20th century, national construction standards in New Zealand were improved after each significant earthquake.

Seemingly, the revised structural design standards have not been completely adequate.

​David McBride of the Timaru Civic Trust

Travelling around the older areas of Timaru you can still find some interesting old homes.
Our fashions and tastes were heavily influenced by English design and in some cities you can see the use of semi-detached dwellings.  In England the use of Terrace Housing, rows of 3 or more dwellings with shared walls on either side was common.
Terrace Housing was not popular in New Zealand.  They were seen as undesirable as they symbolised the congestion and sometimes, squalor, of city living in England that many of our settlers had left behind.  Here we had plenty of space available and the preference was for single houses built on their own quarter acre sections
A semi-detached dwelling is a single family duplex dwelling house that shares one common wall with the next house.  In New Zealand these houses started to appear from 1880 as land supplies tightened. The first semis were symmetrically designed and two-storey to maximise living space but still allow each family to have their own section.
This is an example of an early version of a town house.  This semi-detached house sits on Catherine Street which lies within the boundary of Government town which, along with Rhodes town, formed our earliest subdivisions. The dividing wall is clearly visible emerging up through the roofline. 
It was built around 1900 and can be described as Edwardian in style. The characteristics of this building were typical of the time in Timaru. You can see the box sash windows, solid red brick construction and rectangular plan. It features individual entrances on each side towards the rear.
Its roof is not as steeply pitched as a Victorian house would be.  It has relatively few embellishments and decorative features with only a few decorative panes around the door, simple block eve brackets. A feature is the gabled porch above each of the rectangular bay windows below.
I imagine it would have been a very smart address to live at, towering above the surrounding cottages and enjoying views over the bustling busy settlement.  The town green belt lay across the main road with views of the mountains in the distance.  Looking over a thriving neighbourhood with horse and carts rolling by and our first motor vehicles appearing on the scene. 
A town house indeed.
Karen Rolleston

​When I visited the Timaru Botanic Gardens last year to take photos of the Robbie Burns statue I also took some of the colourful dahlia border that was still blooming profusely well into autumn. As we are settling in for the long lockdown ahead I thought it might be interesting to find out a little of the history about these beautiful and reliable garden performers.  They are such a cheerful summer/autumn addition to a home garden, blousy, bold and available in an amazing variety of colours as well as being easy peasy as to grow. Dahlias originated in the mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala and they still thrive there today.  Before the time of the Aztecs not much is known about them but it is recorded that the Aztecs used parts of the dahlia for food and medicine. 
In the 1570’s King Phillip ll of Spain sent a botanist, Francisco Hernandez, to Mexico to study the natural resources of the country and he described plants that resembled dahlias at that time.  However it wasn’t until 1789 that plant parts were sent from the Botanical Garden at Mexico to the Royal gardens of Madrid in Spain. From there culture and propagation began and 3 new plant forms were grown. The genus was named after a Swedish botanist, Andreas Dahl.
Seed and plant parts from the dahlias were sent throughout Europe from the early 1800’s and hybridization work continued. Double forms and colour variations resulted and captured the imagination and passion of plant breeders throughout Europe.
Continued propagation and development of the earlier crosses resulted in the first modern dahlia hybrids being created around 1929. These new hybrids were easy to grown and hybridize so they quickly became very popular in European and American home gardens.
Throughout the 1800s and 1900s thousands of new forms were developed and all of these new dahlia forms were hybridized from at least two, possibly all three of the original Dahlia species sent from Mexico in 1789.
The dahlia we know today has one of the largest variations of form, colour and size of any flower grown and every year there are new varieties being developed and released constantly. It remains the National Flower of Mexico where its beauty, as well as usefulness, was first discovered by the Aztec Indians so long ago.
We have our very own local dahlia specialists, Alistair and Joan Davey.  Alistair was 13 years old when his great uncle gave him his first dahlia and that gift sparked a lifelong passion for these remarkable flowers. Have a look through his website, www.daveygardens.com and while away an hour or so plotting where you can perhaps squeeze one into your garden after this long winter ends.
Keep well and safe,  Karen Rolleston

​Some recent photos on Wuhootimaru’s Face Book page featuring an old cottage on the outskirts of Pleasant point piqued my interest and I decided it needed following up.
James and Ellen Keane were immigrants from County Kerry in Ireland. They arrived in New Zealand on the 1st July 1861 after travelling aboard the “Chrysolite” which departed Gravesend, London in April of the same year.  After landing in Lyttleton the Keanes spent 10 years living in Christchurch before they and their 5 children headed to their new home in South Canterbury.
This hard working couple managed to get together enough money to buy a piece of farmland and build a home for themselves and their family to live in.
The house they built is the substantial cob cottage that still stands on its original site to this day. This one is two storeyed with a large ground floor living room and an upper room or loft where the family all slept.  The covered wagon or schooner they travelled south in stood on their property near the cottage well into the 1940’s.
Cob cottages were well built and a favourite with our early settlers. Utilising the local soil and clay for the raw materials as well as labour and skills given by other community settlers it meant they were relatively cheap to construct.  A feature is their excellent thermal protection that makes them suitable for extremes of climate.
In terms of longevity, cob buildings have the potential to remain functional, with regular maintenance, for hundreds of years.  This one has been well tended by past and present landowners, sited along Keanes Rd just off the Point highway; it is fenced apart from the surrounding farmland and well protected from stock. The cob has been restored, the tin roof is in good order and it has spouting which all help keep Keane’s Cottage in the great state it remains in today.
Cob buildings were once a significant part of New Zealand's early history and census figures from 1845 recorded more than 40 per cent of building stock in the South Island was of earth construction. As times progressed and more building materials became available this percentage declined to the point where there are fewer than 200 earth dwellings in the South Island today.
Karen Rolleston