Perfection in Miniature

Known as the Gleniti School Library,  this little cutie sits comfortably under the trees along the roadside in the Gleniti Reserve.  

In those days, the small rural community 3 miles inland from Timaru, was called Wai-iti but the name was changed in the 1880's when the Post Office was established there.  As there was already an existing Wai-iti Post Office in Nelson District, it was decided to give the locality a combined Gaelic and Maori name, hence Gleniti. 

The larger school building on the site was opened in 1887 with 26 pupils in attendance.  The community decided a public library was needed.  Stone was donated by David Fyffe, a member of the school committee.  Mr Rhodes from the nearby Hadlow Estate had plans done and the building was constructed and presented to the community the same year as the school, 1887.  With 28 subscribers and 300 volumes for lending, newspapers and magazines provided in the reading room and frequently held lectures, it was a welcome addition to the area.

The building is a single-storied, gable-roofed structure with a  small , separately roofed entrance porch which faces the street.  The structure was constructed of Bluestone with limestone dressings and a corrugated iron roof.  The building's corners feature limestone quoins and the window surrounds and base structure are made of limestone blocks. There is a pretty single sash window in the entrance porch and two windows on each side of the main body of the building. 
  
In the 1960's, times had changed, and Gleniti was becoming part of the city. The library committee handed over the building to the school in 1961, and for a short time, it was used as a classroom.  As new schools were built and the site was vacated,  ownership of the two buildings was transferred to the Timaru District Council.  Since then, the South Canterbury Arts Society has leased the buildings.

The library, in particular, is a perfect example of a miniature Bluestone building.  Listed with the Historic Places Trust and in fantastic condition, it's a curiosity to wonder about on your journey along Gleniti Road.


Karen Rolleston

https://www.timaru.govt.nz/Historic-Heritage-Assessment-Report-HHI70-former-Wai-iti-Gleniti-School-Building-Category.pdf