David McBride

Queen Victoria ruled across England and its Empire for most of the 19th century.

The Victorian period is renowned for its heavy decorative style. Whether it was a teapot or a fireplace, a significant overlay of decoration was considered essential.

However, like all movements there were counters to this style. In architecture one such reaction was a drive towards simplicity and humility.

The members of a loose group turned to the British heritage of simple farm buildings including barns, sheds and haystacks for inspiration.

Promotion of the vernacular was paramount, led by a cluster of artists, craftsmen and architects.

This philosophy became known as the Arts and Crafts movement, a misleading term since the members were critical of the highly decorative art found in a Victorian art gallery or showroom at that time.

The photo here shows an elegant New Zealand house of considerable age, springing from the Arts and Crafts style. The gable is attractive through its pure shape and proportions.

There is no longer decorative fretwork on the barge boards that form the gable, and no rustication of the weatherboard cladding.

It is well clear of the Victorian decoration that would be found in earlier examples of the same building.

One might pay homage to the founders of the Arts and Crafts movement, raising society to be ready for the bold, totally stripped buildings that lay ahead in the Modern movement of the 20th century.

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.
​
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." 

The 1957 telephone exchange building in Timaru’s CBD. Photo Andrew Paul Wood 

Andrew Paul Wood

​In the heart of Timaru’s CBD, the 1957 telephone exchange building still commands attention with precision, proportion, and understated confidence.

Designed by Christchurch architect Stewart Minson, the structure occupies a tapered site with crisp detailing and sheltered forecourt offering both utility and civic dignity.

Minson, along with Sir Miles Warren, Peter Bevan, Paul Pascoe, and others, was one of the architects responsible for Christchurch’s distinctive mid-century modernism.

The exchange’s north façade’s generous glazing, typical of early modernist optimism, invited sunlight and, inevitably, heat. The solution? A brise-soleil: a concrete sun screen that became a signature of pioneering modernists like Le Corbusier.

It’s a technical flourish that speaks to the building’s dual identity: functional infrastructure and public architecture.

But it’s the east wall that elevates the exchange into cultural landmark.

There, Russell Clark’s sculptural abstract ear, remains one of Timaru’s most distinctive public artworks.

Commissioned by Minson, Clark’s piece gestures toward the invisible networks of sound and signal that were beginning to reshape the world, a gesture to the building’s essential function.

The Aigantighe Art Gallery and Chorus restored the sculpture in 2010.

Featured in Julia Gatley’s Long Live the Modern: New Zealand’s New Architecture 1904-1984 (2008), the exchange is one of Timaru’s few nationally recognised Modernist masterpieces.

It’s far from just being an anonymous box, it’s a reminder that even utility buildings can carry civic meaning, artistic ambition, and architectural integrity.

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

​Andrew Paul Wood

​Temuka’s King St is regarded as one of the best-preserved small town Edwardian main streets in the country but also includes a number of architectural treasures dating from the 1870s to early 20th Century.

These include Martin’s Store (1872), one of the oldest Victorian commercial buildings in town; Mendelson’s Building (1900); the Empire Hotel (1913) and Temuka Hotel (1919), advertising the town’s commercial confidence.

Temuka emerged as a key service town for sheep and dairy farming in the 19th century, strategically positioned near fords on the Ōpihi and Temuka rivers.

It also became a secondary industrial centre to Timaru with a tannery, flour mill, cheese factory, and the famous Temuka Pottery.

A later addition to King St is the former Temuka Library (1927). Designed by the Timaru firm Turnbull and Rule, it exemplifies restrained neoclassical style, with rusticated pilasters and a pedimented entrance.

Commissioned by the Temuka Mechanics’ Institute, a £500 donation from local MP T.D. Burnett and contributions from the Borough and County Councils, the Plunket Society, and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, saw the new building was constructed on the site of the original 1873 wooden library.

A model of interwar civic planning, it included a public reading room, lending library with a librarian’s residence, Plunket Rooms and Ladies’ Rest Room, reflecting the era’s emphasis on maternal and social welfare.

The library served the community until the 1990s, after which it was repurposed as a restaurant and later a private residence.

It remains a dignified reminder of Temuka’s civic pride and prosperous past.

David McBride

​The landscapes of New Zealand are embroidered with trees.

Our native forests comprise complex ecosystems of trees, shrubs and birdlife.

In addition, our forestry industry has sourced conifer species from North America. In particular the west coast of the USA and Canada have been the sources of species such as the pinus radiata and cypress that have flourished here.

In both cases – native and introduced – the visual amenity is often enhanced by the sheer breadth and density of the forests. Turning to towns and cities, trees serve a different purpose.

This is not a matter of density, it is the colour and forms of trees that are on display.

The tree specimens used to enhance the built environment of town centres are likely to be of European origin, with a history in this role of softening any built environment from tarseal and concrete.

The photograph here shows the intricate tracery of such trees in winter, located at Alexandra Sq in central Timaru.

The exact species is disguised in winter, given the absence of leaves during a harsh winter with frosts.

However, the visual enhancement of the trees does remain, awaiting the joys of spring, ready to unfold.

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

Andrew Paul Wood

​The word “postmodernism” often gets bandied about without much understanding of what it means.

In the architectural context it was a movement that arose with American architects like Robert Venturi and Philip Johnson in the late 1970s.

It was a response to a perception that modernist buildings were too machine-like and lacked a human dimension.

What the postmodern architects did was return to the past.

They looked at historical forms, particularly to the classical tradition and, to a lesser extent, the gothic, and reinterpreted it with modern pragmatism and materials.

They also observed the way architects from Michelangelo to Edwin Lutyens threw out the rule book and playfully experimented with what went where.

As a movement, postmodernism was a spent force by the 2000s, but Timaru does boast one or two examples.

The main building of Ara (the former Aoraki Polytechnic) on Arthur St is essentially inspired by the classical Palladian style of architecture, with a central porch with stylised columns and pediment, and wings on either side.

The modern façade of the Theatre Royal is also postmodern, loosely echoing the Victorian classicism of the earlier structure, but deconstructing the entrance into something lighter and more open.

The classical details have been stripped back or exist more as ornament than as something structural.

​In 1864, the people of Timaru asked the Canterbury Provincial Government to reserve unsold land from Government Town, the settlement that formed the basis of the southern part of Timaru.

Of that land, some was put aside by surveyor Samuel Hewlings for botanic gardens, and three years later it was placed in the care of the Borough of Timaru Park Commissioners, with planting beginning the following year.

Much of this planting was carried out by convicts from the old Timaru Gaol.

Many of the plants were donated by Timaruvians, invited by advertisements in The Timaru Herald. Fetes were organised to raise money for further development.

In 1872, £200 was allocated for a ranger’s cottage. The first glasshouse was built in 1905, and the splendid Arts and Crafts style Band Rotunda was added in 1912 to commemorate the Coronation of George V.

The great Scottish poet Robert Burns was hugely popular in Aotearoa from the colonial period into the 20th century, and in 1913 a somewhat lumpen marble statue of him was donated by the former mayor James Craigie (after whom Craigie Ave is named) and installed in the Gardens.

The tennis courts and bowling green were established by 1916, but the biggest change came in 1938 when land was subdivided for Timaru Hospital.

The Gardens have never stopped evolving. The Shakespeare Trail and Grahame Paterson Conservatory came in 1988, and in 2014 Timaru Botanic Gardens were made a Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

Andrew Paul Wood

​Timaru’s Russell Square is an oasis of green surrounded on all sides by houses.

The most prominent building on the square is a magnificent five-bedroom house.

The transom window over the front door is etched with the name “The Manse” and “1879”, identifying the house’s function and year of completion.

A “manse” is a house of a Presbyterian minister, from the Latin mansus, meaning “dwelling” and the ecclesiastical definition goes back to the 16th century.

The Manse on Russell Sq was the residence for the ministers of the former Trinity Church, established in 1864 on Barnard St.

The design is a modest colonial vernacular take on the Victorian Italianate style, which mainly manifests in the details of the window casings, and the corner quoins looking like stone blockwork.

One of the more notable residents of The Manse was the Reverend William Gillies (1837-1908) who migrated from Scotland to the Otago colony with his parents in 1852.

He returned to Scotland to train for ministry, then returned to Aotearoa in 1864, first being appointed to Taieri and then to Timaru in 1875.

Gillies was prominent in the prohibition movement, and an ecclesiastical lawyer, being influential in the drawing up of the Church Property Act and managing the legal affairs of the Presbyterian Church.

He died of a heart attack at the Te Awamutu train station en route from Auckland to the General Assembly in Dunedin, while he was trying to procure a cup of tea for his wife.

Karen Rolleston

I am always happy to sit at a red traffic light when headed to town so I can look across and admire the smart brick house sitting on the corner opposite.

However, it wasn’t until it was painted and detailed just four years ago that it really stood out.

The clever and motivated homeowners that purchased then have detailed their house beautifully with dark charcoal trims and accessories which accentuate the warmth of the red brick and let them stand out as a feature.

The home is built in a mid-century style and while it is the paint job that draws your eye you then start to appreciate its other features.

The wooden joinery was replaced many years ago with steel, the metal balustrades are original as are the porch supports. All look wonderful highlighted in the charcoal paint.

A nice design detail is that the corner bricks are rounded. They give the appearance of full bricks turning the corner, eliminating visible seams and softening the edges.

A skilled brick layer was once at work here and the corner bricks match the size and thickness of the flat wall bricks perfectly.

With garage parking below and wide steps leading up to the entrance terrace the garden has been thoughtfully planted with a selection of easy care plants and flowering shrubs which will add to its character over the years.

This house next door is similar in style and was constructed after this one on the subdivided section.

Both are a great example of the homes being built in Timaru around the 1960s. This style of house responds well to modernisation and upgrading.

As an interesting note on Timaru history, the site these houses were built on was where our first Whare Nana maternity home was established in 1909.

It was set up in the stone house that once occupied this site. After only two years the practice grew and proved its worth to the community.

It was transferred, in 1911, to a new purpose built building in Bidwill St. Back then most maternity and private surgical hospitals were converted houses rather than custom built hospitals.

The combination of the right house with the right owners makes this add up to a match made in heaven!

Andrew Paul Wood

​Timaru would not exist as we know it without its breakwaters, making safe a harbour that had been plagued by shipwrecks and creating Caroline Bay.

Work began on the 700m southern breakwater in 1878.

In 1870, during the beginning of Julius Vogel’s public works programme, John Blackett (1818-1893) was appointed acting chief engineer for New Zealand and eventually assumed responsibility for the colony’s marine engineering.

It was Blackett’s responsibility to give a final report to the colonial government on the completed southern breakwater, which he did in 1880.

His conclusions were damning, with the suggestion that the breakwater was dangerous and should be destroyed.

Such was the civic indignation in the town that several hundred Timaruvians converged to burn Blackett in effigy. The papers reported:

“The figure rigged out for the occasion was first paraded through the main streets, the crowd hooting and hissing it all the way.

“After this uncomplimentary and humiliating treatment had been indulged in for fully an hour, the representative of this obnoxious gentleman was taken to the outward end of the breakwater, where amidst renewed and unmistakable contempt, it was blown up in the most approved style and its remains scattered broadcast over the surface of the bay, a fervent hope being expressed that the relics might rest there in piece.”

Harsh for someone described by Te Ara: The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand as “a hard- working and modest man, who made a substantial contribution to the infrastructures of the province of Nelson and the developing colony of New Zealand”.

​Karen Rolleston

Driving south from Saint Andrews you will pass a sign pointing to the Otaio Cemetery.

A short drive down this road and a left turn at the T junction will bring you to this little burial ground.

It is not a large cemetery but is rather beautifully located on the coast; a hedge these days stands between the green fields and the shoreline. Perhaps reflecting the broader connection between the community and the sea with many of the early settlers who lived and died in the Otaio area relying on the nearby waters for transportation, fishing and trade.

The Otaio region in South Canterbury has an interesting history. Originally inhabited by Māori, in the mid-19th century the area saw an influx of European settlers who were primarily attracted by the fertile land and the potential for agriculture.

Many set up home here and established farms and rural communities.

Otaio Cemetery was established in the late 19th century in response to the need for a final resting place for many of these early settlers and their families.

It is a testament to the lives and contributions of those who helped build the community, with many graves dating back to this period, it includes some rather impressive memorial stones.

It has been well maintained over the years by the Waimate District Council who is responsible for the general upkeep including the mowing of lawn areas, tending common garden areas, and ensuring the overall tidiness of the cemetery while families of the deceased are encouraged to look after their plots, headstones and monuments.

Still in use today, it is non-denominational, it continues to serve the local community as a place of rest for their loved ones.

The entrance to the Otaio Cemetery is guarded by some old cabbage trees, it sits along a rather windswept area of coastline and on a still day it is a serene and picturesque setting.

The sound of the waves and the coastal breeze adding to the tranquillity of the cemetery.

Andrew Paul Wood

​The story behind Timaru’s North St highlights its historical importance.
Timaru’s North Street has many sites of historical interest.

The eastern end is rich in old commercial buildings, and the California-style bungalows that became popular in New Zealand from around 1913 onwards.

At the port end, the contaminated red brick Chrome Platers Ltd. Building, formerly the Old Mill nightclub, dates to 1883.

There is the classical 1910 building on the corner of Stafford St, and the Courthouse, designed by colonial architect W. H. Clayton, built in 1877-78, and the 1879 Queens Hotel designed by Frederick Marchant.

But why “North” St. It runs through the middle of town. The answer is that prior to 1869, Timaru was not one town, but two.

Except for the Great South Rd, and the awkward intersection at Woodlands Rd near the lovely 1912 Methodist Church Hall, no roads cross North St.

In 1856 the Canterbury provincial government (until 1876 the provinces had their own legislative bodies) had foreseen Timaru becoming the main town in South Canterbury and dispatched surveyor Samuel Hewlings to draw up what became known as “Government Town”.

Government Town extended from Pātītī Point to its northern boundary, North St. It was expected that this would be the town with a port north of Pātītī.

This was not to be. The Rhodes brothers had already freeholded 50 hectares of land north of Government Town.

The brothers had surveyor E. H. Lough lay out a rival plan, “Rhodes Town”, based on old bullock tracks. Because it lay immediately inland from the boat landings where the bluestone Landing Service Building was built in the 1870s, it gazumped Government Town as future Timaru’s commercial centre.

​Karen Rolleston

​Over the winter months, you cannot help but notice the breathtaking views of the snow-covered ranges and Southern Alps that we enjoy as we crest the hilly tops in Timaru and travel around our surrounding countryside. They are impossible to miss.

There are 45 named mountains in our region. The highest and the most prominent is Mt D’Archiac, which stands 2850 metres tall.

In the far distance lies the Mackenzie Country, and from Timaru we can see some of the Southern Alps, which extend for 500km down the spine of the South Island/Te Waipounamu.

The tallest mountain in the whole of the Southern Alps is Aoraki/Mt Cook, with its three summits: Low Peak, Middle Peak and High Peak. The high peak stands at 3724m tall.

These mountains are visible all year round, of course, but in winter, with their snowy covering, they stand out and seem far closer than they do over the summer months.

As spring takes hold, we know to expect some dramatic swings in weather including our infamous nor’wester winds.

Born in the heart of the mountains, this warm wind accelerates down the great valleys east of the Main Divide and roars out across the plains, signalling the beginning of the end to our winter season.

Also at this time of year, spring is in full force. Over the past few weeks, a parade of beautiful and uplifting blossom trees has been unfolding throughout the town. It is so enjoyable to see.

For a few short weeks there is also still plenty of snow to be seen on those faraway mountains. The juxtaposition of blossom and snow in the same view is worthy of appreciation.

David McBride

The November 16-22 edition of the New Zealand Listener features a beautifully illustrated review of a new book devoted to unique Maori jewellery, 600 pages in length.

The authors are named as Deidre Brown, Ngarino Ellis, and the late Jonathan Mane-Wheoki.

Upon the suggestion of forming a Civic Trust in Timaru in the 1980s Mane-Wheoki gave keen support.

Holding a senior position at the University of Canterbury, he was quick to visit Timaru and contribute his impressive knowledge of the architectural heritage on display.

He led a walking tour through the town centre, followed the next day by a similar event within the Wai-iti Rd basin devoted to residential buildings. He was a man of action; alongside his university role, he restored significant Māori buildings to their correct locations where each one truly belonged.

His untimely death was deeply mourned; softened somewhat by his lasting contribution to the arts, architecture, and music.

One could not underestimate the enthusiasm of Mane-Wheoki in forming the Timaru Civic Trust, pointing out the unique flavour of our Timaru buildings.

The review within the Listener provides several gems extracted from the book, Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art.

Included are selected artworks by Sydney Parkinson the illustrator aboard James Cook’s first voyage to New Zealand.

On a visit to the exact replica of the Endeavour, one could only be amazed at the cramped conditions provided to this young artist. What skill!

​David McBride

Some citizens might argue that in this electronic age, the traditional facility known as a public library – a storehouse of printed books – is an anachronism.

However, there are several attributes.

The Timaru Public Library sits upon a key site within the CBD. This aspect begs the question – is available land in such short supply that demolition of the library is suggested by an informal section of the community?

Under discussion is this special triangle of land, with a passive but endearing presence on all sides.

It’s fair to say the library carried technical difficulties from day one.

A cheeky critic might suggest the building had its long term maintenance work carried out before it was commissioned.

However, the building did become the key element of the precinct. Surely the architects at Warren and Mahoney nestled the library in to its natural basin to allow clear views of the beautiful St Mary’s and its much loved tower, not to mention the elegance of Chalmers Church to the nor-west, as the above photo shows.

There are many keen admirers of the sculptural quality of the library itself, moving away from a rectilinear box, which would have been a more prosaic piece of architecture.

The accessible car park adjacent is plain, yes but offset by the green area to the north where the ever-smiling character Tranquillity is surrounded by her plane tree guardians.

The library caters for many parts of the community – some retired citizens read newspapers each day while children are well looked after by their reservoir of books and their sunny courtyard to the north.

So one finds that this temple with its sculptural form provides much more than just a store for books across many hobbies and disciplines.

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