Timaru Civic Trust Karen Rolleston

After hearing concerns from some that this building was to be demolished, which it is not, we thought we’d repeat the article about this handsome and solid bluestone building.

Located on Timaru’s Stafford St it is one of the most historically significant structures in the town, originally built in 1874 as offices for the Gladstone Board of Works.

The board functioned here for nine years allowing South Cantabrians to manage their own local projects until the provincial system of government ended and the central government took over all public works.

Over the years it has been used by the Lands and Survey Department and later the Ministry of Works.

Mr Thomas Roberts was the architect responsible for designing the then proposed new offices for the board of works and he oversaw the tender and building process. Several tenders were presented and the lowest one, submitted by builder Thomas Machin in the amount of £1215 was the one accepted.

During construction, it was reported that “The Board of Works office is getting on famously, and is developing itself into a much handsomer and more commodious building than might have been expected for the money’’.

From reading The Timaru Herald reports from 1874, I understand Thomas Machin had to apply for a six-week extension for the completion of the work, his reason for having to ask being his “inability to get a sufficient number of carters and skilled labour’’.

This did not go down particularly well with the board but the architect, Mr Roberts, petitioned them on behalf of Mr Machin and he was granted his extension and not financially penalised for the delays.

It is one of the few remaining Timaru bluestone buildings in Timaru today. It is two-storey and rectangular in plan with a shallow hipped roof.

Additions were made to the rear of the building in the 1970s.

It achieved its Historic Places listing as a Category 1 building in 1980.

For a time it was the tallest building in town and Machin must have been proud of his creation. It’s gratifying to see one of our well-built old buildings surviving into this century having been successfully restored and cared for over the years.

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

Just an aside really,  not a building or local landmark mentioned in this article……just a friendly little reminder from the garden that the mood out there is lightening a bit.   
I do love a bit of winter, the skeleton trees,  the icy puddles, the rain on the roof but It’s been cold right?   Lovely to be snuggled up safe and warm inside preferably with people you like or a good book to read, or all rugged up and walking the dogs…. perfect.   Lots of snow on our horizons, the mountains surrounding us are looking fabulously smothered in the white stuff…. however that’s not the only type of ‘snow’ making an appearance.  In many of our gardens,  big and small,  young and old, those hardy little late winter warriors,  Snowdrops,  are making their way out into the world.   A reminder that winter doesn’t last forever, the sun will shine again and Spring in just around the corner. 
Early settlers imported them to decorate the land surrounding their homes, and they must have been freely available, as an article in the Otago Witness, August 1888, insists that "there is not a garden that should be without these delicate-looking flowers, either in town or country".
Flowering in late winter, a sign spring was on its way must have given the colonists relief that they'd made it through another New Zealand winter.
Snowdrops come under the family name Galanthus.  They are a Spring bulb and very easy to grow.   Plant your snowdrop bulbs under deciduous trees,   they will receive sufficient sunlight, since they bloom and begin storing nutrients before the leaves come out on trees.   Just leave them there and they will multiply and naturalise, making them an irresistible addition to the woodland garden.  
Obviously I am not the only Snowdrop enthusiast around Canterbury.  I see the annual SNOWDROP SUNDAY will be held at Terrace Station on Sunday 12th August  with visitors welcome between 11am and 3pm. Nice Idea for a Sunday drive.
Terrace Station and its 15 hectares of woodland gardens can be found at Hororata.  Follow signs from the Hororata roundabout – approx 5kms to site.  This year the snowdrops are a couple of weeks ahead of schedule but you will still see plenty as well as winter aconites and banks of hellebores, not forgetting the magnificent trees in their winter splendour.  If the day is fine, bring your picnic lunch.
Adults - $5.00 per head to the Terrace Station Charitable Trust.  Children – no charge Please note that dogs are not permitted.
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

​Last week’s column was about the Eleanor Howard Tripp Memorial Library that stands on a prominent corner of Woodbury’s main road.  I received a copy of a newsletter that I thought was relevant in terms of the ongoing life of such treasured buildings within a community.
This Library was gifted to the community when it was completed in 1936 after Eleanor’s death.  It is cared for, funded and staffed by local volunteers and there are many ongoing costs involved in terms of maintenance and insurances.  Its existence relies on what can be raised from raffles and, perhaps, donations.
As well as working to maintain the library these volunteers do an amazing job in also caring for the section, gardens and the War Memorial that stands in front of the library. 
Coming up this year, on Saturday the 4th of April, there will be a book fair and boot sale to be held at the Woodbury Hall to help with fundraising.  It runs from 9am till 12 noon.  This would be an enjoyable outing, as well as supporting a great cause it would be a chance for those interested to have a look around the Hall and Domain, St Thomas’s Church and the Memorial Library at the same time.
The history room at the library is open on the first Sunday of each month between the hours of 11am to 2pm and would be an interesting place to while away a couple of hours. The building itself has a solar power unit installed to help reduce lighting costs.
As I mentioned in last week’s column, during her lifetime Eleanor began a library for the staff who worked at her home at Orari Gorge Station. Owing to a misinterpretation on my behalf I need to correct a mistake I made in last weeks column, the books from Eleanor’s station library are all catalogued and listed as part of a private family library at her home station. 
Karen Rolleston

​Dotted about our rural communities are dozens of tiny libraries and there is a rather beautiful example of one of these charming buildings in the settlement of Woodbury.
This small wooden building was built by the residents of Woodbury in memory of Miss Eleanor Howard Tripp of Orari Gorge Station.  It stands behind the war memorial positioned on a corner of the main road and is still in use today.  There are two rooms on the site; one is a library room, the other a history room.
Eleanor was a great reader and a believer in the value of education for all.  She started a library for the staff in one of the out building at her home at Orari Gorge Station.  This ran continuously for 100 years and the collection of books, which has been catalogued and listed with the Historic Places Trust, still exists in the Historic buildings that stand at the Station today.  
It is interesting to note that her sister, Katherine, known as Katie, started the Orari Gorge Station School around the same time.
Eleanor was highly respected in the district and took a prominent but unobtrusive part in social welfare and charitable work.  She was a long time committee member of St Saviour’s Orphanage and served in this role until the time of her death, after an illness of several months, at 69 years of age. 
She was also a Sunday School teacher and her pupils aided in the collection of the stones that went into the building of the St Thomas’s Church in Woodbury.  This lovely church was built as a memorial to her parents, Charles George Tripp and Ellen Shephard Tripp of whom she was the third daughter. She was also a granddaughter of Bishop Harper.
This beautiful memorial library sits quietly in its place, it tells a story of New Zealand’s past history and culture and is well worth a visit.  Built out of respect and admiration for the work done by this gentle woman, it remains well cared for by local volunteers.  Its hours of operation are listed on the notice board out front.
Karen Rolleston

​St John’s Anglican Church on Wai-iti Rd in Highfield is not an old church but it is a handsome one.
Behind the church we see today stands the original red brick Sunday school building. Over the years this evolved to become the church. Even though it has been replaced it still enjoys a busy life as a church hall.
The new one was built in 1949 in a classic style. It was opened in November 1951. The square tower is a notable feature, topped with an iron cross and weather vane, this rises above the battlements and gives the church its English character. 
Constructed by local builders the concrete and plaster exterior walls have been recently painted in a discreet taupe with white detailing. The repeated crests around the top of the tower have been nicely highlighted and are another appealing feature.  They include the St John’s cross, St George’s Anglican cross and the Trinity shield.
The slate roof is also beautiful and makes you think the church is older than it is.
The interior of the church is traditional, quite simple compared to churches of previous eras.  The interior has a comfortable, friendly and practical feel to it. Nice and solid, it is decorated with white walls, blue carpet and tapestry hangings.  The ceiling is of dark wood and rises to the rafters high above the congregation.  The original pulpit, gifted by the Tonkin family, has been brought across from the old church as was the lovely old Christening font, gifted by the Mothers Union.
The stained glass windows are deceptively simple and add plenty of light.  At the front of the church you can find another of Gypsy Poulstons wonderful stained glass windows, this one was dedicated in 1976. Her husband Eddie Poulston sculpted the modern crucifix which compliments Gypsy’s window beautifully.
The church also has an organ, keyboard to one side with the pipes on the opposite wall and this was made by the South Island Organ Company here in Timaru.
Karen Rolleston

​The establishment of a settlement at Woodbury was well underway by 1880, most of the farmland around the area had been taken up and was being developed.  The population of the district was greater than it is today and the needs of the growing community needed to be acted upon.
There is no record of the election of the first Domain Board but minutes show their first meeting was held on March 2nd 1880 at the Woodbury Hotel.  At this meeting it was proposed that a generous amount of land be set aside to be used as an education reserve and recreational area for the community. 
In total some 55 hectares of unfenced treeless tussock land was earmarked for the project.   To raise the money required for development much of the land was leased out with some of it planted in trees. 
Over the years that followed the Board judiciously used the income from rents received to carry out their planned improvements and help with ongoing maintenance.  Although this was a slow process, in the long run it has proved a sustainable one and in recent years the Board has had sufficient income from these farm rentals and the sale of matured timber to carry out the necessary work renewing fences, piping a water supply, replanting of trees and the upgrading of its buildings as well as its sports facilities.
The charming tin clad Woodbury Hall we see today was built as a Coronation Library Hall in 1911. Trees were felled and the timber cut for use in building the hall with the surplus wood being on sold. The official opening was on December 14th the same year.   One of the first major items purchased was a grand piano which lasted till it was replaced with a more robust upright piano in 1963.
This rustic country Hall has had been enjoyed by many users and has had many additions approved and instigated by the Board as ongoing improvements over the years.  Power and lighting were installed in 1925 and a Ball was held to celebrate the switching on of the electricity.
It still remains well used by the local community and is available to be hired out for functions including country weddings and the like.
Karen Rolleston.
Most of my notes about the history came from the Woodbury Domain and Cemetery boards’ booklet.

​In the township of Woodbury, just a few kilometres from Geraldine, you will find a beautiful Anglican church nestled into a yard surrounded by some large trees and a lawn.  It is enclosed by a handsome stone and boulder wall with charming wooden gates along both road frontages.  Some recent pruning suggests there are not as many trees as there once were and this opens up views of the church nicely.
In November, 1877 a public meeting to consider the erection of a church was held and by March 1879, St Thomas's Church was completed and consecrated by the Bishop of Christchurch.  
Tripp is a familiar name in Woodbury.  A well-known pioneer family whose descendants came to New Zealand in 1855, they settled in the area and made their home at Orari Gorge Station.  Descendants of the family still live there today.
This original part of the church was constructed of wood on concrete foundations and its form reflects the Norman style of architecture commonly used in churches about Devon, England, where the Tripps emigrated from.
A chancel and tower were added in 1926 made of local stone and attached to the old wooden building.  The large tower was named as a memorial to Charles George and Ellen Shephard Tripp and the Nave, built in 1938, was named for his children, Charles Howard and Eleanor Howard Tripp. It was designed by Cecil Wood and completed by local builders, Herbert Cooling and Oswald Scott of Woodbury.
Oak for the carved furniture and for memorial tablets is from the Tripp homestead at Orari Gorge.  Building materials feature local stones and boulders, as do many of these local memorial churches. The roof is of purple hued Welsh slate. The church also features seven beautiful stained glass lancet windows.
Wonderful destination for a Sunday drive or to attend a service, I understand the church is open to be viewed by passers-by and friendly visitors alike.
Karen Rolleston
 

​Follow the signs just a few km’s north of Geraldine and you will find the small settlement of Woodbury.  Originally named Waihi Bush, the town was first established by Robert Taylor and Frederick Flatman in 1866 to service the saw milling and farming industries that were developing around the area.  The village grew rapidly in its early years and was home to a large general store, two butcher’s shops, a shoemaker, a creamery, a blacksmith and a two-storeyed wooden hotel that would later blow down in a gale.
Waihi Bush was renamed Woodbury after the birthplace of Frederick Flatman’s wife, Elizabeth, in Devonshire, England.  It is situated in a fertile farming valley which extends from Geraldine back to the foothills.  Beautiful plantings of established trees in the area add to its picturesque appeal. 
There are some lovely cemeteries dotted about the countryside and the Woodbury cemetery is one of them.  It adjoins the local Domain where a short walk leads to a relatively new boulder fence and gates that have been placed to mark the original entrance.  It is well signposted and can also be accessed from the main road. 
The cemetery is not attached to any church. It is forest lined, surrounded by large and beautiful collection of evergreen cypress and cedar type trees,  a tranquil and calm place to visit with several memorial seats dotted about and sheltered beside the trees.  
The first burial here was for John Nicholas E. Pearce in November 1889 and the cemetery is still being used today.  There are many aged and charming headstones and memorials to ponder on in this well maintained place.  I realise not everyone enjoys wandering around country cemeteries but those of you that do would find this one beautiful, a private and peaceful location and the record of local history here fascinating.   
Karen Rolleston

​Towards the end of last year I wrote about one of our earliest South Canterbury settlers, Elizabeth Rhodes, and her journey south from Christchurch in 1854.
When she first arrived in Timaru with her husband, George Rhodes, she lived for a short time in a cottage on the beach on the site of what is now our Landing Service Building.  In order to be closer to the middle of the run they occupied they moved into a hut on The Levels Station.
This hut was the first Homestead in the region.  For us today the word Homestead conjures up images of grand dwellings and sprawling homes however in South Canterbury in 1854 this was not the case.
The hut Elizabeth moved into was just over 9m long and 3.6m wide. There were 2 rooms with no communicating door between them.  One, a bedroom which occupied a third of the floor space and included a platform for the help to sleep on, the other a drawing room, dining room and kitchen combined. There was a large open fireplace at the far end with an outside chimney made of cob or sods.
The six foot tall exterior walls were built of totara slabs and the roof was thatched with tussock or raupo, (bulrush).  The interior walls were thickly lined with cob, made by mixing clay with water and chopped tussock, this was held in place with wooden laths.
There was initially little comfort to be had in the old slab hut but, with her adaptable nature and strength of purpose she made a real home there.  In later years Elizabeth told her children that she loved those early days and the hard life as a pioneer wife.  She enjoyed great friendships with the local Maori and the few other Pakeha women and settlers in the area at the time. 
The hut still stands on the rise it was built on looking out over the Levels plains. It is protected and well maintained by the current landowners.  The thatch roof has been expertly redone and the totara walls are still strong and as raggedly beautiful as ever.
Karen Rolleston

​I think we can all agree that our lights are some of the most spectacular Christmas decorations in the country! Personally, I am always thrilled to see them go up again each year and I’ve been bothering people all week to see what I can find out about them.
In 1975, Tony Sleigh, at the time Timaru District Council’s City Electrical Engineer, travelled to the UK with his family for a sabbatical.  While there he spent some time talking to the Regent Street Association who, since 1954, had been responsible for the famous annual Regent Street Christmas lights display. 
On his return to Timaru Tony put forward the suggestion that we design and install our own set of high quality Christmas lights for the city.  The idea was quite radical as there were very few Christmas street lights in New Zealand at the time.   Great debate and discussion within the Council followed as the concept was not only radical but also a relatively expensive one to implement. The then MED helped out by purchasing the lights and gifting them to the city. 
Tony, in conjunction with Allan Shaw, well known for the Theatre Royal’s lighting, managed the construction and installation of the lights.  The original designs were stars and the moulds for these were made in a Dunedin factory.
Over the years they have been progressively added to and upgraded, the pretty hanging side lights are a newer addition and the incandescent bulbs have been replaced with LED bulbs.  A lot of work goes into ensuring they are up to date with current electrical standards  and they have to be robust enough to withstand our weather, wild winds and hail storms in particular.
They are unique to our city and have been place now for more than 40 years providing a continuing seasonal delight to us all.  What a wonderful show of foresight and an ongoing legacy from Tony Sleigh and his team to Timaru. 
Thanks so much for reading our column this year, wishing you  a Merry Christmas from the Timaru Civic Trust.
Karen Rolleston

8​Elizabeth Rhodes was one of the first European women to settle in South Canterbury.   In 1954 she rode down as part of a group that included her husband, George Rhodes. It took seven days, through trackless tussock and across unbridged rivers. A courageous journey for a young, newly married English girl and an adventure, to ride along a route that no European woman had travelled before.
George and Elizabeth moved  into a small cottage that sat on Timaru’s shoreline, nowadays the site of our Landing Service Building. After a short time here they moved to The Levels Station where they spent many happy years raising their family and living a pioneering life in a fairly basic slab hut.
George died in 1864 at the young age of 47. The Levels was sold but, determined not to leave the region she had such happy memories of, Elizabeth purchased Linwood House  which stood behind the present Council chambers.
In 1867 Elizabeth married Arthur Perry, a charming young barrister from Tasmania who had commenced a law practice in Timaru.  They remained at Linwood until 1873 when they purchased Beverley from Henry Le Cren. A large house on 8 hectares of land at the junction of Wai-iti Rd and the Great North Road, now Highway 1. It was to become a garden of note in the district.
There were no plant nurseries to purchase trees from in those days, the early settlers bought seed with them from England and Elizabeth was no exception.  She sowed many seeds over the years and one of her great pleasures was to see the trees they grew into. 
She decided to move one of these trees, a young Wellingtonia Gigantica she had nurtured from seed that her first husband, George Rhodes, had given her some years before.  Her brother in law, Major Wright, laughed in a friendly way, at her plan to move the tree from Linwood to Beverley and said “That tree is far too big to be moved, Lizzie, I will bet you a case of champagne that is does not grow” 
The young tree arrived at Beverly in a wheelbarrow, I don’t think history records who pushed the barrow but the tree grew and continues to do so today. Wright lost the champagne, Elizabeth won her bet and we have our Timaru Christmas tree. 
Almost all the other trees and shrubs from Beverley have long gone and this remains one of our oldest and tallest trees at more than 34 metres high, it’s has lost its top, gained a star and is well cared for these days by the current property owners here in Timaru.
Karen Rolleston

​When Joseph Orford was looking for a site on which to set up his long envisaged Preparatory School he settled on the village of Winchester in South Canterbury, an area he had been repeatedly drawn to on his travels about New Zealand in the early 1900’s.
Even then Winchester had a rather English charm to it with its tree lined lanes and fishing streams so he purchased a 15 acre block just over a kilometre from the village. His piece of land was rather more windswept than Winchester itself was and the land was covered in stones, broom and gorse. However closes proximity to the railway station made it the perfect choice.
Photos of the school at the time show how bleak the site was but over the years Joseph Orford planted wind breaks in an effort to combat the winds that used to roar and gust through the grounds as well and many trees and shrubs, some of which are still standing today.  These days you would never know how open the area was to the weather and it appears to be just as English as the village Orford was drawn to in the first place with a lush setting of beautiful trees and hedges and views across to the plains and mountains beyond.
In 1907 construction was begun on his School House. It was completed on 5 September the same year and welcomed its first 3 pupils. The building was constructed of wood with room for the Orford family and the classrooms as well as a dorm room and basic boarding facilities. The family rooms were separated from the School rooms by a curtain.  The building grew over the years and more buildings appeared on site.
 These days the original house area is for offices and administration.  It’s a beautiful old building which still retains its original charm and lends an established air to the school.  Smartly painted, it’s in great condition, and presents an appealing presence as you drive into the school from the Main Highway entrance.
Karen Rolleston

​Canterbury's ties to Methodism goes back to 1850 when and the "Cressy" sailed into Lyttelton Harbour and on board were Wesleyan members and their families.
In 1865 the Rhodes family of Timaru, donated a central Bank Street site for the Wesleyan church to be situated on. The same year plans were drawn up and contractors engaged. A small wooden church measuring 74 square metres complete with belfry and a porch was built and first minister arrived. This provided a spiritual home for the burgeoning congregation to gather in.  A two storied villa on Butler St was built at the same time for the married preacher.
Within 10 years the original building became too small and in 1874-1875 a new, more substantial church was erected out of dark grey stone. This church, designed by F. Wilson and built by S. Harding was to seat 400 people and was opened on March 21st 1875. It is the first and oldest remaining Methodist church in South Canterbury.
At the time of construction the original wooden church was shifted to the rear of the site for use as a schoolroom.  With a further view to possible expansion the rear wall of the new build was constructed out of wood and the church was indeed lengthened in 1890 with a wooden addition to fit the choir and vestries as well as 140 more seats.
In 1913 the Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists united which saw the congregation grow again. An organ was built for the church in the same year and in 1930 the stone tower and 24m steeple were added. The steeple is perhaps not as glamourous as some of the other spires that we see about our town but the green of the copper makes quite a statement.
There have been many changes and alterations to this church over the years. Services ended here in 1991 and to see it quietly sitting there, locked up and silent, does not relay at all the busy life it has led over the 140 plus years it has been on its Bank Street site.
It looks to be in good condition and has a Historic Places Category 2 listing.
Karen Rolleston

​This little building was erected as a memorial to Herbert and Gladys Elworthy of Craigmore by their children and grandchildren.  It sits on a pleasant section opposite Rongomaraeroa, the Peace Walk in Maungati.
St James Church Hall fulfils the function of a community hall as well as a church. Early in 1924 a Methodist Minister needed a central place in Maungati where he could conduct his services. Mr W J McDonald offered the use of a room in his house until the school was built in 1913.  Regular monthly services continued at the school for many years.  I imagine when the new church hall went up the local faithful were delighted to have a more permanent venue for worship.
On July 28, 1953, the Maungati Church Hall was officially opened. It was designed by R A Heaney, of Timaru. Built of red brick with wooden details, it measured 50 feet by 20 feet.
A fun discovery was that a Lights On ball was held in the Maungati Church Hall to celebrate the switching on of electric power in the Maungati, Gordons Valley and Southburn areas in May 1960.
Community halls are found throughout all rural farming districts. Once they played a huge part in the community providing a much needed centre for get togethers, dances, meetings, celebrations, church services and the like. Some of these halls are still in use but due to the changing needs of the community, population decline and ease of transport making it far simpler to get into town, these days, they are often they are simply closed up.  
This one is still well used, there is a playcentre on site and monthly services are held under the umbrella of the Waimate District Cooperating Parish.
The settlement of Maungati was formed in 1912, the word itself comes from the Māori language words "maunga", meaning "mountain", and "tī", meaning "cabbage tree", translated this means "mountain of cabbage tree".  Indeed there are many cabbage trees in the area.
It is a beautiful area of South Canterbury, lightly populated and just 18 miles southwest of Timaru.  It is a farming community in limestone rich country which provides very dramatic landscapes and backdrops. There are some stunning Maori rock drawings located about the district and a 9 hole golf course runs along the main road.
Karen Rolleston

​Marseille tiles sit atop many homes dotted about our neighbourhoods. Their red hues can be easily seen when you look across the horizon of Timaru, they harmonise perfectly with the greens of our trees and gardens.
Marseilles tiles are derived from the French Gilardoni tiles which were first produced in the 1850’s. These were the first interlocking roofing tile to be given a centre rib. This made them stronger and able to carry the weight of a person making installation and maintenance easier.
The Marseille Clay roof tile was patented in France in 1874 along with the first industrial clay press. Presses and molds allowed a uniform standard and size to be produced, this reduced overlap and increased coverage areas resulting in lower construction costs, better drainage and fewer leaks.
European French tiles retained a slate grey but the exported tiles were red. This had a huge impact on colonial homes both here and in Australia.  As housing styles evolved the red tiles proved a perfect match for the English and Arts & Crafts architecture popular in Timaru at the time.
Marseille tiles were first brought into New Zealand as ballast on French ships and these loads were on sold to Thompson & Bridger (a large Dunedin timber and hardware company). Briscoes was a British Building merchant who set up shop in Dunedin in 1862 and for a time they became the major importing agents for tiles in New Zealand.
Bringing tiles all the way from France was expensive and not without its difficulties.  Distance and war took its toll and imports were eventually sourced from the Australian company Wunderlich. This made the product cheaper and more readily available. An import substitution policy in the 1930s, meant tiles became the predominant roof covering for new constructions as Corrugated Galvanised Iron had to be imported.
The first New Zealand made version of a Marseille clay roof tile was fired in Taumarunui in 1910 by the O’Reilly Brothers with Winstones Ltd buying into the business around 1924. 
These tiles have remained popular till the present day for many reasons, they are rich in colour, strong and reliable.  They absorb little water and are great insulators. They breathe and aid in keeping the building warm in winter and cool in summer.  Not to forget Beautiful!
Karen Rolleston

I wonder how many of you have come across these new additions to our outdoor areas in Timaru?  I saw my first ones around the shoreline near Patiti Point and was delighted to discover them and read the information on offer. 
So far there are 5 of them installed at Caroline Bay and Patiti Point.  They feature artworks from the Aigantighe Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection.  What you see is a copy of a painting that relates to the location of the sign and its surroundings.  Accompanied by an explanatory text and historical images from the South Canterbury Museum’s collection which gives the artwork greater context.
It’s a clever idea that brings our historic art collection into the community.  The artworks selected  reflect past scenes and place them back in the environment that inspired them when Timaru was first being formed all those years ago.  
The signs have been made with the help of local businesses who have given their time, energy and creativity to the project. 
WuHoo Timaru was initiated by Roselyn and Chris Fauth who, along with the Aigantighe Art Gallery and Friends of the Aigantighe launched this programme and there is another round of signs that are nearing completion and should be installed any time now.
Roselyn and Chris started their very impressive WuHoo project as a way for families to find fun but cost free things to do in Timaru that get people out and about in our town. Their website, wuhootimaru, is full of suggestions for walks, scavenger hunts, parks and art discoveries about town and, with the holidays coming up, should be invaluable for our locals as well as visitors.
In our latest Timaru Civic Trust newsletter we’ve given this project a ‘Thumbs Up’.  What they are doing and accomplishing for our town is a real achievement and I can’t wait to see where the next round of art boards turn up.
Karen Rolleston

One of the nicest things to come across while walking and enjoying our outdoor spaces is a well-positioned bench or seat.  I discover them frequently on my meanderings and am always happy to sit a while and contemplate my surroundings.
Often these are memorials to others and have been placed where they are by loved ones, or as a bequest, in order to commemorate the life and passing of a family member or dear friend.  Individuals or couples who are no longer with us but have once enjoyed the same corners, views and walks that we do and wanted to share their connection with a special place in a tangible way for others to take pleasure in.
One of my favourites is the seat across the path from Tuhawaiki Jacks Point Lighthouse on the coastal walkway.  This one was erected in memory of man who tragically died as a result of a motor cycle accident in 2007.  Beautifully hand carved and positioned overlooking the surf below and out to the wide ocean beyond.  It’s a place to seek comfort and a poignant reminder for his friends and family but, to those of us who may not have known him, it is a place to stop and rest,  savour the fresh air and to think of the people who have  lived their lives and have gone before us.

Karen Rolleston 

The cast iron Lighthouse that sits two thirds of the way along our coastal walk was originally erected on Somes Island in Wellington Harbour in November 1865.  Imported from England it saw many years of good service before it was decided that a stronger light was required for the island. A new lighthouse was built and began operation in February 1900.  The old tower was removed and taken down to Jacks Point in Timaru where it sits today. 
Jacks Point or Tuhawaiki Point gets its name from Hone (Jack) Tuhawaiki, a famous Maori warrior chief.  Steering his boat through a stormy sea, while approaching Timaru, he was thrown overboard by a huge wave and tragically drowned near the rocks at the base of the clay cliffs in 1844. History reveals him to be a fascinating character, belonging to the Ngai Tahu and Kai Tahu tribes.  
The Tuhawaiki or Jacks Point Lighthouse was constructed on site in 1903 by the Timaru harbour board in an effort to overcome the ineffectiveness of the harbour light.  
It’s seen a few changes in fuel sources over the years.  In 1866 it was powered by burning colza (rapeseed) oil.  By 1903 the tower was fitted with an incandescent light, at the time this was a relatively untried lighting method in New Zealand.  It worked by oil vapour at high pressure being sprayed into a mantle, which once ignited produced a brilliant white light. Such lights required less maintenance than the older oil burning lights.  
Nowadays it is fitted with a flashing beacon which is illuminated by a 100 watt tungsten halogen bulb. The light is powered by mains electricity backed up by battery power in the event of power failure. It has a range of 16 kilometres.
From 1904 Tuhawaiki (Jacks) Point Lighthouse had a sole keeper who lived on site until the station was fully automated in 1930. After demanning the light was maintained by harbour employees from the nearby port of Timaru.  These days it is monitored remotely from Maritime New Zealand’s Wellington Office.
Karen Rolleston

I am a fan of our regions red brick buildings and this one is a favourite of mine.   Once it would have been dwarfed by the beautiful Trinity Presbyterian church that had stood for 100 years a little further along Hally Terrace.  Sadly the church did not survive the insurance battles that followed the 2010 earthquakes and was bulldozed soon afterwards.
The Sunday School Hall remains on its corner site. Its origins came about at the AGM of the church in August 1915 when the superintendent of the Sabbath school, Mr Isaac Smith, made an impassioned plea for a replacement building to house the 150 children and 14 teachers to work in.  The Guild family, of Temuka, had decided to pay for a new building in memory of the late James Guild and this Hall is the result of that collaboration.
The book ‘Temuka, Through the Years ‘ details the Influenza epidemic that hit the Temuka district in November 1918.  “Many locals had taken the train to Christchurch for the Race Carnival and came home suffering the flu, the epidemic took hold. All forms of indoor entertainment were forbidden and church services were held in the open air, the Presbyterian Sunday School became an emergency hospital, while patients recovering, were sent to the Salvation Army Citadel which had been taken over as the convalescent hospital. “  
The two-storey, red brick building remained in use by the church until it was sold into private ownership in 2002. Many of the church hall's original structures have been kept intact - including the courtyard pond and three-tier fountain, the hand-forged wrought iron entrance gates swinging off hand-built stone block walls, and the timber floorboards and internal framing. 
Much work has gone into re purposing the building including the former Sunday schoolrooms and meeting chambers being turned into luxury accommodation and apartments.
Karen Rolleston 

Missing from the photo of this church is the spire.  It used to rise above the 60 foot entrance tower and was surrounded by four corner pinnacles, the bases of which are still in place. The completed tower, with spire atop, was once a dominating feature of the Temuka township skyline, reputedly visible from a distance of thirty-two miles away.  After the earthquakes in 2011 the spire was deemed unsafe and eventually removed in 2016, I understand it may be replaced at some stage in the future by a fiberglass copy.
The 2 acre site it sits on originally held a small wooden church built to serve the young parish which was formed in 1876.  By 1879 the congregation had outgrown this building and plans were begun to replace it.  
The newly appointed parish priest, Father Louis Fauvel,  a Frenchman from Normandie, had a huge influence on the design of the new church.  His specifications were based on his parish church in Constances, France, where he had attended seminary.
This very substantial building was built using Opihi limestone from the Upper Waitohi district which was donated by Henry Collett and conveyed to the site, some 11 miles distance, by the parishioners.  The spire itself was of Oamaru stone.  The architect of the church was Henry Evans, of Timaru.  Stone work contractors were from Christchurch and the wood work and painting done by Timaru contractors.  Work began in 1879 and the new church was completed in 1882.
With a peel of bells cast in New York, a four faced clock from London and an impressive collection of 31 stunning stained glass lancet windows, designed and produced in France it was considered one of the most noteworthy churches in Canterbury.  
St Joseph’s is registered as Category 2 with Heritage New Zealand and it was a wonderful find while driving off the main street in Temuka.  Well worth a visit.

Karen Rolleston

 

Our NZ post offices were, even then, multi-functional and used, not only for postal services, but for banking and registry weddings as well.  The prosperous and busy Temuka district eventually outgrew the original Post Office which had operated on the prominent corner site at King Street and Domain Avenue since 1869. By the end of the 19thcentury the decision was made that a replacement office was required.  
Other sites were investigated but it was decided to rebuild on the same corner and Tenders were called by the Public Works engineer, E R Ussher, in June 1901. Mr J L Potter supervised the erection of the new PO with Messrs Petrie and Son as the carpenters and Messrs Palliser as contractors and plasterers.  The resulting rather grand and solid two storeyed building was opened by the acting premier, Sir Joseph Ward, in front of a large crowd in June 1902. 
The brick and plaster building has an asymmetrical plan.  The main part of the building is two storeys in height and has a pavilion roof with the upper storey being used to house the Post Master while the ground floor was used for public offices.
The street facing facades are heavily detailed with classical features such as rusticated quoins and sash windows with pilasters, pediments, aprons (a raised section of ornamental stonework below a window ledge) as well as decorative swags.  
It came to the end of its use as a Post Office in the 1989 and is now in private ownership. It enjoys a Historic Place Category 2 listing; several of the original architectural details at roof level were removed from the building some time prior to the mid 1980’s including the tall chimneys, pediments and ironwork.
When the foundation stones were laid a bottle with coins, stamps, telegraph form and a copy of the Temuka Leader were encased inside. That will be an interesting discovery one day but hopefully not for many years to come. 
Karen Rolleston