Another little charmer to be found in Burkes Pass is The School Teachers House and I have used the information provided by the Burkes Pass heritage trail boards to detail a little of its history. This little cottage was purpose built for the teacher just a short distance away from the School House. It is set in spacious grounds against a backdrop of mature trees. The small paddock to the north of the cottage was used for grazing the ponies of children who rode long distances to and from school. It’s constructed in a classic Georgian-style complete with a charming front porch. It has 3 bedrooms with a central hall, a front sitting room and a kitchen at the back which contained a coal range for heating and cooking. A separate small building at the rear housed the copper and firebox for heating water with which to do the weekly wash. In a rather familiar touch, an interior door frame marks the height of young Emily Taylor, whose father was the first schoolmaster, it reads “Emily without boots 8/7/81”. The school opened with a roll of 20 and two teachers in 1879. By 1898, the roll had grown to 53 and there were three teachers. Population drift to Fairlie saw the roll sink to nine in 1913 and the school close at the end of the year. It re-opened in March 1920 with 12 pupils but its existence was precarious, closing permanently in 1943. After the schools closure the School House was given to the community to be used as a hall, the Teachers cottage was taken over by the YHA in 1958. There were 12 beds for men and six for women. Over the course of 1966, a total of 651 people stayed at the hostel but numbers petered off and by 1969 Burkes Pass was no longer a stopover for travellers and the YHA closed. The building is now a private residence. Karen Rolleston
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THE OLD SUTHERLANDS SCHOOL Whenever I drive inland on the Fairlie Highway I always glance at the rather plain but appealing building proudly sporting the sign ‘Sutherlands’. Its solid simplicity is representative of a time when isolated local communities banded together to build a functional useful building in which to educate their young children. Throughout 1882 local Sutherlands families did just that, they held meetings and debates and thrashed out locations and plans for their new school. The Public School at Sutherlands was designed by the Board of Education architects Messrs West and Barber and was completed in 1883. It’s constructed of wood and iron, and contains one class room and a porch, with room for up to forty children. There were thirty names on the roll; average attendance was twenty-six. There is a five-roomed house for the teacher built at the end. The playground is large, and sheltered by well grown trees. I believe a second classroom was added at a later date. If you look you will see two different styles of windows in the building. These small settlements grew up along the railway and originally the station here was to be called Bailechruick. However this was decided to be too hard to pronounce and Sutherlands, after the first settler, Mr Alexander Sutherland, was settled upon. During these early years there was a lot of discord in the area as communities battled for school services and at one stage the Board of Education proposed the removal of the Sutherlands school building to Cave. At the time this resulted in “a mighty brouhaha” with many heated letters to the editor. In the end the Sutherlands school stayed where it was and Cave got its very own school as a result. It ran successfully for many years servicing the local populace. In 1938, Sutherlands School, as well as other small community schools in the area consolidated and pupils were transported to Pleasant Point for their schooling. The School then became the District Hall and community centre, in this era almost every social occasion happened at the school. As an added point of interest, adjacent to the old school house and surrounded by a wooden fence is the Sutherlands war memorial, with plaques having been added over the years to commemorate the names of those killed in action. Karen Rolleston. This lovely old library was constructed of red brick with a tiled roof. The Architects Hall & Marchant of Timaru completed the design and the builders, P Foster & son, also of Timaru finished the job in good time and the Carnegie Fairlie Public Library opened on a Friday afternoon on the 7 August 1914. In its original state it contained a large and well-lit reading room, featuring a couple of fire places for winter months. A good-sized lending room, together with rooms for the librarian and caretaker. The Library and reading room were well used and greatly supported by the local populace. The library was among numerous Carnegie Libraries built in New Zealand thanks to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie, a Scotsman who made a fortune in steel after immigrating to the US in 1848. Mr Carnegie expressed the view that the rich should distribute their wealth during their lifetime and funded 2500 free public libraries around the world before his death in 1919. The deal was that the Carnegie Corporation would donate the money for construction if the council would provide a site and donate the same amount per year for maintenance, in this case 1000 pounds. The first appointed and resident librarian was a Mrs West; she lived in the small sunny flat on the upper floor and was an important and valued member of the community till she retired after 31 years. During her tenure she saw the membership of 100 grow to 750 members at Fairlie and a further 400 at district depots around the surrounding country areas. She oversaw the sending of book parcels to her outlying subscribers using, as her delivery system, the butcher, the baker, service car and haulage trucks. She knew their tastes and preferences and was often fondly referred to as the “cultural dictator of the Mackenzie” In the mid 1990’s the town library combined with the high school library at Kirke St and the building was turned into a café. The building was severely damaged by fire in October 2011. By December 2104, some hundred years after opening, the rebuild and earthquake strengthening work, where carbon strips were built into its brick walls, was completed and the building reopened. It still retains a Heritage 2 listing and the decision to repair rather than to knock it down is one that’s appreciated by those of us that value our character and quality heritage buildings. Karen Rolleston
Most towns in wheat growing areas had their own local mills and Temuka is no exception. The Temuka Flour Milling Company was formed in 1924 by a consortium of farmers and prominent businessmen and later that same year a contract was granted to a Timaru Building firm, W J Harding ( also a director of the company), to erect the four storey edifice, at the time the tallest building in Temuka. The mill building is a reinforced concrete structure with a basement and 3 storeys above ground. Adjoining the mill is a two storey building erected for the storage of bagged wheat, straight from the farms. The mill is powered by a 50hp electric motor of Swedish design; however, as electricity didn’t reach Temuka until 1925 this meant completion of the mill was delayed till they were able to flick the switch on! The plant processed wheat delivered from all over the region into flour, by 1936 this was about five sacks per hour; it also produced bran and pollard. Originally the wheat was transported by horse and dray. After delivery the dry wheat went through a screening and pre-cleaning process before milling, the resulting flour was then delivered in sacks and white cotton cloth bags to grocery shops and bakeries in bag sizes as required. Temuka Milling Company had its own registered brand, AERO. Horse drawn drays were later replaced with motorised trucks and in the 1960’s there was a progressive move into bulk handling and silos were built, this reduced the need for the extremely heavy manual work in receiving and stacking thousands of sacks annually. Hefting the sacks around was hard work, the jute sacks each held three to four bushels which equates to 80-108 kgs dead weight. Siting of the mill right alongside the main north/south railway line was to prove a boon in later years when flour from the mill was shipped to the North Island. Diversification in the 1960’s/70’s led to production of poultry pellets from mill by-products and lucerne in a further separate building. The mill operated continuously and successfully until 1989 when it closed for a short period. After that several other owners had an interest in the mill but early in the 21st century it finally closed its operation for good. Up until early 1928, the Oddfellows’ Hall in Maitland Street (now known as Gospel Hall) was used for most local public functions. When this hall was bought by a religious group the need for a purpose built town hall became imperative. Locals banded together to raise the amount of 3250 pound to go towards the building of Town Board offices, a public library and a hall. A plot of land was chosen out of six suggested with the site on Halstead Rd being the eventual winner. This appealing red brick and plaster building was designed by the architect A.E. Lewis and the successful tender was awarded to Geo.Dawson, builder. Work started quickly and the hall was completed and officially opened on 20 December 1928 by the Temuka MP, T.D. Burnett, who announced it to be “the reddest letter day in the history of Pleasant Point”. Very soon the hall and supper room were in frequent use with weekly film shows, school functions, dances, meetings, euchre, balls and flower shows regularly held, even a miniature rifle range was set up under the stage for target shooting!. The Town Board met regularly in the Board Room, the office was opened once a week for ratepayers’ business, it was a lively, busy centre of Point life. However things combined to bring about the decline in use of this once very necessary public amenity. The Board Room fell into disuse with the termination of the Town Board in 1954 and the Office was closed in the 1970s when it was considered no longer economic to employ a Town Clerk. At the original hall opening, part of T.D. Burnett’s speech included the words “There is a tendency for people to drift to larger centres for their amusement…” these proved to be prophetic words. During the boom years of 1950’s and 60’s many organisations built their own halls. Television arrived and movies were no longer popular, cars became more available so the regular dances went out of fashion as the young headed to Timaru for their Saturday night fun and local organisations no longer considered the balls a worthwhile venture. I’m happy to report that some areas of the building are still well supported and there it stands on Halstead Street, looking well cared for, displaying its name and date for all to see. Karen Rolleston The establishment of the settlement at Burkes Pass created a busy meeting point for travellers and Mackenzie country residents alike. This led to the need for increased quality and quantity of roading throughout the region. In 1863 the Mt Cook Road Board was formed as one of four boards created by the Canterbury Provincial Council and it acted as an early local authority, collecting money to pay for road building and maintenance. Initially board meetings were held in private homes, public houses and stores around the district. The need for a purpose built office became apparent as the region developed and a purpose-built office was designed by Timaru architect Daniel West in 1875. The Board held its first meeting in their new Burkes Pass office on 6th June 1876. At the time houses in Burkes Pass were very modest and functional, built of timber or cob. The Road Board Building is a comparatively large concrete building which comprises of two distinct single-storeyed wings reflecting its combined function of Road Board Office and residence. Both have matching detailing such as concrete quoins and window sill brackets. The Board Room is a rectangular wing and the other half is a four roomed cottage with a verandah along the Eastern side. Originally both areas had separate exterior access with the board rooms featuring wing doors providing a grander main entrance to the building. It is listed as a Heritage 2 building and is notable as an early concrete building. It’s a relatively rare surviving road board building as most have been demolished and it reflects New Zealand’s emphasis on road construction since the colonial period. Eventually the Road Board evolved into the Mackenzie County council and meeting were held in on the property until 1891 when the council moved its premises to Fairlie. Since then it has been used as housing for various families and as single-men’s quarters for the rabbit board. Over time alterations were carried out but by 1966 the property had fallen into disrepair and the decision was made to demolish it. This rather grand addition to the Burkes Pass collection was saved at the last minute by a local artist who saw its potential and purchased it for the cost of demolition. It remains in private ownership to this day. Karen Rolleston
Back to Beautiful Burkes Pass for this week’s column, no doubt the wintery weather is starting to make its presence felt through the Mackenzie country. I’ve mentioned before that Burkes Pass was originally known as Cabbage Tree Creek, then Clulee before the final name of Burkes Pass was settled upon. The first main building to appear was the local hotel, built in 1866, and the town grew from there. For more than half a century Burkes Pass became the social, business and sporting centre for the Mackenzie Country pioneers and its heyday was between 1890 and 1910. The resident population during those years was around 143 and the town could boast of having a three teacher school. The school house was built in 1878 by George Filmer, a Timaru builder. Pit-sawn timber from Kakahu was carted to the site by bullock teams and the building was constructed of this wood as well as iron all on concrete foundations. There were two class rooms, with accommodation for seventy children. It opened in 1879 with a roll of 20 pupils. The school had grounds of five acres some of which were planted in trees many of which are still there today. The continued growth of Burkes Pass slowed with the decision to stop the railway at Fairlie in 1884 and in 1891 the Mount Cook Rd Board relocated to Fairlie as well. A population drift occurred in the early 1900s and the school closed for a time. It did reopen in 1920 but eventually closed for good in 1943. The employment of this simple colonial building did not end there and it continued to be used as the Burkes Pass hall. It was at the centre of social events and major festivities including dances, bowls, card, CWI meetings, gun club, tug of war teams and the Christmas party to which Father Christmas was known to arrive on a dray, tractor or horse. Karen Rolleston.
The delights of this stunning season are upon us and I think this would have to be the best Autumn we’ve enjoyed for a few years. The temperate weather and lack of strong winds means we’ve had a long period in which to relish the seasonal changes all around the town. Our parks are looking pretty spectacular right now but none more so than our Centennial Park so we’re sending a ‘Thumbs Up’ to the Parks and Reserves department at the Timaru District Council in recognition of the splendid work they do in general but on this park in particular. Bill Steans is the”Man in Charge” of this department and I had a chat with him about ongoing plantings being undertaken over the next few years. A staggering 60,000 trees have been planted throughout Timaru over the last year. The Reserve benefits from ongoing mixed planting of natives and exotics depending on the soil conditions and optimum growth zones for the different species. What we are seeing these days is the result of years of thoughtful planning and planting with the mature oaks, maples, liquid ambers amongst others growing into mature trees. The combination of natives with their quieter beauty and the stunning deciduous exotics means we enjoy the ever changing views and seasons to the full. Mr Steans’s favourite view is out over the reserve from the top of North Street and it’s a hard one to beat. Although it’s not everyone’s cup of tea he also loves the following carpet of leaves. I would agree, many of us have happy childhood memories of raking leaves, running through them and I am enjoying seeing children jumping and rushing through the piles at Westend Park, it makes me smile, such simple pleasures. Gardeners all over town will be busy, getting their leaf rakes out, using those leaves for mulch or moving them into their compost heaps. Autumn is a beautiful mellow time, the possibilities and opportunities of summer are gone, a busy transition before snuggling in with the chill of winter on the horizon. Not too late to head to this magnificent park for a walk to see the tail end of the season, if walking is not an option then a drive through the Scenic might be your best bet to catch a glimpse of the results of all the fantastic work the Reserves team has done over many years past. Karen Rolleston This rustic looking little church has serviced the community at Cave for nearly 70 years. Previous to its construction in 1952 services for the Anglican Community in Cave were held in the local school which could be found to the west of the present Cave hall. In 1937-38 consolidation of these smaller community schools occurred. Cave school was no exception, closing its doors and sending its pupils by bus into Pleasant Point for their schooling. The building was then leased from the Education Board and furnished with altar rails, lectern and prayer desk. It became known as the Cave Church School Room. For seventy years, services were held there. By 1949 the local Guild had some 400 pounds set aside so it was decided to build a church on land purchased from the Education Board and donated for that purpose. The building you see today is the result of that decision. It was a collaboration of community labour. Made of local stone, which was handpicked and carted by many people out of the Te Ngawai riverbed. The church is a living memory of the people who have worshipped in it since 1952. Although not so many remain today there are still some residents that would have special memories of this building project. On November 18, 1952, before a congregation of 150 visitors and parishioners, Bishop A. K. Warren unveiled the foundation stone as he was unable to be present when the stone was actually laid. The church features two stained glass windows created by Roy Miller whose work can be seen all over New Zealand from other small community churches to larger town churches and cathedrals. The largest one in the sanctuary commemorates members of the Amyes family including their son Alfred C. Amyes whose life ended at Passchendaele 1917. The 50th anniversary service was held in the church on All Saints Day, November 3 2002 followed by a luncheon in the Cave hall. I can imagine the busy bustling scene it must have been, tables laden with home baking and those big teapots being efficiently poured by the ladies in the kitchen. Perfect. Karen Rolleston I was with friends, soaking up the sun and ambiance in the Speights Ale House garden yesterday. One of the things I was really loving was the view up the big brick wall at the back to the gorgeous old buildings above it and I was struck by the sudden realisation that they are, in fact, the backs and tops of the block that the council has just bought for redevelopment.
They feature Timaru red bricks as well as Timaru Bluestone, both locally produced and celebrated building materials of the region. They present an interesting view to look at and add a picturesque backdrop to the public area we were sitting in. Once these old buildings were brand spanking new, smart shops, working offices, family businesses. A town is made up of layers, a bit like an onion really, start peeling and you find another layer, go deeper again there is another layer still, each revealing the secret pasts, character and histories beneath and the variations of colour and texture within. The charm of the old or the efficiency of the modern. How you could manage the two? Can there could be room for both? I notice people are instinctively drawn to the older more historic areas of a town or city, the rustic appeal suits our human nature, it is relaxing and feels settled and these areas can be so much more interesting and beautiful when compared with the stark modernity of a newer development. Exciting modern architecture can add to the mix as well but developments in small towns tend to be fairly plain, functional and utilitarian, designed and constructed within the constraints of tight budgets. Generally constructed of concrete slab which makes for an efficient build but often lacking in character or depth. We have many examples of this throughout our town including our supermarkets and big box retailers and the business’s scattered along Hilton Highway. Do we need them in the precious centre of our town as well? Functional yes but generally not places to linger and enjoy. Surely there is room for both, appropriate development in the appropriate space. |
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