Area’s historical riches

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 11

Area’s historical riches

By

D. W. HODGE

South Canterbury is rich in museums, not only because of the district’s colourful history, ilhut also because its pattern of life is based on fl he land.

Emphasising the value pof district museums, the I.Hate Dr Roger Duff, director of the Canterbury Muh.seum, said that not only bdid such museums have a t vital task of preserving i: local history, but they K also played an important O part in the life of the “Pioneer Hall,” South 5 Canterbury’s Historical Museum, in Perth Street, r Tirnaru, has pride of la place. The Pleasant Point Railway and Historical Society * has a tremendous asset in its museum, in which are housed relics from the bys gone age of steam: The “twin” museum at Fairlie, although off the “beaten track.” has much to inter- ' est those who wish to fossick into the development

of the Mackenzie country: Waimate’s Harris Street museum will soon undergo a metamorphosis; while there is a fledgeling museum in the South Canterbury Returned Services’ Association’s clubrooms in Wai-iti Road, and it is also proposed to convert the old custom-built house in Tirnaru City to a maritime museum.

The centrepiece of the Railway Museum, an around-the-clock attraction, is the steam locomotive, A 8699.

The “grand old lady” joined the New Zealand Railways at Wellington in 1922. Between 1935 and 1939 it was stationed at Frankton and from 1940 until 1955 it was at Palmerston North. Then it went to Napier.

A 8699 was shipped to the South Island on August 16, 1958. In 1970, the locomotive was purchased by the society. It had reached the end of the track. Smokebegrimed and showing signs of rust, it seeemed destined to be shunted into the disused railway station at Pleasant Point.

Nevertheless, enthusiasm knew no bounds. Members of the society, heartened by the efforts and financial assistance from the original Fairlie Flyer committee, set to with a will, using “elbowgrease” and paint to restore the engine, and also converting the railway station into an interesting museum.

Then someone had a “brainwave” — to get A 8699 in full working order. Some members pooh-poohed the idea, but the consensus was that attempts should be made to put what had been a forlorn old heap of metal “on the rails.” A REPRIEVE In 1976, smoke poured from the stack, and steam from the boiler slowly propelled the Fairlie Flyer a few metres up and down the railway line in front of the station. Interest in the “discovery” mounted to such an extent that it was decided to extend the track about 804.65 m, from the railway station to the Pleasant Point Domain. It has been a success story right from the word go.

Volunteers have purchased and laid the track, and every so often A 8699, as proud as Punch, is fired up to take waggonloads of visitors for rides.

The interior of the station recreates the exciting past. New displays include

an old printing works, old wares, such as an oak ice box, hand-washing machine, mangle, and cast-iron pots.

Visitors will find it immensely relaxing to pause at “Colonial Corner,” a small section of an old sittingroom, in which there is a handsome antique couch; a 1914 manual telephone switchboard (formerly at the Albury Post Office), and the old Pleasant Point railway ticket office complete with ticket box and “stationmaster.” i

Other displays in the museum include a 1920 general store, old cameras, vintage car equipment, and photographs of the old Pleasant Point and Fairlie railway line.

A place also has been found for the balustrade from the former Empire Hotel (now the Bank of New South Wales) at the corners of Church and .Stafford Streets, Tirnaru. STOCK CARRIAGE Members of the society spent six months and $lOOO on the conversion and restoration of a 40-year-old stock carriage. It has been converted to an open-sided passenger carriage used for public rides behind the Fairlie Flyer. Volunteers, with the help of a crane, recently shifted the old Washdyke railway signal box to its

new home at the society’s museum. It is sitting on its new foundation at the westerr end of the premises. It is hoped to have the railway extended befon Easter 1980 when th South Canterbury TractioEngine Club is planning t‘ hold a rally in the area. Residents of Fairlie ar equally proud of their mu seums, one of which is iu a century-old settlers’ cottage left by Mabel Binne; to the Mackenzie Historic al Society, which ha: spent hours restoring it tc represent a workman': cottage in the 1860 s. The rooms are fully furnished and there are several antiques, including a seventeenth century bass fiddle, a piano brought to New Zealand in one of the first ships, and genuine wedding regalia from an 1854 wedding. There are photographs of considerable interest and historical value, depicting the country, buildings and personalities. Next door to the museum there is a collection of old horse-drawn vehicles used for both farming and commercial purposes — stage coaches, harvesters, binders, timber waggons, chaff cutters, ploughs, box waggons and dog carts. The museums are located on the main highway west of the town. The South Canterbui y Returned Services’ Association has a mini-museum. In it there ii a 3.7 in high explosive shell brought back from Europe. The shell, dated 1942, is

the centre-piece of a dsplay of weaponry, grenades, and chrome-plated bayonets, ammunition pouches and web-equip-ment. badges, historic documents, photograph albums, and postcards and framed photographs of Second World War aircraft. NEW LOCATION Steps have been taken o build a new museum in Waimate. The Waimate Museum Trust Board held its inaugural meeting in the Waimate Borough Council chambers on August 7, 1978. The museum will replace the Harris Street museum. The museum will be built on a section of land allocated by the Waimate Borough Council next to the Norman Kirk Memorial Pool. A NEW ROLE?

Interest is mounting in suggestions that the Customs House, which has been designated a historic building, should be converted into a maritimec u m-technological museum.

It has even been proposed that the Alexandra (“the lifeboat that never was”) could be placed under cover outside the building. The craft, which was not used after 1882, has been “moth-balled” on the bay for many years.

Pioneer Hall, South Canterbury’s Historical Museum, in Perth Street, is rich in nautical photographs, documents and relics. Among them are articles recovered from the wreck of the Elgin-