GISBORNE SUBURBS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10392, 9 May 1927, Page 7 (Supplement)

GISBORNE SUBURBS

SUBDIVISION OF KAITI AND \v i lAIA U POEO. THE FIRST TRAMWAY. ORMOND QUARRY TO TOWN. The settlement of the Makauri B.ocK was a step i-.r./je, according to tile into e.api. x cvris, wr.ting in the v-br-siciiurcii ttess in the nineties, and, then, in IHt U or 1881, the Whataupuko and Kaiti Blocks were c,pan. it is only light to here mention inat it was largely owing tc? the exertions cl Mr. W. L. Rees, assisted by Mr. Howard Harris. that tiie ait; Block was thrown open, and to Mr. ivees that Whata upoko came into the market. Before the laUcr laud v.as offered a bridge was c. c. ted i.-y tiie New Zealand Land Settlement Company across the Taruhereu, and this, which is now all too small tor the requirements of the traffic, was characterised as Rees’ 1‘ oliy, it being considered altogether ahead of the times. W bate upoko and Kaiti. however, made rapid strides, and have become populous suburbs. With its suburbs Gisborne’s population is now-over 5000—a fact not generally known, as the “Year Book' 7 shows tiie population of Gisborne to be only 2500, which are the figures ior the restricted borough limits. A few years after the TaruLeru Bridge was built, the local bodies spanned the Turanganui with the present Kaiti Bridge, which was designed by Mr. Reynolds. Metal had previously been brought into Gisborne by a tram line on Kaiti. the trucks being swung

across the river on wire ropes hung from stout posts on each bank, near where Capt. Read’s old store stands at the junction of the rivers- Another tramway that was brought into existence—and really the first railway that the d strict had—was from the Ormond Quarry to Gisborne, constructed for the purpose of metalling county and borough roads. This did good service, and it was most unfortunate that it was allowed to b© torn up and that the rails were afterwards sold. Next in order of progress may be mentioned the harbor works, wir’ch commenced in ISS4. The conditions of the port in the pre-breakwater days have already been referred to in this article. For the result of the expenditure that hrs taken place we may refer to the regular and comfortable tender service that is now performed by the “Vnihi” and Messrs. Kennedy and E-vans’ fleet of lighters, and to the fact- that a steamer of the size of the

'•Balmain,” with 400 tons of cord oh board, was recently able to berth and discharge at the wharf. Freezing works were established by Mess's. Nelson Bros, in 1889, and in ISB7 the Gisborne Freezing Company took over the Harbor Board buildings, and converted them into up-to-vate refrigerating works.