ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14849, 28 November 1911, Page 8

ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK

'.'•<■:'■ •'"'.';.. : ■■■. '■^, i \ r '^ : \^B-Sisoi ' ■■■■■ ■ ■■ ■--■■ ■■■■■■■■■:■■ :■-. ■■ .. .-;■ '.:.■ ■ ■;.-■■■■:':■;;: ■■^n^\ OHAKUNE AND THEREABOUTS. FROM HAMLET TO BOROUGH. IMPORTANT TIMBER CENTRES, —■ : ■ '.iiil CBT'OUB SPECIAL COIOOSSIONEE. J , ,VI. ,:.:"^^ OHAKtrJfE has long since become known to' fame as one of the most interesting and striking examples of rapid town-makina j in the King Country, following upon the construction of the Main Trunk railway ■ Those who have visited it at previous " ' periods of its growth observe in the Oha- • I kune of to-day marked evidences of steady ' and substantial progress. It has now I advanced to a- point that is the goal of all young and ambitious townships. The prcA bationary period of its life as a town district, has been passed with credit, and this I week it will assume the mantle of mnni-j ■■■; ' :;pal honours by blossoming forth as a fill-blown borough. % ' ■"/-''" \ Although the history of Ohakune as a European settlement goes back nearly 20 •' years, it is only during the past five vears. ■ that it has risen to the importance of a growing and prosperous centre. Prior to that it was an obscure spot on the map,' \ Mid occupied a very insignificant place in Sew-Zealand geography. The few scat-, ! tered buildings of the days before the inrasion of the iron horse have now almost lisappeared, and in their place have arisen '' ; $ streets with well formed footpaths , and ■' lanke'd by rows of shops worthy of many in older town. Okahune East, as tha ', > business centre by the railway station is cnown, is also springing into importance md vieing with Ohakune proper, about a nile and a-half away, in a reputation fos 'go aheadnees." , A Growing Population. The population and school statistics ot :; )hakune say much for its progress. Soma >£ years ago the population was about 600. i has increased more than one. hundredfold md the total number of residents a of the lew borough (which takes in a wider area ban the expiring town district) is aboiifc .400 or 1500. Six or seven years ago about , '''f !0 children attended the public school, the!pfsf ! iverage attendance being a dozen; At the iresent time there are about 250 pupils oo«li|i he roll of the school, and a second schoolMS'Oi las been established at Ohakune East, with, in attendance of about a hundred. Tlaflpfitf ipplication for the formation of a borough, laving been granted as from December 1, /he election of the first Mayor and Council I (rill take place on Thursday next. Loans stalling about £3000 have already, beaawsß raised, for various improvements, . and - nojff&(?S loubt further reforms will be instituted ( b3a|| the new controlling body. Water and irainage systems are both needed, and these trill shortly be taken in hand. n , ti, ''i The town rejoices in ; a good - post . and - telegraph office, a commodious town hall, as well as a largo number of boarding, houses. .'The post office, which was erected about three years ago, is now proving too small for requirements, and tenders are being called for the necessary additions. New shops and residences are being .'con'ij!|o:| stantly erected, and since January last some 60 building permits Lave been issued. No ;• valuation of the borough has yet been made, but the last assessment of the town district, ; which { embraces the biu:-, ness part of the town and a certain'area beyond, gave a capital value of £47,639, of which the unimproved value was ao> countable for £32,196, and the improve* ments for £15,443. "" : ■ __■■'"""" ■-'■■"■■:■".'■• ■- '■•':■ '■>'■■ The Lungs of Ohakune. ■ 1 The town has been built upon - Crown land, (and it has been well treated in the matter of reserves—a striking con'* trast to the neglect that this subject re- . ceived in Te luiiti when, the building of that town on its native leaseholds": was' Befc|f!f!|| about. ;■'■.,; Ohakune ' T /as dowered !|,withl'r6-t|l|l : | serves for publio buildings, municipal offices and education, and ,it also has * ' fine level reserve in the township, con. sisting of over 30 acres. Then, a mile or two f down the Raetihi Road, there is another" picturesque recreation ground, sJ| '. ■> ' what is known as "The lakes.", If ; Ohakunites are still anxious iff • more i breathing room they have the Ton* gariro National "Park,''cud the bracing heights: of ! ; Mount Ruapehu in front "of, >, Mil them, and only a few miles ■-.away." )Thft|ii|| track to Mount Ruapehu, which was cue a year or two ago, is now. being .•im- . proved by the Government, and this -ront«w|lli to. the highest peak in the North Island, should become very popular in future. There is also a track from Rangitaua, sad this was/-largely availed of during tha;';■;<!',s past two summers. The town of Ohakune is, ■ for the mosQ part, laid oat on j the rectangular principle. ; When the township was cut up it was divided into quarter-acre sections. VThese sections sold at low prices, but sincethen values have advanced considerably, ' and large sums of money have been made by speculators. ;" Sections : which originally sold at'a few pounds each'have 1 since been disposed of for as many hundreds. Present ideas of values range as high as £1000 for the best of the quarter-acre lots. The principal mainstay of Ohakune and the surrounding settlements at present is the timber industry. ■ There are about 25' nulls at work in the district, of which, Ohakune, Rangitaua, and Raetihi are the distributing ' centres, and more are pro-, jected. The more permanent pastoral ' and agricultural ; industry is also progres- i| sing steadily. The clearings round about the township are spreading in- all directions. '. During the past year a vast dif- ; ference in this respect has taken -place be* tween Ohakune railway station and the township, and areas which 18 months ago were standing bush are now being dotted with villa residences, some of them being of a superior design. ■ 'k kkkkj '■' Rangitaua and' Raetihi. The township of Rangitaua, some. two miles from Ohakune east by' rail, and about 34 from Ohakune by road, is also reflecting the general Arosperit;,' of the district. • Some people, however, express regret that Ohakune and Rangitaua, between whom a certain rivalry has always ' prevailed, should exist as - separate' centres. If Ohakuhe; Ohakune East, and Rangitaua had been ' all grouped '■, at- one point on the' railway line, a much larger.; ~. and more compact township would have, j resulted, and much heart-burning would •'.', have been avoided. Rangitaua has a population of 500 or 600, lias several. large, t ' timber mills. It also has the "powelUsing" plant by which timber is sub-* mitted-to a chemical method of preserva* tioh. Raetihi, some eight miles from Ohakune,' •■ is also more than justifying its existence. This is not a "mushroom" town, as it 19 a very old settlement, its only outlet, aj one time being by means of Pipiriki and the Wanganui River. As it is not near the Main Trunk railway, its* progress lias been slower than that of Ohakune, but the ; , prospect of it being connected shortly by, a branch line from the Main' Trunk.' unci .. tioning at Ohakune or Rangitaua, is putting much hope into the hearts of V* resident*. There are at present five tinn ber mills in its vicinity and the number will, it is said, shortly bo doubled. Dairying is carried on to a considerable extenO - . here, but the future of the district wnl probably depend as much if _ -not mora ~ upon its sheep-carrying capabilities as upon its production of butter-fat. . •' The proposed that a branch railway lm* ■. .. should be constructed from the Mam .; Trunk to Rnetilii now appears likely to . come'.' to fruition. :■ • The sum of W,,, ■ has been placed on the Estimates as a hi so instalment towards the cost of the worK.. When this line is open several thousand { more acres of timber country, which cannot bo ■ profitably worked without; a, *?, 1$ . j way, will be available: fori. feeding thrt . mills. An interesting feature about taw railway 'is a ; proposal, to adopt elet "£ traction, the necessary power to be .*»»>■; j from the Mangowhero River.