BOROUGH OF BALCLUTHA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 11

BOROUGH OF BALCLUTHA

History of the Town. Careful Administration. Sound Financial Position. The history of the town of Balclutha, which was called Iwikatea by the Maoris, dates back as far as the end of 1852 — some years after the first settlers arrived in the Clutha district. A very interesting book entitled “Reminiscences of the Early Settlement of Dunedin and South Otago,” published by Mr John Wilson in 1912, records that at the beginning of 1852 there was no habitation of any iort where the town now stands, but at the end of that year Mr James M‘Neil, who had arrived in New Zealand in the Mooltan, in 1849, and who had previously resided at Blanket Bay, near Sawyer's Bay, took up his abode in the place, for some time his bark hut was the only building in the town. It was surrounded by a big swamp, in which there was a luxuriant growth of flax. The first terry was established by Mr M'Neil early in 1853. Two boats were built in Dunedin, and were taken to Port Molynoux ny sea, and then up the river to their destination. These provided the only means of crossing the Clutha River until about 1857, when the Government established a ferry and built an accommodation house, both of which were for a time under the charge of Mr John Barr, who was allowed £SO a year and rations for keeping them. It was Mr Barr’s duty to assist in the conveyance of people and stock over the river. The accommodation house, which was built by Mr John Hardy, and on which Messrs Girard, Mills, and Butter were employed, was for a long time the only one of its kind owned by the Government between Dunedin and Invercargill, but eventually another was omit at Popotunoa and a third at Mataura Falls.

Mr James M‘Neil owned 50 acres of land round about bis nut, while 50 acres were attached to the accommodation house, and Mr Barr owned 100 acres. The next 100 acres were owned by Mr Alexander M‘Neil and the next 100 ha' Mr John M'Neil, while Mr Andrew M'Neil owned Inverted. So far as is known these were the only settlers about lialclutha at that time.

The first punt was built about 1861. It was a sort of dug-out boat, and was extremely dangerous, but shortly afterwards was replaced by a bigger noat with a stage over it. Accidents in connection with the punt were numerous, and in 1866 the Provincial Government decided to build a bridge. On August of that year a contract for the construction of the bridge was let to Mr William Murray, who commenced the •work in 1867. The contract price was £13.580 6s Bd, but the bridge cost nearly £17,000 before it was finished. The bridge was 679 ft long, with a width of 14ft between the railings. Near the north end there was a drawbridge 27ft 6in in height to allow the steamer to pass, the bridge *was opened for traffic on October 8, 1868. but during the great flood 10 years later it was partiallv washed awav, and the Government then the present bridge, which was built on cylinder piles. With the increase of settlement there were many changes Detween 1858 and 1861. An event which was regarded as important at the time was a sale of cattle in Balclutha in 1859. The stock, numbering 60 head, belonged to Mr Willsher. and bad been grazing on Mr Archibald's run at Clydevale. B is stated that some, of the cows brought «s high as £25 each. The. first blacksmith in Balclutha was Mr James Rattray, who started business in 1861. At first trade was dull, but before long it became very active, and during the time of the diggings Mr Rattrav was kept busy day and night. A set of horse shoes cost 255, and the cost of other work was nrmwrtionallv high. In 1861 and 1962 a number of new settlers arrived in the district. Messrs Tuck. Rat tricks. W. Ford, .T. A tel rose. W Hone. J. Rhait). George Bain. Grawfords, and T/ndlow being among the first. Mr John MacKewan was the first baker in the town, and also the first nhetocranher. Dr Garland was ‘the firs* medical man. but his stav was a vorv brief one. A year nr two after the diggings broke out Dr Gibson Smith settled in tb e town, an a remained there until he died. He is decribed as a man of wonderful personality, a great sportsman, a splendid judge of a horse, and a great and good physician. The first surveyor in" the Clutha was Mr Robert Grigor, who arrived at Tnchclutha in 1858, and -who was licensed as a surveyor in 1861. In 1862 and 1863 he surveyed the rural land up the river from Greenfield to beyond Tuapeka Mouth, and he next surveyed the Ferry reserve into quarter-acre sections, the sale of which boomed the place for a time. The upset price was £l2 10s per section, but some of them realised as much as £SO. Later on Mr Grigor started in business as a stock and station agent, but he retired from this on the death of his partner.

The first butcher in the town was a man named Hawkins, and the first brewer was an Australian named Tom Latta. He built an open shed facing the main street, and left his beer there. Anyone wanting beer could have a bucket filled for Is. If Mr Latta was absent customers helped themselves, leaving the money on the cask.

Tlie first banking institution in Balclntha was the Bank of Otago, which was opened by Mr Dalgleish and afterwards managed by Mr Christie.

Gradually the town increaed in size and population, but several years elapsed before municipal government was included in the activities of Balcbitha. The Borough Council came into existence In 1870, and the first Mayor of the town was Mr John M‘Neil. From small beginnings the operations of the council have expanded in corresponding ratio to the growth of the town itself,

and as the result of careful administration the borough has always been in a satisfactory financial position. Balclutha bears an appearance of prosperity, which is only to be expected when one considers the fertility of the surrounding country, upon which the welfare of any town or city must largely depend. Most of the buildings erected in the earlier days were apparently constructed of wood, but a number of the newer buildings have been made of brick, giving an appearance ot greater solidity to the place. The streets are well kept," and there are numerous indications that the Borough Council has carried out its duties in quite a creditable manner. The area of land within the borough boundaries is 563 acres. The capital value of the land in the borough at present is £276,880, and the unimproved value, on which the general rate is levied, is £101,792. Balclutha was evidently one of the first towns in New Zealand" to adopt the system of rating on unimproved values, as that system has been in operation in the town for some 20 years.

The rates levied for the current year total £3577, made up as follows:—General £2278, library £69 (for the upkeep of the Carnegie Library), sanitation £362. Hospital Board £432, special £433 (for the water supply). At the beginning of the financial year 1922-23 the council was in debt to the extent of about £450, but that was paid off during the year, and at the commencement of the current year there was r credit balance of about £lßo—a fact which proves that the finances were well looked after by the authorities. In the matter of drainage the town has not yet progressed past the system of surface drainage, the flat nature of the country rendering any other system somewhat expensive owing to the lack of fall. The feeling prevails in some quarters, however, that the time has arrived when a more modern system should be adopted. For many years Balclutha, like many other country towns, had no assured water supply, the residents having to depend on tanks and wells for their requirements in this direction. As time went on, however, these sources of supply were found to be too uncertain and inadequate, and in 1910 a municipal supply was introduced. Some three and a-half years ago, however, a change was considered necessary, and the council decided to sink another bore in a different place. Its decision was fully justified by the results, as an analysis which was made recently showed that the water now supplied to the residents ot the town is as good for household purposes as it is possible to procure. The bore is situated about 20 yards away from the river, and the water is pumped by means of suction gas into a tower at the north end of the town. This tower has a capacity of 56,000 gallons. The cost involved in changing the source of supply was about £3300. Another municipal venture in Balclutha lias been the construction of coldwater swimming baths, which were opened about two months ago. The cost of constructing them was about £IBOO. Protective works against floods have been the cause of much anxious thought. The river embankment which protects the town against an invasion by the flooded Molyneux River is of considerable dimensions, entailing the expenditure of a substantial sum of money. The embankment has served its purpose very well, but during the severe flood at the end of January, 1919, was scarcely equal to the strain placed upon it, and the water leaked through in some places. In order to increase the protection the borough council undertook the expenditure of £IOOO in strengthening the weak parts of the embankment and in extending it past the Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s showground. The work was carried out by the Public Works Department, and tire embankment is nowconsidered to be one of the strongest and best built of its kind in New Zealand. Since 1893 the town has been lighted with water gas supplied by a private cmp. pany. In 1902 the council erected the salcyards at a cost of £I2OO, and in 1904 a new council chamber and library was built at an outlay of £6OO.