TEMUKA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 June 1924, Page 5 (Supplement)

TEMUKA.

RICH AGRICULTURAL CENTRE

TIMBER ITS FIRST SOURCE OF PROSPERITY

Temuka has a Dominion-wide reputation as a progressive and sound business centre, and in addition it enjoys a reputation over seas as a place where one of the best trout fishing rivers in the world exists—the Opihi.

Temuka may be said to have begun its existence as a collection of bushmen’s huts. When the first settlers came to South Canterbury there was a patch of about two hundred acres of excellent bush between the rivers Temuka and Opihi, extending from about the present main road westwards. The bush was reserved to the natives, and the land is now occupied by

n native village. A few more pretentious cottages were next built in a row beside the main road of that day, some chains lower than the present one, and named George Town. Messrs Wood and Dyson had a store there, and a Mr Petrie started as butcher, at first without a shop, hanging up his cuts and joints on the fence or on any convenient place. An early resident of George Town was a fine character, a Scotsman named Daniel Ferguson, who kept a small school, several of his pupils being boarders from distant stations and farms, and Mr Ferguson was also postmaster. The first country doctor (Dr. T. 0. Rayner) also settled between the rivers. The bush, being the nearest to Timaru, was cut out in a few years to supply limber for building and fencing at the port town, and for houses and woolsheds at the nearer sheep stations and farms, and George Town dwindled. The Temuka and Opihi rivers were occasionally impassable owing to floods, the Opihi especially, as it flowed then in one stream on the north side, and one of the earliest arrivals.

Mr Joseph Deans, put up an accommodation house, which he called the Nugget Hotel on the north side of the river, for the convenience

ol river-bound travellers, and a prospect of profit. The hint on which Mr Deans acted had nrcviously occurred to the Government surveyor I\lr Hewlings) and a township was laid out on the north side and called Arowhenua. Mr Hewlings for some reason omitted a strip of land between the west side of the township and the river, and this he purchased himself. Later he subdivided it, forming a township, and named it Wallingford, after his native place at Home, doth Arowhenua and Wallingford arc now included in the Borough of Temuka, the railway marking the division between them. The Nugget Hotel soon had neighbours. Mr T. Copestake opened a store, followed later by Mr Mendelson and Clarkson and Turnbull. Mi ■I. Marshall began business as a butcher ant baker, and Mr J. Velvin as draper. Carpenter* who found employment in building farm houses throughout the district made their homes in Temuka —Messrs J. Blyth, J. Lumsden, J. Popolewell, and Mr Duncan Taylor was the first blacksmith. He started first at Orari, where the tracks to a number of stations branched off

the main track, and an accommodation house was established there for that reason and made a post office. The first chemist was Mr C. J. Rayner, and with these settlers Temuka began its career as a centre of population, of industry and commerce, assisted by and assisting the cultivation of one of the richest agricultural areas in South Canterbury. AMr Neal was the first farmer in the neighbourhood, and others soon followed, notably Mr John Hayhurst, who bought a large area of swamp land. Mr Henry Wood established the first flour mill, driven by a water wheel in a creek near the lower Opihi crossing—whence the name Mill Ford. The miller’s name was J. Christmas. Until this mill was erected, those who grew wheat ground it for themselves with hand mills, and sifted flour from bran through a muslin curtain. The second flour mill was Mr Inwood’s at Winchester. IVhen roller milling became fashionable, Mr Hayhurst erected an up-to-date mill on the Waihi creek.

A Temuka farmer, Mr Neal, brought down the first horse-power thresher and a Kakahu road farmer (Mr E. Pilbrow) in 1876 landed at Timaru the first steam thresher.

Temuka really began to thrive in the first half of the ’sixties-with the advent of farmers to W aitohi, Kakahu and Winchester, and blacksmithing shops were kept busy making and mending the simpler farm implements. An iron foundry was started a few years later by Mr Keith Forbes Gray. A second hotel was added about 1866 by Mr J. A. Young, who also built and carried oh the first hotel at Winchester. The construction of the railway gave a check to the growth of Temuka, by diverting trade from the local stores and industries, but the progress of farming settlement, especially the cutting up of the Australian Land Company’s big estate on'Waitohi, gave Temuka a fresh start. A second and inland railway .was projected,

Mr. George Levons of Temuka, whoso ricminiseeiieoi appear in this Issue.

from Temuka to Oxford, and about 1877 the pile* Yv’cro actually driven for a bridge over the Waihi, to form part of the line, and after standing there some years were drawn and put to other uses.

Temuka has grown steadily without exciting incidents except the big flood of 1868, when the two rivers were as one at the main road, and several people living in low-lying houses were drowned. There have been floods since, high enough to create anxiety, but none to equal that of 1868, which stranded spoil from farms in sheaves, and drowned sheep, where the cycling track now it.

The publication in 1877 of a report by an enginner that it would be easy to convert the Milford lagoon at the mouth of the Opihi into a useful harbour (Timaru at that time having no feasible scheme in hand) raised some hopes of Temuka becoming the port town, but a report by Sir John Coode entirely destroyed them. Temuka was created a Borough in 1899, Mr J. T. M. I-layhurst being the first Mayor. It possesses the public conveniences found in any town of its size—high pressure water supply, underground drainage, and a gas supply, an

excellent Park with sports ground, and as the local streams attract anglers from far and near the Acclimatisation Society has its headquarters there. As the business and railway centre of an extensive and fertile region the future prosperity of Temuka is as certain as its past has been progressive.

The water supply is obtained from the Waihi River, about four miles from the town. There are about twenty miles of mains and the average pressure is 35 pounds, Temuka has a Park of 133 acres controlled by a Domain Board. A portion is leased, but the whole length and breadth of it is traversed by paths shaded by pines and pretty English trees. A portion is laid out in flower plots and ornamental and flowering shrubs and trees. Provision has been made for all the popular sports and there is an excellent concrete swimming bath. There is a native section with a fine collection of native trees and shrubs, also a fern-, ery. The municipal buildings in the town are the Borough Council Chambers,, erected in 1902 at a cost to the ratepayers of £BSO. The Mechanics’ Institute is supported and owned by subscribers. In 1899 the streets were lighted by 27 kerosene lamps at a cost of 28/- per lamp per annum. Now the streets are illuminated by gas. It is hoped soon to have them lighted by,, electricity. tc The estimated population of the borough is 2000.

The Temuka Town Board was formed in 1884, the first members of it being—Messrs Cray (chairman), Keith, Forbes, James Blyth, Elijah Brown, Geo. J. Mason, Michael Quinn and Geo. Dyson (clerk), The district under this Board’s jurisdiction consisted of. the township on the west side of the railway line. In August 1886 the Arowhenua Town Board was formed, the boundary being the town east

of the railway line. The first members were— Messrs E. Lee (chairman), J. Proudlock, C. SLory, A. Edgeler and R. Austin. On August 18, 1899 the two Boards amalgamated and a Borough was formed. . The first election took place in October of the same year when fourteen candidates contested the six seats, the following being returned in the order given:—Messrs R. B. Comer, A. Frew, Henry Lee, Thos. Buxton, Edward Carr, David Henry. Mr J. T. M. ■ Hayhurst was elected Mayor and Mr E. Pilbrow, Town Clerk.

When the Borough was formed the rateable value of the west side was £55,044, the rate being lljd in the £, which brought in £313 2s scl.

The rateable value of the east side was £28,967 and a penny rate brought in £l2O 17s 3d.

The present valuation of the Borough is as follows: —East side, £139,684, west side, £238,555. The rate is 2 5/8d in the £, which brings in £3,542 12s 7d. The number of houses in the Borough is 430. Great improvements have been made during the last twenty years, including kerbing and channelling, street formation, high pressure water, drainage (west end),

street lighting, gas, etc. Some few months ago the borough secured a £5,000 loan for. further street improvements, and the work is being carried out now.

It is interesting to note that on the old map the cemetery reserve is on the site of the Post Office.