Timaru in the Making

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18008, 13 July 1928, Page 10 (Supplement)

Timaru in the Making

Constitution of the Borough

It was in September, 1854, that the Chief Surveyor and the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr T. Cass and Mr W. G. Brittan) made an inspection of the southern portion of the Canterbury Province, and the Chief Surveyor recommended that a careful survey be made of the country between the Rangitata and the Makikihi rivers before allotting the several lands purchased. The Chief Surveyor also recommended that before allotting these lands, an area for a township should be reserved at Talbot Forest (Geraldine), and the same area of land at Timaru should be reserved for a similar purpose. This would include the landing places and sea frontage for about five miles. It was not until February 23, 1856, that the Chief Surveyor instructed Mr S. Hewlings definitely concerning the town survey at Timaru, when he told him that the first thing to be surveyed was the northern boundary of the Township Reserve at Timaru, namely, the Wash Pen Creek. On May 1, 1856, the boundaries of the future town of Timaru were proclaimed by the Canterbury Superintendent, in the Canterbury “Gazette” as follows: “The town of Timaru shall be situated on the beach at Timaru, and is included within a line commencing at a point on the beach where a continuation of the Messrs Rhodes’ freehold land meets the sea, along the sea coast southerly tc Point Patiti, a distance of 76 chains: thence due west, a distance of 40 chains, thence northerly at a distance of 40 chains from, and parallel to high water mark, till it meets the south boundary line of Messrs Rhodes’s freehold land; thence easterly along the said boundary, to the starting point.”

TWO TOWNS. There were two towns in Timaru when the place first took shape— Government Town and Rhodes Town. The northern boundary of Government Town was North Street (that is how it derived its name), and the town Went up north as far as what is now known as Craigie Avenue (it was then known as West Town Belt). The boundary then ran south as far as the southern end of the Park, and along the back of the Park to the sea. This was in 1856. Rhodes Town, which was laid off by the Rhodes Brothers, .also in 1856, was bounded on the south by North Street, while its northern boundary was Whales Creek (at Caroline Bay); on the western side the boundary line ran three or four chains west of Grey Road and down North Street to the sea. There were three trig stations for surveying Timaru—one at Patiti Point, one in Otipua road opposite the western end of North Street, and cue cn the hill on the sea side of the Smithfield Freezing Works. The Rhodes Bros, in 185 6 made a private subdivision of the land immediately to the north of the Government town, most of the streets being named • after the Christian names of members of the Rhodes family and their friends; and as the scheme was drawn up independently of the Government scheme, there was no continuity of streets across the common intersection of the two towns. Originally North Street was north of Government Town, but a good portion of the Borough is now south of it. Provision was made in Government Town for open spaces. There was a hospital reserve at the corner or North Street and the West Town Belt; then there was the Market Place, how passing under the more attractive name of Alexandra Square, a garden reserve, off Craigie Avenue, where the Gaol (since pulled down) was built; and the recreation reserve known as Russell Square. What is now known as the Park was not at first created a reserve, but was left, unsurveyed for use, if wanted, at a later date. The Rhodes Brothers did not reserve open spaces in the town which they laid off, but subsequently they gave, or sold at lorv prices, sites for schools, churches, or other public institutions. THE FIRST SETTLERS. When the first settlers arrived here their initial view was of inhospitable looking cliffs which seemed to frown upen and defy them to land. But land they did, when a wilderness of waving tussocks, interspersed with patches of rough scrub including matagouri, koromiko and cabbage trees was what they looked upon, tlm country in the vicinity of their landing place being intersected by deep gullies. Before they landed the distant hills, while lending enchantment to the view, created an optical illusion in that they appeared so close to the front country as to be quite easily reached. Efforts subsequently made to reach them, however, disillusioned the new comers. There was evidence of t.hc surrounding country having at one time been heavily wooded. Much heavy timber was dug up in and about the gullies of

the town. But the new settlers had come to carve out homes for themserves, and how well they did it is seen of the Timaru of to-day. There were three landing services. The Government landing service was slightly to the south of where the Timaru Boating Club’s sheds now stand. What was called Cain’s landing service was in what is now known as Station Street (the sea came up to it at that time) just south of the railway station, and immediately in front of the New Zealand Loan Company’s Store. To this day may be seen there the ring bolts to which the surf boats used to be fastened. A third landing service was located a little north of the one just referred to, opposite the end of George Street, where the carters now back in at the southern end of the railway station platform. When the ships arrived off the port in those days they invariably went in to Caroline Bay, where there was deep water, and fired a gun in order that the inhabitants of the town might know of their ani\al. DEATH SENTENCE. . It was in March, 18 62, that the first serious fire occurred in Timaru, when the Timaru Hotel, of which Mr Sam Williams was proprietor, was totally destroyed. The fire is said to have been caused by a man to whom Mr Williams had refused liquor. He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death at Christchurch, in 1862.

EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY. There were complaints then, as now, concerning the way public money was being spent in Timaru. One critic complained that Government men were being employed forming streets in a private township (Rhodestown), whilst nothing was being done in Government town. This writer contended that the Government, having sold town sections, its first duty was to provide proper access to these sections. He further complained that he had wanted to find the Market Place, and at last a great gully had been pointed out to him as this important place, and he concluded it must be right as the barracks were adjacent to it. Another critic complained, in 1563, that the Government town had been in existence five years, and there were only five houses in it. At this rate, he said, it would he time enough to think of streets in 50 years— Rhodes town was a thing of the present; Government town a thing of the future. As time went on it appeared that Government town had been badly located. On December 9, 1863, the Chief Surveyor reported to the Superintendent that in Timaru town there was then held on freehold an area of 52 acres 1 rood 2 perches; reserves occupied an area of 41 acres 3 roods 31 perches; ufisold sections and streets, 179 acres 3 roods 7 perches. Up to 18 62 the Provincial Government had spent £2 61 on public buildings in Timaru, including immigration barracks, gaol and a resident Magistrate’s office. The Government offices at that time were at the hack of the present Courthouse, facing Heaton Street. A reading room was opened in ISG3, in what was known as the School House, Barnard Street. The Library was quite a good oho for those days. A Mechanics’ Institute and Public Library was established, and the Committee decided that the building which they proposed to erect should be suitable for a Town Hall as well as a Mechanics’ Institute and Library. The Superintendent of the Province was asked for a grant of £IOOO towards the cost, and 150 shares wore taken-up in the room. The same year a reading room was opened in Mr Durand’s house, and was open every clay except Sundays. The subscription was fixed at 20/- yearly, 12/6 halfyearly, and 7/G quarterly, plus an entrance fee. During the year. ISG4 the Government spent £IOO2 on public buildings in the town, £S9S on the Institute, £6 5 9 on the Public Works Office and £4 42 on the Hospital. The Institute cost £I4OO, the foundation stone of it being laid by Governor Sir Arthur Gordon in 18S1. The Provincial Government subsequently withdrew its subsidy, and in 1883 the Institute was £4OO in debt. The Institute languished until 1935, when a scheme for the present Municipal Library was launched and successfully carried into effect, the late Mr Andrew Carnegie giving £3OOO towards the erection of the building. The former Institute building was handed over to the Borough Council. It is not proposed to claim that while Timaru possessed many attractions over those of other towns, it was more law-abiding than others, and a Courthouse was consider'd an essential public building. In ISS7 the old Courthouse was demolished,

and the new building was first occupied in 1 878. In 1871 a new goal was built, the yards being enclosed with corrugated iron first, wails of concrete being afterwards built by the prisoners. There was accommodation for twenty prisoners, and a cell for female offenders. There were those who said when the gaol was opened in 1872, that the chief requirements were a debtor’s ward and a padded cell. DAILY IMPROVEMENTS. In 1864 the improvements widen were daily taking place formed a subject of favourable comment. The streets were being brought up to their proper levels and substantial buildings were being erected in all directions. Among the more prominent of the buildings was Clarkson and Turnbull’s two-storied stoics at

the corner of George Street and the South Road, the cost of this building being £2500. Timaru was classed a municipal district in 1865, and a Borough in 18 68. A good deal of work had been done by 1879 in shaping streets by cutting down the tops of spurs and embanking hollows, forming footpaths and street channels. Attempts had been made to obtain a satisfactory water supply, to displace the disappointing wells of the earlier days, and the iron and concrete tanks of later years. A portion of the present Hospital, the Courthouse, Police Station and a gaol (pulled down in 1912), had been erected. Volunteering was in full swing, artillery, cavalry and rifle corps. Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and Congregational Churches had been built, all of which have been replaced by larger buildings. A Jewish Synagogue was also built, A Mechanics’ Institute, with public subscription library (forerunner of the present public library), was opened. A Masonic Lodge and four Friendly Socioties bad been established. In the last fifteen years of the period the “Timaru Herald” had grown from a small weekly paper, relying on its news from local events and extracts from Home papers, to a tri-weekly stage, and then to a daily. THE DISASTROUS FIRE. Town and port “grew up” together. It was impossible that they should do otherwise. But through floods and fire in the long-to-be-romember-ed year IS6S, the town received a very unwelcome check. For several

days strong nor’-westers bad been blowing. This was in December, and on December 7 in the middle of the afternoon, lire broke out in the northern block of buildings. Timaru at that day had no “brick area,” tho town being built entirely of wood and nearly all the buildings bad shingled roofs. It might also be said that the Timaru of 18 G 8 was what was called a one-eyed town; that is to say, it had only one street in the business centre. This street was about half a mile long. Timaru had not then a fire engine, nor bad it a supply of water to cope with a fire. The result was that the fire spread from the northern to the southern block of buildings, and the buildings on' tho opposite side of the street; at one time the flames threatened to sweep the whole town, and as a matter of fact there was not much of the town left, by that evening. Among,

the buildings destroyed were the Post and Telegraph Offices, and this made it necessary to scud a messenger to oaward, from which place news of the disaster which had overtaken Timaru was telegraphed north and south. £SOO was voted for the relief of sufferers of the fire, but evidently the people of those days had a sturdy independence, and they only accepted £l2O. The total losses amounted to £70,000, while tho insurances totalled £29,810. As a result}! of the fire one Insurance Company received instructions not to take any further risks on wooden buildings in the business part of tho town, or on brick buildings adjacent to wooden ones. Another effect of the fire was to cause rates to be increased by fifty per cent. The buildings destroyed in the fire totalled 39, and the fire- is said to have been caused through a glue pot boiling over the floor of the shed in which this was located being cove re-1 with shavings. Tho premises destroyed included a furniture warehouse and other buildings devoted to the varied activities of the town. Following the fire, the authorities decided to take precautions against a j (-petition of such a disaster, and the then Borough Council passed a by-law providing that all buildings within certain boundaries must be built of brick or stone and roofed with slate, tile, or me.al. The area uhich came u,.dcr this by-law extended from Sefton Street (which runs at the back of tlie Hydro) to Heaton Street, at the south end of (ho town. Buildings in ail other parts were required to have incombustible roofs, and all walls or wooden chimneys were to be filled in with earth or clay. At a public meeting held in 1870, there was a protest against the Council’s building regulations, it being contended that people could not af-