FROM TUSSOCK TO TOWN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIV, Issue 22633, 13 July 1943, Page 6

FROM TUSSOCK TO TOWN

Growth Of Timaru History Of Borough Te Maru the Maoris called this place. The meaning of the name has been lost to history, but it is presumed it was so named because it was the only place of shelter for their canoes between Dunedin and Akaroa and because cabbage trees grew in abundance here. Maori tradition tells us that the first occupants of this district were a race of giants known as the Kabul Tipua. Then came the Wai-taha tribe who sailed across the great sea of Kiwa (Pacific Ocean) in the Arawa canoe and settled here about the year 1477. A century later came a wave of conquest when the Ngati-mamoes exterminated and enslaved the Wai-tahas. Peace followed for another century when the Ngai-tahus repeated history and practically exterminated the Ngati-mamoes. Canterbury’s constant companion, the northwest wind, was responsible for preventing the first white man who Sighted the coast of South CanterburyCaptain James Cook-from securing a sight of the clay cliffs of Timaru. His ship drifted 30 miles to the south before he sighted the Hunter Hills, near the mouth of the Waltaki River.

In the early part of the 19th century, whaling was in the boom and whaling stations were being established all along the coast of New Zealand. Weller Brothers had already established whaling stations at Banks Peninsula and Otago. They, too, like the Maoris, found it convenient to have a shelter midway along the long coastline between these two places, so they selected the same spot as that of the Maoris Te Maru. In 1838 the whaling station was established, but whalers are doers rather than writers, thus all too little is known of that early whaling station. But it is known that the ship Caroline came to deliver stores at that bay, and so the place came to be known as Caroline Bay. It is also known that Sam Williams was steersman at this stationa fact of historic sequence. Edward Shortland, “Protector of the Aborigines in the Colonial Government of New Zealand,” travelled this way on official duties in 1844, and his is the first recorded description of South Canterbury. Appropriately enough he entered the district, via the Waitaki River, to be greeted by a north west wind which, he says “all along this coast is strangely hot, dry and oppressive.” Shortland then made a prophecy of which this century has seen a remarkably accurate fulfilment. He said. “We may however carry on the imagination to another century when this now desert country will no doubt be peopled when the plains will be grazed on by numerous flocks of sheep and the streams, now flowing idly through remote valleys, will be compelled to perform their share of labour in manufacturing wool.” Fertile Land But for the fact that their surveyor quarrelled with his Maori guides about the fee he should pay for his trip, Timaru and not Dunedin might have become the centre for the Free Church of Scotland settlement. Tuckett, the surveyor, was told by the Maoris “and others from whom I made subsequent inquiries, that the land adjacent to the river Timaru was the most fertile on this line of coast.” Had Tuckett seen this district, it is likely that he might have decided on this spot as the place of settlement for the Scottish immigrants. Others, too, were hearing of the fertile qualities of this land. Sam Williams, the former whaler on Caroline Ban t°ld George Rhodes at Akaroa thaj, there was a great tract of sheep country that extended inland from his •Tormer whaling station. Rhodes came to see and returned to assemble 5,000 sheep to stock the new land. In 1851 came the first settler to Timaru— George Rhodes, to be followed by his wife, Elizabeth Rhodes, In 1854. Bhe was the first white woman to cross the Canterbury plains and theirs was the first home in South Canterbury. This house was built at the foot of George Street near where Dalgety’s store now stands. Their station, named “Levels”, in honour of the Rhodes’ home in Yorkshire, extended from the Opihi to the Pareora River and from the sea to the snowy ranges. On the trail of the Rhodes’, other; squatters soon followed. In 1853 William Hornbrook took up the Arowhenua block, then came Michael Studholma to? Waimate, the Macdonald Brothers to‘ Orari, Alfred Cox to Raukapuka, Innis, io Pareora. Jeannie Collier to Otatot and Tripp and Acland to Sit. PeeL; Within four yean the whote of South Canterbury had been taken up by ru»< •hqkler*. , , ■fids opening up of the country meant lire dev >pr it of a town. The Waitaki, Rangltata, and Rakalarivers ■were effective barriers to the taking of ' wool by buDock waggons to ettber Christchurch or Dunedin. As the Maoris, and the whalers found, Te*. Maru—the shipping cove—must be* their port. Round this shelter ftia, town of Tlinaru grew up. . .. Tn those early days, the work of load-. ine and unloading ships that stood out, to sea had to be done by the stationowners themselves. But the Provino’ ial Government had faith in the town-, ship of the future, so in 1866 the site’ for this future town was surveyed. And , the work was done with mathematical, precision, with each street receiving an appreciate name. For example, it' was only logical that the most northern strast should be named North Street,, and so it was. This street ran alongside the fence of the Rhodes shearing *, ■paddock, while Alexandra Square was to be the market place. , Captain Cain was the first man to set rgpAbop. Like the early eastern traders* ha ifispiayed his wares on a tarpaulin, vy «iy and slept under the tarpaulin tw night. In May, 1859, he and R 1, EMOhd opened the first landing service, > and later in the year Captain Belfield, MSoUcactoe came to take up the multi-! fiNtons duties pt resident Magistrate,; ixtonwfea, regiStrar of electors, births,! ifaniteeto Mid drefiia. and also bar-' Sjgmvu Batn nOtams also retarn-i sii r to Ms wtirftag haunts to be mine: tost st the Timaru Accommodation Hrkisfi.. tte JOHafig tteJßhptisat

Coming of Immigrants The arrival of the Strathallan in 1859 with 120 immigrants assured the establishment of the embryo township. After the site of the township had been surveyed by the Government, the Rhodes brothers had purchased for £lBO two sections which extended from North Street to Wai-iti Road and from the sea to just north of Grey Road. The best laid plans oft go awry, and in this instance it certainly applied to the Government plans, for in spite of all official inducements, the emigrants continued to settle on the Rhodes sections or Rhodestown as it came to be known This battle of sites lasted for, years but public taste was eventually too strong and the Government was compelled to abandon its own site and purchase sections for public buildings in Rhodestown. Wherever Englishmen settle, they found a club and a newspaper. This was certainly the case in the new settlement for on June 11, 1864, .South Canterbury's first newspaper “The Timaru Herald” was born, to “confidently and respectfully appeal for aid in an undertaking which, if properly conducted, must become one of the widest benefits to Timaru and the whole Southern- district.” The need for communication with Christchurch was being strongly felt. The rough bullock track that had served until now had outreached its usefulness, and this year the Timaru Road Board called for tenders for the formation of a portion of the Great South Road. Continued agitation for self-govern-

ment resulted in the passing of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works Act by the General Assembly. This Board was responsible for the era of public works expansion, although it was not until nearly 20 years after the arrival of the first immigrants that Timaru was connected with Christchurch by rail. In 1884 the branch line to Fairlie was completed, and in 1877 tile branch line to Waimate was in operation. But the demand for more self-govern-ment continued and this was partly appeased by the creation of Timaru asa borough on July 13, 1868. with Mr S. Hewlings being elected as first Mayor. This year is memorable in Timaru for another event of less happy significance. Timaru Fire By this time the business portion of the community consisted of a series of wooden, shingle-roofed shops that straggled along Stafford Street. Early in December of that year a fire started in Munro’s furniture shop (next to the Empire Hotel). Before long a nor'west wind swept the fire, defied only by a bucket brigade, right along the street to the present site of the Theatre Royal. The wind suddenly changed to a southerly. and the fire doubled back on its tracks to wreak destruction on the other side of the street. Within two Jjours the business portion of Timaru , was wiped out, leaving the townsfolk to gaae on the embers of the worst fire in i ibe history of this town. Such a tragedy , stimulated interest in fire prevention. ; iA fire Brigade was formed and the first Angina arrived in 1870. Side by side with the growth of the town went the development of improved gWpplng facilities, and with it the sad ■tary of many wrecks which brought ato the port. Such a conunun- ■ OT was not to be deterred by difficulties which must be overcome in conkkracting an artificial harbour and first .steps in the making of a breakwater Was gone on with in 1870. The second IMCtkon of the breakwater was com- ; menped in 1879 and the third section I In 188 L Completion of the Marine ' JWrade tn 1890 gave Timaru a harbour • of 50 acres and the building of the * ’Evans extension in 19X4 made this ’ ‘harbour one of the safest in the South- . era Hemisphere. The story of the 1 Harbour is still the story of expansion i and improvement, for the present work ; ‘on the breakwater should further enhance the prestige of the port of i Timaru. The convertion of Caroline Bay (from a shingle beach into one of the , most popular bathing resorts tn the ‘Dominion was one of the unexpected • results of the building of the Marine Tarada. , Water Supply The water supply to the town has * ‘been a source of controversy right up to tile present time. Wells sunk in i waeious parts of the town perforce i (sewed the needs of the first settlers, i and af times water was carted round < town and sold by the bucketful. It i was not until 1881 that the Pareora 1 Mater supply scheme was completed at ! B il*9* 9* £60,000 and this has served the ( needs of the town until recent times, i WMb such fertile back country to 1 MBport K fw growth of Timaru was qp’d solid, but the breaking-up sudden.

fillip. The change brought a revolution in agricultural methods and the impetus it gave Timaru lasted a decade converting it from a provincial town to within an ace of being a city. The years between 1895 and 1914 may be described as the golden age of this district for war, slumps and war again largely halted the rapid progress made in the early years of the century. Perhaps the greatest development in Hie post-war period was the usage of electricity. In 1915 the Timaru Borough Council bought out the private plant of Scott Brothers; power was later obtained from Lake Coleridge but it was the completion of the Waitaki power station in 1934 that marked the commencement of the “electrical age” of this district. The era which is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Edward Shortland made one hundred years previously that “the streams, now flowing idly through remote valleys wall be compelled to perform their share of labour."’ After nigh a century of endeavour and 75 years as a Borough, this town has reason to be proud of its history and every Timaruvian can rightly claim, “I am a citizen of no mean jetty/