Historic West Eyreton
Compiled by Bernard Kingsbury, Cust Museum
Parts of five different pastoral runs were issued in the district by the Canterbury Association between 1851-53. They were north of the Eyre River, Murphy’s “Tara” and Chapman’s “Springbank” and south of it, Dixon’s “Eyrewell”, “Worlingham” and Run No.78.
“Tara” and “Springbank” were bounded by the Chapman’s Boundary and Garterys roads.
Settlers and speculators could select a minimum of 8ha of land from these runs provided they paid the Provincial Government 2 pounds per acre.
The first selection was made in 1862 by Cooke Reynell when he bought 200ha on Pesters Rd. Later in the year John Horrell and his brother Edward bought 160ha on the North Eyre Rd. It is after these Horrell families that the Horrellville district was later named.
By 1870 almost all the land in the district had been freeholded.
West Eyreton was sometimes referred to as “Little Ulster” due to the many Irish settlers living there. Several of these share-cropped the Chapman’s land on “The Ranche”.
1.
This monument erected by the N.Z section of the Vincent H.R.D Owner’s Club was unveiled by Mr T.K Burke, M.P for Rangiora, Easter 1975. It records that this section of the Tram Rd was used on July 2, 1955, to break two motorcycle world speed records on a Vincent 1000cc. The riders were: Russ Wright – Solo Record 185mph; Russ Wright and Bob Burns – Side-car Record 162mph.
2.
“The Ranche” and “Northwood” were originally part of Robert Chapman’s 9300ha “Springbank run”. On his death in 1882 the freeholded land was divided between his four sons who inherited the following:
Walter Chapman received 1490ha which he called “The Ranche”. He built his house in 1885 and it the farm is now known as “Larundel”.
Arthur received 1416ha and he also built a house in 1885 at No. 353 Woodfields Rd. He called his farm “Northwood:.
Robert William received “Lowland Leas”, a 1500ha block on Two Chain Rd. His house has now been replaced.
Edward received the 1416ha homestead block at Springbank. In places on the East side of Chapman’s Boundary Rd the old standard and iron wire boundary fence is still visible.
3.
No. 1221 North Eyre Rd
Formerly a nursery, “Somerset Downs”, established by Richard and Margaret Southcott from a bare nursery in 1980.
4.
No. 1350 North Eyre Rd – “Carunna”
The present house was built in 1927 by Harlow and Jones, Rangiora bricklayers for 1000 pounds. It replaced an earlier one which had been built by John Frizzell after he bought this 25ha of land in 1867. He called his land “Legilley Farm” after his birth place in Dungannan, Ireland.
5.
North Eyre and Downs roads. (south-east corner). West Eyreton Railway Station 1875-1954
A branch line from Kaiapoi through Ohoka and over the Mandeville Plains was opened to West Eyreton on December 27, 1875. The line was extended to join the Oxford branch line at Bennetts Junction on February 1, 1878. The station yard contained an engine shed, stock yards, siding and goods shed with a waiting room and office attached. Now all that remains is the loading bank. The passenger service on the line was stopped in 1931.
On the corner of Downs Rd is a former railway gangers house. This was also used as a Post Office between 1876-1883. Another railway house was situated to the south of the present one. It also was the Post Office 1892-1902 and 1909-19.
6.
Earlys and North Eyre roads (North-East corner) West Eyreton Hall and War Memorial
The hall was built by a local builder E. Rinaldi for 180 pounds and opened in 1897 as a Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Memorial. For a time it also housed a library, rifle range and Play Centre. It was enlarged on both sides of the hall in 1992.
As a 1914-18 War Memorial, an arch gateway was erected at the hall and this was unveiled in 1922 by the Rt Hon Bill Massey, the then Prime Minister. Electric power was turned on at the hall in 1929 at a function to celebrate power to the district.
7.
Earlys and North Eyre roads (North-West corner) West Eyreton
An old Road Board and Eyre County Council 4ha shingle reserve. Planted in oak trees and now subdivided with houses. Two immigrant houses 6m by 3m were built in the reserve in 1874 by the Road Board. Both were later shifted to local farms. The house on the corner was built for their council workers. Washington Place was named after one of these employees, George Washington.
8.
No. 119 Earlys Rd, “Eyreton Lea” Woolshed
Was the first St David’s Presbyterian Church at Cust 1885-1934 and shifted to this site prior to the subsequent church being built.
9.
The West Eyreton Store, Downs Rd and North Eyre roads (South-West Corner)
This was built for Marmaduke Dixon about 1890 and was situated right on the corner. In 1907 a telephone bureau connected to the Cust Post Office was added. This continued until 1922 when the installation of party household telephones connected to the Cust Manual Exchange began. The storekeepers house served as a Post Office 1888-1892.
By the 1960s only a few grocery lines were sold as well as Shell petrol from a pump on the roadside. The last storekeeper W. Jackson also had a taxi service for local residents.
10.
Downs Rd – Blacksmith and Wheelwright Shop 1881-1920s
This business was situated south of the store and was established by Henry Carter in 1881 and then taken over by George Martin in 1887. He was also a storekeeper and shoe maker running the store next door. He made tools such as hoes, mattocks and grubbers as well as 13 different-sized, weighted and shaped gorse knives. After Martin shifted to Kaiapoi around 1908 the business continued with several other smitheys until the 1920s. Martin’s wheelwright was Edward Rinaldi, a carpenter who lived west of the store on the North Eyre Rd.
11.
No. 1055 Downs Rd – The Kauri House
Built for Adam Smith who shifted from Fernside after the 1868 flood. It remained in the family until 1960. This house with dormer windows is typical of several other houses built in the district. The house is said to have been built of Kauri timber, unlike most of that period which are built of local Oxford native timber.
12.
No. 2024 South Eyre Rd – “Eyrewell”
In 1853 Marmaduke Dixon, a master mariner, took up just under 9000ha which he called “Eyrewell” after the 25m well he had sunk there. The block ran between the Eyre and Waimakariri rivers, being mostly light kanuka scrub country. The family later bought the “Dagnam” and “Burnt Hill” blocks and by 1890 “Eyrewell” comprised nearly 20,000ha.
Dixon’s son, also called Marmaduke, added most of the “Worlingham” run. In 1927 another son added 930ha of “Wai-iti” to the property. Although the first Maramduke Dixon was active in central and local bodies and various community projects he is probably best remembered for the border dyke irrigation system he established on his farm from the Waimakariri River in 1891.
13.
No. 1479 North Eyre Rd
Site of McDowell’s house (now demolished) which was a Post Office 1888-1892/1902-1909/1919-1920.
14.
No. 1510 North Eyre Rd – Borman’s House
- No. 1575 North Eyre Rd “Hambeldon”
Former farm of R. Dawson and now owned by the Macdonald family. For a time the kennels for the hounds of the Brackenfield Hunt were situated here, to the south of the main house.
16.
North Eyre Rd – West Eyreton Domain
Adjoining the school ground to the east, this domain land was purchased in 1923. The sports pavilion was shifted in the domain to beside the tennis courts in 1996.
17.
North Eyre and School roads (South-East corner) West Eyreton School
Opened in September 1872, the first building was replaced in 1935 with a double class-roomed building. This has now been remodelled and the school has additional classrooms and associated buildings.
18.
North Eyre and School roads (North-East corner)
Site of a former West Eyreton Road Board House and office. North of the office and to the south of the creek a Coronation Swimming Bath was built in 1910. This bath, 30m x 10m was replaced in 1964 by a 15m by 5m learners pool at the school.
19.
No. 501 Pesters Rd – “Riverside”
Present house built about 1900 by Colin McIntosh. To the west of this house in the yard was the site of Edward Pester’s house, after whom the road is named.
20.
No. 424 Pesters Rd “Worlingham” homestead.
The first holder of the “Worlingham” run of 5860ha was Thomas Kestevan, who named it after a village near Beccles, England, where his mother was born. He freeholded only two small sections of the run in 1866. Sometime between 1873 and 1890 the homestead was shifted to its present site near the Waimakariri River. At one time about 6500 sheep were shorn annually at “Worlingham”. The homestead was lived in from 1894 by Marmaduke Dixon’s daughter and Major Percy Johnson.
21.
No. 1821 North Eyre Rd – “Kilmore”
Former home of the Fred Horrell family who called their farm “Crediton”.
22.
North Eyre Rd (East of Poyntz corner) Horrelville Flag Station
A small shelter was situated on the south side of the road for passengers. Stockyards were situated in the small station yard on the corner of the other side of the road. Later the train turned around on a triangle through nearby paddocks, after the line closed between Horrelville and Bennetts in 1932. The last train to Horrelville was in 1954.
23.
Poyntz Corner – Union Church and Sunday School (North-East corner)
The first Methodist Church, which later became a Sunday School, was opened in 1880 and cost 140 pounds to build. It was replaced by the present concrete church alongside in 1956. In 1972 the Horrelville Methodist Church became part of the Oxford District Union Parish.
24.
No. 1306 Poyntz Rd
This house on the corner was also the Horrelville Post Office 1878-1885/1910-1924. Former home of J.E Horrell.
25.
No. 1304 Poyntz Rd
Old cottage shifted from “Moore Barton” No. 1894 North Eyre Rd
26.
Poyntz Rd – Eyre River Bridge
Opened in 1983, as this road was seen as the preferred route for timber cartage from the Eyrewell Forest to the Canterbury Timber Products Mill at Ashley. The Eyre River was named after Edward John Eyre 1815-1901 who was appointed Lieutenant Government of New Munster (South Island) 1848-1953. He was under the control of Governor General Sir George Grey.
No. 27
This forest was established after the government bought just under 7000ha of poor scrub country to the north of the Waimakariri River. Most of the forest was planted during the first years 1928-1931.
A fire in 1940 destroyed 485ha. By 1952 the Eyrewell State Forest had grown to 17,350ha and in that year 302,000 cubic feet of timber was cut from it.
Winds in 1945 and 1964 damaged large areas of trees and a further 2000ha was severely damaged, though a high percentage of the wood was salvaged.
New forest stands were planted in the form of “stepped wedge” consisting of strips with their long axis at right angles to the north-west and parallel to the next strong wind, the south-westerly.
On August 1, 1975, most of the original forest which had escaped damage in 1964 was windthrown by the biggest gale ever recorded on the Canterbury Plains. The winds exceeded 92 knots (170km per hour) and the windthrown area was 1767ha. Two fire breaks one kilometre wide in a north-west direction were created in after 1964 to improve fire safety. These were subsequently farmed, as is the remainder of the old forest.
No. 28
A wooden fire tower was situated on Poyntz Rd near Worlingham Drive and this was replaced with a steel tower in a more central position in the forest near Downs Rd.
29.
The single men’s cookhouse later became “Eyre Lodge” and most of the 10 married worker’s house were removed from the village. One of these houses was used by the Warren schoolmaster until that school closed in 1992.
30.
No. 126 Sheats Rd – “Somerset”
This farm was purchased by Stephen Sheat in 1865 and named after his birthplace. His old orchard is visible to the south of the yard. The Hawthorn hedges of Horrelville originate from seedlings he bought out with him from England.
31.
Wolffs Rd – Historic Suspension Bridge Foot Bridge over the Eyre River. Listed Waimakariri District Plan.
This bridge was built by the Wolff family after the Second World War for access across the river during flooding. It was the only crossing for many in 1951 when both the top Oxford bridge and lower Mandeville bridges were washed out by floodwater. It was often used by the residents at Eyrewell Forest camp, especially for their mail, milk and provisions. Other users included children who attended West Eyreton School. The alternative was a long detour through Oxford or down to East Eyreton.
32.
Wolffs Rd – Waimakariri-Ashley Water Supply Syphon
The main race syphon under the Eyre River carrying water from the Browns Rock intake replaced a earlier wooden flume. This was above the river and subject to damage from flooding. A plaque situated a few hundred metres from the swing bridge on the south bank records its completion in 1913, the names of the then members of the board and also the builder.
