Main Street looking south from Ihakara Gardens. This view in the forties shows the water tower poking up from behind the tall pines on R.N. Spiers' property.
Appeared on page 40 of Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988; the first 100 years.
By 1888 Foxton had become a transport centre of relative importance. A modern railway terminus served both the borough and its fast developing hinterland and the recently rebuilt and extended wharf played host to regular as well as diverse shipping services.
Foxton entered its second 50 years in reasonably good heart, the town was almost fully reticulated with sewerage and water services. Town amenities were in a sound condition, the Town Hall was in use as a picture theatre, the Borough Chambers were in reasonable condition and rates for the year were set at 5 3/4d in the £ with water supply charges of £6 pa.
Among the first settlers in the Te Awahou area was Dr James Best, a nephew of Captain Francis Robinson. He was the only doctor between Wellington and Wanganui in the late 1840's so had a large area to cover.
As well as the flax industry other economic activities, both primary and secondary, trade and service, have been part of the background and character of Foxton.
The histories of many towns in New Zealand are associated with the exploitation of a single resource, so "gold towns", "coal towns" and "timber towns" can be found in many parts of the country. However, there is only one settlement in New Zealand that can be appropriately described as a "flax town" and that is Foxton.
One in a series of eight photographs of Margaret Speirs being awarded life membership of Foxton Historical Society in 1990s. In this photograph Mrs Speirs recieves her certificate from Tony Hunt.
Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”
No matter what the pressure for survival and the commitments on their time, humans always seem to find time for activities that give them enjoyment and relaxation. Many of these are merely extensions of workday tasks (e.g. the farmer in the garden, the housewife knitting), others are solitary (e.g. reading), some are gregarious (e.g. cricket and rugby), while others may be regarded as therapy (e.g. theatre), or even escapism (e.g. the pub). All these, and many more, have their place in the history of Foxton as with other New Zealand towns of the same size.
Survival of sports and recreation organisations has been by no means assured over the last century. There appears to be no one organised activity that has been an unbroken history of activity, not even horseracing, probably the one which has the longest history.
The following people contributed to this book: Tony Hunt, Ken Cassels, May Flynn, Valmae Hayes, Mary Malthus, Ian Matheson, Marjorie Mitchell, Ted Murphy, Margaret Speirs and Jim Titcombe.
Education has seen a change from showing and telling to guiding and questioning. Dr Beeby, a former Director of Education, claimed that from the ever widening and changing curriculum, three things from the present that would remain in the 21st century would be reading, creative activities, and the instilling into children the fact that "all people count".
Additional reading on the history of Foxton.
Society has always had as one of its duties the helping of those in need. Before the advent of the social welfare system this duty fell to organisations such as church groups and lodges.
H. Coley, brother of contractor G. Coley, beside his with Ford taxi at his stand outside Bauckman's store in Clyde Street.
Mr Coley, who was 80 when this photograph was taken, was reputed to be the oldest licensed taxi driver in New Zealand at that time.
Photo used in Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888-1988; the First 100 Years.
Hans Andresen had a carrying business based at his property on the n.w: corner of Union and Johnston Streets.
He had a covered wagon which provided a service from the railway to the Beach.
In this photo from left to right are ? Andresen, Dolly Andresen, Hans Andresen, J.A. Hofmann, Eric, Win, Rhoda, Reg and Mrs Hofmann.
This photo was used in Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888-1988: the First 100 Years.
FLAXMILLS OF FOXTON BOROUGH (1869-1974)
Dates of operation and list of owners
1.
1869 to 1873
Charles James Pownall and Johnston & Co. Ltd.
2.
1888
John Rutherford.
3.
1888 to 1896
John Rutherford.
4.
1889 to 1896
John Rutherford.
5.
1890 to 1898 ("Paretao" mill)
Robert Austin; Austin Brothers (Charles, Herbert, Oliver).
6.
1890 to about 1938 ("Star" mill, later "Ida" mill)
Joseph Bradcock & Messina; Joseph Bradcock & George Coley; George Coley; Manawatu Fibre Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Harry Greig); Whitaunui Ltd. (Harry Greig); Coley Brothers (George and Henry); Ora Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. (A. Ross); Foxton Cordage & Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. (A. Ross); A. King & Co; Carl Johannes (Charles) Petersen; Leonard McCarthy.
7.
1891 to 1908 ("Emu" mill)
Alexander Speirs; Dudson Brothers; King and Baker (Abraham King and Arthur Baker); Gaius Brewer; A.R. Macdonald.
8.
1896 to 1897
John Anderson.
9.
1898 to about 1920
Austin Brothers (Charles and Herbert); Oliver Austin; Coley and Bock (Henry Coley and Walter Bock).
10.
1899 to 1940 ("Awa" mill)
Phillip Joseph Hennessy; William Jupp; Awahou Milling Co. (William Ross); Henry Berry.
11.
1899 to about 1920 ("Kowhai" mill)
Austin Brothers (Charles and Henry); Oliver Austin; Coley and Bock (Henry Coley and Walter Bock).
12.
1899 to about 1931 ("Huia" mill)
Hickson and Reeve (Samuel Hickson and Arthur Reeve); Broad and Reeve (Edmund Broad, Arthur Reeve and Samuel Hickson); Joseph Rose; William Petrie; Huia Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. (A. Ross, Rough and Co. Ltd.).
13.
1902 to about 1931 ("Foxton" mill)
George Coley; Coley and Bock (Henry Coley and Walter Bock); A. King and Co.
14.
1906 to 1940 ("Ora" mill, later part of "Awa" mill)
William Jupp; Manawatu Fibre Manufacturing co. Ltd. (H. Greig); Whitaunui Ltd (H. Greig); Ora Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. (A. Ross); Foxton Cordage and Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. (A. Ross); Henry Berry.
15.
1909 to about 1919 ("Star" mill, commonly known as "the jam
factory")
William Ross and Son Ltd; Foxton Cordage and Flaxmilling Co. Ltd.
16.
1910 to 1940 ("Matipo" mill)
Coley and Bock (Henry Coley and Walter Bock); William Nye; A. Ross, Rough and Co. Ltd; Westwood Bros (Garnet, Reginald and Ernest).
17.
1910 to about 1922 ("Whakapai" mill)
N.Z. Hemp Process and By-Products Co. Ltd.; Whakapai Fibre Co. (Alexander Speirs and Albert Gibbs); Robert McMurray; A. Ross, Rough and Co. Ltd.
(Converted into scutching shed for A. Ross, Rough and Co. Ltd. and later used by Bonded Felts Ltd.)
18.
1916 to 1948 ("Ora" mill)
Originally rope factory owned by William Ross and Son Ltd and Foxton Cordage and Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. Foxton Cordage and Flaxmilling Co. Ltd; A. Ross, Rough and Co. Ltd; N.Z. Woolpacks and Textiles Ltd.
19.
1948 to 1974
N.Z. Woolpack and Textiles Ltd; Stevens-Bremner (N.Z.) Ltd.
Appeared on page 32 of Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988; the first 100 years.
Foxton 1879. Looking north from the southern end of Main Street.
In front is Alexander Gray's original store.
The large building in the centre is the Foxton Family Hotel and to its left T.U. Cook's store built in 1855.
The Government wharf reaches out into the river a little to the north.
Appears on page 27 of Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988; the first 100 years.
This plan, taken from one prepared in 1908, shows the general arrangement of the reclamation and the new station yard completed at Foxton in 1881. An indication of the location of the original tramway is superimposed.
This pictured appeared on page 75 of Tony Hunt’s book: Foxton 1888 – 1988: the first 100 years.
The original Borough Chambers which also included a library and accommodation. It was on the same site as the present Chambers.
This pictured appeared on page 42 of Tony Hunt’s book: Foxton 1888 – 1988: the first 100 years.
The history of Foxton's civic buildings seems appropriate with concerns about their earthquake durability and future.
It appears the first building used by local bodies was the old immigration barracks located where the police station house is today, next to the court house built c1867.
Originally the court house was a wooden building, but by the 1920s it had become pretty decrepit and was replaced in 1929 by the brick building, -which has now been identified as an earthquake risk. The Court was closed in the early 1970s and became the Borough's property. It was used to house the Historical Society's Museum collection, originally in the Memorial Hall's Podmore Room.
In 1878 the Manawatu County Council set up its headquarters in Foxton
and built their office in Liddell Street. It was later used as a residence but destroyed by fire in the 1990s.
Foxton's Service Centre began its life in 1908. It was built as a replacement for the original Borough Council 1908 building, which like so many Foxton buildings, was destroyed by fire. The original building included a library and residential quarters.
A library was not included in the new corrugated iron building that was erected where the entrance to De Molen is today.
When the library went into the then new Memorial Hall in the 1950s, the Foxton Little Theatre used the old library until the 1970s when they moved into St Andrew's Church. The library eventually moved out of the Memorial Hall into its present location in Clyde Street, which had been a residence.
The first public halls in Foxton were not owned by the public but were private concerns. The first, built in the 1870s, was the Athenaeum which stood where the Salvation Army shop is today. Later there was a hall in what is now Hall Street but was originally Loudon Street, This was near the site of the Fire Station. The Borough Council had the Coronation Hall (now Mavtech) built in 1911 but this also met a fiery fate in 1925 and the Town Hall was opened there in 1927.
The renaming of this building with its present title was a mistake as the building was the Town Hall, not another Coronation Hall.
After World War II the town wanted a war memorial of some form and a hall won the 'battle" over a town clock!
The Memorial Hall was then built on the site, incorporating some of the walls of Hamer's Royal Theatre built in 1912 as a movie theatre. That theatre had to be rebuilt in 1929 after, you guessed it, a destructive fire.
The Manawatu that the first European had to come to terms with was one which hand only recently experienced an major upheaval.
The Duncan Street entrance to N.Z. Woolpacks and Textiles factory in the early fifties. Stacks of tow stand to the right while a truck load waits at the weighbridge.
Loading flax out from the New Zealand Shipping Co. store.
Working from left to right are T. East, P. Cresswell, H. Hirini, A. East, K. Hurini.
This photo was used in Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888-1988; The First 100 Years.
There were often military camps held at the racecourse in peace as well as war times. The town often provided entertainment for the soldiers. This photograph shows the basketball (netball) teams on one occasion during the forties.
The local girls were (left to right) Peaches Sim, Elsie Titcombe, May Wolley, Joyce McKenzie, Ngaio Kingi, Beryl Coley, Janey Murphy, Peggy Murphy, Merle Rouse, Maisie Rouse.
Used in Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888-1988; the First 100 Years.
The cast and set of the Little Theatre's production of "Wasn't It Odd" on stage in the Town Hall. The gross takings of £92 was a record for a show put on by the Little Theatre up to then. From left to right the cast is - Ngaire Ross, Keith Smith, Jaynie O'Brien, Joy Summers (now highly successful writer Joy Cowley), Daphne Hunt, Howard Rough, Marjorie Barron, John Rough (who was also the producer), and Joan Hannay.
Picture from page 213 of Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988; the Forst 100 Years.
Foxton Silver Band parades in the streets of Invercargill in 1956.
With Bill Wilkinson as conductor they won the D Grade march and were second in the Hymn section.
From Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988; the First 100 Years.
Above: The Surf Club in its early days. Left to right - G.K. Shaw, G.M. Baird, G. Hirini, L. King, L.J. Thompson, W.J. Barrat, L.G. Robinson, W.F.Hussey, N.S. Wishart, S. Bills.
Used in Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888-1988; the First 100 Years.
A school bus on its side down a bank on Ridge Road in 1965.
Although there was no serious injury the occasion caused much concern among staff, pupils and parents when first reported.
The photo is taken from Tony Hunt's book: Foxton 1888 - 1988: the First 100 years.
Commerce was among the first functions of Te Awahou as a European settlement. The trading and accommodation activities of T.U. Cook became the nucleus of what was to become Foxton township.