Pourakino Valley and District History

24/04/2025

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

21/02/2025

Good afternoon folks!

This photo of a group of Granity School pupils -with whom is presumably their teacher in the background has been sent to me by Lisl Prendergast.

This was in a box of photos given to her by a cousin -whom is connected with the Hannan family.

From my brief research on Papers Past and eHive there were members of the Hannan family whom worked at More's Mill.

Can anyone identify any of the children or the teacher?
Year is unknown.

Many thanks!

24/09/2024

Can anyone help? 🤔

Ōtautau Railway Station History - from early days to pre-removal and after restoration: Photo 1 - Donated by Maria Eade, Public Domain Image Photo 2 - Kindly gifted to early Ōtautau history book project, copyright to the late Ron Eden (taken 1987) and used with permission. Photos 3 - 5 Engraved ma...

04/07/2023

Fantastic work Andre, Faye and Royden! ❤❤❤

Words of quilted comfort to convalescing soldiers during WW1 from the good people of Otautau have been returned to the town more than a century after they were dispatched.

31/07/2022

"Mike Carran: The Story Behind A Mighty Axeman" will be launched on Saturday August 13th 2022 at The Thornbury Vintage Museum.
Copies will be available throughout Southland at "Paper Plus" stores.

The late legend of New Zealand bushcraft has been honoured in a fresh biography.

30/03/2022

Our "hidden" gem! 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/southlandapp/photos/a.371260429974/10151472011504975/?type=3

The Longwoods: Discovering Southland’s hidden gem. https://southlandapp.nz/news/news/the-longwoods-discovering-southlands-hidden-gem?id=62425121ec443c11af53339d

18/02/2022

Morning folks!

Follow this link for some fascinating photos and items to explore amongst the collection held at Te Hikoi in Riverton!

It is the responsibility of the eHive Account Holder to gain copyright clearance for any images or content published on eHive. If you are concerned about the copyright status for any content in eHive or would like more information on using or ordering copies of content, please contact the Account Ho...

01/01/2022

30/09/2021

WITH more than five years dedicated to researching the early history of Otautau and surrounds, historian, archivist and researcher Suzie Best is keen to hear from people who have any information about the area.

Best was still deep in the research process for her book — Between River & Stream: Tale of a Town that Shouldn’t Have Been (First 50 Years of Otautau — Book 1), Bush Tracks & Bullocks and was keen to hear from families who had descended from the earliest settlers in the township.

These included the Campbell, Cassels, Dodds, Lawson, Lynch, McDonald, McIvor, Newsome, Price, Quin, Small, Smith, Tilyard and Walker families.

She was particularly interested in family stories, photographs of people and the area, and early maps.

So far, she had at least 25 thick folders full of information.

Part of reason to write the book was to help preserve the important early history of the area, she said.

It was while working at the Otautau Museum about five years ago when she was inspired to take on the enterprise.

“People kept asking about the early history… but I noticed what was written didn’t correlate with what I knew.

“It evolved from there… with me going back to the early records to find out.”

She also hoped the book would be used as a resource for people to use and build their own knowledge base and add their own personal stories to.

Subjects varied from pre-European to pioneer settlers, first run holders and stations to towns and trades, religions, healthcare, education and recreation.

Best also acknowledged Murray and Gaye Campbell who had offered to edit the book.

“Murray was also a descendent of the first people to build a residential house in Otautau.”

She hoped pre-orders for her book would be available mid-2022 with publication to coincide with the 150 years of Otautau township celebrations being organised by Otautau Promotions for December next year.

Proceeds from book sales would go to historical groups and institutions which also preserved the early history of Western Southland, such as Waiau Library, Otautau Museum and Riverton’s Te Hikoi Museum, she said.

Having gleaned so much information, Best hoped to produce a second volume, which would focus on residents and railways.

Best can be contacted via email – [email protected] or by phoning 027 211 4675.

WITH more than five years dedicated to researching the early history of Otautau and surrounds, historian, archivist and researcher Suzie Best is keen to hear from people who have any information about the area. Best was still deep in the research process for her book — Between River & Stream: Tale...

25/06/2021

Does anyone have any information that could assist Suzie with the compilation of this book? 🤗

https://www.facebook.com/TaleOfATown/

Early History of Ōtautau Book Project – PROJECT UPDATE 20/6/21:

Currently, help is needed from the community to finish this book.
Several years ago, I started on researching, collating and writing material for the above book (now book’s), after working on town history and finding little on early Ōtautau. It soon became evident information was sparse and it was not well referenced. On my attempting to get evidence to back up all the previously reported early history of the town, I uncovered something quite different...

So, rather than the town ‘growing up’ in the 1860’s as was written, I found that when the surveyors came here in 1872, there was only 1 property recorded on their Township Survey that had been built on. This was on land in the Aparima Hundred, which held the Ōtautau Accommodation House and stables. It was always my hope the 1872 Survey would be commemorated, so my thanks to Ōtautau Promotions Committee who are currently organizing that. But this book project now needs to be complete in time for a 2022 event. The first book is now going to be purely on the early history of the Township of Ōtautau itself, with subsequent books due to also be released later, dealing with the early history of the whole district.

All my time doing this project is donated and I’ve also arranged for any profits made on the eventual sale of the book, to go back to those historical groups in the district who contributed, as it is purely a community project. So help from the community is appreciated!

On finding that in 1879, (pre-Railway), only nine occupied houses were in the township, after thousands of hours cross-checking Government records, I have now narrowed the earliest inhabitants of the Ōtautau Township as being from these following families, listed below. So can anyone who is a descendant or who can help with family details or early photos, please get in contact. Let’s all work together to make this book happen:
Campbell
Cassels
Dodds
Lawson
Lynch
(possibly) McDonald
McIvor
Newsome
Price
Quin
Small
Smith
Tilyard
Walker
These families were the earliest settlers in the township that I found, who I now need photos or more info for. If you can help, please contact Suzie - email: [email protected] or ph: 027-211-4675.

I am needing more family information and also photos of our first residents, or if you have any early town photos, etc., or early invoices from your ancestors, that you are prepared to share to help tell our town's story, this would be fabulous. I would also like to find others with computer skills who can help with research, both online and searching through other early historical documents and early writings of the area. Please let me know if you can help at all.

29/05/2021

An interesting wee snippet! 🙂

What & Where?......the former Aparima Dairy Factory on the Riverton to Otautau Highway..........Sunday 20/09/2020.