Thanks to what has been stolen by the earthquakes, it is really hard to recognise where this photo (top left) was taken…trust me, I was standing there and couldn’t believe the changes all around me and I knew the street well. Embedded into the very pavement is a plaque acknowledging the spot where the very …
Before discussing James Townsend, one must know the story of a young settler, who had just made his way down the Bridle Path in 1851 and made note of who had been the first real European settler (quite a noble title for a dead man!) in what would become Ferrymead. Jutting out of from the …
When driving down Ferry Road, heading east through what is regarded as Woolston Village, I always find myself seeking out a building that I simply know as “…the Catherine Street…” abode and the fact that embedded in its walls, is the road sign for Catherine Street makes it even more intriguing. Now the home of …
Love this! This photo is looking towards Heathcote Valley in 1864. The track in the middle of this image is Ferry Road and the zig-zag path heading up the hill to the left is the Bridle Path!
So, what happened once you got over The Bridle Path? In 1851, Thomas Hugh started the first ferry service across the Heathcote River. A small punt would be pulled by a few ropes across the water, carrying people, their worldy belongings and even at times, a coach and the horses too. Once across, a customs …
Thomas John Edmonds was born in Poplar, London in the year 1858. As a young man he worked for a several different confectioneries where he learnt the mixing of different kinds of cooking powders. It was here that Thomas began to get ideas about making his own baking powder. In 1879, Thomas married Jane Irvine …
