This resource is to record and preserve the heritage of the Selwyn District of New Zealand. Below you will find the most recently changed topics, to the right are some interesting ways to browse our colelctions and above there are some categories and topics to choose that may help you begin to explore Selwyn. Please sign up for an account to begin adding to our material and preserving your own history.
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The firm of John Mclean and Sons were the original contractors for the tunnel. In 1907 they were the largest firm of contractors in New Zealand and Neil and Murdoch were reputed to be amongst the country's wealthiest men. While Murdoch went to England to purchase the necessary equipment, Neil built settlements at each end of the proposed tunnel to house the hundreds of workers. After he return Murdoch established himself at the Otira end while Neil began digging from the Canterbury side.
Mclean and Sons had previously had an excellent record of labour relations; during more than 40
DARFIELD'S BIG DAY QUEEN CLAIMANTS AND A THRONE
Darfield, the pleasant little township which is distant, from Christchurch by about two hours' train journey, is having the most exciting time of its life to-day. To say that Darfield is en fete would be a tame and commonplace way of expressing its real condition. The whole district, its off-shoots and neighbours, have laid themselves out to have such an orgy of patriotic money-making as never was, and since June, (when the idea of holding a •patriotic fete first took definite shape) plans have been growing, and developing, and maturing in a
