Railway Station Summary

THE NAPIER RAILWAY STATION is an old wooden building standing on piles, with an asphalt platform, and contains the stationmaster’s office, chief clerk’s room, a parcel room, booking room and public office, luggage room, a ladies waiting room. There is also a goods shed and office, engine sheds and workshops. Ten trains leave daily for the south, including the Express. Passengers carried during the year 1905 numbered about 80,000.

CLIVE (p.440):
Clive is a prosperous township on the south side of the Ngaruroro River, and is connected by a bridge with the railway station at Farnden [Farndon], on the opposite side of the river.

HASTINGS: P. 451:
THE Hastings Railway Station was opened in the year 1874. The station buildings contain the usual offices and appointments; there is a fine asphalt platform, and also considerable yard accommodation. MR C.A. HEALD is the Stationmaster-in-charge.

TE AUTE: P. 482:
Te AUTE is a farming district situated 27 miles south from Napier, on the main south railway line… there is a railway station and refreshment rooms,…Te Aute college…short distance from the next station on the line. Pukehou.

KAIKORA NORTH: p. 488:
Kaikora North is situated…36 miles from Napier on the Wellington line of railway…The railway station is often a scene of great activity, as several thousands of sheep are frequently trucked from Kaikora North to other station, or to the various freezing works…

WAIPAWA: p. 497:
WAIPAWA…is situated on the northern bank on the Waipawa river, 39 miles south by rail from Napier…C.R. BAINES (498) BORN 1844 WIDDINGTON, ESSEX, ENGLAND came to N.Z. 1876 to Hawkes Bay became Railway Contractor Involved in cuttings on lines between Te Aute and Waipawa and between Takapau and Ormondville.

TIKOKINO p. 509:
TIKOKINO formerly known as Hampden…13 miles from the nearest Railway station (Waipawa)… The railway line from Napier to Wellington was originally intended to run through the township …MANSON & CO…The Giwavas [Gwavas] mill was established in November 1904…There are over 4 miles of tramway leading from the mill to the bush, over which a converted traction engine hauls the heavy logs…The Attic or Top Mill…7 miles from Tikokino was established in the year 1901…there is a tramway extending for nearly 2 miles into the bush…

WAIPUKURAU . 516:
WAIPUKURAU, the centre of a large sheep – raising country, is a township situated on the main line of railway, 5 miles south from Waipawa and 44 miles south by rail from Napier…MR CECIL WHITING SEYMOUR was employed for 14 years chiefly as the manager of the railway refreshment rooms which he took over in the early part of 1905.

MR P. GOW (p.523)…received a contract from the Government to cut railway bridge timber required for the line between Waipukurau and PukiPuki (should it be PakiPaki?).

HATUMA p 528:
HATUMA is a farming settlement in Waipawa county, situated on the railway line, 48 miles south-west from Napier.

TAKAPAU p. 528:
TAKAPAU..is..on the main line of railway 57 miles south-west from Napier. The business of the post and telegraph office and other Government departments is conducted at the railway station.

ORMONDVILLE p. 533:
ORMONDVILLE is a rising township…66 miles by rail from Napier…A deep gorge traverses the district north of the township, and is spanned by a large steel railway bridge. Saw milling was at one time carried on near the township,…The business of the post and telegraph office is conducted at the railway station. Ormondville owing to it’s high altitude, is a favourite summer resort.

MAKOTUKU p. 538:
MAKOTUKU is situated 68 miles south by rail from Napier,…The post, telegraph and money order office is conducted at the railway station.

DANNEVIRKE p. 539:
DANNEVIRKE a thriving town in Southern Hawke’s Bay and the centre of a large saw-milling district in the 40 mile bush, is situated on the Napier-Wellington railway, 79 miles south from Napier…the settlers were employed at splitting railway sleepers for the Government at 1/3d per sleeper, less 3d royalty. During this time rows of sleepers, 2 miles long and from 10 to 12 feet high were to be seen on the road side, from which fact the settlement came to be known at “sleepertown”…the Borough has…and a fine railway station.

MR ANGUS MACKAY B.1820 NOVA SCOTIA (P544)…In 1873 Mr Mackay returned to N.Z. to inspect, for Messrs Brogden & Sons the bridge on the Picton – Blenheim line. He then went to New Plymouth to manage the construction of the line between Sentry Hill and Inglewood for the contractors Messrs Henderson & Davis…entered bridge building on his own account…at Clive over the Ngaruroro river and he was subsequently employed as an inspector of the railway under construction between Woodville & Matamau. In 1883 settled in Dannevirke…

HENRY GRAHAM (b. 16-9-1858 at Lyttleton [Lyttelton]) joined railway service as a shunter. At 18 years of age was transferred to Brunner where he worked for 6 years. He was then transferred to Christchurch and 12 months later to Napier where he worked in the shunting yard till May 1900 when he severed his connection with the department.

MR T.P. FIRMAN: B. GISBORNE 1869 (P. 747): Entered Railway service and rose to position of Stationmaster – Stationed at Chertsey – Te Aro – Carterton – Marton Junction resigned.

JAMES FRASER: B. MARLBOROUGH JUNE 1876 (P. 746) Grocery trade for a while. Was Guard in Greytown until June 1904. Resigned.

MR C.B. HOADLEY (P. 373) Worked for Brogden & Sons 1872 until firm went to Germany.

MR W. NORRELL: B. 13-9-1860 (P.723) Worked on London

ASHHURST P. 716:
Ashhurst is a rising township in the centre of a saw milling district, 9 miles from Palmerston North and 96 miles north by rail from Wellington.

WOODVILLE P. 568:
WOODVILLE is situated 95 miles from Napier, and 105 miles from Wellington on the main line of railway, and is 3 miles distant from the Manawatu Gorge. Woodville is also an important central railway junction, as it connects the East and West coast railroads.

PAHIATUA P.717:
PAHIATUA is a rising township 107 miles north-east by rail from Wellington. The completion of the railway through to Woodville and Napier advanced the interests of Pahiatua. When Main Street was laid off it was expected that the railway would be laid down the centre, but this was not carried out and the railway station is at Scarborough, 2 miles from the town

EKETAHUNA P. 726:
EKETAHUNA is a rising township on the Makakahi river, 89 miles north-east by rail from Wellington.

CARTERTON P. 743:
CARTERTON is a prosperous township about 9 miles south from Masterton, on the main line of railway and 58 miles from Wellington

GREYTOWN P. 749
The town is situated 54 miles north-east from Wellington and has a branch line from Woodside, on the main railway line.

FEATHERSTON P. 753:
FEATHERSTON is a prosperous township and town district, situated at the foot of the Wairarapa Valley, 46 miles north-east by rail from Wellington. The business of the post and telegraph with all the usual branches is conducted at the railway station.

HAWKES BAY PROVINCIAL DISTRICT (p. 295):

The chief means of transit and transport is, of course, the Napier-Wellington railway, which runs for about 100 miles within the limits of the district. Alongside the railway there is an excellent road which was made before the rails were laid down. For a long time past an agitation has been carried out in Hawkes Bay for the construction of a railway that should connect the Gisborne and East Coast country, with the Bay OF Plenty and also with Rotorua. Already a railway has been started from Gisborne, in the direction of Motu, and it has been carried past Ormond to Te Karaka, 18 miles in all. The completion of this line would, of course, vastly improve the prospects of the district. But the East Coast-Rotorua railway is already (1906) one of the greatest public projects before the people of the North Island and it will soon assume the importance that should rightly attach to a scheme of such great colonial utility.

THE NAPIER MUNICIPAL ABATTOIR (p. 310):
Is situated on the railway line at Awatoto, about 3 miles from Napier.