Record
August 13 2014
Your Local Dealership
The
Further AvonGo City Ford
‘The voice of your community’
Cnr Main South Rd & Epsom Rd Sockburn | Christchurch P 03 348 4129 or 0800 655 551 Rangiora Service Centre | 78 Ivory Street P 03 313 7059 | avoncityford.co.nz
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Railway link restored by Belinda Cullen-Reid
The almost forgotten Whitecliffs rail line, which branched off from the main line at Darfield and extended through to the Malvern Hills, has been brought back to life.
Farming life to be celebrated
A celebration of farming life and farm machinery in Selwyn has been added to the calendar of events …
Brigade marks milestones and recognises supporters
P4
P6
The old Homebush railway station has found a new home in Westview Park in Darfield, thanks to the work of men like, from left: Don Chambers, Brian Marsh and Jack Blair.
Hazelnuts a growing business
Former North Otago sheep and beef farmer Alan Mathewson had a retirement dream …
P8
To preserve the history of the Whitecliffs line which ran from 1875 to the 1960s, the Darfield Township Committee has laid a section of railway track and relocated the old railway station from Homebush to Westview Park in Darfield. “The tracks were pulled up 50 years ago. The new piece of track is placed exactly where the old one was, facing towards Whitecliffs,” Don Chambers of
the Darfield Township Committee said. “When we dug up the area for the track we found old sleepers. The remnants of the old track were still there. We knew we’d found the right spot.” A points lever has been placed near the new piece of track, sourced from the Russel Williams Museum in Darfield. “The points lever signifies that it was a branch line, off the main trunk line,” Mr Chambers said.
PROVIDING WATER SUPPLY SOLUTIONS TO THE CANTERBURY REGION FOR OVER 25 YEARS
The Homebush Railway Station built in 1875 was recently relocated next to the tracks. Mr Chambers said it was one of five identical stations built in Christchurch at the same time to go along the line. Other stations along the historic line were located at Hawkins, Coalgate, South Malvern and Whitecliffs. continued on page 4 …
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