A round up of notable rallies and events from around our branches
RALLY SNIPPETS s Central Otago: Midweek adventures.
MILLING AROUND Central Otago Branch Words Graham Taylor
Fantastic beasts and where to find them. Living in the Luggate area and fairly well acquainted with its history as the hub of the Upper Clutha District, I was part of the branch’s Wednesday group who were invited to check out the interior of the old Luggate flourmill. This was opened in 1861 by Anderson and McIntosh to process oats, and later wheat, from the rich farmland of Mt Barker and Hawea Flat with one hundred bushels to the acre not uncommon. To quote from The Wanaka Story, “there was cause for
rejoicing when the new flourmill was opened at Luggate. It was built of stone three stories high”. Their advertisement read, “The mill is fitted with the latest machinery, and the utmost care will be exercised in the milling”. In anticipation of the opening of the mill, large crops of wheat were grown throughout the district. Our part on Wednesday was at the invitation of the mill’s owners Upper Clutha Transport, formerly WM Reid & Co 1905, then Reid’s Transport, to have a look through the former mill as it had been used as a workshop and parts storage for the transport company. My memory of the mill in the 1950s recalls that Reids were
also agents for Rover and Citroën cars at the time my father was agent for Austins at Hawea Flat and Bill Manson the Ford dealer in Wanaka. The shelves revealed little treasure, a Landrover cylinder head, some gaskets, bearings, bolts, and some early equipment. Most of the spares were for Volvo trucks. The shelves were made of oil and petrol boxes with well preserved Plume and other logos. These along with some of the old pulleys and tools were retained for future displays by Upper Clutha Transport. Hopefully the mill will have a new life as it is one of very few, and the only substantial historic building in the Upper Clutha District.
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