Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 2, Issue 6, April 1973

Wakapuaka Road

Wakapuaka Road

It is probable that North Road within the City area was intended to be the road to Suburban North but to avoid crossing the mud-flats a road was later cut round the foot of the hill.

One writer who joined a working party making the Wakapuaka road has left a record of that time. The party was 16 men plus an overseer or ganger but only two or three were regular navvy types and most were unaccustomed to this work. Their road section was about eight miles from the town where a siding was being cut round the base of hills washed by tide at high water. To reach it this man walked, and stated, "A considerable part of the road I had to travel lay across mud-flats covered by the tide at highwat-r, and into which I sank over my boots at each step, and occasionally to the knees in crossing the numerous water-courses that intersected the flats".

They had not been working many weeks when news came about the Wairau Massacre so the road party constituted a watch, and were sworn in as special constables (to keep a watch), in case Te Raupa-raha landed further north and attacked Nelson from the land.

The only settler he mentions is Francis Jollie, who was apparentely already living in the area.

The year 1843 saw the start of "cottier" farming when the New Zealand Company agent, F. Tuckett, let road workers take up unoccupied sections of land to work.

(At the time of the anniversary of the settlements in 1845 it was stated that there were nine miles of road towards Wakapuaka).

Some indication as to the further development of the road is contained in an advertisement in the Examiner in March 1862 when the Suburban North Road Board were calling tenders for repairs and formation as follows:—

1. Cemetery to Selmes' Bridge.
2. Selmes' Bridge to Saltwater Bridge at Todd's Bush,
3. Saltwater Bridge to Mr. Collins' Gate.
4. From the latter point to the bridge on the Ludd. Specifications at the Black Horse. R. Pollock, Chairman.

Funds to build and maintain the roads v/ere a problem but when a meeting of ratepayers met in 1871 to consider the erection of a toll gate the proposal was soundly rejected.