Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mataura , as a name, applies to a well-known river, to a riding of the county of Southland, and to a borough. The settlement is thirty-three miles from Invercargill, and 107 from Dunedin, on the Dune-din-Invercargill main line of railway. Its affairs were managed by a Town Board from 1882 to 1895, but since then they have been under the jurisdiction of a Borough Council. The township is surrounded on all sides by the county of Southland, and extends to both banks of the Mataura river; though the larger part of the town is on the western or railway side. No newspaper is now published in the town, as the paper which was formerly printed there was absorbed by the “Mataura Ensign,” published at Gore. Mataura has, however, two good hotels, a branch of the bank of New Zealand, and four churches; namely, Presbyterian, Anglican, Church of Christ, and Roman Catholic. There is a local horticultural society, and in 1903 a horticultural hall was erected at a cost of about page 1084 £500. There are numerous business premises, and all the usual trades are carried on in the place. The borough lies within the boundaries of the Mataura riding of the county of Southland. At the census of 1901, the riding had a population of 2,930. This, of course, is exclusive of the population of the borough, 867; but inclusive of the residents of Waddell's road, 130, Riverside road, forty-eight, and Fernhill and Riverview, 106. The local railway station, which is 175 feet above the level of the sea, is eight miles from Gore. The post and telegraph office is a separate building, in Bridge Street. No doubt the selection of the site of Mataura, in the early days, was largely due to the magnificent falls on the river. This power or energy is used in connection with the local paper mill and freezing works, and with the supply of electric light for the town of Gore. It was in the early sixties that the first settlement was made on the banks of the river. The original hotel was built close to the falls, and remained there till 1869, when it was removed to its present site near the railway station, opposite the end of Bridge Street, the main street of the borough, which is connected with both sides of the river by a handsome traffic and foot bridge. There are extensive agricultural lands in the neighbourhood of Mataura, and root and grain crops are extensively produced in the district. Flaxmilling, too, is carried on, and there are sundry local advantages which mark out an industrial future for Mataura. In addition to its paper mill and freezing works, it already has a dairy factory, agricultural implement works, etc. Coal is found in the district, and several pits are in operation.