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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 9 (April 1, 1933)
Place Tales
Place Tales.
One special value of our Maori and pioneer pakeha history is the colour of adventure and endeavour and poetry which it gives to many a place in these islands. There is hardly a spot—at any rate in the North Island—that has not some tale of the times of old attaching to it. We have only to look to the old countries of the world to gauge the interest of these place-stories. Historic and romantic associations are everything in Europe, and in such places as the Highlands of Scotland. America, too, has come to realise the importance of history and tradition as an accessory to scenery, and to make the most of every war tale, of every scrap of Indian legend. But no country could be richer in these materials than New Zealand. Much has been written, and yet much remains that has not yet appeared in books.
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“A little garden square and wall'd.“—Tennyson.
Views of the station gardens at Rakaia (below) and Southbrook (above) which secured first place in the A and B grades, respectively, in the Station Gardens Competition held in Canterbury recently. Commenting on these competitions, the “Christchurch Star” says: “Every attempt to make railway stations attractive deserves encouragement. This is recognised by the Railway Department, which provides the timber for edging the plots and fertiliser. Various bodies and private individuals donate seeds and plants also, but the main factor is the enthusiasm of the men who do the work in their spare time as a hobby.”