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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

[Doyleton]

Doyleston is a small township twenty-six miles south-west from Christchurch, on the Christchurch-Southbridge railway, and about one mile from the town of Leeston. The land is, with a few exceptions, divided into comparatively small holdings. Doyleston is bounded by the shores of Lake Ellesmere, and the districts of Leeston, Brookside, and Irwell. Formerly cattle sales were held regularly at Doyleston, but Leeston is now the local centre for these and other industrial activities. Doyleston, however, still has a population of about 160 persons, and it has a public school, library, a general store, a town hall, a hotel, in addition to large engineering workshops, and there is also an excellent creamery in the neighbourhood. In 1867 Mr. Joseph Doyle bought some land in the district and afterwards sold it in town lots. Hence the name of the district and township.

The Ellesmere Engineering Works (Adam Werner, proprietor), Doyleston. Mr. Werner was born in 1852, at Uichleritz, Saxony, and was educated at his native place. He served an apprenticeship in the well known engineering shop of Carl Bach, at Weissenfelds, and after passing examinations in the theory and practice of engineering, he received a certificate from the Board of Examiners. For about nine months he was employed at Messrs Hoffman's engineering works at Prenslaw, and was for a year at the locomotive repairing shops at Greilswald. Then he went to England where he was employed by various leading engineering firms, such as Messrs Hawthorne, marine engineers, and Messrs Fletcher, Jennings and Co., locomotive engineers, at Barton, near Whitehaven, where he helped to construct locomotives ordered for the Governments of New Zealand and Mauritius. In 1872 Mr. Werner returned to Germany, and was employed by Messrs Heiden and Hollman, engineers, Hamburg, and with Messrs Schweffel and Howald, leading marine engineers at Kiel. He came to New Zealand by the ship “Waitangi” in 1875, and followed various occupations in town and country for about twelve months. After that he was for eighteen months engine driving at Wallsend coal mine at Malvern, and then obtained employment with Mr. Dixon, of Ashley, for whom he drove a threshing machine. His skill in engineering was soon recognised, and for over nine years he was employed in repairing and following machines throughout Canterbury. Mr. Werner then determined to begin an engineering business at Doyleston. He began in a small way, but he has succeeded so well, that he now has extensive premises, with all the latest machinery, employs eight men, and has a connection which extends from Christchurch to Ashburton. He has been the patentee of numerous labour saving inventions, such as rod-lifters, bag-lifters, chaff-feeders, and clover-shellers, and was the first to combine the clover-sheller with the threshing machine. This contrivance is extensively employed in the Ellesmere district. Mr. Werner is a member of the Doyleston school committee, and was chairman for four years. He is also a member of the Ellesmere Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and takes prizes with machinery of his own manufacture. Mr. Werner founded the Druid Lodge in the Ellesmere district, and held the office of District President for two years. He has also been a member of the Christchurch Liberal Association for several years. Mr. Werner married Miss Emily Tucker, in 1883, and has three daughters.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.Mr. A. Werner.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. A. Werner.

Boag And Cook (J. Boag and H. H. Cook), Grain and Produce Merchants and Threshing Machine Owners, Doyleston. This business was established a few years ago by Messrs Boag and Cook. Latterly the active management has been under the sole control of Mr. Cook, whose enterprise has done so much to extend the business. The firm was one of the first in New Zealand to prepare fodder for South Africa; they prepared 800 tons in 1900, and later on they prepared still larger quantities. The firm's operations in grain are very extensive, and its plant is one of the largest in Canterbury.