Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

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

Colac Bay

Colac Bay.

Colac Bay is a favourite resort for picnic parties and excursionists throughout the summer and autumn months. The bay is about one mile from the railway station, and is of horseshoe shape, with the wooded settlements of Oraki and Colac on its sides. Colac Bay is on the south coast, between Oraki Point and Howell's Point, with Pig Island and Centre Island in the offing. The station is seven miles from Riverton, on the Invercargill-Orepuki line of railway, and stands at an elevation of ninety-seven feet above the level of the sea. The district has a public school, post office, telephone bureau, a Presbyterian church, an hotel, two stores, two butchers' shops, a blacksmith's shop and a bakery. Colac, too, has a very good rifle corps, with a large drill shed, a football club, an athletic society, and a lodge of the Order of Druids. There is a native settlement a short distance from the township, and the public school is situated midway between the two places. A flaxmill and several sawmills are at work in the district. Not far from the railway line there is a very pretty sheet of water, surrounded by bush, and known as Lake St. George. Colac Bay is in the electorate of Wallace, and in the Orepuki riding of the county of Wallace, and, at the census of 1901, it had a population of fifty-one.

The Colac Bay Post Office is conducted in a building attached to Mr J. Harrison's store.

Mr. Arthur James Nicholas , who acts as Postmaster at Colac Bay, is the senior partner of the firm which owns the Round Hill store and tramway. He was born at Chiswick, Middlesex, England, in 1878, arrived in New Zealand in 1880, and was educated at Invercargill. Mr Nicholas removed to the Riverton district in 1898, and worked with Messrs W. Guthrie and Co. for three years, and with the Bank of New Zealand for over a year. He was storekeeping at Round Hill for about fifteen months for Mr T. R. Anderson, and was then in the store of Mr J. Harrison, Colac Bay, until he was appointed postmaster in 1903. Mr Nicholas is secretary of the Oraki Lodge of Druids, secretary and colour-sergeant of the Colac Bay Rifles, and treasurer of the Presbyterian church. He holds the district agency for the Royal Insurance Company.

Gorstenkorn, photo, Mr. A. J. Nicholas.

Gorstenkorn, photo,
Mr. A. J. Nicholas.

Waugh And Harrison , Storekeepers, Colac Bay. This firm was established in 1902, and a general grocery and drapery business is carried on.

Mr. William Charles Harrison , the Junior Partner, was born at Motherwell, Scotland, in 1871, and four years later came to New Zealand with his parents, who took up a farm at Palmerston South. The family afterwards removed to Lipton, where, after leaving school, Mr Harrison was in a store for about four years. He then had charge of the Southland Co-operative Society's store for about eighteen months, was afterwards with Mathieson and Co. for fifteen months, and was in a store at Stirling for six years before settling at Colac Bay, in 1902. During his residence in Invercargill, Mr Harrison was a member of the Appleby Cricket Club, and is now deputy-captain of the Colac Bay Football Club. He married a daughter of Mr Robert Harper, farmer, County Monaghan, Ireland.

The Colac Bay Flax Mill (A. S. Otway and Co., Invercargill, proprietors), Colac. This mill is completely equipped and possesses a twelve horse-power portable engine (Robey), one of the New Zealand Engineering Company's double drive strippers, and the usual plant, including a three-men scutcher. Fibre from the Waiau mill, which is owned by the same firm, is scutched here, and there is an up-to-date baling press, driven by steam. About eighteen persons are employed at the mill, as well as two carters and six flax-cutters.

Mr. Stewart Campbell , Manager of the Colac Bay Flax Mill, was born, in 1871, at Brighton, on the Taieri, and educated at Outram. After leaving school he took to engine-driving, and now holds a first-class certificate as a driver of stationary engines, as well as certificates for locomotives and portable engines. Mr Campbell was for three years manager of a dairy factory, at West Taieri, and for three years engineer on the Empire Company's dredge at Waipori, and afterwards bought a threshing plant, which he ran only for one season. He was then appointed engineer at the Colac Bay flax mill, and, later, manager. Mr Campbell served as a member of the Tuapeka Mounted Rifles for about eighteen months.

The Colac Bay Sawmill (New Zealand Pine Company, proprietors), Colac. This mill possesses a most complete plant, including a thirty horse-power engine, with a boiler of 120 pounds pressure; and there are three benches, a crane, two planers, a twenty-five horse-power locomotive, and ten horse-power, and nine and a-half horse-power hauling engines. The average weekly output is about 45,000 feet of timber.

Mr. George Tasman Dawson , Manager of the Colac Bay sawmill, was born in 1864, at Kentishberry, Tasmania, and came to Invercargill in 1876, with his parents, who settled at One Tree Point. He has always followed sawmilling, and has gone page 943 through every branch of the work, even learning the art of “saw-doctoring.” Mr Dawson has had nine years' experience as manager–six with Mc-Callum and Co., and three with his present employers, and he also contraeted for a mill with the old Pine Company. He has been chairman of the Colac Bay school committee for four years, is captain of the Colac Bay Rifles, and president of the local athletic and football clubs. Mr Dawson served on the Kennington and Croydon school committees respectively, and he shot at the Southland Rifle Association meeting in 1902. He is a Justice of the Peace for the colony. He was married, in 188G, to a daughter of Mr J. T. Crofts, of Invercargill, and has four sons and four daughters.

Gerstenkorn. photo. Mr. and Mrs G. T. Dawson.

Gerstenkorn. photo.
Mr. and Mrs G. T. Dawson.

Colac Bay Sawmills (McCallum and Company, proprietors), Colac. Messrs McCallum and Company have two sawmills at Colac, numbered 3 and 6 respectively. The mills are some distance apart, although on the same line of tramway. The tramway has iron rails, and a locomotive is employed to haul the timber to the railway siding at Colac. At No. 3 mill the plant comprises a twenty horse-power engine and boiler, two benches, two planing machines, and a blacksmith's shop. At No. 6 mill there is an eighteen horsepower portable engine and two benches. Three hauling engines are jointly employed, two of seven horse-power, and one of eight horse-power. Thirty persons are employed at the two mills, and the average daily output of timber is 7,500 feet.

Mr. John Sutherland , Manager of McCallum and Company's No. 3 and No. 6 mills at Colac Bay, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1869, and came, with his partents, to New Zealand, in 1876. He learned sawmill work in the Oteramika district, has followed it ever since, and was appointed to his present position in 1901. Mr Sutherland was married, in 1895, to a daughter of the late Mr Thomas Swale, of Invercargill, and has four daughters.

Gerstenkorn, photo. Mr And Mrs J. Sutherland.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr And Mrs J. Sutherland.

Mr. Frederick Walter Dawson , Timber Yard Manager at Messrs Mc-Callum and Company's No. 3 and No. 6 mills at Colac Bay, was born in 1868, at Kentishberry, Tasmania, came to New Zealand, with his parents, in 1867, and was educated at Longbush. With the exception of four years spent in mining on the Long-wood (1896–1900) his time, since he left school, has been devoted to sawmill work. He was appointed to his present position at Colac in 1900. Mr Dawson is a member of the Colac Bay school committee, and is Past Arch of the Oraki Lodge of Druids, having twice passed through the chairs of his lodge. He served in the Invercargill City Guards, and is now sergeant in the Colac Bay Rifles, and a member of their shooting team. Mr Dawson was married, in 1901, to a daughter of Mr William Brown, blacksmith. Invercargill, and has two sons and four daughters.

Gerstenkron, photo Mr. And Mrs. F. W. Dawson.

Gerstenkron, photo
Mr. And Mrs. F. W. Dawson.

Mr. John Pumphry , Engineer at Messrs McCallum and Company's No. 6 sawmill, Colac Bay, was born in 1875, at Winton, where he was educated. On leaving school, he started sawmill work with Messrs McCallum and Company, with whom he has continued ever since. He was first employed at their Longbush mill, and was appointed to his present position at Colac Bay in 1902. Mr Pumphry holds a second-class certificate as a driver of stationary engines. He is attached to the Ancient Order of Foresters, and was for three years a member of the Kennington contingent of the Invercargill Rifles. Mr. Pumphry was
Gerstenkorn, photo. Mr. And Mrs. J. Pumphry.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. And Mrs. J. Pumphry.

page 944 married, in November, 1902, to a daughter of Mr Walter G. Corbin, of Clifton.

Fisher And Company's Sawmill , Colac Bay. This mill has been established in the district for about twelve years, and the plant consists of a fourteen horse-power portable engine, two benches, a planing machine, and a six horse-power hauling engine. The average weekly output is between 25,000 and 30,000 feet of timber.

Mr. George Edward Fisher , the Senior Partner (private address, Palmerston Street, Riverton) was born in 1839, at Catrine, Ayrshire, Scotland, where he was educated. He came to Port Chalmers by the ship “Ben Lomond,” in 1862, and spent some years on the Nokomai and Waikawa diggings. Mr Fisher then worked at sawmills for several years, and, in 1884, started a mill on his own account at Clifton. He removed to Colac Bay in 1892. Whilst at Clifton, he was for some years a member of the school committee. Mr Fisher was married, in 1862, to a daughter of Mr. A. Gibson, builder, Catrine, Scotland, and has two sons and one daughter.