CBD Heritage Hunt

2 George St
Timaru Landing Service Building
Originally McRae’s Stone Store 

Spot a plaque for Timaru’s 1st European House

Timaru’s 1st european house ... where George and Elizabeth Rhodes lived when they established Sth Canterbury’s 1st sheep station: The Levels. Samuel and Ann Williams with daughter Rebbeca, moved in next. Their son William was the first European born in Timaru in 1856. This was also Timaru’s first hotel and where the first Timaru Herald was printed. It was demolished by 1873.

2 King George Place
Timaru District Council Building
Originally McRae’s Stone Store 

What did this used to be?

2 King George Place
Timaru District Council Building
Originally McRae’s Stone Store 

Spot on the building Mayor James Cragie’s stone face

“A good father, citizen, politician and patriot” ... James Cragie (1851-1935) with wife Catherine Orr had one son and 6 daughters. He secured a grant from Andrew Carnegie for the 1909 Library, gifted the Burns statue, the oaks on Craigie Ave, the town clock chimes and art to the public collection. He was a painter and decorator “Smith & Craigie” and was on the Harbour Board, Health Board, Council, Mayor 1902-13, Member of Parliament and Legislative Council.

Along CBD Street Footpaths

Look down to find two different manhole designs

Sophia St opposite the arcade

Find Russell Clark’s 1957 Ear

In the Royal Arcade

Look for a 5 ft green door

Cnr Royal Arcade & Stafford Street 

Spy basement windows at the former 1880 Priest and Holdgate store

A tunnel... was more like a basement used by Priest and Holdgate iron mongers who pushed a cart along rails under the arcade. The creek is piped underneath what’s thought to be NZ’s oldest surviving late Victorian / Edwardian commercial arcade from 1800.

183 Stafford Street
opposite The Royal Arcade 

Spot the established date for Timaru’s 1st cycle shop where engineer Cecil Wood worked

Cecil Wood ... (1874 – 1965) is said to have built NZ’s first internal combustion engine used to drive a car 1897. NZ's first motorcycle in 1901 and second known indigenous car in 1902. He was friends with aviator Richard Pearse and helped him with his aeroplane motors. He tested his motors on Station St, to avoid the British 'Red Flag Act' of 6km/ph speed limit and needing a man to parade a red flag 50m ahead.

10 Church St 
opposite The Old Bank 

Spy tiny lions on the 1892 Empire Hotel extension

The lions ... “king of beasts” were use by the British Empire as a symbol to represent courage, bravery, ferocity and strength. Maybe it also promoted fear, respect and unity. By 1913 the Empire covered 24% of the Earth's land.

256 Stafford St   
Alley beside Farmers

Find the blue gates where someone was shot in 1921

In an ally way... in 1921 Constable James Dorgan was shot and died against this gate. He was investigating a robbery at T & J Thomson's Drapery shop (now Farmers). He left behind wife Agnes and three children. His death is the only unsolved murder of a police officer in NZ.

1 Customs House
2 The Treasury
3 Gladstone Board of Works
4 Timaru Theatre Royal
5 Excelsior Hotel
6 Oxford Building
7 Timaru District Council
8 Chief Post Office
9 Royal (Ross) Arcade
10 Timaru Herald
11 Public Trust Building
12 St Mary's Church
13 Chalmers Church
14 Dominion Hotel
15 O'Meeghan's Building
16 Coronation Buildings
17 Tekapo Buildings
18 Old Bank Tavern
19 Hay's Building
20 D.C. Turnbull & Co. Ltd
21 Customs House
22 Grosvenor Hotel
23 Atlas Chambers Offices
24 T & G Building
25 Volcan Buildings - Priest & Holdgate
26 Tourist Cycle Works
27 McKeown Buildings
28 Werry's Guest Hotel
29 O’Meehans
30 Evans Atlas Flourmill Co.