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What preceded Dunsandel Town?
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TitleWhat preceded Dunsandel Town?
DescriptionFrom about 1852, large areas of land in the Dunsandel area were leased and became runs. The homestead of Milton (Run 51) (on the north side of the Selwyn River) became important for its accommodation as the first owner, Alfred Lake, had marked a track to his homestead and travellers heading south had followed his route which became part of the Great South Road before the railway line was put in and the road shifted to run alongside the line. According to Acland et al. (1975) by 1854, if not before, Lake’s house became the recognised stopping place for travellers from Christchurch until George Henry Parlby, built accommodation, “The Woolpack”, nearby, and in 1857 got an accommodation licence, which he sold to George Henry Giggs in 1860.
On the south side of the Selwyn River two runs were important for Dunsandel. The run that became Camla (Runs 46, 47 and 94) after Captain Richard Westenra leased run 94 and then swapped leases to obtain Runs 46 and 47 by 1854. Westenra bought 4000 acres, much upstream of the map accompanying this article. The
Honourable Robert Daly either provided money for the lease of Run 81 (6000 acres) or bought it very quickly from agents, as he never came to NZ personally. Daly’s agents bought much of the land in the Run which was then on-sold. Daly was reputed to have given the name “Dunsandel” to his run but why it was not “Dunsandle” (This spelling was used by the railways and a few others) as was the spelling of the title in Ireland, has not been explained.
In 1862 a subdivision, in two stages totalling 471 sections, flanking the railway reserve, was advertised where SH1 now crosses the Selwyn River.
It was to become the “Sanitarium of the city, and the market of the surrounding country” and first stage sections sold well. Some later sections were lumped together and sold at reduced prices.
The railway and station was officially opened in October 1867 but line extension to Rakaia, via Dunsandel, halted until 1872 as explained in an earlier article. The town never developed as expected, but was a nearby nursery, as some residents moved to Dunsandel, after it was founded.
A comparison of Dunsandel with land sales in Brookside and Doyleston shows that the first (but very few) sales were alongside surface water in 1860. Sales in 1861 were more extensive in Brookside than the other two areas. By the end of 1865 the vast majority of land in Brookside and Doyleston had been sold whereas only half of Dunsandel area had been sold by that date and a large amount was sold in 1866 but very little in 1867. Three large tracts of land were left unsold by 1867 in the area I have designated Dunsandel. This land was eventually sold.
Material from Papers Past
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date17th February 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandel
DescriptionFrom about 1852, large areas of land in the Dunsandel area were leased and became runs. The homestead of Milton (Run 51) (on the north side of the Selwyn River) became important for its accommodation as the first owner, Alfred Lake, had marked a track to his homestead and travellers heading south had followed his route which became part of the Great South Road before the railway line was put in and the road shifted to run alongside the line. According to Acland et al. (1975) by 1854, if not before, Lake’s house became the recognised stopping place for travellers from Christchurch until George Henry Parlby, built accommodation, “The Woolpack”, nearby, and in 1857 got an accommodation licence, which he sold to George Henry Giggs in 1860.On the south side of the Selwyn River two runs were important for Dunsandel. The run that became Camla (Runs 46, 47 and 94) after Captain Richard Westenra leased run 94 and then swapped leases to obtain Runs 46 and 47 by 1854. Westenra bought 4000 acres, much upstream of the map accompanying this article. The
Honourable Robert Daly either provided money for the lease of Run 81 (6000 acres) or bought it very quickly from agents, as he never came to NZ personally. Daly’s agents bought much of the land in the Run which was then on-sold. Daly was reputed to have given the name “Dunsandel” to his run but why it was not “Dunsandle” (This spelling was used by the railways and a few others) as was the spelling of the title in Ireland, has not been explained.
In 1862 a subdivision, in two stages totalling 471 sections, flanking the railway reserve, was advertised where SH1 now crosses the Selwyn River.
It was to become the “Sanitarium of the city, and the market of the surrounding country” and first stage sections sold well. Some later sections were lumped together and sold at reduced prices.
The railway and station was officially opened in October 1867 but line extension to Rakaia, via Dunsandel, halted until 1872 as explained in an earlier article. The town never developed as expected, but was a nearby nursery, as some residents moved to Dunsandel, after it was founded.
A comparison of Dunsandel with land sales in Brookside and Doyleston shows that the first (but very few) sales were alongside surface water in 1860. Sales in 1861 were more extensive in Brookside than the other two areas. By the end of 1865 the vast majority of land in Brookside and Doyleston had been sold whereas only half of Dunsandel area had been sold by that date and a large amount was sold in 1866 but very little in 1867. Three large tracts of land were left unsold by 1867 in the area I have designated Dunsandel. This land was eventually sold.
Material from Papers Past
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date17th February 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandelConnections
CollectionHistory of DunsandelOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyMore InformationOriginal article in Ellesmere Echo
OrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyMore InformationOriginal article in Ellesmere EchoAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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What preceded Dunsandel Town? (17th February 2022). Selwyn Stories, accessed 25/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5222