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Joseph Doyle, Doyleston, enters the coaching business
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TitleJoseph Doyle, Doyleston, enters the coaching business 
DescriptionThe first stage of the Southern Railway linked Christchurch with Selwyn Village (at the SH1 bridge over the Selwyn River) with a fast service by 1867.
Thus it was possible to travel from Christchurch to an intermediate station by train and then complete the journey by coach to Leeston although other coaches still ran all the way from Christchurch to Leeston and Southbridge.
William Long & John Davis ran a coach from Leeston through Doyleston to Irwell then towards Brookside fording the Selwyn River and driving to the Burnham railway station in May 1870.
Three months later, Joseph Hastings Doyle had taken Davis’s place and four months after that, Doyle was in sole charge.
Doyle had his problems, in 1871 being convicted for not having a license and having his coach driver and conductor drowned in the flooded Selwyn River.
In August 1873, Doyle altered the route to use the Rolleston Station. The rail-coach route meant that Doyle’s passengers could spend an hour longer in Christchurch than if they had come all the way by coach.
John Cowan died in 1872 and Albert Godfrey Saunders, formerly of the Caversham Hotel, bought the coach and continued the business.
J.H. Doyle, Joe McFarlane, a former driver of Cowan, and W. Simmonds, now with the mail contract, set up in opposition to Saunders. Saunders advertised that his coach left Southbridge before the mail coach and had nothing to pick up so would therefore arrive in Christchurch before the opposition.
Crawley, another of Cowan’s drivers also tried.
In March 1874 Saunders sold the goodwill of his line to Messrs Doyle, Dalwood and Co who kept up the mail run and a daily service through Doyleston.
Even with no competition, the journey was broken into 3 stages and horses changed at Lincoln and Doyleston to improve service to Southbridge. Doyle and Dalwood dissolved their partnership.
A branch line from what is now Hornby was constructed and by July 1875 the railway had which connected Prebbleton and Lincoln, had reached Ellesmere Station (on the bank of the Selwyn River) and J.H. Doyle ran a twice-daily service to Southbridge from the Ellesmere Station.
When the railway was opened to Southbridge, soon after, Doyle advertised his coach for sale.
In 1876, Doyle & Reeves advertised the Doyleston and Maori Pah Line of Royal Mail Coaches. This was a small coach service from the train station at Doyleston to Taumutu and return. They carried mail and passengers.
This service was later carried on by Pickering & Co who sold it to Deal & Moore in 1895. Later still it was taken over by John Patterson.
During the fishing season, the service was well-patronized.
Francis Claude (Frank) Thian took over the mail run from Leeston to Taumutu, via Lakeside, and started advertising in 1904 that he would pick up passengers and parcels as well. In 1911 the residents of Taumutu recognized his services at a function in the local hall. Frank ceased advertising his services in 1916.
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society.
Date10 October 2019SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDoyleston
DescriptionThe first stage of the Southern Railway linked Christchurch with Selwyn Village (at the SH1 bridge over the Selwyn River) with a fast service by 1867. Thus it was possible to travel from Christchurch to an intermediate station by train and then complete the journey by coach to Leeston although other coaches still ran all the way from Christchurch to Leeston and Southbridge.
William Long & John Davis ran a coach from Leeston through Doyleston to Irwell then towards Brookside fording the Selwyn River and driving to the Burnham railway station in May 1870.
Three months later, Joseph Hastings Doyle had taken Davis’s place and four months after that, Doyle was in sole charge.
Doyle had his problems, in 1871 being convicted for not having a license and having his coach driver and conductor drowned in the flooded Selwyn River.
In August 1873, Doyle altered the route to use the Rolleston Station. The rail-coach route meant that Doyle’s passengers could spend an hour longer in Christchurch than if they had come all the way by coach.
John Cowan died in 1872 and Albert Godfrey Saunders, formerly of the Caversham Hotel, bought the coach and continued the business.
J.H. Doyle, Joe McFarlane, a former driver of Cowan, and W. Simmonds, now with the mail contract, set up in opposition to Saunders. Saunders advertised that his coach left Southbridge before the mail coach and had nothing to pick up so would therefore arrive in Christchurch before the opposition.
Crawley, another of Cowan’s drivers also tried.
In March 1874 Saunders sold the goodwill of his line to Messrs Doyle, Dalwood and Co who kept up the mail run and a daily service through Doyleston.
Even with no competition, the journey was broken into 3 stages and horses changed at Lincoln and Doyleston to improve service to Southbridge. Doyle and Dalwood dissolved their partnership.
A branch line from what is now Hornby was constructed and by July 1875 the railway had which connected Prebbleton and Lincoln, had reached Ellesmere Station (on the bank of the Selwyn River) and J.H. Doyle ran a twice-daily service to Southbridge from the Ellesmere Station.
When the railway was opened to Southbridge, soon after, Doyle advertised his coach for sale.
In 1876, Doyle & Reeves advertised the Doyleston and Maori Pah Line of Royal Mail Coaches. This was a small coach service from the train station at Doyleston to Taumutu and return. They carried mail and passengers.
This service was later carried on by Pickering & Co who sold it to Deal & Moore in 1895. Later still it was taken over by John Patterson.
During the fishing season, the service was well-patronized.
Francis Claude (Frank) Thian took over the mail run from Leeston to Taumutu, via Lakeside, and started advertising in 1904 that he would pick up passengers and parcels as well. In 1911 the residents of Taumutu recognized his services at a function in the local hall. Frank ceased advertising his services in 1916.
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society.
Date10 October 2019SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDoylestonConnections
CollectionHistory of DoylestonOrganisationEllesmere Historical Society
OrganisationEllesmere Historical SocietyAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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Joseph Doyle, Doyleston, enters the coaching business (10 October 2019). Selwyn Stories, accessed 27/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5283