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History of the Dunsandel Domain
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TitleHistory of the Dunsandel Domain
DescriptionThe Deeds Books (NZ Archives) show that even by 1862 land had been reserved for the Great Southern Railway line and Reserve 316 (the present Domain) is recorded by 1865.
When the township was established in 1872 and the railway being completed, tenders were called in January 1873 for the construction of a goods shed.
Somebody in the railways decided to put it on the east side of the line which meant that most of the drays that brought goods to be firstly stored in the shed before being loaded into railway waggons, lined up on part of the railway reserve which was also being increasingly used as the main road south, and hindered the flow of traffic.
This caused the Provincial Government to buy the front row of sections in the first subdivision (in the triangle) and the road was moved westward, and hence the bends in SH1.
Presumably, the goods shed could have been built in Reserve 316 as the early post office was.
The Selwyn School was opened in 1871 on the Great South Road, but was some distance from Dunsandel and there was pressure to build a school in the township.
There was agreement that the ideal spot was Reserve 316 but the Education Board said that it had to be built near Rural Section 12593 (a good distance to the east of the township) and Mr Sowden offered the land for £30 per acre. Land on the south side was purchased instead.
Presumably, Reserve 316 lay idle until 1887, when according to the Dunsandel Rugby Club, “rugby was played on the new Dunsandel Domain”.
Players must have been tough in those days as the Provisional Committee of the Dunsandel Recreation Grounds only agreed in July 1889 to clear the gorse etc. and have the ground ploughed twice, grassed and planted with trees and shrubs. Member of Parliament, Sir John Hall had obtained the ground for the use of the district.
The Post and Telegraph Office was sold for removal in August 1890 but the house in the Domain, later occupied by rugby fan, Ma Foster, was initially leased to Hugh Brown.
In 1891 both the tennis and rugby were granted permission to use the Domain.
In January 1893 the Burnham Industrial School Band gave an open-air concert and the first advertisement for the Dunsandel Sports appeared in late 1893 noting that the same band would play selections and that express trains would stop at Dunsandel on New Year’s day, 1894.
The New Year’s Day sports lasted until 1969 in spite of a challenge by a rival cycling event put on by Leeston in 1899.
Interesting that in that year, the egg-and-spoon race competitors had their hands tied behind their backs.
The Domain has had many, many years of voluntary support and community spirit poured into it.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date10 November 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandel
DescriptionThe Deeds Books (NZ Archives) show that even by 1862 land had been reserved for the Great Southern Railway line and Reserve 316 (the present Domain) is recorded by 1865. When the township was established in 1872 and the railway being completed, tenders were called in January 1873 for the construction of a goods shed.
Somebody in the railways decided to put it on the east side of the line which meant that most of the drays that brought goods to be firstly stored in the shed before being loaded into railway waggons, lined up on part of the railway reserve which was also being increasingly used as the main road south, and hindered the flow of traffic.
This caused the Provincial Government to buy the front row of sections in the first subdivision (in the triangle) and the road was moved westward, and hence the bends in SH1.
Presumably, the goods shed could have been built in Reserve 316 as the early post office was.
The Selwyn School was opened in 1871 on the Great South Road, but was some distance from Dunsandel and there was pressure to build a school in the township.
There was agreement that the ideal spot was Reserve 316 but the Education Board said that it had to be built near Rural Section 12593 (a good distance to the east of the township) and Mr Sowden offered the land for £30 per acre. Land on the south side was purchased instead.
Presumably, Reserve 316 lay idle until 1887, when according to the Dunsandel Rugby Club, “rugby was played on the new Dunsandel Domain”.
Players must have been tough in those days as the Provisional Committee of the Dunsandel Recreation Grounds only agreed in July 1889 to clear the gorse etc. and have the ground ploughed twice, grassed and planted with trees and shrubs. Member of Parliament, Sir John Hall had obtained the ground for the use of the district.
The Post and Telegraph Office was sold for removal in August 1890 but the house in the Domain, later occupied by rugby fan, Ma Foster, was initially leased to Hugh Brown.
In 1891 both the tennis and rugby were granted permission to use the Domain.
In January 1893 the Burnham Industrial School Band gave an open-air concert and the first advertisement for the Dunsandel Sports appeared in late 1893 noting that the same band would play selections and that express trains would stop at Dunsandel on New Year’s day, 1894.
The New Year’s Day sports lasted until 1969 in spite of a challenge by a rival cycling event put on by Leeston in 1899.
Interesting that in that year, the egg-and-spoon race competitors had their hands tied behind their backs.
The Domain has had many, many years of voluntary support and community spirit poured into it.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date10 November 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandelConnections
CollectionHistory of DunsandelOrganisationDunsandel Historic Society
OrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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History of the Dunsandel Domain (10 November 2022). Selwyn Stories, accessed 29/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5316