Open/Close Toolbox
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License
Format: Image
Linked To
CollectionPlaceOrganisation
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand LicenseThis licence lets you remix, tweak, and build upon our work noncommercially and although your new works must also acknowledge us and be noncommercial, you do not have to license the derivative works on the same terms.
Menu
Care of the First Dunsandel Hall/Library 1874-1879 Part 1
Description
TitleCare of the First Dunsandel Hall/Library 1874-1879 Part 1
DescriptionA public meeting of the residents in the district was to be held on Monday evening, 30 March 1874 [1].
Because of the inclemency of the weather the meeting was postponed to Saturday, 4 April after the close of the poll at 4 pm [2].
The purpose of the meeting was that the building committee proposed to hand over the building to the subscribers, presumably the subscribers to the library.
The subscribers were to form a committee to manage the building and to raise funds for its maintenance.
In these advertisements, the term “Selwyn and Dunsandel library” was used. There were strong links between Selwyn and Dunsandel as some of the inhabitants of Selwyn town had moved to Dunsandel and the distance between the two towns was not great.
The fact that the meeting had been postponed until Monday evening meant that the first public use of the building was probably as a polling station for the district of Selwyn as advertised on 18 March [3].
By 18th May 1874 the Lyttelton Times [4] was able to report that
“This library being now finished at a cost of £250, it is proposed to hold an entertainment there, about the beginning of June.
The building is a large one for the thinly populated district in which it is situated, being 36 feet long by 20 feet wide.
The place is now fitted up with cupboards for books, also a raised platform, about 8 feet wide, and extending the whole width of the building, and seats to accommodate about 150 persons comfortably.
The builder was Mr Gee, of Christchurch, to whom great credit is due for the manner in which he has completed his work and furnished the fittings.
The inhabitants of the district have resolved to provide a piano; this will be a great acquisition, especially as there is at the present time a singing class held there twice a week, under the superintendence of Mr A. A. North.
Some of his pupils will take part in the entertainment, which promises to be a success.”
Both the Globe and Lyttelton Times reported on the opening of the building.
The Globe called it a “Town Hall” while the Lyttelton Times described it as “a building for the Dunsandel library”.
The entertainment was described as “best ever given at this township” and “entertainment of a very successful character”.
About 200 people were present. Cecil A. Fitzroy occupied the chair and spoke warmly of the energy displayed by the residents of the district in establishing the library.
A number of people sang and played the piano.
Members of the Dunsandel singing class under Mr North sang several pieces very creditably.
After singing the national anthem, the floor was cleared and dancing kept up with “great spirit until the small hours of morning” [5,6]
Mr North’s “singing class” was presumably elevated in status a few days later when a correspondent wrote that “our Musical Society, already numbering more than thirty members, is in a flourishing condition” [7]
Mr A. A. North appeared to have started Dunsandel on a path to music greatness as evidenced by its much later musical shows.
In June 1874, “At a recent meeting held in the Town Hall”, Richard Pole, the secretary (also the master of the Selwyn School), suggested the propriety of purchasing a piano.
The project was taken up with “great spirit”, and in a few days a very useful instrument became the property of the society [8].
At the same meeting, a second concert was planned for July at the hall, the proceeds to be given to the district library fund.
This occurred on Friday evening July 24 [9,10,11].
The hall was crowded and the Rev. H Stoker occupied the chair and opened the meeting with a short speech on the great privileges of reading.
The program consisted of piano and violin solos and songs and readings by a number of people.
The Dunsandel singing class was encored.
The evening finished with a dance with people separating at about 10 pm, well satisfied with the success of the entertainment.
In September 1874 [12], the Selwyn and Dunsandel library advertised that it would be open for the distribution of books.
Admittedly the advertisement does not state where the library was situated but if it had been easily possible to borrow books from the schoolroom at the Selwyn School before the new building was opened, why the need for an advertisement?
It would seem more likely that the library in the new building was now in operation.
Possibly it had taken approximately four months to organise the books and the rest of the library so that borrowing could begin.
The third concert, again for the building fund, was held on Friday, 25 September 1874 [13,14] and again the hall was crowded.
The Reverend Cree occupied the chair and gave an opening address.
The performers, including the singing class, were warmly applauded.
Again after the National Anthem the floor was cleared for dancing which was kept up for a considerable time with “great spirit”.
In July 1875 [15] another concert was given, although this time the now-named Dunsandel Vocal Union under the leadership of Mr A. North dominated the varied programme of songs, duets, choruses, and piano music interspersed with readings.
Again dancing followed the concert.
There was a second concert, of vocal and instrumental music, reported in 1875 which occurred on Friday, August 20 [16,17,18,19] again in aid of library funds with A. A. North as the conductor.
There was only one concert advertised in 1876 [20], and again this was for the library fund.
A meeting of subscribers to the Dunsandel library was called, by John Henry, for 20 April 1877 [21,22] to be held in the hall and to receive the report and balance sheet and elect a new committee for the ensuing year.
There was a report in The Press in June [23] of the same year of a concert followed by a dance which kept going long past midnight.
Eleven people were noted as performing the entertainment to a crowded hall, consisting of piano solos, songs, reading, clog dancing, a burlesque and a Negro farce.
Again there was only one concert/dance reported in 1878 [24,25].
Some visitors from Christchurch assisted by a few amateurs gave a number of well-selected pieces at the June concert.
Bad weather stopped those coming from a distance but locals turned up.
John Henry and his wife were presented with gifts as a token of his valuable services to the library and other matters of local interest. The dance was carried on till the small hours.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date1874-1879SourcePapers Past
DescriptionA public meeting of the residents in the district was to be held on Monday evening, 30 March 1874 [1]. Because of the inclemency of the weather the meeting was postponed to Saturday, 4 April after the close of the poll at 4 pm [2].
The purpose of the meeting was that the building committee proposed to hand over the building to the subscribers, presumably the subscribers to the library.
The subscribers were to form a committee to manage the building and to raise funds for its maintenance.
In these advertisements, the term “Selwyn and Dunsandel library” was used. There were strong links between Selwyn and Dunsandel as some of the inhabitants of Selwyn town had moved to Dunsandel and the distance between the two towns was not great.
The fact that the meeting had been postponed until Monday evening meant that the first public use of the building was probably as a polling station for the district of Selwyn as advertised on 18 March [3].
By 18th May 1874 the Lyttelton Times [4] was able to report that
“This library being now finished at a cost of £250, it is proposed to hold an entertainment there, about the beginning of June.
The building is a large one for the thinly populated district in which it is situated, being 36 feet long by 20 feet wide.
The place is now fitted up with cupboards for books, also a raised platform, about 8 feet wide, and extending the whole width of the building, and seats to accommodate about 150 persons comfortably.
The builder was Mr Gee, of Christchurch, to whom great credit is due for the manner in which he has completed his work and furnished the fittings.
The inhabitants of the district have resolved to provide a piano; this will be a great acquisition, especially as there is at the present time a singing class held there twice a week, under the superintendence of Mr A. A. North.
Some of his pupils will take part in the entertainment, which promises to be a success.”
Both the Globe and Lyttelton Times reported on the opening of the building.
The Globe called it a “Town Hall” while the Lyttelton Times described it as “a building for the Dunsandel library”.
The entertainment was described as “best ever given at this township” and “entertainment of a very successful character”.
About 200 people were present. Cecil A. Fitzroy occupied the chair and spoke warmly of the energy displayed by the residents of the district in establishing the library.
A number of people sang and played the piano.
Members of the Dunsandel singing class under Mr North sang several pieces very creditably.
After singing the national anthem, the floor was cleared and dancing kept up with “great spirit until the small hours of morning” [5,6]
Mr North’s “singing class” was presumably elevated in status a few days later when a correspondent wrote that “our Musical Society, already numbering more than thirty members, is in a flourishing condition” [7]
Mr A. A. North appeared to have started Dunsandel on a path to music greatness as evidenced by its much later musical shows.
In June 1874, “At a recent meeting held in the Town Hall”, Richard Pole, the secretary (also the master of the Selwyn School), suggested the propriety of purchasing a piano.
The project was taken up with “great spirit”, and in a few days a very useful instrument became the property of the society [8].
At the same meeting, a second concert was planned for July at the hall, the proceeds to be given to the district library fund.
This occurred on Friday evening July 24 [9,10,11].
The hall was crowded and the Rev. H Stoker occupied the chair and opened the meeting with a short speech on the great privileges of reading.
The program consisted of piano and violin solos and songs and readings by a number of people.
The Dunsandel singing class was encored.
The evening finished with a dance with people separating at about 10 pm, well satisfied with the success of the entertainment.
In September 1874 [12], the Selwyn and Dunsandel library advertised that it would be open for the distribution of books.
Admittedly the advertisement does not state where the library was situated but if it had been easily possible to borrow books from the schoolroom at the Selwyn School before the new building was opened, why the need for an advertisement?
It would seem more likely that the library in the new building was now in operation.
Possibly it had taken approximately four months to organise the books and the rest of the library so that borrowing could begin.
The third concert, again for the building fund, was held on Friday, 25 September 1874 [13,14] and again the hall was crowded.
The Reverend Cree occupied the chair and gave an opening address.
The performers, including the singing class, were warmly applauded.
Again after the National Anthem the floor was cleared for dancing which was kept up for a considerable time with “great spirit”.
In July 1875 [15] another concert was given, although this time the now-named Dunsandel Vocal Union under the leadership of Mr A. North dominated the varied programme of songs, duets, choruses, and piano music interspersed with readings.
Again dancing followed the concert.
There was a second concert, of vocal and instrumental music, reported in 1875 which occurred on Friday, August 20 [16,17,18,19] again in aid of library funds with A. A. North as the conductor.
There was only one concert advertised in 1876 [20], and again this was for the library fund.
A meeting of subscribers to the Dunsandel library was called, by John Henry, for 20 April 1877 [21,22] to be held in the hall and to receive the report and balance sheet and elect a new committee for the ensuing year.
There was a report in The Press in June [23] of the same year of a concert followed by a dance which kept going long past midnight.
Eleven people were noted as performing the entertainment to a crowded hall, consisting of piano solos, songs, reading, clog dancing, a burlesque and a Negro farce.
Again there was only one concert/dance reported in 1878 [24,25].
Some visitors from Christchurch assisted by a few amateurs gave a number of well-selected pieces at the June concert.
Bad weather stopped those coming from a distance but locals turned up.
John Henry and his wife were presented with gifts as a token of his valuable services to the library and other matters of local interest. The dance was carried on till the small hours.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date1874-1879SourcePapers PastCourtesy Reg Brown
Connections
Attribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
Written ByMike NoonanClick on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
Care of the First Dunsandel Hall/Library 1874-1879 Part 1 (1874-1879). Selwyn Stories, accessed 06/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5475
