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Community Life in Ellesmere
Description
NameCommunity Life in Ellesmere
DescriptionWelcome to the collection of stories around the community life of Ellesmere, through the heritage panel at the tuna (eel) sculpture at Leeston.
Two of the first permanent settlements in Ellesmere were the Ngāi Tahu pā sites of Orariki and Te Pā o Moki at Taumutu. There are traces of earlier settlement by both Waitaha and Ngāti Māmoe throughout the district.
From the 1860s, after the arrival of European settlers, other small settlements developed across the district at Selwyn, Brookside, Irwell, Doyleston, Leeston, Southbridge, Sedgemere, Killinchy, Lakeside and Dunsandel.
Community life centred around 21 churches, 12 primary schools, 8 original halls and 7 libraries in these localities. Domains and parks were established as venues for sports and recreation. Following the arrival of the railway in 1875 and later, motor vehicles, community amenities such as medical, dental and maternity services became centred in the larger townships of Leeston and Southbridge. The Ellesmere hospital was opened in 1924, and Hato Hone St John has operated an ambulance service in Ellesmere since 1895. A local newspaper, the Ellesmere Guardian, was established in 1880 and ran for over a century.
Community life in Ellesmere is characterised by a vast array of clubs (especially those supporting the rural sector) and service organisations, such as the Lions. These have been joined more recently by environmental groups working to maintain biodiversity in the district.Date2024
DescriptionWelcome to the collection of stories around the community life of Ellesmere, through the heritage panel at the tuna (eel) sculpture at Leeston. Two of the first permanent settlements in Ellesmere were the Ngāi Tahu pā sites of Orariki and Te Pā o Moki at Taumutu. There are traces of earlier settlement by both Waitaha and Ngāti Māmoe throughout the district.
From the 1860s, after the arrival of European settlers, other small settlements developed across the district at Selwyn, Brookside, Irwell, Doyleston, Leeston, Southbridge, Sedgemere, Killinchy, Lakeside and Dunsandel.
Community life centred around 21 churches, 12 primary schools, 8 original halls and 7 libraries in these localities. Domains and parks were established as venues for sports and recreation. Following the arrival of the railway in 1875 and later, motor vehicles, community amenities such as medical, dental and maternity services became centred in the larger townships of Leeston and Southbridge. The Ellesmere hospital was opened in 1924, and Hato Hone St John has operated an ambulance service in Ellesmere since 1895. A local newspaper, the Ellesmere Guardian, was established in 1880 and ran for over a century.
Community life in Ellesmere is characterised by a vast array of clubs (especially those supporting the rural sector) and service organisations, such as the Lions. These have been joined more recently by environmental groups working to maintain biodiversity in the district.
Date2024Collection
Person
Connections
OrganisationEllesmere Historical Society
Attribution
Community Life in Ellesmere (2024). Selwyn Stories, accessed 29/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6194
