Orepuki History - A colourised postcard essay by David Dudfield, historian, archaelogist and film-maker

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Orepuki History - A colourised postcard essay by David Dudfield, historian, archaelogist and film-maker. First posted on Facebook in December 2023, used here with the author's permission and with various other images labelled as below: "How about we step back inside that time machine, set the clock to 1905, and take a tour of one of Southland’s premier tourist destinations… Orepuki! Yes, that’s right. This progressive little town was once just a quick two-hour train ride from Invercargill. Once you’d arrived there, you would've been spoiled for choices to keep you and your family entertained. Keen on social events and sporting activities? You're in luck. Perhaps you like fishing, hunting, walking, and picnics at the beach? No worries. Maybe panning for gold in the black sands or collecting garnet gemstones appeals to you? Fossick away, little goblin. “So what?” I can hear you saying, “I can still do all that stuff in 2023.” That’s very true. However, in 1905, your local shopping options are slightly more numerous. You can pick out a new summer hat from the milliner, buy a necklace from the jeweller, choose new drapes, or buy a local postcard and knickknacks to send to your jealous cousin sweltering under the Alexandra summer sun. Feeling peckish? Grab a loaf of fresh bread from one of Orepuki's bakeries, some ham from one of the butchers, a few apples and sweets from the fruiterer and have an alfresco dinner while watching the sunset over the ocean. If you’re lucky, you may even hear the Orepuki Citizen’s Band rehearsing outside… just don’t expect them to play any AC/DC or Taylor Swift songs for a few more years yet. So dear friend, join me (and the original photographers Muir and Moodie) for a colourised tour around the town in 1905, and see why Orepuki was (and still is) the place to be. Enjoy! Postcard 1 - Muir Moodie hotels at Orepuki, prot. 28.8.05 (1905) 811P: Welcome to Orepuki! The sun is shining and after the train trip everyone is feeling a little thirsty. “Perhaps a pint is in order?” I hear you ask. Well, there are three new and commodious hotels nearby we could choose from: D’Arcy’s Railway Hotel, McFarlane’s Masonic Hotel, and around the corner is the Wilson Family Hotel. That’s right, 118-ish years ago you could have an entire pub crawl in ‘Puki and never need to leave the main street. The gold and shale mining had slowed down by 1905, but there were still sawmills galore, farms spring up everywhere and plenty of folk working on the railway line out to Tūātapere. Postcard closeup 2 - This horse, hitched to the railway station fence, appears to be judging our tour group for considering drinking this early in the day. It’s right of course, Orepuki is hardly a one-horse town and there’s plenty to see and do here. However, when you get back to the future, I can recommend contacting Orepuki Horse Treks https://www.orepuki-horse-treks.com/ and arranging for a guided ride on the beach. Postcard closeup 3 - Even the wandering dogs seem to know that day drinking is only for students and Sheryl Crow songs. Let’s continue our tour down Oldham Street. Photo 4 - And here’s a similar view in 2023 (from Google Maps no less!) Note Allan and Dale Dudfields garage on the right. Yes, yes, I know. I’ve used Street View images instead of taking “actual” photos. In my defence, I couldn’t afford the train tickets from Invercargill, or indeed, the complete rebuild of the Thornbury - Orepuki branch line. #costoflivingcrisis Postcard 5 - Muir Moodie, Orepuki street, prot. 27.8.05 (1905) 814P: We’ve arrived at the intersection of Oldham and Dover Streets. This may look familiar, if perhaps a bit emptier, than what you recall from 2023. Let’s help you find your bearings. On the left, we have McFarlane’s Masonic Hotel, which had the top floor removed in the 1970s, was remodelled after a fire in 1990, and is now the much-loved Orepuki Tavern. Slightly further down the road is Wilson’s Family Hotel (built in 1899). On the right is the substantial D’Arcy’s Railway Hotel (built in 1900). This brick building burned down in the 1930s (see https://bitly.ws/33tE2) and was later rebuilt as a garage in the 1960s (was McAlisters, then Dudfield Bros, then Gyros). Let’s have a closer look shall we? Postcard closeup 6 - What caught your eye first? Was it the fashionable gentleman standing in the door wearing thigh-high boots/waders? Or was it the ornate twin-post street lamp? Perhaps you spied the black Labrador waiting patiently outside the bakery for their adorable best friend? Postcard closeup 7 - Across the road, we have what appears to be a traveler standing in the door next to his duffel and Gladstone Bag. It’s hard to know what he’s up to from this distance, but you suspect that he’s scheming a plan to sneak past the wee lass - who is obviously working as a bouncer for the hotel - and get back into the pub for one final drink before his train leaves. Photo 8 - The modern view (thanks again to Google Maps). The skyline is the same and there’s still cold beer on tap. Postcard 9 - Muir & Moodie Orepuki, prot. 26.8.05 (1905) 812P: Continuing down Oldham Street we pause for a breather and look back at the wonders of old Orepuki. You may notice the muddy puddle on the road, but overall, the roads here are nowhere near as bad as Invercargill’s swampy streets in 1905. Gadzooks! The tour group is suddenly startled by a high-pitched whistle to our right. Postcard closeup 10 - Oh, it’s just the locomotive filling up its boiler from that rather familiar-looking water station. The windmill beside it slowly creaks around in a light breeze, pumping bore water up to keep the tank full for the next train. Postcard closeup 11 - For all of Orepuki’s charms, you might notice there’s quite a bit of rubbish scattered along the station fence. After the tour is over, you may wish to utilise Orepuki's brand-new, state-of-the-art telephone bureau to place a call to the editors of the Western Star and Southland Times and lodge a complaint. Or maybe, if you’re feeling particularly fit, you could walk a few yards to the Orepuki Advocate newspaper offices. Photo 12 - Once again thanks to Google Maps. On the right, the Fire Station (est. 1959) now stands where the railway station used to be. The puddle appears to have remained in the same place too. Anyway, let’s continue towards Denbigh Street. Postcard 13 - Muir & Moodie, Orepuki, prot. 28.8.05 (1905) 813P: What a sight to behold! Verdant hills and tell-tale signs of industry everywhere. A wooden tram line runs along the left-hand side of the road and over an adorable little viaduct in the gully. If only we paid attention in art class, imagine what a glorious oil-colour landscape we could create with this view. With that in mind, when we return to 2023, you really should visit Andrea Sexton’s Little Red Caboose Art Gallery (https://www.andreasextonartist.com/) and check out some of her stunning Orepuki-inspired artwork. Until then, let’s take a closer look at the landscape.. Postcard closeup 14 - This dinky little church on the hill is St. Faith’s Anglican Church, built in 1902. Legend has it that only the best, brightest, most beautiful (and probably most modest) babies were baptised here ~wink~. Sadly it burned down around 2002, but doesn’t it look stunning here? The equally cute St Patrick’s Catholic Church, built in 1888, is just out of frame around the corner on Mullans Road. (It is noted by Chaplain Leah Boniface, that: "Parts of St Faith's are at the Demolition World in South Invercargill. The ornately carved altar is at St George's Anglican church in Tūātapere." Postcard closeup 15 - In keeping with our faithful theme, the building with the belltower on the right of this photo is the original Orepuki Presbyterian Church, built way back in 1885. It was demolished and replaced by the new (but now former) church in 1972. But as they say, time marches on. Back in 2023, devoted Orepukians often have to travel to attend services, with the notable exception of the good folk at the Southlife Community Church who still keep the holy home-fires burning. Photo 16 - yet another one from Google Maps, just a wee bit quieter than a century earlier. Dwayne Carey of Southland's Past -Te Wāmua o Murihiku, says, "We made a short film on this road. It was called 'Wasted'... and my old cobber Clint Withington lived up that road." Postcard 17 - Muir & Moodie, Orepuki. Prot. 11.9.05 (1905) No 815P: We’re on the home straight now, heading back down Dover Street and into town. After such a long walk (a whole 500 metres), you're probably keen on getting a cold drink and something to eat. While it’s unlikely that the many hotels and eateries in town will be serving Drambuie Glazed Hogget Shanks or Afforgato - like you’d get from the Orepuki Beach Cafe in 2023 - the smell of delicious, freshly baked pastries coming from the bakery down the road is certainly appealing. Let's take a closer look at what the townsfolk are up to. Postcard closeup 18 - Hark! What’s this? From beneath the veranda of the insurance agency, a group of tiny ruffians step forward to accost the tour group for a thruppenny to buy boiled sweets. Thankfully, the nearby gentleman with the pipe bravely chases the urchins away before accosting us for a shilling for a tart. “An apple tart from the tearooms”, he clarifies. Postcard closeup 19 - Mrs White, the confectioner from across the road shakes her head at all the commotion and calls our tour group over. “My apologies for the behaviour of those boys, their minds are rotten from reading outlandish books by the likes of Beatrix Potter and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle”. She then smiles and hands out complimentary pieces of delicious, if rather exotic sounding, Turkish Delight. “Enjoy your stay in Orepuki strangers, and please do return again in exactly 118 years.” Thank you Mrs White. We will. Photo 20 - yet another Google Map one, but with that, we have completed our mini tour of old Orepuki in colour. I hope you've had a pleasant stroll and are keen to visit again in the future. Until next time, Davey Please note: This rather tongue-in-cheek exploration of Orepuki’s past is not sponsored by the Orepuki Illuminati, the Monkey Island Primate Liberation Front, or indeed, The Rock radio station. I’m just genuinely fascinated by all things Southland - both in the past and in the present." If you or anyone you know has any more information or photos to share or accounts of Orepuki Township during the years, please do share this with us in the comments section. You can do this by making a comment in the space provided under the image page. Or you can make contact with us as per the archive front page.