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Midland Line New Zealand’s Trans-Alpine Railway by Geoffrey B. Churchman SC
Midland Line New Zealands Trans-Alpine Railway by Geoffrey B. Churchman SC
Soft Cover
1988
64 Pages
Since time immemorial The Southern Alps have formed a natural barrier to traffic and communications between the two coasts of the South Island. The first person credited by tradition with finding a way through the Alps was Ruareka, who used the route to carry New Zealand greenstone (pounamu) from the Arahura River on the West Coast to the plains on the eastern side of the mountains. In their quest for pounamu, which had both spiritual and material value to them, the Maoris found several alpine routes through the rugged, icebound mountains cut by deep gorges and rivers.
With the coming of the Europeans, the quest for gold in the 1860s saw settlements spring up on the West Coast. Later it was the exploitation of coal and timber that became the economic raison d'of the West Coast, and which remain the principal industries today. The flat alluvial plains of Canterbury on the other hand, saw the development of agriculture and secondary industries based on agriculture. Today Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and third largest in New Zealand.
The first European to find a way across the Alps was a young surveyor by the name of Arthur Dudley Dobson in March 1864, after whom "Arthur's Pass" was named. With the advent of the West Coast goldrush, a coach road was quickly made through the pass, opening to traffic in July 1866. Cobb & Co. stage coaches began transporting passengers between the two coasts, but the promised gold riches never eventuated. The gold escort made just one journey carrying less than one ounce of gold to Christchurch.
The West Coast remained primarily dependent on ships from Nelson, Dunedin and Australia. Despite much lobbying by businessmen, it was a long time before the dirt road between the two coasts was accompanied by a railroad. But when it was completed both the people of the regions and the Railways had much to be proud of. They had drilled the world's seventh longest tunnel, they had pioneered the first use of electric traction in New Zealand (before diesel), and they had created one of the world's most scenic railway journeys, ranking alongside the best that Europe and America have to offer.
In this book we have provided a history of the line and have attempted to portray the scenic majesty and grandeur of the terrain it passes through, although this is difficult to do with photographs.
Today the train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth is an experience sans pareil, and this book shall serve as an invitation to make this journey.
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