Railway tunnels - New Zealand - Canterbury Region

Date: 1917

By: Empson, Estelle, active 2000

Reference: PAColl-6121

Description: Arthurs Pass/Otira tunnel and the first passengers to go through on the 21 July 1917. Also a photograph of a bach at Lake Moana with Ernest Empson in front. Quantity: 4 b&w original photographic print(s).

Date: 1860

From: Haast family: Collection

Reference: MS-Papers-0037-279

Description: Includes newspaper article, printed in 1944, on the tunnel survey.

Date: [Circa 1880s-1890s]

From: Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives

Reference: PA1-q-104

Description: Images of the construction of the Midland Railway line in Canterbury, and surrounding areas, taken by an unidentified photographer. Views include construction of the railway line, railway tunnels, bridges and viaducts, the use of flying foxes for transportation of men and equipment, and one image of a velocipede (like a railway jigger). Life at the work-sites is shown with types of accomodation, including tents; work-sites under snow; and group portraits of the Midland Railway Rifle Club, and the New Zealand Midland Railway Football Club. Several of the men, chiefly the engineers, are identified. Other Titles - Title printed on spine - Godber Album 111 Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Photograph album with brown buckram cover; 32 x 28 cm

Date: 1900 - 1923

By: Wood, P, active 1890s

Reference: PAColl-0678

Description: Photographs of: the construction of the Otira Tunnel including one of a large group of construction workers in the tunnel itself; a view looking down at the entrance to the tunnel from Mount Barron; a view from the opposite side of the valley from Mount Barron looking down on the construction area; three photographs of the Kowai railway viaduct under construction; a bridge on the Ohakune Raetihi Railway; the opening of the Gisborne Railway at Gisborne Railway Station ca 1900 with a large crowd on the tracks and platform; a man in uniform on a horse, possibly C E J Bell, with a wagon in the background and the caption Klerksdorf M. Streams Rly 1904 on the reverse; and a Christmas card produced by the Midland Railway using a montage of photographs of railway construction and the message `With Best Wishes for the New Year from Paterson's Creek Springfield District The Midland Railway Canterbury PWD No. 0/1903'. Quantity: 11 b&w original photographic print(s). 1 b&w photo-mechanical print(s).

Date: 1909

By: Stratford, P (Miss), active 1987

Reference: PA1-q-227

Description: Album of railway photographs relating to the construction of the New Zealand Midland Railway in the South Island, circa 1909, probably presented to James Stratford at the end of his year working as wages clerk for the Public Works Department at Springfield. One photograph is entitled "Return of the "Poleseekers"", showing the return of the Nimrod from the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909. Source of title - Title supplied by Library Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with blue cover, green spine, entitled "Sunny Memories" in black lettering; 32 x 28 cm

Date: [Circa 1860s-1940s]

From: Kennedy, William Alexander, 1865-1950 :Photographs of the Southern Alps area

By: Beken, Charles Albert, 1859-1944; Mundy, Daniel Louis, 1826-1881; Tomlinson, Francis Ernest, 1864-1944; Williams, William, 1858-1949

Reference: PAColl-0959-05

Description: Scenic photographs of Cass & Craigieburn, Midland Railway, Waimakariri Gorge taken between circa 1860s and 1940s by various unidentified and identified photographers. Photograph (no. 13) shows the hut owned by the Canterbury Coleege Mountain Biological Station; photograph (no. 25) of the old Benmore Station (no. 25) was taken by D L Lundy circa 1860s, and view (no. 26) shows the same site much later with fully grown macrocarpa trees, and the house in poorer condition; the views of the Midland Railway Line including when under construction, with the line, tunnels, and viaducts seen over a number of years were possibly taken by William Williams who was a photographer and who worked for the Railways Department; other images were probably taken by Charles Beken including one of "the meeting of the Arthur's Pass tunnel headings" with two men and a woman beside the dark opening. Quantity: 44 b&w original photographic print(s). Physical Description: Silver gelatin prints Finding Aids: Typescript inventory of this box held in Photographic Archive backfile under "Kennedy, William Alexander.".

Date: Circa 1890s

From: Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives

Reference: APG-1530-1/2-F

Description: Tunnel under construction on the Midland Railway Line, with a group of men standing on scaffolding at one of the entrances. Photograph taken by an unidentified photographer, circa 1890s. This image is a film negative taken by Albert Percy Godber from a print in his album Vol 111, p 25 (PA1-q-104) On file print at "385. Railways. Lines. Midland", the number "18620-1/4" is also given Inscriptions: Album page - bottom centre - Tunnelling Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Film negative 16.25 x 11.75 cm

Date: 1910

From: Price, William Archer, 1866-1948 :Collection of post card negatives

Reference: 1/2-000017-G

Description: View of the mouth of the railway tunnel at Bealey Flat. Photograph taken by William Archer Price Other - The photographer has entitled this image as the Otira Tunnel, but it has been identified as the railway tunnel at Bealey Flat. Other Titles - Otira Tunnel Inscriptions: Photographer's title on negative - bottom right - Otira Tunnel. [No.] 607.E. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Dry plate glass negative 4.5 x 6.5 inches

Date: [between 1861 and 1867]

From: Making New Zealand :Negatives and prints from the Making New Zealand Centennial collection

Reference: MNZ-1683

Description: Lyttelton rail tunnel under construction. The provincial engineer, Edward Dobson, in his distinctive white top hat, can be seen near the tunnel entrance.Photograph taken between 1861 and 1867 by an unidentified photographer. Publication note - Published in Making New Zealand (Wellington [N.Z.] : New Zealand Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1940) Vol 2, No 17, page 6. Source of descriptive information - Notes on item. Quantity: 1 b&w copy photographic print(s). Physical Description: Silver gelatin print, 14.6 x 20.6 cm Provenance: Photograph from William Walter Stewart for the Department of Internal Affairs' publication 'Making New Zealand' (1939-1940).

Date: 1916

From: Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives

Reference: APG-0750-1/2-G

Description: The Arthur's Pass portal of the Otira Tunnel, under construction circa 1916. Photograph taken by Albert Percy Godber. Original print of this image is at PA1-q-102 (Godber album Vol 109, p 23). Date from images on either side of this one in the Godber Album. Inscriptions: Album page - Arthur's Pass Tunnel. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Dry plate glass negative 6.5 x 4.75 inches