Kaiapoi

Pre-settlement

Kaiapoi is located on what was formally the south bank of the north branch of the Waimakariri River. This patch of land between the north and south branches of the Waimakariri was the largest island in the lower reaches of the river.^[4] "Kaiapoi Island" (as it was later called) was of spiritual and educational significance to Ngāi Tahu, who called it Te Rakai a Hewa (the adornment of the deluded one). A stream that ran through the island, Te Tupapaku (also known as Courtenay Stream), was an important location for the ritual burial process of local Māori.^[4]

Early settlement

When the Christchurch settlement was planned, a secondary market town named 'Mandeville' was proposed by Captain Joseph Thomas to support north-Canterbury farmers.^[5] Charles Torlesse surveyed the area in 1849 and on early maps it is marked to the south-west of modern-day Kaiapoi.^[6] The Canterbury Association ran out of money in 1850, and surveying work came to a stop before the town could be established.^[7] While the name of 'Mandeville' stuck for the surveyed region, the area of the future township remained 'Kaiapoi' due to the continued presence of Ngāi Tahu families in the area.^[8]

In 1851, Sir Thomas Tancred proposed a new settlement in Canterbury. He was concerned that the Canterbury Association had not made enough progress in establishing the promised Anglican model values in their new settlements.^[9] The name for this proposed settlement was to be 'Gladstone'. Tancred wrote to Henry Sewell, asking him to instruct John Robert Godley to set aside land for the Gladstone settlers. By this stage in 1852 the Canterbury Association was not performing well financially, and was soon to wind-up and hand control to the newly-formed provincial government. Sewell forwarded the message, but Godley took no action to advance the plan. Thus, when the Gladstone settlers began arriving in 1853 they discovered no land had been set aside for them.^[10] The mouth of the Waimakariri River was suggested as a possible place for their new town, as much of that land had been set aside for the use of the church. An inspection party of settlers were joined by Sewell and surveyor Thomas Cass to explore the area. The group agreed on a location at the confluence of the north and south branches, close to where the proposed North Road met the river.

However, tensions flared the following day at a meeting between the settlers, Sewell, and Charles Simeon. An offer of 50 acres (20 ha) of church land was made and agreed to, but the settlers had additional demands that could not be immediately met. After an argument, Sewell and Simeon decided to end the Gladstone scheme, as it was proving to be too much trouble.^[11] However, the suitability of the site was so great that Sewell began the work of establishing the town anyway, but rather under the direction of the Canterbury Association and not the Gladstone settlers. Soon 200 acres (81 ha) of church land was marked off, and in 1853 Henry Cridland had laid out a map of the new settlement.^[12] By early 1854 the road to Kaiapoi was well-trodden, and the small settlement had begun to form.

Despite the collapse of the Gladstone scheme, many of the Gladstone settlers became established at Kaiapoi. Notable figures included the Reverend John Raven, who commissioned the first church in the area. The wooden building of St Bartholomew's church was opened in 1856,^[13] to plans by Benjamin Mountfort. Today it is the oldest surviving church in Canterbury.^[14]

In 1857 Kaiapoi was declared a town by the provincial council.^[15]

Rural hub

Kaiapoi was an important hub for the early north Canterbury settlers, largely due to the river port that was established there. The mouth bar of the Waimakariri River posed a significant hazard to ships, and many ran aground.^[16] The river was also notorious for changing course and flooding unexpectedly.^[17][18] Despite this, the north branch of the river was navigable to Kaiapoi by small coastal shipping vessels. This port transported wool and wheat from the local farms to the major port at Lyttelton.

During the great storm of 1868 the Waimakariri flooded, destroying buildings, bridges, telegraph lines and port facilities.^[17] Later that same year, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Peru did further damage to the wharves.^[19]

The rail line from Christchurch to Kaiapoi opened in April 1872, beginning a decline in the use of Kaiapoi as a port.^[20] Coastal shipping did continue to be a major part of industrial transport in the area, however. Local businessman John Sims purchased coastal shipping vessels and expanded the wharf facilities at Kaiapoi during the 1870s and 80s. It was not until 1904 that the Kaiapoi Railway Station was opened.^[21]

The Kaiapoi Woollen Milling Company was established in the late 1870s. This business produced high-quality woollen blankets and clothing, and was successful during the 1880s in spite of the wider economic recession.^[22] It continued to be a major pillar of the local economy until its closure in the 1970s.

During World War I, a major slaughterhouse and freezing works was established in Kaiapoi.^[23] The facility processed sheep from across North Canterbury and remained an economic centre of the town until its closure in 1991.^[24] During the 1918 influenza pandemic seventeen people died of the disease, meaning that Kaiapoi had the second-highest death rate in North Canterbury, after Amberley.^[25]

The town was struck by two earthquakes in 1921 and 1922,^[26] and in 1923 the town experienced a major flood.^[27] This flood lead to a flurry of activity over the following decade to stabilise the course of the Waimakariri.^[28] Changes upstream of the town had the effect of reducing the flow of the North Branch of the river, and making it less prone to flooding. As it became effectively disconnected from the Waimakariri upstream of Kaiapoi, it was renamed to Kaiapoi River in 1959.^[29]

The 1920s saw a brief renewal of interest in the use of Kaiapoi as a port. This came in the context that both Kaiapoi and Lyttelton were at risk of losing port trade to Timaru.^[30] At one stage the Kaiapoi freezing works was sending frozen meat to Timaru for export.^[30] Despite local popular support for the port at Kaiapoi, several factors were working against it: the Waimakariri river bar still posed a significant hazard to ships; the course of the north branch of the river shifted so frequently that it was seen as unreliable for shipping vessels; the introduction of rail across the Southern Alps via the tunnel at Otira in 1923 made coastal shipping less necessary; and the river could not accommodate the trend towards larger more economical vessels for coastal shipping. All of these factors contributed to the decline of Kaiapoi as a trade port.^[31] Coastal shipping continued at Kaiapoi, with a brief increase after World War II. The port continued to bring in coal and dangerous goods even into the 1960s.^[32] In 1969 port activity was finally suspended.^[33]

The town's war memorial records 20 local men as having died during World War II.^[34] The memorial, designed by William Trethewey, was first unveiled on Anzac Day in 1922 to commemorate the first world war.^[35] It was later updated after the second world war.

2010 earthquakes

The town suffered significant damage during the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. Ultimately, more than 900 homes in Kaiapoi and nearby The Pines Beach were ultimately abandoned due to the earthquake damage to the land.^[36] The earthquake caused enormous damage to infrastructure, interrupting the water supply and sewerage.^[37]

Many local buildings were damaged and demolished. The façade of the Blackwell's Department Store was significantly damaged. It was demolished the same afternoon as the first earthquake to mitigate the safety risk during the ongoing aftershocks.^[38] The Kaiapoi Railway Station building was largely undamaged, though its foundation tilted dramatically. Rather than be demolished, the heritage building was moved to a safer location and later restored.^[39]