Māori History of the Area
The central location of Te Manahuna (Mackenzie Basin) within Te Waipounamu meant Ngāi Tahu hapū from all over the eastern and southern seaboards of Te Waipounamu undertook seasonal mahinga kai expeditions to Te Manahuna over a variety of ara tawhito (traditional travel routes). Te Kopi o Opihi (Burkes Pass) ara tawhito was the principal travel route from the Arowhenua region to Te Manahuna. This trail followed the river from the mouth of the Opihi River over Te Kopi o Opihi into Te Manahuna. Lakes Pūkaki, Tekapo, Taka-moana (Alexandrina) and Whakarukumoana (Macgregor) as well as Te Manahuna itself were well known mahinga kai areas with an abundance of weka and tuna. These resources were particularly targeted during May to August to take advantage of the fat content as part of the preservation process.
Burkes Pass
Burkes Pass itself was named after Canterbury settler, Michael John Burke, who is claimed to have been the first Pākehā to have ‘discovered’ the pass to the Mackenzie Basin in 1855. The discovery of the vast Mackenzie plain resulted in ‘gold rush’ and ‘land rush’ selectors literally racing to the Land office in Christchurch to register claims and by 1858 vast areas of land had been applied for and taken up. The need for a township near the pass was recognised by the Canterbury Provincial Government in 1859 and 640 acres (259 hectares) was reserved for one between the summit of Burkes Pass and Stericker's Mound. However, the township of Burkes Pass grew up instead around the first accommodation house on what was then known as Cabbage Tree Flat, located in a more sheltered spot than the reserved land. By early 1877, a small village had established in Burkes Pass and it was expected the settlement would continue to grow as the administrative centre of the Mackenzie Basin.
As the area opened up, roads were required for horse-drawn vehicles. A dray track and later a road was cut through the pass and it became the main route for travellers into the Mackenzie Country. As the roads were formed and the Mackenzie Country prospered, Burkes Pass became the social, business and sporting centre for Mackenzie Country pioneers.
Roading
In New Zealand there was little public road construction prior to the 1840s and 1850s. The earliest road boards were formed in the late 1850s, acting as early local authorities who could collect money to pay for road building and maintenance. To begin with, construction and maintenance of civilian roads were the responsibility of provincial governments. After 1876, when the provincial government system was abolished, road boards, and later county councils which took over their role, did most road building and maintenance. In the Mackenzie Country, increasing agricultural activity from 1874 to 1883 resulted in the rapid development of country roads. Many of these roads were shingled to allow horse and buggy traffic.
Mount Cook Road Board
In Canterbury, the Mount Cook Road Board was one of four boards created by the Canterbury Provincial Council, under The Road Districts Ordinance No. 1, in 1863. Initially the Board had no offices and so meetings were held in private homes and hotels, and furniture was packed in and out of a large tin box at the start and finish of each meeting. The first meeting was held on 15 April 1864 at Sawdon Station, overlooking Burkes Pass, and Frederick Teschmaker was Chair. The next five meetings were also held at Sawdon Station. Many meetings were held at the accommodation house, variously named Burgess’s, Stansell’s and Walley’s. Others were held nearby at Rollesby Station, Ashwick Station, Three Springs Station, Brown & Maude’s, Mathias and Ensors, and Spalding’s Store. Some meetings were even held in Timaru. Eventually it was time for a purpose-built office, and land at Burkes Pass was chosen.
In early 1875, the Board approached Timaru architect, Daniel West, to draw plans and estimates for a Road Board office. West promptly worked on the plans and in April 1875 submitted an estimated cost of building an office for the Mount Cook Road Board according to plan for about £1050. This was for a building of stone construction, but it was decided to put the building project on hold, as it was considered impossible to build in such material over winter. The Board subsequently reconsidered the choice of building material and sought tenders for building in either stone or concrete. By late October 1875, a tender from Thomas Foden, builder, was accepted. As sought, Foden provided the Board with separate prices for stone (£896/3/-) and concrete (£814/5/-), and it opted for concrete. A clerk of works was engaged for the construction, his duties included ensuring that the proper amount of cement was put into the concrete mixture. Work on the new building appears to have been under way by late December 1875, with special attention given to the foundations. By April 1876, it was near completion and arrangements were made to furnish the building and have a verandah and stables constructed.
The first meeting of the Board in the new building was held on 6 June 1876, with Frederick [Fred] J Kimbell as chairman. A visitor to Burkes Pass in 1877 described the building as a ‘handsome-looking concrete house’ that served as both the Mount Cook Road Board office and the residence of George Clulee, secretary and overseer to the board.
As the administrative centre for the district, a wide range of matters were dealt with from the building. Roads, bridges and rates were a major focus. The administrative functions of the Board would have meant it would have needed offices and storage. An engineer was based in the building for at least 10 days a month. The building also served as a polling place, assessment court and meeting venue. Public meetings as well as board meetings were held in the building. With its large bay window and timber ceiling, the north-east room of the building may have been the boardroom. The building also functioned as the residence of various administrators associated with the board, with George Clulee being one of its earliest occupants. Advertisements for an overseer to the board outline that coals, a house and stables would be provided to the successful applicant.
The Mount Cook Road Board was a significant employer in the district. It frequently put contract work out to tender, notably for roads and structures such as buildings and bridges. It was also responsible for contracting out specific projects such as reconstructing the Pūkaki River punt, building the Lake Tekapo ferry and ferryman’s house, mapping of the road district, and carrying out rating valuations. In 1880, they reported that, ‘for years the Mount Cook Road Board has, on an average, expended £1300 to £1400 monthly on local works, and has, through the medium of contractors, given employment to between 250 and 300 men constantly’, including otherwise unemployed men from the district. This is a large number, given that the population of Burkes Pass was less than 100 at the time.
The Mackenzie County Council was created in place of the road board on 1 October 1883. The first meeting of the Mackenzie County Council was held in the former road board building on 3 December 1883, with John McGregor as chairman. An often discussed problem in the district was the ‘rabbit menace’. Roading infrastructure continued to be a key focus. In addition, a railway had been proposed to terminate at Burkes Pass, which would have enabled it to be the distributing centre for the Mackenzie Basin. However, the latter never eventuated, as the railway extended only as far as Fairlie (approximately 16 miles or 26 kilometres away). Occasionally, visitors commented on the building being a feature in a town that contained only about a dozen houses, union church, school, store, smithy and a hotel. As the Mackenzie County Council offices, the Mount Cook Road Board Building (Former) continued in the 1880s to be the hub of local authority-related activity and had a high profile.
In 1891, the board held its last meeting in the building and voted to relocate to Fairlie, which had displaced Burkes Pass as the business centre for the Mackenzie District. This transfer of the county office from Burkes Pass to Fairlie on 25 November 1891 changed the pattern of existence for both places.
Later uses of the building
On 14 November 1892, the Mackenzie County Council accepted Councillor Andrew Cowan’s tender of £26/10/- to lease the building at Burkes Pass. In May 1901, Mrs David Gunn took over, and in September 1902 Mr Malcolm McLeod leased the building. Mr Cowan again had it for a time until 1904 when Mr Donald Ross, Burkes Pass sheep farmer, took over. Mr Ross eventually purchased the property for £550 in 1920.
Several families lived in the building until the late 1950s. Tom and Annie McCarthy rented and lived there with their three children for several years from 1936. Jimmy and Bella Whyte bought and lived in the property from 1946. In the 1950s the building was converted into two living spaces, each with their own bathroom and kitchen. One of the families living there at this time was the Grimwood family, associated with the Mackenzie Rabbit Board, which had been formed in 1935. From the late 1950s until 1961 the building was used to house the single men of the Mackenzie Rabbit Board. During this time the building was used as a gathering place by rabbit board staff, who used it as an extension of the Burkes Pass Hotel in the days when the pub had to close at 6.00 pm. In the early 1960s Noel and Molly Samson lived in part of the house. In 1966, Maurice R J Angelo purchased the property from the Mackenzie Rabbit Board and, with his wife, Elizabeth (Liz), turned it into a private home and an artists’ retreat. During this almost 50 year period, the building was renovated and many people, including some well-known artists visited the property. In January 2011, the house hosted the first meeting of the year of the Mackenzie District Council, with councillors dressed in Victorian costume, to honour the building’s past. Shortly after, in early 2011, the Angelos sold to the present owners, who are continuing to restore the building.
In the 2000s, the Burkes Pass Heritage Trust produced a brochure, the Burkes Pass Heritage Walk & Historic Village, which features the Mount Cook Road Board Building (Former) as one of the key features within the historic town.