Thames (NZ): Asphalt arrives at the Thames Goldfield

Excitement at The Thames 12 October 1877, the first asphalt footpath was completed! Whats the big deal you may ask, and was it really the first? (Note variant spelling in the newspapers as 'asphalte')

THAMES ADVERTISER, 22 OCTOBER 1877

The first footpaths at Shortland Town and Grahamstown

   Mathias Whitehead came to Shortland Town in 1868 and described the state of the roads and footpaths at the time of the 1917 reunion. Whitehead recalled the town as the "City" of Board of Works [sic], "when a substantial wooden footpath was laid down" because most walkways were impassable in the early years on the goldfield.

 

 Left: Whitehead's report on the state of the footpaths. Thames Star 1 August 1917.  Right: 'Boardwalks' surrounded shops at the Thames Museum during 'Heritage Rescue' filming 2015. These have since been removed.

Above: This is the area of Shortland Town that Mathias Whitehead was talking about. Spot the wooden boxing used to separate road from footpath and to act as a drain. In some cases this was enough to keep the footpath in good condition, as the shop owners could afford it, a wooden board walk was added.

      Any alterations to the footpaths had to be approved by the local Highway Board. In April 1872, Mr Ehrenfried applied to the Waiotahi District Highway Board to build a wooden footpath in front of the Grahamstown Hotel.

      While initially a success, within a few years the wooden footpaths began to deteriorate. The cause varied from children deliberately vandalising the footpaths to mobs of cattle being driven through the town straying on them. One of the most significant was water damage from floods and high tides. Hence they soon became unsafe and a danger to pedestrians.

The Asphalt solution!

     There are reports in the newspapers around New Zealand in the 1860s about footpath construction and various methods of compressing rock, to the use of tar or asphalt.

     There are no mentions of 'asphalt' in the Thames Guardian newspaper 1871-1872.

From 1874 the Thames Star (Evening Star) and Thames Advertiser are online at Paperspast, below is a summary of the development and use of asphalt footpaths:

•  1874 24 Sept Thames Advertiser: The Union Bank of Australia (corner Queen & Albert Streets) were building a new brick premises and planned to have an asphalt footpath.
• 1876 13 March Thames Star: The Borough asphalters were busy outside the Academy of Music and Pacific Hotel in Brown Street.

Thames Star 13 March 1876.

• 1877 12 October Thames Advertiser: The report stated the first asphalte footpath at the Thames was completed in front of the Bank of New Zealand in Brown Street.
• 1877 26 June Thames Star: The Thames Borough Council suggested that the repairs to the footpath outside the Theatre Royal Hotel in Williamson Street, be constructed in asphalt.
• 1878 16 January Thames Star: It was not just footpaths that were being made in asphalt, the floor of the new fire engine shed at Shortland was being laid with this product.
• 1878 28 January Thames Star:  News that the Queens Hotel (corner of Albert & Queen Streets), and the Pacific Hotel (corner Brown & Albert Street) were both planning to put down asphalt footpaths outside their premises. In one month March-April 258 yards of asphalt were laid outside the hotel.
• 1878 6 April Thames Star: It was noted by a writer named 'Perambulator' that it was pleasing to see townsfolk showing faith in the town by making upgrades such as laying on water and gas, plus laying down asphalt footpaths.
• 1878 9 April Thames Star: The new footpaths were taking a bit of getting used to, painters were warned about the use of ladders in the newly laid asphalt paths as they were prone to leaving holes especially on hot days. 
• 1878 19 April Thames Star: All the asphalt work around the town, meant that the Council was busy trying to procure further supplies of stone or gravel - Tenders were called for 200 cubic yards.
• 1878 31 May Thames Advertiser: Problems were encountered with the new method of laying footpaths, the join between old and new was prone to causing problems. "An instance occurred last night. The respected incumbent of St George's was escorting one of the members of his choir home, when opposite the Queen's Hotel he was forced to his knees, and compelled to maintain a recumbent attitude for a few seconds, through the unevenness of the new path where it joins old."

What were the costs of the footpaths?

    As at March 1878 the average cost of footpaths per running foot was: Asphalt 3s 4d; common filling with water tables 2s 4d; common filling without water tables 1s 6d. A report to the local Council recommended that water tables and a footpath be completed the length of Pollen Street from Shortland to Grahamstown.  The cost 937 Pounds 8 shillings. For a 3 foot wide asphalt path laid along side the tables the total cost would be 1406 Pounds 16 shillings.

     As the months passed, more side streets were planned to have footpath upgrades. The costs were often under debate, Mr Soury for instance claimed 12 October 1878, that he could lay the new asphalt footpaths at a greatly reduced rate.

     The local cricket club saved some money by getting a loan of the asphalt roller to roll the cricket green for the new season. (Thames Star 27 August 1880)

     Ongoing costs ensued over the following years. Topdressing of the original footpath was needed as part of the maintenance routine, plus repairs to sections of the path due usually to sinking and subsidence.

Initially it was exciting to get a date for the first asphalt footpath at the Thames - 12 October 1877. However there appears to have been without question several sections of footpath laid during 1874 to 1876, along with the use of asphalt for floors in some premises. In the following decades, asphalt tennis courts make the headlines on numerous occasions! Regardless, the use of the asphalt process / material was a great improvement over the initial paths tread by the first settlers on the Thames Goldfield.

Above: Boardwalk sections can be seen top right outside the St George's Hall at the northern end of Pollen Street, along with boardwalk crossings to several hotels and businesses on the eastern side of the street.

Above: early 1900s view of Bank of New Zealand (centre right), the reported area where the first asphalt footpath was laid in 1877.

Below: Then & Now. The Pacific (left out of view) & Wharf Hotel on the left c1880, corner Albert and Brown Streets. The area where asphalt was reported to be laid in 1876.