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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Stoke

Stoke.

Stoke (Springbank-Moeraki) is a flag station on the Rangiora-Oxford line, twenty-eight miles from Christchurch, and 269 feet above the level of the sea. It takes its name from Stoke Grange station, which adjoins it, and is situated in the Cust riding of the county of Ashley. There is a public school of the same name on North Moeraki Downs, some two or three miles distant. The Moeraki flag station a mile beyond, and 317 feet above sea level, is the railway station for Springbank estate, the homestead of which is not far away. The local post-office at Stoke is conducted in a railway cottage. The population is small and scattered, and was not separately recorded in the census returns of 1901.

The Post Office at Springbank is conducted at a railway cottage close to the Moeraki railway station. The office gets its name from the Springbank sheep station, which existed prior to the construction of the railway. Two mails are received and despatched daily. Mrs Julia Hubbard has been postmistress since 1900.

Public School, Stoke. This school stands on a fine site at North Moeraki Downs. The original building, which was erected in 1868, having been pulled down, was replaced by a new building of wood and iron. It takes its name from Stoke Grange, near Moeraki railway station. There is accommodation for thirty-six children; the number on the roll is eighteen, and the average attendance fifteen. There is a school residence of six rooms on the property, which consists of an acre, and is well planted with ornamental trees.

Miss Jean Lorimer, formerly Headmistress of Stoke School, was born at Coldstream, Rangiora. She was educated at Woodend school, where she served her pupil-teachership. After a year's training at the Normal school, Miss Lorimer was appointed to Stoke in September, 1895. In the middle of 1902 she went to take charge of the infant department of the school at Midhirst, Taranaki, in the North Island.

Galletly, John, Farmer, North Mocraki Downs. Postal address, Springbank. Mr. Galletly was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1840, and was brought up to outdoor pursuits. In 1860 he landed in Lyttelton by the page 483 ship “Clontarf.” After working for a year at Kaiapoi Island, and three years on the Riccarton estate he bought fifty acres of land in the Cust district, on which his homestead stands. The land was then all covered with tussock, but has been brought to a good state of cultivation, and the area has been increased to 175 acres. Mr. Galletly served for a number of years as a member of the Cust Road Board, and has also served on the local school committee. He was married, in 1866, to a daughter of the late Mr. J. Shea, of County Tipperary, Ireland, and has two sons and two daughters surviving.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo. Mr. and Mrs J. Galletly.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. and Mrs J. Galletly.

Ruddenklau, Frederick, Farmer, “Stoke Grange,” Moeraki. Mr. Ruddenklau was born in 1868 at Cust, and educated there. He has always followed a farming life, and in 1893 had the management of the late Mr. J. G. Ruddenklau's estate at Rangitata. After being on the estate for five years, Mr. Ruddenklau started his present farm of 980 acres freehold, where he carries on agriculture and sheep farming. Mr. Ruddenklau has been a member of the Cust Mounted Rifles since the formation of the corps. He was married, in 1893, to a daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Wayland, of Cust, and has three sons and one daughter.

Springbank Estate (Messrs T. Chapman and H. J. Beswick, as trustees in the estate of the late Mr. E. Chapman), Springbank, Moeraki. This estate, as at present constituted, comprises 3,500 acres of freehold. It was originally the homestead of the late Mr. Robert Chapman, and was taken up by that gentleman in conjunction with the late Mr. William Kaye, in 1851, and ultimately became the head centre of a property of 23,000 acres. On the death of Mr Chapman, in 1884, the property was cut up into blocks and divided among his four sons. Springbank estate is under the management of Mr. W. Webb.

Mr. William Webb, Manager of “Springbank,” was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1862, and educated at Christ's College, Christchurch. He joined the Bank of New Zealand, in which he passed four years, and then exchanged the desk for station life, which he followed at “Birch Hill” and at “Springbank,” and the latter property was managed by him for several years. He afterwards visited Australia, where he studied wool-classing and attended the technical college at Sydney. He and his brother, Mr. A. Webb, bought Ngakorua estate, at Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, in 1895, but after a time he again entered on the management of “Springbank.”

Mr. W. Webb.

Mr. W. Webb.