Leithfield is twenty-six miles from Christchurch on the North Road. In the old coaching days it had a bank and separate post office, saleyards, stores and hotels. The settlers began to make their homes in the district in the fifties. Owing to the opening of the railway line the traffic was diverted from Leithfield, and the principal business places were removed to Amberley. The old post office building, which was used in the early days, was also taken to Amberley, and now does duty there as a Magistrate's Court. Leithfield has an old Anglican church, which appears to have suffered from earthquakes. It has a school, a blacksmith's shop, a bakery, the shops of several builders, and a store, at which there is a post office. In 1902 the Kowai Road Board built a bridge over the river Kowai at Leithfield, for use in connection with stock and light traffic in time of flood. Leithfield is in the Kowai riding of the Ashley county, and at the census of 1901 it had 298 inhabitants.

Leithfield Post Office was originally established in the early coaching days. For a number of years it was a separate post and telegraph office, but about the year 1882 was closed, and the postal business was conducted in a cottage for about eleven years. Since 1898 the business has been carried on at the local store. The office is connected with Amberley by telephone and mails are received and despatched daily.

Mr. Charles Sydney White. Postmaster and Telephonist at Leithfield, was born in London in 1861. He came to New Zealand with his father, the late Mr. W. W. White, by the ship “Indian Empire,” in 1864. The family settled in Christchurch, where Mr. White, senior, died in the following year. Mr. C. S. White was brought up to mercantile life in Canterbury, and was for eight years in the employment of the Union Shipping Company, in Christchurch. He retired from the service in 1885. Mr. White was farming for six years in the North Island, but returned to Canterbury in 1891. He was then engaged in mercantile life in Christchurch until he took over the Leithfield store, which he has since conducted, in addition to performing the duties of postmaster. Mr. White has also served as a member of the local school committee. He was married, in 1884, to a daughter of Mr. J. Fuller, nurseryman, of Christchurch, and has one son.

Leithfield Public School was established in the early seventies. It stands on a three-acre section on The Terrace, and has two class-rooms and two porches, with accommodation for over 100 children. In the middle quarter of 1902 the roll contained fifty-four names, and the average attendance was forty-two. A schoolhouse of nine rooms stands on the property.

Mr. George Anderson, Headmaster of Leithfield Public School, was born in 1868, at Temuka. He served as a pupil teacher at Waitui, and was stationed at Rangitata, and afterwards at Loburn, before being appointed to Leithfield, in 1895. Mr. Anderson was married, in 1890, to a daughter of Mr. T. Thornley, of Waitui, and has five sons.

St. Paul's Anglican Church, Leithfield, was built about the year 1857. It is a composite building of sun-dried bricks and wood, with an iron roof, and has seating accommodation for eighty worshippers. A Sunday school, with thirty-five scholars and three teachers, is held in the church. The vicarage is situated on the Balcairn road, and is a handsome building, surrounded by ornamental grounds and green fields. The vicar, assisted by lay readers, holds services also at Sefton, Balcairn, Ashley, and Loburn.

The Rev. Herbert Edward East. Vicar of Leithfield, was born at Oxford, England. He was educated at the Old Boys' High School and Christ's College, Christchurch; was ordained deacon in 1872, and priest in 1875. For three years prior to the latter date he was stationed at Governor's Bay, and from that year to 1891 at Addington, and was appointed vicar of Leithfield in 1891.

Franks, Francis William Anthony, Baker, Leithfield. Mr. Franks has conducted this business since 1889. The bakery of brick, and house and stable of wood, are erected on part of a three-acre section. From this centre a large business is done with the surrounding districts. Mr. Franks was born in London, in 1844. He learned his business with his father, and came out to Lyttelton by the ship “Zealandia,” in 1858. For six years he was employed in Christchurch, and had two years' experience on the Thames goldfields. Mr. Franks then returned to Christchurch, where he was in business for two years before settling at Leithfield. He has been on the Leithfield school committee for twenty-four years, and has occupied the chair since 1900. Mr. Franks served in several volunteer companies in the early days. He was in the Drum and Fife Band, and was at one time bugler of No. 6 Company. He was married, in 1866, to a daughter of the late Mr. G. Winskill, of Amberley, and has had ten daughters and four sons. One son and two daughters have died.

Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs F. W. A. Franks.

Parker, Joseph. Builder. Leithfield. Mr. Parker was born at Woolwich, in 1862, and at the age of two years accompanied his parents to Lyttelton in the ship “Captain Cook.” The family settled in 1872 at Leithfield, where Mr. Parker was apprenticed to Mr. D. Shaw, builder, and has carried on business on his own account since 1886. He has been connected with the Loyal Leithfield Lodge of Oddfellows since 1887, and has been twice through the chairs.

Shaw, David, Builder and Contractor, Leithfield. Mr. Shaw was born in 1839 at Bentley, Warwickshire, England, where he was apprenticed as a wheelwright and coachbuilder, and found employment till 1859, when he came out to Lyttelton by the ship “Mystery.” For some time after his arrival in New Zealand Mr. Shaw worked at his trade in Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Mount Grey, Leithfield, and Birch Hill. He has been a settler in Leithfield since 1862, when he began business on the site on which he has since resided and had his workshop. Mr. Shaw's property consists of fourteen acres of freehold, which is in a capital state of cultivation. During his residence in the district he has erected a considerable number of public and private buildings. In the early days Mr. Shaw served for three years as a volunteer, and has been a member of the local school committee. As an Oddfellow he was one of the original members of the Loyal Leithfield Lodge. He was married, in 1865, to a daughter of the late Mr. C. Patterson, of Leithfield, and has six sons and three daughters.

Royal Hotel (Joseph Thornton, proprietor), Leithfield. This hotel is situated on the Main North Road, close to the Kowai river, and is one mile from the beach. The house contains fourteen bedrooms, two sitting-rooms, a dining-room, and a billiard-room with table; the hotel has also stabling and sheep paddocks connected with it.

Mr. Joseph Thornton, the Proprietor, was born in the town of Leicester, Leicestershire, England, in 1865. His parents kept the Loughborough Hotel, Churchgate, and he was early trained to the business. For some time he served in the hunting stables of Miss Paget, and in 1889 went as coachman with Governor O'Brien to Newfoundland, where he remained for three years. After a trip back to the Old Country, he came out in the “Oroya,” to Melbourne, and arrived in New Zealand in 1892. He was engaged as coachman with Mr. George Rhodes, of Meadowbank, and remained in that capacity for three years. In 1895 Mr. Thornton took over the Royal Hotel, Leithfield, where his cordiality has won him the esteem of the community and of the travelling public.

Mr. J. Thornton.

Leithfield Creamery (Sefton Dairy Company, proprietors), Leithfield. This creamery was established on the 19th of September, 1901. The building is of wood and iron, with a concrete floor, and contains an engine and stationary boiler of four-horse power, with an Alpha-de-Laval separator capable of treating 400 gallons of milk per hour. For the first season there were twenty-one suppliers. The cream is sent daily to the dairy factory at Sefton.

Mr. William Thomas Brown, Managor of the Leithfield Creamery, was born in Christchurch in 1879. He commenced his experience at the Sefton Factory, in 1897, and has been in charge at Leithfield since the opening of the creamery.