Bay Harbour: November 25, 2020

Wednesday November 25 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 9
The Avon-
Heathcote
Estuary
Ihutai
Trust is a
non-profit
organisation
formed to protect one
of New Zealand’s most
important coastal
wetlands. Each week,
board members
will discuss matters
regarding the estuary,
its rich history and what
makes it unique. This
week Bill Simpson writes
about carpet maker
Nimrod Mitchell
AN EARLY hero of the
industry in Christchurch was
Nimrod Mitchell who built a
carpet-making factory on a site
which is now part of Charlesworth
Wetland Reserve.
He arrived in Christchurch
from the United Kingdom in
1879 and in 1884 opened the
Zealandia Carpet Factory. He
exported to other parts of the
colony and also to Sydney.
The Illustrated Guide to
Christchurch and Neighbourhood
of 1885 praised Mitchell
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ESTUARY MATTERS
Carpet factory key part of
Charlesworth Reserve’s history
DESTROYED: How the Zealandia Carpet Factory looked in the 1880s.
as “the right man in the right
place,” and described the
opening as “a red letter day
truly, not only for the promoter
but also for the whole
colony of New Zealand.”
But perhaps the carpet business
was not so rosy.
In 1886 Mitchell was
charged with burning down
his own factory to defraud his
insurers. A witness in the trial,
George Richardson, said he
was offered £40 by Mitchell to
burn the factory down.
Richardson suggested kerosene
and Mitchell had replied
“that will do and I will give
you the key of the factory.”
However, Richardson later
told Mitchell he would not
set fire to the factory; but two
weeks later the factory was
burnt down and Mitchell
himself was judged to be the
culprit.
That is not the end of the
story. In August 1887, Sir Julius
Vogel, who had been Premier
of New Zealand and also
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SOIL AND
HARDFILL
DUMPING
the colonial treasurer, paid
tribute to the once-destroyed
but now rebuilt carpet factory.
Apparently, Zealandia was
back in business with Mitchell
back in control. Nothing
remains of the factory and the
site is part of Charlesworth
Reserve.
Volunteers have been working
to restore the wetland for
the past 15 years; if you want
to help you are elcome to join
in on Sundays at 3pm at the
Charlesworth St entrance.
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