North Canterbury News: February 15, 2024
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4 The<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>February</strong> <strong>15</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
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Apond, abelief, and vindication<br />
ByTRISH MCCORMACK<br />
It took 17 years, but Loburn character<br />
William White, aka Gyro, has finally been<br />
vindicated.<br />
Back in 2002 his family watched in<br />
disbelief as he constructed alargepond on<br />
his property.<br />
Lake Gyro, of approximately 20 million<br />
litre capacity, was born.<br />
On Friday, January 12, fires broke out in<br />
the district and the nearby Ashley River<br />
had little water to surrender.<br />
Luckily Lake Gyro was close to hand and<br />
helicopters were quick to swoop in with<br />
their monsoon buckets.<br />
Properties were probably saved that<br />
night as aresult.<br />
This is not the first time the pond has its<br />
worth.<br />
Auseful resource ... William and his wife Gay standing beside Lake Gyro.<br />
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Back in <strong>February</strong> 2020 afire started<br />
further up the Ashley River, fanned by a<br />
howling nor'wester,risking life and<br />
properties.<br />
During ahelicopter sweep over the<br />
district the pilot saw William standing by<br />
his pond, excitedly giving them the thumbs<br />
up.<br />
The monsoon buckets were lowered,<br />
and Lake Gyro gave willingly of its bounty.<br />
As the helicopterswere lowering their<br />
buckets, Icalled to them: ‘‘Why has it taken<br />
you 17 years to vindicate me?,’’ William<br />
laughs.<br />
William, who lives near the north bank<br />
of the Ashley River with his wife Gay, built<br />
the pond for irrigation, frost and fire<br />
fighting and recreation.<br />
People thought he was crazy and when<br />
the pond started leaking it seemed they<br />
were right.<br />
But William, never aman to give up,<br />
enrolled in ascuba diving course and then<br />
used his new skills to examine the pond<br />
bed, and plug the leaks. He persisted and<br />
eventually succeeded.<br />
Awood turner, sawmiller, orchardist<br />
and inventor William founded Mill<br />
Orchard Juices with his brother Nick and<br />
used his engineering talents to build much<br />
of the original plant.<br />
Lake Gyro, its surrounds now tastefully<br />
landscaped with lawns and plants, is a<br />
wildfowl magnet attracting all kinds of<br />
birds including ducks seeking sanctuary<br />
during the shooting season.<br />
Asmall colony of Royal Spoonbills took<br />
up residence there one year.<br />
William endured scepticism for the lake<br />
project, says his sister, Annabelle<br />
Roulston. But when the fire broke out, his<br />
lake helped quell the blaze.<br />
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