Know your town

The town of Martinborough is born
The inaugural sale of sections in the proposed township of Martinborough was planned for 24th and 25th November 1879. The sale to be held in the Public Room of the Athenaeum in Wellington, the auctioneer being Mr. J H Wallace.

The plan showed the Union Jack plan and original streets named after the places visited by John Martin on his overseas tour. There were 595 town and business sections, all frontages one chain (24 metres) wide, plus 334 farms or farmlets in one, five, ten and fifty acre lots. The town to be was described as ‘alongside the settlement of Te Waihenga’. (In 1915 Otararia Road which passed through the town was re-named Jellicoe and Kitchener Streets as an act of patriotism).

Media hype for the sale was much in evidence, as this example from the Wanganui Herald: ‘We draw your attention to the great sale of land in Wairarapa. Martinborough is distance by rail from Wellington 45 miles to Featherston, thence by good metalled road* 8 miles.

‘The whole of the estate 40,000 acres, has been occupied for upwards of 35 years. Sown with English grass and a considerable portion of it ploughed. The advantage Martinborough possess over other lands in the colony are clearly observable by anyone visiting the property. For small farmers no land in either island is better adopted for immediate locating a large and industrious population. The farmer may plough, sow and in one season reap the fruits of his industry.
‘The lower valley of Wairarapa has been little known by the general public. The difficulties of the early settlers have been overcome and small farmers now can bring their eggs, bacon, butter and other farm produce into Wellington in the morning and return to Martinborough in the evening.

‘A saw mill is within one mile of the centre of the estate and there is every prospect of a branch line of railway being constructed at a very early period – provision has been made for the railway terminus in the centre of the town of Martinborough – which is delightfully situated on the plain and is tastefully laid out, a short distance from the bridge over the Ruamahunga. The main road from Featherston and Greytown pass through the centre of the town.’

Another example of the hype: ‘Martinborough. The land and area, shimmering like a garnet set in a hugh emerald, it’s occasional church spire pointing up progress’.

Eight years later the enthusiasm remained: ‘ Excellent opportunity for investors, secure sections in one of the most thriving and prosperous inland townships. Property Edward George Harris. 62 acres to be sold in ¼ and 2 acre lots. Some only 3 minutes from the Post Office. Martinborough has made rapid progress in the last few years. Population doubled, land prices more than doubled. ¼ acre section four years ago sold for 100 pounds, same last week sold for 600 pounds.
*not everybody described them thus