Hornby: Grand Beginnings
The area we now know as Hornby was from the mid 1860s simply considered an outlying part of Riccarton, and home to a number of great houses, the property of important landowners.
It appears that Hornby was the second choice of name for this area, as the original railway station was known as Southbridge Junction. Subsequent postal confusion with the Township of Southbridge led to a new name being gazetted in September 1878 – Hornby Junction. Further confusion with the existing Horndon Junction disappeared when that area was re-named Darfield!
Hornby was different from other settlements of the time in that it had a name before any subdivision took place. There was an attempt at development in October 1878, but it did not eventuate and it was to be another 20 years before Hornby became more than a farming area with its few large houses and scattered cottages. One reason for this was that town workers did not want to live out in Hornby as it was a good three hours walk from town, and Riccarton road, the main route in, was still hardly fit for carts in some places. This made getting to and from town, and supplies out to Hornby residences quite difficult, more than the average worker could justify.
Samuel Smart and Sons established a stone breaking works in the area about 1884 in the site now known as Kyle Park. The demand for road metal, shingle and sand was significant and within five years the land had been excavated to a depth of some 30 feet. Before redevelopment in the early 1970′s the area was known as Smarts Pit, and subsequently a road in the vicinity was named Smarts Road.
However Hornby came to be dominated by the early establishment of a large meat exporting industry. Opened in November 1869, and spread over 10 acres alongside the railway line, the Canterbury Meat Export Company had a chequered life. Initial success and the development of canned meat, was followed by the company’s collapse five years later; this was attributed to an over-supplied market and defective cans. For the next 13 years the plant was only worked at intervals, but the advent of refrigeration resulted in a change of fortune. The property was taken over by the newly formed Christchurch Meat Company, new freezing works buildings were constructed, and the area now known as Islington was born. The Township was very much a company affair and by 1896 the “Works” employed some 500 people.
A second freezing works was opened in 1896 adjacent to the Hornby Railway Station. This was an attempt by Nelson Bros., a big company in the British frozen meat trade, to enter the South Island. However instead of offering competition to the Christchurch Meat Company, Nelson preferred to negotiate. This arrangement was not to last very long, and by 1912 there was an agreement whereby the Meat Company leased the Nelson plant. Eight years later the Company, now known as New Zealand Refrigerating Company, bought the works, which survived until sold for demolition in 1936.
The growth of Hornby at the turn of the century was due almost entirely to the development and extension of the frozen meat industry. In 1896 the area known as Jersey Town (because of the dairy farm), was sold and subsequently divided into 82 sections. A year later more land was subdivided across the railway line by Carmen Road.
Hornby was also the site of one of the village settlements meant to provide allotments for town workmen, which were established by the Liberal Government of 1891-1912. In 1909 the Government bought 75 acres which was subdivided into 3 acre sections, and offered on 33 year leases. There was however no great demand for these.
Various institutions also became established at this time. The first Hornby school – Hornby Primary School - opened in 1895; the Baptists were the first to establish their church in 1897 but were soon followed by the Roman Catholics and Anglicans. After much debate a recreation ground / domain was opened in 1910 and soon became the centre for a number of sports.
Compiled by Stephen P. from various sources including http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Heritage/LocalHistory/ (bibliography). Please contact the Hornby Online Team if you have more early history to add.
