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Haast road construction north of Grant Creek.1960.
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DescriptionShared with permission from ' Haast Road Opening 50th Anniversary'
Bert Grigg CollectionDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
Bert Grigg CollectionDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
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Location (city or town)Haast PassEventBuilding Haast Pass road
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Category TagRoads
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Date Created24th October 2017CommentsCheryl Rasmussen
What an absolute feat that was. My husband John Rasmussen worked on that road and the stories he told were incredible. He also attended the 50 Year Reunion from Australia and was so pleased to catch up with the remaining men he knew.
Reply14hEdited
Heather Newby
Cheryl Rasmussen an amazing feat!!
Stuart Chapman
Cheryl Rasmussen hey, my father also worked on the Haast road construction, who did your husband work for. My dad worked for Burt Cummings.
Cheryl Rasmussen
Stuart Chapman My husband was in the bridge building mob with MOW and his supervisor was Maurie Roberts. He camped at Potters Creek.
What was your dads name? I have heaps of photos etc here ... I'm writing a book on my husband life and this road wa… See more
Anne Palmer
Stuart Chapman my hubby Ted Palmer worked for Maurice Roberts doi g bridges as well lots of stories
Phil Millar
Cheryl Rasmussen George Searle also worked on the Main bridge,from start to finish!
Cheryl Rasmussen
Anne Palmer I remember John mentioning that name. He talked often about his days on this project. I am astounded at just how tough those days were.
Stuart Chapman
Cheryl Rasmussen my dads name is Jack Chapman, he turned 95 last week, and lives with me in Brisbane. Got photos somewhere, he drove bulldozers and worked blasting rock around some of the bluffs. I’m away from home atm, will ask him for a bit more info when I return later in the week.
Cheryl Rasmussen
Stuart Chapman my husband has some amazing photos and would have no doubt known your dad. John would have been 88 this year. I'm writing a book on his life story and this road was a big part of his story.
Stuart Nicholson
I knew a young MOW engineer called John Rhodes (5’ 17”) who worked in the early 1960’s at what he called Paringa, putting the new road thru to Haast from up north. I think he was coming from the north. He later moved to the MOW Westport office.
Kevin Oregan
Roadways contract. Air conditioned cabs were mandatory. Not all days was the weather like pictured. Kevin O'Regan
Cheryl Rasmussen
What an absolute feat that was. My husband John Rasmussen worked on that road and the stories he told were incredible. He also attended the 50 Year Reunion from Australia and was so pleased to catch up with the remaining men he knew.
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Cheryl Rasmussen an amazing feat!!
R Stuart Nicholson
I knew a young MOW engineer called John Rhodes (5’ 17”) who worked in the early 1960’s at what he called Paringa, putting the new road thru to Haast from up north. I think he was coming from the north. He later moved to the MOW Westport office.
Kevin Oregan
Roadways contract. Air conditioned cabs were mandatory. Not all days was the weather like pictured. Kevin O'Regan
Wendy James
I remember my dad Leo Williams talking about this road not sure if he help build it .that when he meet my mum Sylvia she worked in a pub some were down there.
Nana Pop Detlaff
Wendy James Leo and Sylvia were at Pukekura (south of Ross) for many years .
Wendy James
Nana Pop Detlaff yes we were
Bill Arlidge
We got through in Jan 59.
Peter Lintern
it a good photo of bulldozer working in hasst would anyone no about a v8 pilot car working on same job or a 1957 holden driven by tas smith.s
Ross Brown
When men were men and jobs got done
John Pearce
Ross Brown yes yes yes
Alan Mitchell
No pissing about straight into it not like today with consultants and yellow cones getting in the way.
Ross Brown
Should have kept going all the way to golden bay no greenies to lay down in front of the bulldozers
Margaret Mckee
My late father Bob Russell was foreman for Cummings Earthmoving from Greymouth. They worked on the road from Haast to Haast Gate. Left Haast about 1958
Malcolm Howell
Little did I know that a few years later in 1964 - 65 I would be riding up to the road head on a Dozer, as a MOW Pay Clerk, paying these great dedicated guys. Great memories in torrential rain.
Phil Wright
You would get a wet arse on that Cat with that Skellerup cab at times!
Ross Brown
Phil Wright they used to sit on a pice of 4x2 to keep there arse out of the wate
What an absolute feat that was. My husband John Rasmussen worked on that road and the stories he told were incredible. He also attended the 50 Year Reunion from Australia and was so pleased to catch up with the remaining men he knew.
Reply14hEdited
Heather Newby
Cheryl Rasmussen an amazing feat!!
Stuart Chapman
Cheryl Rasmussen hey, my father also worked on the Haast road construction, who did your husband work for. My dad worked for Burt Cummings.
Cheryl Rasmussen
Stuart Chapman My husband was in the bridge building mob with MOW and his supervisor was Maurie Roberts. He camped at Potters Creek.
What was your dads name? I have heaps of photos etc here ... I'm writing a book on my husband life and this road wa… See more
Anne Palmer
Stuart Chapman my hubby Ted Palmer worked for Maurice Roberts doi g bridges as well lots of stories
Phil Millar
Cheryl Rasmussen George Searle also worked on the Main bridge,from start to finish!
Cheryl Rasmussen
Anne Palmer I remember John mentioning that name. He talked often about his days on this project. I am astounded at just how tough those days were.
Stuart Chapman
Cheryl Rasmussen my dads name is Jack Chapman, he turned 95 last week, and lives with me in Brisbane. Got photos somewhere, he drove bulldozers and worked blasting rock around some of the bluffs. I’m away from home atm, will ask him for a bit more info when I return later in the week.
Cheryl Rasmussen
Stuart Chapman my husband has some amazing photos and would have no doubt known your dad. John would have been 88 this year. I'm writing a book on his life story and this road was a big part of his story.
Stuart Nicholson
I knew a young MOW engineer called John Rhodes (5’ 17”) who worked in the early 1960’s at what he called Paringa, putting the new road thru to Haast from up north. I think he was coming from the north. He later moved to the MOW Westport office.
Kevin Oregan
Roadways contract. Air conditioned cabs were mandatory. Not all days was the weather like pictured. Kevin O'Regan
Cheryl Rasmussen
What an absolute feat that was. My husband John Rasmussen worked on that road and the stories he told were incredible. He also attended the 50 Year Reunion from Australia and was so pleased to catch up with the remaining men he knew.
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Cheryl Rasmussen an amazing feat!!
R Stuart Nicholson
I knew a young MOW engineer called John Rhodes (5’ 17”) who worked in the early 1960’s at what he called Paringa, putting the new road thru to Haast from up north. I think he was coming from the north. He later moved to the MOW Westport office.
Kevin Oregan
Roadways contract. Air conditioned cabs were mandatory. Not all days was the weather like pictured. Kevin O'Regan
Wendy James
I remember my dad Leo Williams talking about this road not sure if he help build it .that when he meet my mum Sylvia she worked in a pub some were down there.
Nana Pop Detlaff
Wendy James Leo and Sylvia were at Pukekura (south of Ross) for many years .
Wendy James
Nana Pop Detlaff yes we were
Bill Arlidge
We got through in Jan 59.
Peter Lintern
it a good photo of bulldozer working in hasst would anyone no about a v8 pilot car working on same job or a 1957 holden driven by tas smith.s
Ross Brown
When men were men and jobs got done
John Pearce
Ross Brown yes yes yes
Alan Mitchell
No pissing about straight into it not like today with consultants and yellow cones getting in the way.
Ross Brown
Should have kept going all the way to golden bay no greenies to lay down in front of the bulldozers
Margaret Mckee
My late father Bob Russell was foreman for Cummings Earthmoving from Greymouth. They worked on the road from Haast to Haast Gate. Left Haast about 1958
Malcolm Howell
Little did I know that a few years later in 1964 - 65 I would be riding up to the road head on a Dozer, as a MOW Pay Clerk, paying these great dedicated guys. Great memories in torrential rain.
Phil Wright
You would get a wet arse on that Cat with that Skellerup cab at times!
Ross Brown
Phil Wright they used to sit on a pice of 4x2 to keep there arse out of the wate
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West Coast New Zealand History (5th May 2025). Haast road construction north of Grant Creek.1960.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 06:41, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/22165