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Otira Railway Houses 1920s.
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Location (city or town)Otira
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Date Created14th November 2019CommentsMyron Caldwell: "Bleak House" would be an appropriate name for each house. What a depressing place it must have been for the women raising the kids and keeping the home fires burning.
Stuart McMillan: Myron Caldwell for most people I think you are right, but there are people that would really injoy living there
Ed Dando: Myron Caldwell they would have love it because they were real coasters back then
Murry Tengu: BEST PART OF MY CHILD HOOD L8T 70/80s LOVED IT SNOW BLACK ICE REAL THUNDER AN LIGHTNING JACK FROST AN WHO CAN FORGET THA RAIN MANY SLIPS FLOODS ETC IT WAS TRULY AN AWSUM VILLAGE COMMUNITY TO GROW UP
Kevin Voigt: Lived otira when i retired ,drove school bus to Arthur's pass school every day for 5 yrs cool place to live DIFFERENT tour &charter
Ronlyn Dyeming: ONE day l going to hire a hut out and stay there for a few days but not in winter. IT will be a good hiking area. NO SNAKES.
Phil Millar: My parents lived there for 3 years,mum has always said that one day the hills will fill Otira in with the Alpine Fault quake,she lived through the Murchison big one!
Ann Clark: I loved staying there in school break.my brother on would take me frog hunting,but I make him put the back Bert Elliot
Don Pearson: Very few railway houses left there now.
Ianandliz Wilson: We lived here 1981/84 with our three boys. Great times in a great community. Lots of friends from those days who we still keep in contact with. Murry Tengu we were a couple of houses away from you. Hope Maria and Albie and the rest of the whanau are still happy and healthy.
Murry Tengu: Ianandliz Wilson yip mum an dad still kickn stayn outback off grid in OHAUTIRA WAINGARO bush doctors hehe on dads dirt algud still doing it hard wudnt hav it anyother way
Merle Brown: Lived there in 61 worked at the refreshment rooms loved it.
Yvonne Lawson: Didn’t know they had that many houses there in those days.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin: Lived there in 70 s of course the road was a lot better 3 of my children went to school there had one of those houses and good carpet and drapes as well as good fires ok the weather go bad sometimes buyout of my 6 children e plus their partners went back to work there my family thought it was one of the best times of their lives great family's and a great social life for the whole familyswould have stayed for ever but for personal reason.
Kevin Voigt: The otira rvr came right down that at one time settlement rd.
Trevor Keith Scott: Not much changed when I was there ( 3 Times ) all they did was Tar Seal the Village Road. Mind you I loved that Village and still do to this day....Don;t know why, but something about the whole place and the mountains. Rata in Flower and me old mates the Kea.
Trevor Keith Scott: Hi Murry, Arrived Otira first around 1957, 2nd time around mid 60's, arrived again in the late 60 & early 70...Married then. Rolly Parker was at Hydro then. I remember Dave Sands as the Local Cop at some stage as I was in Search & Rescue and a lot of other things at the time.
Murry Tengu: Trevor Keith Scott Hi Trevor wow it must have bin busy then yea we stayed thea bout ? 78/85 or their abouts.
Trevor Keith Scott: Trevor Beaty had in the 60's and Snow Mackenzie had in the ...I think Late 60 and 70's worked with his son Don in the railway then. Was part on the TV Society going up Kelly's Range to fix Translator and check the cable from top to bottom. When I first arrived at doing that job took me 2.1/2hr to clime to Carrol Hut then up to Translator. After doing that for 5 -6 years it took me 1.1/2 hrs to translator and 3/4 hr from translator to Road....I was so dam fit I could meet myself coming Back!!!!!!
Barbara Scott: Mum and Dad met there in the 50's. Mum worked in the tea rooms at the station, and Dad and his mates had a painting contract for the railway houses.
Anne Honey: Hi Glenys when we went to stay with you we really enjoyed it your house was warm and dry. Always thought it was a great place to raise kids.
Daniel Dennehy: Happy Days,staying in Sunshine Terrace, Arthurs Pass, all still well maintained...
Sandra Joy Walked that road to school 1970 to 1973 loved living there great community
Pauline Matene Oh my goodness, I started school there too, 1953, I was still 4 never turned 5 till March, Phil Kirby was my teacher too, and AndyAnderson was the head. I remember your last name, we lived next to Alice Youngman. Pauline Née Ilton.
Trevor Keith Scott Looking up towards Mt Rolleston with Mt Alexandra on your left across the Otira River, I went to School there also around 1957-58 before going on to Greymouth. I came back in the mid to late 60's again living in one man huts. Then again with wife in the late 70.s, doesn't matter where I am my heart is always in Otira.
Stuart McMillan: Myron Caldwell for most people I think you are right, but there are people that would really injoy living there
Ed Dando: Myron Caldwell they would have love it because they were real coasters back then
Murry Tengu: BEST PART OF MY CHILD HOOD L8T 70/80s LOVED IT SNOW BLACK ICE REAL THUNDER AN LIGHTNING JACK FROST AN WHO CAN FORGET THA RAIN MANY SLIPS FLOODS ETC IT WAS TRULY AN AWSUM VILLAGE COMMUNITY TO GROW UP
Kevin Voigt: Lived otira when i retired ,drove school bus to Arthur's pass school every day for 5 yrs cool place to live DIFFERENT tour &charter
Ronlyn Dyeming: ONE day l going to hire a hut out and stay there for a few days but not in winter. IT will be a good hiking area. NO SNAKES.
Phil Millar: My parents lived there for 3 years,mum has always said that one day the hills will fill Otira in with the Alpine Fault quake,she lived through the Murchison big one!
Ann Clark: I loved staying there in school break.my brother on would take me frog hunting,but I make him put the back Bert Elliot
Don Pearson: Very few railway houses left there now.
Ianandliz Wilson: We lived here 1981/84 with our three boys. Great times in a great community. Lots of friends from those days who we still keep in contact with. Murry Tengu we were a couple of houses away from you. Hope Maria and Albie and the rest of the whanau are still happy and healthy.
Murry Tengu: Ianandliz Wilson yip mum an dad still kickn stayn outback off grid in OHAUTIRA WAINGARO bush doctors hehe on dads dirt algud still doing it hard wudnt hav it anyother way
Merle Brown: Lived there in 61 worked at the refreshment rooms loved it.
Yvonne Lawson: Didn’t know they had that many houses there in those days.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin: Lived there in 70 s of course the road was a lot better 3 of my children went to school there had one of those houses and good carpet and drapes as well as good fires ok the weather go bad sometimes buyout of my 6 children e plus their partners went back to work there my family thought it was one of the best times of their lives great family's and a great social life for the whole familyswould have stayed for ever but for personal reason.
Kevin Voigt: The otira rvr came right down that at one time settlement rd.
Trevor Keith Scott: Not much changed when I was there ( 3 Times ) all they did was Tar Seal the Village Road. Mind you I loved that Village and still do to this day....Don;t know why, but something about the whole place and the mountains. Rata in Flower and me old mates the Kea.
Trevor Keith Scott: Hi Murry, Arrived Otira first around 1957, 2nd time around mid 60's, arrived again in the late 60 & early 70...Married then. Rolly Parker was at Hydro then. I remember Dave Sands as the Local Cop at some stage as I was in Search & Rescue and a lot of other things at the time.
Murry Tengu: Trevor Keith Scott Hi Trevor wow it must have bin busy then yea we stayed thea bout ? 78/85 or their abouts.
Trevor Keith Scott: Trevor Beaty had in the 60's and Snow Mackenzie had in the ...I think Late 60 and 70's worked with his son Don in the railway then. Was part on the TV Society going up Kelly's Range to fix Translator and check the cable from top to bottom. When I first arrived at doing that job took me 2.1/2hr to clime to Carrol Hut then up to Translator. After doing that for 5 -6 years it took me 1.1/2 hrs to translator and 3/4 hr from translator to Road....I was so dam fit I could meet myself coming Back!!!!!!
Barbara Scott: Mum and Dad met there in the 50's. Mum worked in the tea rooms at the station, and Dad and his mates had a painting contract for the railway houses.
Anne Honey: Hi Glenys when we went to stay with you we really enjoyed it your house was warm and dry. Always thought it was a great place to raise kids.
Daniel Dennehy: Happy Days,staying in Sunshine Terrace, Arthurs Pass, all still well maintained...
Sandra Joy Walked that road to school 1970 to 1973 loved living there great community
Pauline Matene Oh my goodness, I started school there too, 1953, I was still 4 never turned 5 till March, Phil Kirby was my teacher too, and AndyAnderson was the head. I remember your last name, we lived next to Alice Youngman. Pauline Née Ilton.
Trevor Keith Scott Looking up towards Mt Rolleston with Mt Alexandra on your left across the Otira River, I went to School there also around 1957-58 before going on to Greymouth. I came back in the mid to late 60's again living in one man huts. Then again with wife in the late 70.s, doesn't matter where I am my heart is always in Otira.
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West Coast New Zealand History (7th Jun 2021). Otira Railway Houses 1920s.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 06:43, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26509