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Coach with passengers at summit of Arthur's Pass.ca.1900`s.
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DescriptionStereographic photograph of coach with passengers at summit of Arthur's Pass. Miller, E D N :Photographs by Isaac Jeffares, and of family. Ref: 1/2-077684-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22693377
PhotographerIssac Henry Bowen JeffaresDate of Photoca.1900`sMap[1] External LinkAccidents and Fatalities - Papers pastContributorHeather Newby
PhotographerIssac Henry Bowen JeffaresDate of Photoca.1900`sMap[1] External LinkAccidents and Fatalities - Papers pastContributorHeather Newby
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Location (city or town)Arthurs PassEventCoach with passengers at summit of Arthur's Pass.ca.1900`s.
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Category Taghorse
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Date Created16th January 2021CommentsTrish Stikkelman
Loved the show
Johnny Kwin
Was told in the early 1960's by an elderly lady who had ridden this coach, that passengers would have to get out and walk up the steepest sections, and even have to push the coach to help the horses sometimes !John Patrick Ward
Johnny Kwin nah , not in the 60s
Lorraine O'Donoghue
John Patrick Ward I read it as he was told about it in the 60s by an elderly woman?
Craig Austin
Johnny Kwin my great aunt told the same thing
Johnny Kwin
Lorraine O'Donoghue Yes, she was in her 80's in 1965 or so when she told me about going over the pass on the coach around the year 1900.
John Patrick Ward
Lorraine O'Donoghue oops my bad
Clive Bennett
Same in the old Bedford School Bus (1950s) heading over Mt Cargill to Dunedin- all got out on a notorious sharp bend followed by a steep incline
Dianne Smith
Makes us wonder what future generations will drive!!!
Anthea Keenan
Resilient people those days.
Peter Armstrong
Must have been some great horsemen and women around in those days.
Fiona Anderson
Is that a woman driving the coach?
Keith Cochrane
My great grandfather worked on the cobben co coaches going over Arthur’s Pass
Jill Jones
My Grandfather Noel Pahl drove the coaches over the pass. He's mentioned in the old coach books.
Cynthia McCaughan
Don't worry about walking, people were used to it then, however imagine having "comfort stops" behind a rock or matagourie bush in those clothes
I remember Bert Adamson telling me that at one particular part of the Pass ( before the Arthurs Pass township..can't remember the name of the bridge) the horse and coach descended the road going north to Canterbury at quite a pace to gain momentum, ove… See More
Brenda Crooks
My great great grandfather Edward Holmes drove the Cobb and Co coach. He was killed at Porter's Pass when thrown from the coach in 1893.
Lynn Turnbull
I used to look after Eileen Kelly and she rode on the stagecoach as a child xx
Selwyn Leitch
Mum rode over the pass by horse and coach in the coach in the 1920s. Even though the Otira tunnel was opened in 1923, apparently race horses going from the Coast to Canterbury couldn't go through the tunnel. I may have got the story wrong, but I seem to recall Mum saying the reason she went over the pass by coach was because Grandad (Dub Lee) a trainer and Jockey, was taking horses over to the races.Lynn Turnbull
I used to look after Eileen Kelly and she rode on the stagecoach as a child
Selwyn Leitch
Mum rode over the pass by horse and coach in the coach in the 1920s. Even though the Otira tunnel was opened in 1923, apparently race horses going from the Coast to Canterbury couldn't go through the tunnel. I may have got the story wrong, but I seem to recall Mum saying the reason she went over the pass by coach was because Grandad (Dub Lee) a trainer and Jockey, was taking horses over to the races.
Michelle Macilquham
Selwyn Leitch nice story
Peter Kerr
These are light horses, not the usual half draughts, so must have been a light load . Perhaps a private party?
Shelley Campbell Morrissey
Amazing really but feel for the horses
Tracy Box
Shelley Campbell Morrissey the carriages were huge and heavy
Tracy Box
Hardy people and horses x
Sam Win
And top heavy
Selwyn Leitch
Thanks Michelle
Craig Whiteside
My father said he drove these from Greymouth in his youth, early 20's. He never drove a car but bought me my first one. Always used to say, "thanks for the buggy ride Joe" after an outing in that car.
Arthur Dehn
What a lovely relaxing way to travel over to Greymouth and back !!
Arthur Dehn At least they had air conditioning? Haha !!
Russell Chilton
Driving over it before the viaduct was put in was bad enough.
Andy Grigg
5hp no less!
Ivan Murray Wilson
Had the pleasure of interviewing a lovely lady who used to be a regular passenger on the stage coaches - she said they always put the seasoned horse on the drop off side, men were on the outside and hopped off over the steep sections over the pass, while women and children stayed inside. I note the old remains of the accommodation house for the route in Otira Valley has now gone.
Peter Jacobs
Great photo.
Mike Wall
My grandfather Freddie Woolhouse from Hokitika was a coach driver .
Pauline Burrows
Gosh those poor Horses!
Tony De Goldi
My Grandfather and his Brother ran a horse and coach service over the Otira pass before WW1 . It was called Moynihan Brothers . The company was disbanded when one of their coaches went off the road and the passengers sued as a result of their injuries. It was a pretty tough run as the coaches often had to ford flooded rivers and the Otira Gorge was very steep.
Loved the show
Johnny Kwin
Was told in the early 1960's by an elderly lady who had ridden this coach, that passengers would have to get out and walk up the steepest sections, and even have to push the coach to help the horses sometimes !John Patrick Ward
Johnny Kwin nah , not in the 60s
Lorraine O'Donoghue
John Patrick Ward I read it as he was told about it in the 60s by an elderly woman?
Craig Austin
Johnny Kwin my great aunt told the same thing
Johnny Kwin
Lorraine O'Donoghue Yes, she was in her 80's in 1965 or so when she told me about going over the pass on the coach around the year 1900.
John Patrick Ward
Lorraine O'Donoghue oops my bad
Clive Bennett
Same in the old Bedford School Bus (1950s) heading over Mt Cargill to Dunedin- all got out on a notorious sharp bend followed by a steep incline
Dianne Smith
Makes us wonder what future generations will drive!!!
Anthea Keenan
Resilient people those days.
Peter Armstrong
Must have been some great horsemen and women around in those days.
Fiona Anderson
Is that a woman driving the coach?
Keith Cochrane
My great grandfather worked on the cobben co coaches going over Arthur’s Pass
Jill Jones
My Grandfather Noel Pahl drove the coaches over the pass. He's mentioned in the old coach books.
Cynthia McCaughan
Don't worry about walking, people were used to it then, however imagine having "comfort stops" behind a rock or matagourie bush in those clothes
I remember Bert Adamson telling me that at one particular part of the Pass ( before the Arthurs Pass township..can't remember the name of the bridge) the horse and coach descended the road going north to Canterbury at quite a pace to gain momentum, ove… See More
Brenda Crooks
My great great grandfather Edward Holmes drove the Cobb and Co coach. He was killed at Porter's Pass when thrown from the coach in 1893.
Lynn Turnbull
I used to look after Eileen Kelly and she rode on the stagecoach as a child xx
Selwyn Leitch
Mum rode over the pass by horse and coach in the coach in the 1920s. Even though the Otira tunnel was opened in 1923, apparently race horses going from the Coast to Canterbury couldn't go through the tunnel. I may have got the story wrong, but I seem to recall Mum saying the reason she went over the pass by coach was because Grandad (Dub Lee) a trainer and Jockey, was taking horses over to the races.Lynn Turnbull
I used to look after Eileen Kelly and she rode on the stagecoach as a child
Selwyn Leitch
Mum rode over the pass by horse and coach in the coach in the 1920s. Even though the Otira tunnel was opened in 1923, apparently race horses going from the Coast to Canterbury couldn't go through the tunnel. I may have got the story wrong, but I seem to recall Mum saying the reason she went over the pass by coach was because Grandad (Dub Lee) a trainer and Jockey, was taking horses over to the races.
Michelle Macilquham
Selwyn Leitch nice story
Peter Kerr
These are light horses, not the usual half draughts, so must have been a light load . Perhaps a private party?
Shelley Campbell Morrissey
Amazing really but feel for the horses
Tracy Box
Shelley Campbell Morrissey the carriages were huge and heavy
Tracy Box
Hardy people and horses x
Sam Win
And top heavy
Selwyn Leitch
Thanks Michelle
Craig Whiteside
My father said he drove these from Greymouth in his youth, early 20's. He never drove a car but bought me my first one. Always used to say, "thanks for the buggy ride Joe" after an outing in that car.
Arthur Dehn
What a lovely relaxing way to travel over to Greymouth and back !!
Arthur Dehn At least they had air conditioning? Haha !!
Russell Chilton
Driving over it before the viaduct was put in was bad enough.
Andy Grigg
5hp no less!
Ivan Murray Wilson
Had the pleasure of interviewing a lovely lady who used to be a regular passenger on the stage coaches - she said they always put the seasoned horse on the drop off side, men were on the outside and hopped off over the steep sections over the pass, while women and children stayed inside. I note the old remains of the accommodation house for the route in Otira Valley has now gone.
Peter Jacobs
Great photo.
Mike Wall
My grandfather Freddie Woolhouse from Hokitika was a coach driver .
Pauline Burrows
Gosh those poor Horses!
Tony De Goldi
My Grandfather and his Brother ran a horse and coach service over the Otira pass before WW1 . It was called Moynihan Brothers . The company was disbanded when one of their coaches went off the road and the passengers sued as a result of their injuries. It was a pretty tough run as the coaches often had to ford flooded rivers and the Otira Gorge was very steep.
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West Coast New Zealand History (18th Jan 2021). Coach with passengers at summit of Arthur's Pass.ca.1900`s.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 21:31, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28875