First coach to the West Coast, leaving Cobb & Co building Christchurch. 1860.

About this image

DescriptionPhoto taken by Alfred Charles Barker before 1873.
Christchurch Museum Ref: 1957-13-161PhotographerAlfred Charles BarkerDate of Photo!860-1873Map^[1]ContributorMaye Dunn

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Location (city or town)ChristchurchOrganisation (eg business)Cobb & Co Coaches.

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Category Tagtravel

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Date Created7th February 2022CommentsCynthia McCaughan
So that would have to be after they completed the road over Arthur's pass mid 1866. The booking office for Cobb and Co were on High and Cashel Street corner in Christchurch. Coaches left from the Empire Hotel in Hokitika for Christchurch every Tuesday and Friday at 6am. Fares were £4 10s one way or £8 return. All luggage over 14lb(6.3kg) had to be paid for at the rate of one shilling per lb.
Six passengers (or nine at a squeeze) travelled inside, another five could perch on top.
Even as late as 1888 travellers reported the route by coach to be "frightfully dangerous. . . Very few people will come that way-preferring to come round by sea"
The route over pass rose to 2428ft (740m) and covered 139 miles. (ref: pg158 To Live a Long and Prosperous Life 2016)

Peter Robertson
Were any lives lost in transit? The only fatal accident I have ever heard of(and likely a lot I haven't) was in the Grey Valley between Stillwater and Kamaka. A women was killed at what the locals call Mitchells Mistake. Mitchell was the Coach driver and lived at Camptown.

John Kelly
Any idea how long it took? Seriously sore bum after that trip !

Maye Dunn
Author
Admin
John Kelly there were several accommodation houses on the way. Porters, Castle Hill, Bealey, Aitkens.

Judy Anne Smith
Fantastic piece of history

Trish Barry Andrews
The caption doesn’t make sense, if it the photo is from 1860 then it follows the photo must have been taken then? Baz

Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Trish Barry Andrews Thats how the photo came to me

John Rosanowski
Most likely 1866 when the road was completed. It had been pushed by ChCh biz interests hoping to cash in on the needs of the goldfields. In this it was sorely disappointed. Costs were about 20 pounds per ton - at a time when goods from Melbourne were only 5 pounds per ton. (But it was used well by stock drovers, because the diggers were voracious meat eaters.)

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First coach to the West Coast, leaving Cobb & Co building Christchurch. 1860.

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