Hi there.

I would be grateful for any information re the above family. I am particularly interested in the Scottish lineage of Donald Stewart ( brother of James) who was born in Grennich Perthshire Scotland in 1827. Also his wife Christina Forbes b. c.1840. If any member of the Stewart family has already done this research I would love to hear from you.

I gleaned this from the web. The Brooklands featured in my childhood and we caught the train to Stewarts Gully. It was a long trek for us little kids to Brooklands but once there it the best for holidays in the 1930's. I remember it cost to enter Stewarts Gully. There were baches and after the war most were rented out to married couples.

I have a friend at the Library. I will ask her if she can find anything about them. I imagine they will be on City Council Cemetary lists.


"Hori Kerei Taiaroa identified in 1880 this general vicinity of the Waimakariri south bank as Te Rauakaaka, a settlement and food production site. The food included aruhe (fernroot), eels, panako (sp.fern), duck (grey and paradise) and pora (turnip). Herries Beattie wrote the name Te Rau-a-Te-Kaka (the gathering or netting of Te Kaka â?? this personage was apparently named after the kaka parrot)â??.

Today this area borders the communities of Kainga, Stewarts Gully and Brooklands.

Stewarts Gully derived its name from the Stewart family who arrived from Scotland in 1865 on the ship â??British Empireâ??. The family ran a flax mill on the banks of the Waimakariri River, just about the site of the present railway bridge. A son, James, had a farm in the area and grew oats and barley.

The railway line between Christchurch and Kaiapoi was opened on 29 April 1872. The line crossed the Waimakariri River between Stewarts Gully on the south bank to near the site of today's Woodford Glen Speedway.

By the late 1800â??s Stewarts Gully was a popular holiday resort and picnic spot for the people of Christchurch.

During WW2, the 1st Battalion of the Canterbury Regiment commandeered Stewarts Gully as a training site for the defence of the coast from the threat of a Japanese invasion.

In those early post-war days there were many children who spent their time fishing, whitebaiting or shooting rabbits.

The Stewarts Gully Sailing Club was established in Andy Hollandâ??s parents Bach in the summer of 1949/50.

The 1957 flood caused severe damage around Coutts Island, Kainga and Stewarts Gully with a number of houses being destroyed.

Today, dwelling numbers are restricted in and around the Kainga and Stewarts Gully communities, allowing them to retain their rural village atmosphere.

Remember
River levels can rise rapidly
You are advised not to swim in and around or below the Main North Road Bridges
Off-road driving and trailbiking are not permitted at Te Rauakaaka
Road rules apply within the park
Check the notice board at the park entrance for up-to-date information
You can contact the park rangers on 03 353 9725. "