Oterehua–Hayes Engineering

This morning we are departing Naseby for the Hayes Engineering POP in Oterehua.   A quick look around the old buildings in Naseby before we left.   This little town seems to be frozen in time and certainly gets frozen in Winter !

Naseby’s Old Buildings in the Main Street

The first photo stop after Naseby was the historic old Railway Station and goods shed at Wedderburn.   These have been immortalised in a painting by Grahame Sydney  called “July on the Maniatoto”   The Goods shed was returned to the old site through Wedderburn people power and restored to it’s former state.

The Goods Shed and Station at Wedderburn

Further on a few hundred meters was the old Wedderburn Hotel, a lovely stone building.

Next stop was Gilchrist General store in Oterehua,  we had stopped for some batteries for Paulines camera and thought we had stopped in a museum.   The store still operates with modern goods but the shelves are littered with tins and potions from the bygone era.

Gilchrists General Store

On then to our overnight stop at the Hayes Engineering complex just down the road.   Hayes engineering was established on this site in 1895 when Ernest Hayes began to manufacture tools and agricultural implements.   He established a workshop that was to become Hayes Engineering Works.   In 1910 he built his first windmill to produce power for his workshop.

Hayes Engineering and One of His Windmills  

An ingenious system of belts, shafts and pulleys was built to drive the machinery and still works to this day.

The Old Battery Charger                     The Forge

The windmill was replaced in 1927 by a pelton wheel.    One of his early inventions was the Hayes wire strainer the first model being produced in 1902 right through to 1912 when an improved model was introduced and once again in 1924 with a worldwide market.

Also on site is the original Hayes Homestead which has been furnished with period furniture and goods.

The Hayes Homestead

Ernest Hayes wife Hannah was the “Sales Rep” for the company touring the area by bicycle along gravelled roads and up and down the quite severe hills around the area.