Heritage

James McKenzie Legend

In 1855 the theft of 1000 sheep from a Timaru station led to the farm manager and Maori guides Taiko and Seventeen following the trail through to what is now called Mackenzie Pass where James McKenzie was arrested. Claiming that he had been hired as a drover he was arrested and jailed several times after demonstrating his expertise at escaping. He was pardoned the following year when the case was reinvestigated. The area where he was caught had not been travelled by Europeans before and led to the development of farming in the Mackenzie High Country. Learn the Story of James McKenzie.

 

Settlement

Fairlie was originally named Fairlie Creek and was founded in around 1865. The railway from the port at Timaru was finally extended to Fairlie in 1884 and ran until 1968. The Fairlie Flyer train is now housed in Pleasant Point and is regularly fired up for tourists and enthusiasts to ride.

 

Peace Avenue

From Cricklewood on the Timaru-Fairlie Highway to the Upper Opihi Bridge just past Kimbell on the Fairlie-Tekapo highway more than 500 trees have been planted to commemorate the signing of the Peace Treaty which ended the 1914-1918 First World War. The War Memorial in the centre of Fairlie lists the names of 72 local soldiers who lost their lives in WWI. Later the names of those who lost their lives in WWII and The Korean War were added. The memorial was rebuilt in 2000.

 

Jack Lovelock

The Jack Lovelock track which runs between School Road and Nixons Road is a tribute to the winner of New Zealand's first Olympic Gold Medal in Athletics.

Born in Reefton on the West Coast and raised in Fairlie, Jack Lovelock was dux of the Fairlie Primary School and attended Fairlie District High School before becoming a boarder at Timaru Boys High School.

 

Fairlie Heritage Museum

The Fairlie Heritage Museum holds a wealth of artefacts from the district's recent history and retains archives for the district.  Visit the Museum's website and visit the Fairlie Heritage Museum during your stay.

 

 

Burkes Pass Historic Settlement

Lost in time, the tiny settlement of Burkes Pass was a 'frontier town' and has hardly changed since Europeans first crossed Burkes Pass to take up land in the Mackenzie about 1856. The Mt Cook Roads Board Offices, the precursor of the Mackenzie District Council, still stands and when the railway from the Port of Timaru  reached only as far as Fairlie, the township grew no more. Many original buildings remain and you may visit the Musterer's Hut, a cob cottage, the Church,  and take a stroll down the heritage walk.