Glentunnel is a quiet hamlet on State Highway 72, the scenic inland road between Christchurch and Geraldine.
There was a coalmine here that opened in 1872 and was worked for 66 years so, for a short golden age, it was an important little town; it even had a railway that opened in 1875 to connect the village to Darfield and Christchurch (sadly, as with so many branch lines in New Zealand – indeed, in the world, it’s long gone).
Relative affluence financed this exquisite octagonal library. It was built with bricks from the local Tile Brick and Pottery Works whose products were also used for a number of other distinctive town and farm buildings in the Glentunnel, Methven, Hororata and surrounding areas.
© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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