Much like Ashburton, the key to Rakaia’s siting was the presence a mighty river, and the need for a safe and organised crossing as well as accommodation for travellers. From the time of the establishment of William Dunford’s accommodation house on the north bank of the Rakaia River in 1860, many advances came: sod houses were built, which were supplanted by timber structures; the settlement shifted to the south bank of the river, the railroad and the Rakaia traffic bridge were built, public buildings were established, and so on for many years… resulting in the Rakaia we know today.
Rakaia, like Ashburton, Hinds, Methven, and all the other towns, villages, and localities that comprise the Hakatere/Ashburton District, has a rich and interesting history which deserves to be known. It’s a history told equally well through both words and pictures. Focusing on the latter, we hope this selection of historic images from Rakaia and the surrounding area is of interest to you – and as always, if you are browsing this page with any burning research questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Ashburton Museum via our Contact page.
After browsing the gallery below, if you’d like to see more photos or read more information about Rakaia, check out two of our previous posts:
True Crime: Rakaia – accounts of some interesting historic criminal activity from Rakaia’s past.
By Connor Lysaght
Unless otherwise stated, photographs and research materials on this page are owned by the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc.
Ashburton Museum Blog 
Likewise, I suspect Photo reference 06.2015.0721 is also the “Bankside” collision, with the other of the two locomotives involved just in frame
LikeLike