What are we known for in the Hakatere Ashburton District? Is it our agricultural and pastoral pursuits? Our beautiful countryside and outdoor activities? It’s hard to say, but if there’s one thing we are definitely NOT known for, it’s factory-scale glass production… but once upon a time, we could have been.
The name “Southern Cross Class Company” bears baggage, and it’s a lot to unpack. Formed in 1926, the story of this firm’s failure to thrive is perhaps one of our district’s most notorious business failures, alongside the similarly ill-fated Chertsey oil bore venture. In both cases, the natural resources necessary to support potential industries were present; all that needed to happen was for us humans to not make any mistakes, which is easier said than done. That, and the Great Depression didn’t help the Glass Company’s odds of survival either.
Mt. Somers’ special silica
In order for there to even have been the idea of a glass factory in the district, a readily available supply of raw materials was required. On 23 June 1922, the Ashburton Guardian reported that a large deposit of silica (glass sand) was discovered at Mt. Somers, completely by accident. Summarising this unique discovery, the Guardian explained:
“Prospecting operations had been carried on for about 12 months with a view to locating coal seams within easy access of the Government railway. It was not until a 7ft drive had been made to a length of 400ft that it was proved beyond doubt that an immense body of silica (glass sand) was present.”
A Government analyst confirmed that the sand was 99% silica, almost perfectly pure, a result which the Guardian claimed “has probably never been recorded in any part of the world.” Experts in the glass manufacturing industry corroborated the findings, declaring the contents of the Mt. Somers deposit to be the finest they had ever seen.
The District was abuzz with speculation as to when, and to what extent, the silica deposit would be exploited and capitalised upon; all it would take was for an early bird to double-down and start raising funds for a factory, and our new industry would be born. The man who rose to the challenge was William Tate, of Christchurch.
Up and running
Tate jumped to the task of drumming up support for a glass company in Ashburton, enlisting the help of Mr. H. Schnurpfeil, a Czechoslovakian glass manufacturing expert. Having managed to pique the interest of a group of businessmen that included Robert Galbraith, Mayor of Ashburton, Tate and his cohort finally formed the Southern Cross Glass Company on 12 March 1926.
The Company obtained mining rights for the silica and coal needed from Mt. Somers for production, Mr. Schnurpfeil was tasked with supplying the necessary glass-making machinery, and J. Smith and Sons were hired to erect the necessary factory buildings. The Southern Cross factory was designed by architect E. M. Gabites, and it is still arguably one of Ashburton’s most distinctive buildings, with its steep rooves, clerestory windows, and distinctive chimney. During the Second World War, the vacant factory building was used as a training camp, and the soldiers referred to it, sarcastically or ironically, as “the Crystal Palace.”
During the course of the factory’s construction and the installation of equipment, which took a grueling four years, the company circulated a prospectus seeking capital of £250,000, of which £125,000 had thus far been raised. The company had originally intended to allot 100,000 shares, but the installation of three glass making plants, and the allotment of 15,000 shares to Mr. Tate in recognition of his work, had made more shares available. Skilled workers from England and Europe were engaged by Mr. Schnurpfeil to work in the factory, and there were even tentative plans to lay out a village for them north of the plant.
A very short production run
Everything seemed to be heading toward success, despite the lengthy set-up period experienced by the Southern Cross Glass Company. Unfortunately for them however, once the factory was up and running it did not take long before compounding problems arose that steered the venture into failure.
Production was slated to start on 1 March 1930, under the direction of manager Mr. J. A. Dickenson, who was in charge of a staff of skilled workmen from a leading factory in Europe. For a fortnight, the factory happily churned out a selection of bottles and other small items, before disaster struck. The special fire bricks in the furnace gave way and molten glass escaped, an incident which stopped production entirely before it even ramped up to peak levels.
The reason for this technical failure is unknown to this day, but rumours point to differences of opinion between the English workmen and German construction engineers involved, as well as unfamiliarity with the equipment on site. Also, it appears that only one plant was operational, with no mention of window glass manufacture, as was promised by the company.
The Southern Cross Glass Company was receiving smaller orders than expected, due to the adverse effects of the Great Depression, and on 18 April 1931, an extra-ordinary general meeting of the company was called. During the meeting, the director claimed that while the technical difficulties had been overcome, the financial burden was proving too heavy, and it was recommended that the company be wound up.
It took another fourteen months of diminishing, seemingly sporadic production before the company did halt production at the factory, after attempting to endure the increasingly dire economic conditions of the Depression, and even then it was only considered a temporary closure. However, the factory never did resume production, mothballed to await an economic upturn which eventually did come, but then the Second World War dashed any hope of a reopening.
The former Southern Cross Glass Company building, which stands on the corner of Glassworks and Bremners Road, is a Category 1 Historic Place listed by Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand. While glass may never be produced in that building again, it stands as an iconic Ashburton landmark and a reminder of an ambitious industrial dream which nearly became a reality.
By Connor Lysaght
Unless otherwise stated, photographs and research materials on this page are owned by the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc. This post was modified for this blog and was originally published in the Ashburton Guardian, 20 May 2023.
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