History of the Ferry Speight's Ale House
In pre-European days, the Ferrymead district was known as O Hika Paru Paru, or "place where women meet to gather shellfish", due to the estuary being a good source of food for Maori who passed through the area.
The area first appeared on European maps after the survey of 1841 by Captain Daniell. Prior to the arrival of the first settlers in 1850, Ferrymead was still a land of flax and swamp, largely unexplored but with a few people living here, who had come out to work On the Lyttelton-Sumner road in preparation for the arrival of the Canterbury Association Immigrants - known here as the First Four Ships. With the road still unfinished after the settler.s arrival, and ready access to Christchurch and the plains beyond becoming imperative, Ferrymead became an important part gateway to the city.
A new beginning...
People would walk over the Port Hills via the Bridle Path, and then descend to the mouth of The Heathcote River, before crossing and beginning their new lives in Canterbury.
By 1861 the district was thriving, and work on New Zealand's first commercial railway commenced just down the road from the Ferry Ale House.
In December 1863 the railway opened to much fanfare, and operated from Ferrymead.
A year later the first bridge was built over the Heathcote River, so Ferrymead was now linked to Sumner and Lyttelton. River traffic slowed to a trickle and the Ferry shut down. By December 1867, with the opening of the new Lyttelton to Christchurch rail tunnel, the Railway from Ferrymead ceased operation, and therefore had the dubious distinction of being both the first railway to open up and close down in New Zealand.
One of Christchurch's first race tracks opened over the road from the Ale House, the military used Ferrymead for exercises during both the Boer war and WW1.
Ferrymead has had a development revival in the 21st century with both light industry and new housing becoming an integral part in the continuation of one of Christchurch's most historic districts.
Speight's Brewery
Like the interesting characters of early New Zealand, Speight's has a long and colourful history. In 1876 James Speight, Charles Greenslade and William Dawson set up Speight's Brewery in Dunedin. Still on the same site today in Rat tray Street Dunedin, Speight's is the Pride of the South.