Taking stock of cattle in Johnsonville
JOHNSONVILLE started out as a large farming area, and by 1894 stock sale yards had opened at the western end of Broderick Rd.
Soon after, residents complained about the yards’ lack of hygiene, the smell, and stock being driven through the streets.
There were even claims that the yards were holding the Wellington suburb back. ‘‘The presence of the stockyards is regarded by some to have been the cause of Johnsonville not progressing as much as its neighbours – Khandallah and Ngaio,’’ The Evening Post reported on November 7, 1916.
But the Manawatu railway line ensured Johnsonville’s importance as a stock centre. Sheep and cattle from Manawatu were taken by train to the hill suburb and, from there, were driven down Ngauranga Gorge to an abattoir.
Residents continued to agitate about the yards, until Johnsonville Town Board petitioned Wellington City Council in 1939 to have them moved.
‘‘The stockyards must go. They are not doing this place any good. I have for years been trying to raise the profile of this place – to put Johnsonville on the map,’’ board chairman G A Lawrence told a meeting that was covered by the newspaper on February 8.
Farmers objected, saying that Johnsonville was the only suitable place for yards.
Bu the petition fell on deaf ears and the stockyards remained open until 1958, when local pressure finally led to their closure. GET THE BOOK The Dominion Post – 150 Years of News is available via dompost.co.nz or 0800 50 50 90. Priced at $34.95 + $3 postage and handling or $29.95 + $3 p&h for subscribers.