Story: Rural services

Stuck in the mud

Stuck in the mud

A horse-drawn coach encounters deep mud on a road between Waipiro Bay and Gisborne in the 1880s. Because dirt roads became very muddy after heavy rain, they were unsuitable for horse-drawn wheeled vehicles. The difficulties of funding roads in the 19th century meant that many minor roads in rural areas remained rough and at times impassable.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Post & Telegraph Collection
Reference: 1/4-019596; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Rural services - Roads', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/18541/stuck-in-the-mud (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 24 Nov 2008