Story: West Coast places

Ōtira township

Ōtira township

Although there had long been a hotel at Ōtira, the township expanded when the Ōtira railway tunnel was being built, from 1907 to 1923. Accommodation for construction workers made up most of the settlement: huts for the single men and bungalows for families. Although the population declined after the tunnel was opened, Ōtira remained a base for railway maintenance until 1999, when the remaining houses were sold.

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West Coast Historical Museum
Reference: #3837

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How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast places - Taramakau valley', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21013/otira-township (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan