Roads - T, U, V - Cambridge Museum

This road was developed from a track to pa Taane that was lost through fire c1924. Until about 1930 the track was used through the courtesy of the farmers. Gabriel Samuel Day bought land from Walker and Benn in 1888. With his wife Marion and two children he lived at Maungatautari for 35 years and together with his brother in law, Peter Robertson, extended the property to 630 acres. It was not until the creamery opened in 1901 that the district started to go ahead.

TARR ROAD

William George Tarr arrived in 1911. Both he and his wife Martha Frances are buried at Pukerimu cemetery.

TAYLOR ROAD

James Taylor bought 1,700 acres at Te Miro in 1890 and just after World War One sold it to the government to be cut up as a soldier settlement.
James had come to Cambridge in 1876, living at ‘Bardowie’ (among the oak trees next to Davies on Victoria Road) until his death in 1938. He married Miranda Sarah Whewell in 1881 and they had seven children.
James served as the first chairman of the Co-op Dairy Co for fourteen years – he and Norman Banks being the major shareholders. He was a member of many local bodies and ‘Bardowie’ was the centre for many social gatherings.

TE AWA ROAD

This was a basic track leading to the Waikato River and the landing at Te Whanaki.

THORNTON ROAD

This road led to the 4,000 acre Maungakawa Estate bought by Daniel Bateman Thornton in 1868 from four Maori Chiefs. The land was left in the care of a manager and used mainly for grazing and fattening cattle. Before Daniel could fulfill his dream of living on Maungakawa he died in Surrey, England 12 August 1881. His widow Sophia nee Firth and family returned and built a beautiful two-storied mansion on the property in 1890.

In 1902 the property was sold to the government and they operated the first open air sanatorium, in New Zealand for T B sufferers. During World War One the sanatorium was also used for convalescing soldiers until it was closed down and dismantled in 1921.

TODD ROAD

James Niven Todd married Hannah Jane Ritchie and settled at Taotaoroa when the land was divided for a soldier settlement after World War One. Their children were Peter, Jim, Russell, David and Jean and descendants are still working the same farm.

VICTORIA ROAD

Before May 1879 this road was known as Taupiri Road or Piako Road. But on 29 May 1879 at the cost of £840 the road was opened and named Victoria Road in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.

By 1883, through lack of draining, this road was becoming impassable. Thomas Wells, trying to jump a seven foot wide hole on horseback, fell in – horse and all.

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