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Story: Southland places

Opening of the Seaward Bush railway

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Opening of the Seaward Bush railway

The Seaward Bush railway ran from Invercargill to Tokanui, but took its name from a tract of bush near Invercargill, where there is still a scenic reserve. The first section of 5.5 miles (9 kms) was opened in July 1886. There was a mild drizzle on the day, reported the Otago Witness, but it was ‘not particularly wetting’, and more than 450 travellers made the journey to the end of the line ‘at the exceedingly moderate figure of sixpence return’.

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Southland Museum and Art Gallery

Reference: 2002.794

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How to cite this page

David Grant, Southland places – The Southland bush, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20195/opening-of-the-seaward-bush-railway (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by David Grant, published 2 March 2009, updated 25 May 2015.

Comments

moira clark
12 November 2010
Hi there i wondered if you have any photos of John Walker who brought out from Swindon for the Seaward Bush/Rimu line. I wonder if he is in the photo?? Or any articles on John Walker