The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts]
Moana
Moana.
Moana is a pretty little settlement situated on the shores of the beautiful Lake Brunner, on the Greymouth-Christchurch line, and is twenty-three miles from Greymouth, fourteen miles from Stillwater, and twenty-eight from Otira. It is in the Red Jack's riding of the county of Grey, and in the provincial district of Westland The scenery is magnificent, and the surrounding country is entirely covered with bush. There are several large sawmills in the immediate neighbourhood, and flaxmilling is also carried on. The business of the post office is conducted at the railway station, which is 301 feet above the level of the sea. The settlement also has a good hotel and a store, and the public school is attended by about thirty children. There is plenty of game in the neighbourhood, and excellent fish abound in the lake and streams of the district. The population was returned at 106 at the census taken in the year 1901.
The Moana Railway Station and Post Office is situated on the shores of Lake Brunner, It is a substantial building, containing a vestibule, a stationmaster's room, waiting-rooms, and a post office lobby. Money orders are issued, and Post Office Savings Bank business attended to, in addition to the general postal work.
Mr. James John Rowe , Stationmaster and Postmaster at Moana, was born at Southbridge, Canterbury, in the year 1875. He entered the railway department at Lyttelton, and served successively at Christchurch, Papanui, Dunsandel and Southbridge, and was appointed to Moana in April, 1905.
The Moana Public School is a wood and iron building, erected in May 1904. It contains one classroom and a porch, and is lined with a kind of linoleum or oilcloth, which gives it a very cheerful ppearance. The average attendance is thirty.
Mrs A. E. Abram.
Moana Sawmilling Company (Richard E. Stratford, Moana, and William Goss, Christchurch). The mill of the company is situated twenty-four miles from Greymouth, and near to the Moana railway station, on the north shore of Lake Brunner, across which logs for the mill are rafted. A steamer of fifteen horsepower, thirty-four feet in length by eight feet six inches beam, is used for rowing the rafts of logs, which are hauled to the different skids by two powerful steam haulers. There is also a five horse-power oil launch, which is used for conveying the men to and from their work. The Company has a large holding of private and leased bush, consisting of white and red pine; the white pine is shipped direct to Melbourne and Sydney, and the red pine to Christchurch, where it is handled by Mr. Goss. The boiler of the mill is of forty horse-power, with an engine of twenty-two horse-power, and there is a nine horse-power portable engine for driving an extra breast hench. The breaking-down bench is fitted with twin saws, and a steel bench with wire rope attachment.
Ring, photo. Mr. R. E. Stratford.