Arthur's Pass 150 year anniversary, March 2014

Arthur's Pass was named after the surveyor Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson (1841-1934), it is situated in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand between the Otira and Bealey rivers, which mark the boundary between Canterbury and the West Coast.

Dobson had been given the task to find out if there was a pass that could be used out of the Waimakariri into the valleys of the West Coast by the Chief Surveyor for Canterbury, Thomas Cass.

In 1864 Dobson along with his brothers George and Edward travelled up the Waimakariri and into the valley of the Otira River and discovered the pass. Dobson made a sketch of the pass and gave this to Cass along with his report of the area, he did not originally name the pass. In 1865 the West Coast gold rush had began and a committee of businessmen offered £200 to anyone who could find a pass from Canterbury to the West Coast. George Dobson was sent to explore the options and concluded that ‘Arthur’s’ pass was the most suitable for the direct crossing. Edward Dobson was put in charge of constructing a road from Christchurch to Hokitika by the Canterbury Provincial Government and the road was opened to coach traffic in July 1866. The road ran over Porters Pass to Cass, up the Waimakariri Valley to Bealey, then over the newly named Arthur’s Pass. In 1929 Arthur’s Pass National Park was created.

Tragically George Dobson was murdered by the notorious Burgess Gang in 1866. While working on a road near the Grey River he was mistaken for a gold buyer and killed. The Burgess Gang were also infamous for the Maungatapu murders committed in October 1866 for which they were convicted and sentenced to death. Records relating to the murders and convictions can be found in our Justice Department records. Archives Reference: ACGS 16221, J22/2 R21387406. archway.archives.govt.nz/ItemAdvancedSearch.do

Images are from our National Publicity Studios collection. Archives Reference: AAQT 6539/A54 R21011419 - Image is of coach and wagon on Arthur's Pass road circa 1900. Archives Reference: AAQT 6539/A3031 R21011196 - Image is of Mount Rolleston, Canterbury from the Arthur's Pass road. Archives Reference: AAQT 6539/A2285 R21010728 - Image is of the memorial to Arthur Dobson at Arthur's Pass right on the divide.