J.B.A. Acland complains about the ferry

Archives reference: CAAR 19936 CH287/CP 66, ICPS 677/1865 - J.B.A. Acland to Provincial Secretary - Complains regarding Rakaia Ferry - 16/05/1865


The correspondence contained in the Canterbury Provincial papers documents the administration of government during the period 1853-1877. During this time the delineation between public and private concern was muted, as settlers strove to build the colony.

The Provincial Secretary was the most important civil servant of the Provincial Government, and his office was its hub. His inwards correspondence is a very valuable part of Archives New Zealand's holdings, covering all possible facets of the Provincial Government's activities - immigration, education, charitable aid, health, public works (until 1864), goldfields, justice and so on.
This letter is part of a large series which began in 1864 with the first appointment of a separate Secretary for Public Works; until this time, issues concerning public infrastructure had been dealt with by the Provincial Secretary. Letters in this series cover inwards correspondence concerning the construction and maintenance of all government buildings; railways, including the Lyttelton Tunnel; roads and bridges; immigration barracks and other provincial infrastructure.

In this letter, J.B.A. Acland writes, as a concerned citizen, about the unsatisfactory ferry service affecting himself and other members of the community who seek passage over the Rakaia River.