The Chesswas' Thornycroft truck loaded with multiple bales of wool, travelling the difficult roads. This was the first truck used to take wool out of the Waitotara Valley. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 1802.10740
The Chesswas' Thornycroft truck loaded with multiple bales of wool, travelling the difficult roads. This was the first truck used to take wool out of the Waitotara Valley. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 1802.10740
John Chesswas was born in England in 1861 and apprenticed as a carpenter before the lure of new colonies and higher incomes grew too tempting.
He emigrated to New Zealand aboard the SS Arawa, arriving at Otago on December 24, 1884.
While on the ship he developed a friendship with the Bignell family, which resulted in his employment with their bridge-building business upon arrival. After continuing to impress with his skill and work ethic, he married Emily Bignell in 1887.
Chesswas worked in Oamaru, Greymouth and then Whanganui, before deciding to settle in the Waitōtara Valley. He bought a 500-acre tract of land situated nearly 50km inland from Waitōtara and 80km from the developing township of Whanganui. Despite knowing little about farming, Chesswas established a farm and invested in a sawmilling plant.
Early access to the Waitōtara Valley was difficult. Early surveying was deceptive as the bush cover hid the steep slopes and gorges of the landscape. But with determination, the land was cleared and a small settlement established.
The early residents arrived by the river, or by horseback along the narrow roads that were prone to slips and bogs in wet weather. The roads were widened to allow access to the increasing numbers of wheeled vehicles from 1897 but still had to shut from May to November as the mud was too dangerous.
Cars appeared on the Waitōtara Valley roads from 1909 and John Chesswas was the proud owner of one of the first trucks in the settlement. He purchased a trusty Thornycroft, renowned for reliability and, driven by his son Walter, it was the first motorised vehicle used to carry wool out of the valley.
The Chesswas' Thornycroft truck assisting with ploughing a field on the farm. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 1802.10721
John Isaac Thornycroft, a naval engineer in Chiswick, England, had a successful shipbuilding company but decided to try his hand at land vehicles.
He adapted a marine steam-launch boiler with a twin-cylinder compound engine so the used high-pressure steam was redirected to the cylinder at a lower pressure to provide extra power.
His first steam lorry was exhibited at the 1896 Crystal Palace Show to a welcome reception and the Thornycroft Steam Carriage & Van Company was born. Two years later his steam-powered articulated vehicle won the Premier Award at the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Association Trials.
The company grew and added a range of models to its line. From large load haulage to double-decker passenger transports, Thornycroft vehicles were sought the world over.
The first petrol vehicle was added to the range in 1902, and five years later the whole range was moved to combustion engines.
During WWI, Thornycroft built more than 5000 vehicles as part of the War Office transportation scheme, and several were still in service in 1930. Production slowed after the war and the focus returned to passenger vehicles and lighter trucks, adding diesel engines to the range.
In 1948, the company changed its name to Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Limited, before being acquired by AEC's parent company Associated Commercial Vehicles in 1961, which was taken over by Leylands in 1962.
Back in the Waitōtara Valley, Chesswas' Thornycroft proved to be a faithful farm vehicle. These photographs from the museum's collection show the Thornycroft truck loaded with bales of wool weighing up to 400lbs each, and being put to use ploughing a field on Chesswas' farm.
• Sandi Black is the archivist at Whanganui Regional Museum.
