Whitcher Grove is a historically important road that links both Moores Valley and Reservoir Road.
History
Whitcher Grove holds significant historical value in Wainuiomata, particularly with the Sinclair family, who operated a mill on Moores Valley Road, near its intersection with Whitcher Grove. From the mill, a tramway ran along Whitcher Grove and through Waterworks / Sinclair Valley that facilitated the transportation of logs to the mill and later served passengers travelling to the dam.
The road was once home to a mansion known as House Northbrook. Built in 1867 by a John Mowlem, this grand residence then came into the hands of brothers-in-law Duncan and John Sinclair for a brief time. Other families owned the home over the ensuing decades, till the house was demolished in the 1980s due to severe deterioration caused by borer infestation.
In the 1880s near the mansion was a fishing hut called Smiths / Stocks Whare where a James Eman Smith (1862 – 1916) often spent his recreational time fishing with friends. He worked for the Treasury Department before becoming the Resident Commissioner of the Cook Islands and Commissioner of Pensions.
A maintenance road use to branch off the end of Whitcher Grove that gave access to the old water raceway and pipeline. Part of the old dam system located here consisted of a shaft and tunnel called Colemans Tunnel which is routed under the road.
Whitcher Grove was named after the developer, Ian Herbert Whitcher (1915-1995). He was a former secretary of Wainuiomata Properties Ltd that had a registered office on Moores Valley Road. The company was dissolved in February 1989.
Today
Whitcher Grove remains a vital route, providing access to the water catchment area in Reservoir Valley and has an entrance to Wainuiomata Regional Park at 10 Whitcher Grove. The few properties along this road are primarily farmsteads with no 6 being a Function Centre called Rosewood Estate. From the road, you can clearly see a large redwood tree on one of the properties near where Northbrook was located. This was likely planted by the Sinclair family as they also planted three other redwood trees on Hine Road. This tree species has the record as the highest tree species on earth.
