One of the fascinating properties on the Bay Road at Michie's Crossing is a thirty-acre block surrounded by native trees and mature English trees, oaks, elms, ashes, pines, today forming a natural park reaching down to the water-front.
The house was built in the seventies by James Marshall, the brewer, who was associated with the Leith and Albion Breweries. He used the property as a holiday house. He was a far-seeing planter of trees, and William Clarkson, gardener from Double Hill, planted most for him. After Marshall's death in 1885, the property was taken over by the banks.
Alexander Michie, the banker, who came to New Zealand in 1884, and became Dunedin manager of the Bank of New Zealand in 1891, used it as a country house till 1907. Dr. Riley was owner from 1918 - 1931, and thereafter George Simpson. It is strange, therefore, that the railway station is now called "Michie's Crossing", when in fact it was originally "Marshall's Crossing".
The property is called "Opeke" - "the place to leap over" after the picturesque waterfalls and stream in the valley below running north to Blueskin Bay from Moponui Hill. It is to be hoped that the planners of Greater Dunedin will see that such an amenity, with its beautiful trees so wisely planted and now stretching down to the water's edge, is preserved for all time as a public park, for Marshall's wise planting is only equalled by that of Bendix Hallenstein, the creator of Queenstown's Gardens.
Full Excerpt of this chapter available if you fancy a read - excellent stuff! drop me a line if you want a copy sent to you.
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