Life-long Albert Town resident Garry Templeton has watched first-hand the\u00a0 small community transform into a booming suburb now home to 2300 residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Born in 1960, Mr Templeton became the fourth-generation owner of Templeton Engineering in Wicklow Tce, established\u00a0 in 1906 by his great-grandfather James.\u00a0<\/p>\n
James\u2019 son, Charles, known as Chas, eventually took over the business, and was later joined by his own sons, David, a blacksmith, and Ralph, a fitter and turner, who trained at Dunedin\u2019s Hillside Railway Workshops.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By 1964, David had gone farming in Tarras and Chas had decided to retire, leaving Ralph to run the business, with wife Ethel taking care of the book-keeping and son Garry helping out in the workshop after school.<\/p>\n
Garry\u00a0 took over the business – believed to be the oldest company still operating in the Upper Clutha – in 1996, then handed the reins over to\u00a0 the husband and wife team of Matt and Sarah Read in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Now I just go back there to play,\u2019\u2019 Mr Templeton said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018I just like puttering around just with the small stuff, not the big stuff. It\u2019s good, they\u2019ve got a bloody good crew down there,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Albert Town as whole has changed a lot in his time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018It was probably the late 1980s and early \u201990s when\u00a0 [houses] started to pop up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Then by the time the 2000s came around, well, holy smokes, it was all go.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018As for the bridge, there were no lights on it, you just crossed it when you wanted to.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Growing up in such a small place he knew everybody by name, Mr Templeton said.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018In lower Albert Town there were nine residents and 14 or 15 cribs,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018As far as going Aubrey Rd into W\u0101naka there was just nothing.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018There was a sawmill there and there was just no houses.\u2019\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Templeton said\u00a0 the undeveloped area was their \u2018\u2018play pit\u2019\u2019 as teenagers.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018We had no laws or boundaries, there was no houses there …\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018The local cop, Paddy Keown, would drive past in his car \u2014 he knew we weren\u2019t causing any problems.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
A member of the local volunteer fire brigade for 34 years, Mr Templeton said he joined for \u2018\u2018a bit of community service\u2019\u2019. \u2018\u2018If someone was in trouble we\u2019d go help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Every call was different. I really enjoyed it, it was bloody good,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
His Albert Town home occupies\u00a0 a section of land which was previously part of his grandfather\u2019s farm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018He ran a bit of a farm down here after he retired,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Templeton said moving away from the area had crossed his mind.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018[But] in all fairness, where else would you get these views and weather patterns?\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n