Dave Noad and John Mackey outside their workshop at 3 Stuart St, Blenheim
STORY BY KAT PICKFORD |
SUSIE WILLIAMS & KAT PICKFORD
Back in the early days
of their careers in 1985,
Dave Noad front right and
John Mackey beside him.
Celebrating a 140-year milestone
Technology may have
changed since the first
electric lights twinkled in
Blenheim homes 90 years
ago, but electricity is still
the same - much like a
local business celebrating
140 years this year.
Cresswell Electrical has been installing
electrical wiring in Marlborough
homes and businesses since 1927
- but the business began 50 years
before then. William’s three sons Bert, Will and
Arthur joined him in the business,
which expanded to include coach
building and moved into new premises
in Blenheim.
According to Marlborough Express
archives, R Cresswell and Sons Ltd
was established in 1878 by Robert
Cresswell, who was one of two sons to
English immigrant William Cresswell. In August 1927, the Marlborough
Electric Power Board, the predecessor
of Marlborough Lines, completed
the first section of the provincial
hydro-electrical scheme, sparking
an opportunity for R Cresswell and
Sons Ltd to diversify again - this time
installing electrical wiring in homes
and businesses.
The business was originally a
blacksmith workshop forging farm
machinery in Spring Creek, then called
Marlborough Town.