Daily Photo – Geometric Dunedin

Not far from where I took this wonderfully geometric photograph is Dowling Street, a street that owes its origins to the need to make central Dunedin a more accessible place. It was while looking for information for my current series, Tales from the Devil’s Half-Acre, that I came across an interesting wee tale that I’d like to share.

When Dowling Street was first created, a substantial amount of blasting was required to form the cutting. The mayor at the time, John Barnes, awarded the job of supervising the work to his son, William, who, importantly as it turns out, had no qualifications whatsoever for the position.

What transpired was nothing more than an astonishing piece of bad luck and sensational tragedy. The blasting that took place, naturally enough, sent massive pieces of rock and boulders flying in all directions. One of these was catapulted through the air before crashing through the ceiling of a nearby business, striking a Mrs Finch.

Mrs Finch, the poor thing, just happened to be working quietly upstairs when the huge rock came crashing in from above. Naturally, it killed her instantly, and I dare say she wouldn’t have had the faintest idea what hit her!