The local residents assembled in force, and were joined at Switzers by large numbers from the Gore, Invercargill, and other districts.
The Ministerial party consisted of Mr Buddo, Messrs W. Fraser (member for the district), James Allen, G. J. Anderson, A. S. Malcolm, MPs and A. A. MacGibbon (Mayor of Gore).
The party was welcomed on arrival by Messrs Colin Robertson (county chairman) and John Maher, both of whom have displayed great energy in bringing the railway into being.
Mr Buddo was heartily cheered on arrival, and the school children, bearing flags, sang "The Red, White, and Blue".
Mr Robertson welcomed the Minister on behalf of the residents.
The railway had been in the building since 1883, but he was not going to say anything about the time it had taken to build.
It was now built, and about to be opened, and that was the main thing, and they were quite satisfied.
Mr Robertson expressed pleasure at the district having turned out in such numbers, and also at seeing so many visitors from elsewhere.
They had a district which possessed only one drawback - it was a little liable to frosts - but they could grow grass everywhere.
There were 64,000 acres of good farming land, 66,000 acres of land capable of cultivation and of supporting a very large population, and there was also a great deal of pastoral land, and over 3000 acres of richly auriferous land.
Forty-two years ago some people had said that gold mining was done, but let them look at the 14 dredges at work, the races, and other signs of prosperity.
They had 100 years' work before them yet. The names of the stations on the line are, from Riversdale: Waipounamu (meeting of the waters), Plains, Waiparu, Freshford, Dome, and Switzers. The line is 13 miles 56 chains long, and cost £58,000.
• The steel overbridge giving access from Castle Street to the rear of the Railway Station was thrown open for traffic at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. It was very extensively availed of by persons returning from work before and after 5 o'clock in the evening. - ODT, 25.9.1909.
