Wakefield motorists spent more than a decade grappling with dangerous roadside parking before authorities finally acted to create a no-parking zone and dedicated parking area.
By the 1920s, providing parking for the convenience of motorists had become a growing problem throughout New Zealand, and the small rural communities of the Nelson district were no exception.
In 1934, F. Shuttleworth approached the Automobile Association about a traffic danger in Wakefield.
Early in 1937, the association drew the council's attention to the random parking habits outside the Wakefield hall. Vehicles were often left in a way that partially blocked the road, causing difficulties for passing motorists. The council engineer was asked to investigate.
A month later, concerns shifted to parking outside Kirwin's Theatre. Questions were raised about why motorists were not using the railway side of the road between the Arrow Street junction and the Wakefield Transport Co yards, about 10 chains from the theatre. The area was considered clear of the traffic lane and more suitable for parking.
The Automobile Association suggested the council approach the Railway Department to purchase a strip of land measuring about three chains by 20 feet from the stockyards to create parking space.
The outcome of that proposal remains unclear, but five years later the problem persisted.
Once again, F. Shuttleworth protested about parking outside the theatre. Cars were being parked on both sides of the road, leaving barely enough room for a vehicle to pass. Shuttleworth pointed out that although the road was narrow, there was ample space for parking further along the street and within the adjacent railway yard.
J. G. Ingram supported the concerns, and a motion was passed asking the Waimea County Council to seek a no-parking zone outside the Wakefield picture theatre. During discussions, the stretch was described as the worst section of State Highway in the Nelson province.
The issue was not resolved immediately, but the council agreed to support the proposal and forward it to the Public Works Department.
It was not until February 1943 that the District Highways Council approved 6.7 chains of road in Wakefield township as a non-parking zone.
Shuttleworth Bros also offered a piece of land opposite the garage in Wakefield that could be converted into a public parking area.
Two months later, the New Zealand Railway Department advised the council that it would lease a triangular section of land at the north-eastern end of the station yard for an annual rental of 10 shillings. The council accepted the offer, providing what appears to have been a long-awaited solution to one of Wakefield's most persistent traffic headaches.
