_The Evening Post_, 29 September 1923:
LOCAL AND GENERAL
…
The metallic circuit from #Greymouth to #Christchurch, through the #Otira Tunnel, will be completed in about a fortnight’s time, and telephonic communication between Christchurch and the West Coast will be possible at any hour of the day instead of at certain intervals in the night, as at present (states the “Greymouth Star”). The work, which will be a great asset to the commercial relations of both provinces, was a big undertaking, and the cost when completed will be £12,000 [ca. $1.5M today].
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19230929.2.20

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