A Nelson-based company proudly showed off its skill and hard work this week, when a replica of a horse-drawn St John ambulance was taken for a test drive.

The horse-drawn carriage ambulance, which is a reproduction of an ambulance used by St John in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, was taken for a test run on Saturday 16 January at the Nelson A&P Association Showgrounds in Richmond, Nelson.

The reproduction of the ambulance was created by Nelson-based craftsman Darren Simonsen for St John Northern Region (South Island). It will be a significant part of a major six-month commemorative display this year in Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, celebrating the 125th anniversary of St John in New Zealand.

Darren, whose wife Tracy is St John Nelson-Marlborough District Youth Manager, got involved in the project when approached by his sister-in-law Jacci Tatnell, who works for St John in Christchurch.

“Jacci is the St John project manager of the museum display,” says Darren, “and she asked me to investigate the possibility of constructing a replica of this historic vehicle."

Darren has his own company, Safe Wood Products, which manufactures children’s furniture, as well as playground and teaching equipment for early childhood centres.

Based on a photograph provided from the St John archives, the ambulance took around five months to build and is constructed of a variety of natural timbers and steel. “It’s a wooden box on wheels, as far as design goes, it’s about as basic as it gets.”

Now that the ambulance is nearing completion, Darren says he wanted to test it out. “I needed to know that it was going to operate okay before delivery to St John in Christchurch, and Kathy Andrus from Brightwater Gypsy Vanners offered to hitch her horse to it, so it’s worked out quite well.”

Jacci Tatnell, St John project manager, says the horse-drawn ambulance is fantastic. “It’s great to have a piece of St John history brought to life again, and especially so in this very important year for St John nationally.”