MEMORIES OF THE PAST.

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18409, 1 August 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

MEMORIES OF THE PAST.

What stories of the vanished Time These recollections bring,

They strike the chords of memory That round the hearts' core clinjj-

by Hunt, White, Olu-rkson, and Cub'.ey, near where the waters of the Shellback Creek ripple into the Firth of Thames proved to be of amazing richness. At first incredulous at the reported value of the marvellous golden pocket unearthed, and then convinced when the details ol the find were made public, thousands turned their faces Thameswards, and from the T.tfaru to the Hape Creek, tents and primitive dwellings dotted the landscape. Between the Shellback and Karaka Creeks the earth yielded its golden deposits, and from the Kuranui, Long Drive, Moanataiari, Caledonian, Cambria, Waiotafoi, Prince Imperial, Saxon, and Queen of Beauty, marvellous returns were secured. Excitement ran high, the gold fever spread, and shares reached fabulous prices. In the Caledonian mine the gold was so thick that it clogged the stampers in their boxes, and the precious metal had to be chiselled out!

After a period of unexampled prosperity the yields commenced to decrease as the surface portions of the mines were worked out; water difficulties arose, and gradually the thousands of enthusiastic gold seekers dep&xted, leaving the field to the quiet, consistent, self-reliant plodder whose confidence in the field has never been shaken. Of larte years the famous Waiotahi patch, unearthed m what M rere believed to be a valueless portion of the mine, gave added zest to mining operations and testified again to the marvellous richness and the mystifying uncertainty of the field. At Taraxu and Karaka extensive development schemes are in hand^ and so far the in.

dilations of a return of great prosperity

fishing waiters in Now Zealand. It location—4o miles by steamer from Auckland, the natural seaport outlet of a laigo tract of country lying to the southeast of Auckland, and well served by

steamer and railway—also adds greatly to its value, and one need not be unduly optimistic to predict for Thames a great nnd prosperous future.

I Thames possesses an undeveloped asset of great value^in the large area of unoccupied land that lies to the east — covering many miles. Some of this is Native land, and until the owners' titles ai« individualised is inalienable. Some of tho land is owned by the Kauri Timber Company. But there is a large area classified as Hauraki rastor^d Leasts th >t ? when cleared, would carry many thou.sa.nds of sheep; and considering the land hunger that exists in New Zetland, and that this large area has leen unproductive, untouched, for years, r.nd that its occupancy and cultivation would prove of inestimable value not only to Thames, "but to the whole of the H;m. raid Peninsula, it is astonishing that i nothing in. the way of settlement in this direction has been done. So that nonTesidents of .Thames may be fuTTy seized ' of tho position it should be explained tK 't the principal barrier to settlement has been the restrictions placed on sue. oessful cultivation —prohibition of cutting and burning-off of timber, etc. —by the Mines Department., but there is a probability that tho Mines and Lands l>ep rtments will come to an amicable understanding on this important matter, which has a direct bearing on the fu- | tur« prosperity of Thames.