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Title: Centennial history of Hawera and the Waimate Plains
Author: Roberts, C. J. (Cyril John)
Published: Hawera Star Pub., Hawera, N.Z., 1940
Centennial History of Hawera and the Waimate Plains
Compiled by C. J. ROBERTS
Prom official records and from personal reminiscences of members of pioneer families in the district.
' o9lK.ua roatau Turitia te ” ("Let us go forward, cleaving to that which is right ”)
r °m the inscription on the Wawera aMayoral Chain
Published by the authority of the Hawera County Council, the Hawera Borough Council, the Manaia Town Board, and the Wairaate West County Council as a memorial to the pioneers of South Taranaki, and to commemorate the diamond jubilee of the Hawera County Council.
Printed by
The Hawera Star Publishing Company, Limited, Regent Street, Hawera’, New Zealand.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
The Author’s Preface
'"J’HB presentation to the public of a survey of the historical events of Hawera and the Waimate Plains has been made by the four major local bodies in the two districts, its intention being that the work should be a memorial to those pioneers who laid the foundation of the existing prosperous settlement. In many respects there could be no finer memorial, as events which are rapidly becoming forgotten are now recorded for the benefit of future generations. It is perhaps unfortunate that the work was not compiled 25 years ago, before the pioneers had passed to their eternal rest, because a great deal of difficulty was encountered during the past year in securing certain information known best to those who are not now living. However, what information was available was readily presented in order that this record might be as complete as possible, and to those people the author’s sincere thanks are due.
One hundred years ago, New Zealand was constituted a British colony and was given a definite status in the infant British Commonwealth of Nations. This year, the people of the Dominion will celebrate the centenary of that now historic occasion, and in doing so, will look back with pride on the deeds of the pioneers who made possible the settlement of this fertile land.
Although only a century old in pakeha settlement, New Zealand is already rich in historical association; in many parts of the Dominion there are spots that even to the present generation are held with pride through their association with our forefathers and their deeds. South Taranaki is one that is outstanding in historical association, for here it was that the last of the Maori wars was fought, and peace between Maori and pakeha came upon the land. Here, too, the pioneers
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
were faced with problems that would have deterred any but the most hardened spirits; their homes were burned, their stock driven off into the wild fastnesses of the hinterland, and floods destroyed their early roads and bridges. But in spite of all these vicissitudes, the pioneers came back smiling, and with an even greater determination than hitherto. That they succeeded in their subsequent efforts to convert a wilderness into a land of wonderful production is now quite evident from a tour through the province.
South Taranaki, as well as being rich in pakeha history, has a wealth of tradition as far as Maori settlement is concerned, for it was the ultimate destination of Turi, the intrepid Maori navigator, when he set out from Bangiatea 600 years ago. In this portion of New Zealand, Turi and his followers laid the foundations of Polynesian settlement. It was not until 500 years later that the pakeha threatened their supremacy in these islands, and then began the series of wars that were to last until November, 1881, when peace finally came at Parihaka.
Much of the matter contained herein was compiled from the official records in the offices of the four local bodies concerned, the Hawera County Council, the Hawera Borough Council, the Manaia Town Board and the Waimate West County Council, and from the files of the “Hawera Star.’’ Other information has been obtained from private sources, and I am deeply grateful for the assistance that has been offered.
I should like to extend my personal thanks to Mr. John Houston, LL.B., for his kindly criticism and assistance. Without his co-operation the Maori section of this book could not have been written. I should like to convey, too, my thanks to Mr. J. Newland, of Waverley, for his permission to use what is now a very valuable document —his father’s account of the Maori war in Taranaki, written just after the cessation of hostilities. This was obtained for me through the courtesy of Mr. W. G. Belton, chairman of the Patea County Council.
Mr. C. J, Roberts, of the literary staff of the “Hawera Star,” the author of this work.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE \VAIM ATE PLAINS.
I am deeply grateful, too, to Mr. J. W. J. Harding, clerk of the Hawera County Council, for the assistance he gave me right from the date the work was commenced. His co-opera-tion made the task so much easier. Miss Olga Harding, M.A., who allowed me to use her thesis on South Taranaki, was also of material assistance, and I am not ungrateful.
To Mr. H. S. Elliott, town clerk of Hawera, and members of his committee, Crs. A. Reid and R. R. Henderson, for their kindly assistance in compiling the borough section of the book, I also record my thanks. In Manaia, valuable assistance was received from Messrs J. Rodie (town clerk), L. A. Walters (chairman, Town Board), F. Mourie (chairman, County Council), and V. H. Hobday (county clerk), and these gentlemen, too, deserve special thanks.
Cr. J. B. Murdoch, chairman of the Hawera County Council, and Cr. T. A. Winks, of the same body, gave much valuable assistance, particularly in checking the material gathered, their knowledge of the district being of such a wide nature, and I record my thanks to them also.
Others who have given much assistance are Messrs James Winks (Hawera), G. W. A. Williams (Meremere), T. Walsh (Hawera), Harry Looker (Patea), the late C. B. Gibson (Normanby), the late J. E. Campbell (Hawera), and all those per-
sons who kindly loaned photographs for reproduction. Special thanks are also due to the Hawera Star Publishing Company for permission to reproduce some of the blocks in their possession, the originals of which would have been very difficult to obtain.
In conclusion, I would point out that this history is a memorial to the pioneers of South Taranaki, and it is the hope of the committee that it will succeed in its purpose.
C. J. ROBERTS.
Hawera, November, 1939.
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Foreword
P ACH year that passes adds materially to the difficulty of assembling information as to the early days of pakeha settlement. Not long ago, for instance, on the occasion of special parades in Hawera, a small party of Maori War veterans was proudly placed at the head of the column. More recently, their absence has been noticeable. With them, and many other pioneer settlers, much material of local interest has been lost. For this reason, any effort to place on record authentic stories of the past is to be commended, and Mr. Roberts is to be congratulated on the effort he has undertaken at the request of the local bodies.
On, the Maori side the difficulties of the historian are even greater. The old-time Maori of Te Tai Hauauru, the West Coast of this island, stood in the forefront of a notable native race. He was rich in a verbally transmitted learning of his own. He decorated his superior buildings with distinctive carving designs of deep significance. His women wove flax cloaks of a fineness which became the envy of distant tribes. His numbers suffered sadly by pestilence, and by the invasion of musket-armed raiders from the north. Pakeha settlement finally disrupted his accustomed life.
The native weapons of old, the later double-barrelled gun and the deadly tomahawk have been laid aside for ever. No longer does the earth tremble under hundreds of feet that dance the haka; no longer does the priestly tohunga seek the omens with his sacred wands; the sweet voices of the old-time poi maidens are hushed to silence. The warriors and maidens of the old generation have long since trodden that sacred path Tahekeroa, by which all men go down to death.
To-day—a century of pakeha contact has brought new problems, which become more clamant for adjustment in an ever-changing and perplexing world.
JOHN HOUSTON.
Hawera, 7th December, 1939.
Mr. L. H. Clapham, Mayor of Hawera.
Mr. F. Mourie, Chairman, Waimate West County Council.
Hawera County Council.
Mr. L. A. Walters, Chairman, Manaia Town Board.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Index to Contents
Coming of the Maori People 1
Early Pas and Fortifications 9
British Troops’ First Engagement 17
Opening of Cameron’s Campaign 33
Titokowaru’s War Opens 40
Attack on Turuturu-mokai 51
Battle of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu 64
Parihaka and Peace 78
Constitution of Hawera County Council 89
Hawera County in the 20th Century 114
Hawera County Council To-day 149.
Before Hawera was a Borough 165
Constitution of the Borough 182
Closing Tears of the 19th Century 196
Hawera in the last 40 Tears 215
Hawera Parks, Reserves and Library 236
Early Shows and Race Meetings 252
Normanby Township’s History 268
Hawera Country Districts 280
The Beginnings of Manaia 303
Constitution of Manaia Town Board 317
"The Battle of Hastie’s Farm” 337
Opening of the Manaia School 346
Pages from Manaia’s Past
Waimate West County Council 334
Settlement Begins at Auroa 373
The Story of Otakeho 381
Biographical Index 388
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER I.
The Coming of the Maori People
in the sunny isles of Hawaiki the Maori people of New Zealand had their ancestral home; from these tropical isles the boldest of the adventurers among them set out many centuries ago in search of new lands. Why they did so is lost among the pages of obscurity, but to-day, when skilled navigators on the sea and in the air never commence a journey without elaborate precautions for their own safety and the safety of their passengers, we can find much to marvel at in the daring of those Maori navigators who sailed trackless oceans with only the sun, moon and stars as their guide.
From the seventh to the 14th century the canoes of these tropical islands traversed the Pacific Ocean ever seeking new lands, canoes manned by powerful warriors to ply the paddles, and led by priests and chiefs skilled in the art of navigation. Probably the first of these to come as far south as New Zealand was Kupe, who arrived here some time in the 10th century. His canoe, the Mata-hou-rua, made land near the North Cape, his followers being almost on the verge of starvation, and weak from the many privations and hardships undergone on the long voyage. We can readily imagine, then, the feelings of relief with which they sighted land. Kupe passed completely round both the North and the South Islands, following a figure-eight route, and sailing through both Cook and Foveaux Straits. Kupe it was who gave New Zealand its name Ao-tea-roa, “The Long White Cloud,” this name being derived from an exclamation made by his wife when New Zealand was first sighted.
About two centuries later came the discovery of the Chatham Islands by Toi-te-huatahi, who also travelled to Tamaki, but finally settled at Whakatane. Toi’s people intermarried with the then inhabitants of the North Island, and the issue became an important event in the population.
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Later again the canoe, Ariki-mai-tai, arrived at the South Taranaki coast, and her people settled near Waimate. About the year 1300, a canoe captained by Whiro landed on the coast near Oakura, and ended her voyage at Oeo.
In the middle of the 14th century there was a considerable migration of people from Tahiti and the islands in that vicinity to Ao-tea-roa, this being the last voyage of the island emigrants to these shores, and the one in which the people of South Taranaki are most keenly interested, for it brought Turi, the great navigator, to this portion of the Dominion.
The emigrants came to Ao-tea-roa in seven canoes, the Aotea, the Tainui, the Arawa, the Kura-haupo, the Tokomaru, the Matatua, and the Takitumu. Turi was the principal chief on board the Aotea canoe.
Turi was born 600 years ago at a place called Mahaena on the north-east coast of Tahiti, being the son of a chief, Eongotea-tai-marama. Before the Aotea left Hawaiki Bangiatea, Turi was told of Ao-tea-roa and was advised to made his settlement at Patea. He made extensive preparations in regard to food supplies, while his priests brought with them representations of certain tribal gods. .It is not possible to say how many made the voyage in the Aotea, but a number of names of the passengers have been preserved, and have been recorded in publications written by Mr. Percy Smith, the Bev. T. 6. Hammond, and Mr. John Houston. Turi’s wife, Eongorongo, gave birth to a son during the voyage, and to this child was given the name Tutaua-whanau-moana, “Tutaua the sea-born.” Counting Tutaua, the names of thirty-three individual passengers are known, as well as the names of three families. Only four female names are included, these, no doubt, being the only ones of high descent—there would be others, as well as further males whose names have been forgotten.
After weathering several storms and making one halt for refitting, the Aotea canoe finally landed somewhere on the north-east coast of the North Island. Mr. Houston summarises the historical facts of the journey as follows: “This canoe left Bangiatea, some 125 miles from Tahiti, for New Zealand about
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the year 1350. She encountered mixed weather, and called at Sunday Island, in the Kermadees, to refit. After leaving Sunday Island, she successfully weathered a great storm, and in due course she arrived safely at the North Island of New Zealand during midsummer. The vessel was well equipped for the voyage and brought to these shores Turi and his followers, who became the ancestors of an important group of tribes. The members of the party were Polynesians, and brought with them much of the ancient traditional learning of their people.”
The Aotea canoe did not remain long at the first point she touched on the north-east coast of Ao-tea-roa, for Turi decided to proceed as early as possible to the district which had been so highly recommended to him. The party travelled north and stayed for a while at Tamaki. Then the Aotea was dragged across the isthmus at Otahuhu, and launched in the waters of the Manakau harbour. Another account states that the Aotea rounded the North Cape. Prom Manakau the Aotea proceeded southward along the coast until she arrived at Aotea harbour, where her voyage ended.
Turi decided to make the last stages of the journey by land, and he sent Pungarehu (one of his followers) ahead with a small party. Pungarehu was instructed to plant all along his route karaka seeds, which had been brought on the Aotea, in order that there should be plentiful supplies of this valuable article of diet.
The Aotea was left where she finished her voyage, and Turi followed Pungarehu southward with the rest of his companions, giving names to various places on the way. The information recorded by Sir George Grey is as follows;
“When Turi reached the harbour of Kawhia, he gave it that name, or the awhinga of Turi; he gave the name Marokopa, or the place where Turi wound round, to another spot; the river Waitara he named from the taranga, or wide-steps he took in fording it at its mouth; Mokau he named from his sleeping there; at Manga-iti, they opened and spread out an enchanted garment named Huna-kiko, and as all the people gazed at it, Turi named the place Matakitaki; at another
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
place Turi took up a handful of earth to smell it, that he might guess whether the soil was good enough, and he named that place Hougi-hongi; another place he named Tapuae, or the footsteps of Turi; another place he named Oakura, from the bright redness of the enchanted cloak Huna-kiko; another place (six miles south of Tapuae) he named Katikara; another river he named Raoa, from a piece of food he was eating there nearly choking him; another spot he named Kaupokonui (a river 34 miles north-west of Patea), or the head of Turi; when they arrived there, the enchanted cloak Huna-kiko was twice opened and spread out, so he called the spot Marae-kura; a place that they encamped at he named Kapuni (a river of Waimate), or the encampment of Turi; another place he named Waingongoro, or the place at which Turi snored; another spot he named Tangahoe, after his paddle; Ohingahape (Ingahape) he named after the crooked foot of Tua-nui-o-te-ra; a headland where there was a natural bridge running over a cave, he named Whiti-kau, from the long time he was fording in the water to turn the headland, because he did not like to cross the bridge.” The men of the heke also gave to the great mountain its name, Taranaki. This ancient name of mana was one which the sea-kings brought with them from the far distant homeland of the race, and how old the name Taranaki is, no one can say.
An incident on the journey from Kawhia to Patea gave Manawapou its name. Amongst those who transhipped from the Kura-haupo canoe to the Aotea at Rangitahua was Poupoto, who stole a valuable ornament from the Nga-Kura-matapo, one of the chiefs of the Kura-haupo. Pou-poto came southwards with Turi, and in due course Nga-Kura-matapo pursued him with the object of recovering his property. One morning he found Pou-poto asleep on the banks of a river some 10 miles north of Patea, and he slew him, placing his heart on a pole. Thus Manawapou received its name, “The Heart of Pou-poto,” the name “manawa” meaning “heart.”
At length Turi and his party arrived at Patea, and Turi immediately tested the soil by smelling it. He found it, as earlier visitors had, para umu, a rich, black, sweet-scented soil.
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HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
and very suitable. Hence the land became known as “Te whenua i hongia e Turi,” “the land that Turi smelled.” Turi named the place Patea, probably after the sacred marae of that name in Tahiti. According to the usually accepted meaning, Patea signifies “white fort,” the word “tea” meaning “white” in the Maori language as well as in other Polynesian dialects. In one of his publications, Mr. Percy Smith says that when Turi’s party arrived at Patea after their long journey overland, they threw down their burdens, exclaiming “Ka patea tatau!” (“We are relieved of our loads.”) The river was named Patea-nui-a-Turi” (“Great river of Turi.”)
The south side of the river was selected for settlement, a fortified pa being built on the headland by the mouth of the river. To this fortress was given the name Kangi-tawhi. Within this fortress was built, in addition to the dwellings of the people, a sacred house, which was named Matangi-rei, this being a whare-wananga, or whare-maire, wherein was taught the ancient learnings of the people.
Thus Turi and his people settled in the new land, which proved so different from the tropical islands to which they had been accustomed. In Ao-tea-roa, continual effort was necessary to provide daily food, and the rich abundance of the tropics became but a memory, enshrined in the phrase “Hawaiki-kai.”
During the lifetime of Turanga-i-mua and Tane-roroa, the children of Turi, a great division of the people took place, this arising from the conduct of Tane-roroa towards her brother. Subsequent circumstances added enmity to separation, and further divisions followed rapidly.
Turanga-i-mua was the proud possessor of certain dogs, bred from some he had brought with him in the Aotea, these dogs being vegetable feeders. They were valued for food, as well as for their skins, from which cloaks were made. Shortly before the birth of her son, Eua-nui, Tane-roroa desired a meal of flesh. None could be obtained at the time other than the flesh of dogs, and, unfortunately, the only dogs available were those belonging to her brother, Tnranga-i-mua. At the urgent request of Tane-roroa, Uenga-puanake (her husband) secretly killed two of these dogs, and when these animals had
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
been cooked, Tane-roroa and her husband made a meal of them.
Turanga-i-mua was much distressed at his loss, and a great search was instituted for the missing dogs. Amongst many who were questioned, Tane-roroa indignantly denied any knowledge of what had become of them, but she failed to reckon on her brother’s powers as a tohunga. As a result of his incantations, the culprits were exposed, and their shame was made public.
Tane-roroa and her husband could no longer remain at the original settlement and, with their followers, they crossed the Patea River to its northern bank, making a new settlement at Whiti-kau, near the present town of Patea. Rua-nui was born there, as were other children of Tane-roroa. Subsequently endless trouble was started by Tane-roroa pointing out to her growing children the fires of Turanga-i-mua’s people over on the south side of the river, and saying, “There dwell your elder relatives; they shall be food for you! ” This remark, “Hei kai ma koutou a koutou tuakana!” was a kanga or curse. The Maori of old was extremely sensitive about such matters, and a curse of that nature could be washed out only by the shedding of blood. For centuries the two parties lived in a state of enmity. Periodically the troubles would be fanned into a blaze, and for a time there would be open war.
The descendants of Uenga-puanake and Tane-roroa became known as the Ngati-Ruanui tribe, and they dwelt north of the Patea River. The descendants of Turanga-i-mua became known as the Nga-Rauru tribe, and they dwelt south of the Patea River. As time went on, some adjustments of boundaries seem to have been made, and Nga-Rauru occupied territory south of the Whenuakura River and extending for some 23 miles by the coast to the Kai Iwi stream.
Ngati-Ruanui in the course of time became a numerous tribe, the names of the hapus, or sub-tribes, being Tangahoe, Ngati-Hine, Nga-Ruahine, Ngati-Tipara, Ngati-Tane-wai, Ngati-Tupaea, Ngati-Manu-hiakai, Ngati-tu, and Paka-kohi. At no great length of time after these incidents, still further divisions of the people took place. Xai-kapo, the wharemaire wherein were taught tribal history and the traditional
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HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
learning of the race, had come to belong to Rakei-matua. In his time, dissensions arose amongst the Ngati-Ruanui tribesmen owing to the conduct of Rau-uri and Ue-whatarau in Kaikapo. Although both were men of rank, it would appear that they were a disturbing element in that sacred place. Their conduct was displeasing to Rakei-matua. A dispute between the priests followed at a celebrated spring of water near Kaikapo, and during this quarrel an elaborately carved calabash was smashed. This calabash (tahawai) had been brought on the Aotea and was the property of Rua-uri, one of the disputants.
These incidents led to serious internal strife, in which the followers of Rua-uri had the better of the argument. One faction remained at the tribal home, but the remnants of the other migrated to new territory. Precise details are not procurable, but these events are referred to in an ancient song, which was used in. more recent times by Maruera-whakarewa-taua as part of his answer to an enquiry about the standing of Titokowaru, the South Taranaki fighting chief of the ’sixties.
Turanga-i-mna, the eldest son of Turi, made a long journey overland through the North Island during his father’s lifetime, and in the course of this expedition he came into conflict with the people who dwelt in the land before the coming of the heke of 1350 from Hawaiki-Rangiatea. These earlier people are conveniently referred to as the Tangata-whenua. The history of the tangata-whenua has been almost entirely obscured by that of the more forceful warriors of the heke. Before the arrival of the latter, the earlier arrivals, who naturally settled on the nearest coastal lands in the first instance, had extended their settlements considerably, occupying part of the centre of the island, and also reaching Taranaki and the South Island. The tangata-whenua were mainly Polynesians, though some appear to have been of Melanesian blood. The Maori was, and is, the descendant of inter-mar-riages of folk of Polynesia and tangata-whenua stock.
The mountain, which Turi’s people named Taranaki, was known to the tangata-whenna as Puke-haupapa, “ice-hill.” To them the Waingongoro was 'Wai-aro-riri, “the angry water ; the Patea was Te Awa-nui-a-Tai-kehu, “the great
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history op haweea and the waimate plains.
river of Tai-kehu.” Tai-kehu was a chief of the tangatawhenua, who lived near Patea. When Turanga-i-mua undertook his expedition from Rangi-tawhi, his party included a number of the neighbouring tangata-whenua, with whom friendly relations had been established. Most of the battles fought during the expedition took place in the Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu districts, Turi’s son being slain in the latter locality. His body was subsequently conveyed to Patea, where it found a final resting-place.
Turi had attained a great age by the time of Turanga-i--mua’s expedition. He was deeply affected when the survivors of the taua brought the news of his eldest son’s death. Turi left Matangi-rei, his house, and disappeared. The Maori people say his spirit re-crossed the great ocean whose perils he had braved in the Aotea canoe, and returned to Hawaiki Rangiatea. Curiously enough, the island people of Rangiatea have a similar story, for they say that Turi’s spirit was with them until a matter of four generations ago.
So passed Turi of the Aotea canoe—a great chief and tohnnga, a skilled navigator and a leader of his people.
Looking tack on the past. Two wahines of Parihaka, the home of Te Whitl, the Maori prophet.
An historic occasion at Turuturu-mokai Redoubt. The carved pole in the centre, the work of Henare Toka, symbolises the removal of the tapu of centuries. This ceremony took place in 1938.
HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER H.
Early Pas and Fortifications
'"J'HAT Taranaki supported a very considerable native population in the days before the advent of the pakeha is well evidenced by the number of fortifications still to be seen throughout the province. Each of these old-time pas was constructed with infinite labour, some a very long time ago, some more recently. Bach of them was occupied for some period of time, and each had a history of its own. Much of this history, and many a story of surpassing interest, has, unfortunately, been irretrievably lost. The history of the older people, the tangata-whenua, the first pa builders of Taranaki, was overlaid by that of the warriors who came from Hawaiki in the year 1350. Centuries later, in their turn, the descendants of the warriors of the heke were decimated by pestilence, or were sent on that last journey along the path to the spirit world by the raiders from the north, or were carried into a slavery worse than death to them. Again, the elders of the local tribes have always been reluctant to divulge information regarded as sacred, or in respect of which old wounds have never ceased to smart even after the lapse of centuries. The older generation of Maori was passing while the pakeha faced the anxious toilsome days of early settlement and native wars, and so the deeds of yesterday, which might otherwise have been recorded, were lost for ever.
Some 400 years ago the Ngati-Rakei people, who subsequently merged into the Ngati-Tupaea, a hapu of the NgatiRuanui tribe of South Taranaki, decided to build a large pa on a site beside the Tawhiti stream, about a mile and a-half from the modern Hawera. The situation chosen was one which naturally lent itself to the old-time methods of fortification by fosse and parapet and stockade. There was rising ground beside the stream, roughly level for a considerable area on top,
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
while the nature of the sloping ground at the sides was suitable for the construction of earthworks. On all sides of the pa several lines of these were constructed. The Tawhiti stream itself provides one of the main reasons for the establishment of the pa at this particular place. Apart from the stream providing a good water supply, it was known to the natives as teeming with Tuna (eels). On the Tawhiti stream the tribesmen constructed their eel-weirs, and many a good catch was prepared and dried over slow fires beside the stream on frameworks of green branches. The tribesmen had also the advantage of plentiful supplies of birds, which were cooked and preserved in their own fat. Ngati-Tupaea traded with the coastal people, bartering their dried eels and preserved birds for fresh fish and other supplies.
The commonest form of pa tuna, or eel-weir, was constructed in the form of one or more Y’s according to the width of the stream. At the lower part of the V were guiding fences, of which the permanent main posts were frequently carved. Eel pots, hinaki, were set at the narrow outlet, with the mouth of the eel pot facing up stream to catch the tuna travelling towards the sea in Jhe autumn. Hinaki set to catch the eels passing upwards were set in the open river facing downstream, and in such cases bait was frequently used. These eel pots were of tough material, neatly wrought on a wickerwork principle. The funnel-shaped entrance to the eel pot was made small at the inner end, and was equipped with a device to prevent the eels from escaping. Eels were sometimes netted, taken by hand, or were speared. The eel spears were usually short, with a number of sharp prongs of some hard wood set together like the tines of a fork. Dark moonless nights were considered the best time for eel spearing.
The pa of the stone age, constructed before the coming of the musket, was designed for use by a tribe using native weapons, rakau maori. in resisting attacks by other tribes also using native weapons. When the musket came into use, the Maori had to adapt his fortifications to the changed conditions. The modern nineteenth century gun fighters’ pa is a very different type of fortification from the pa of the stone age. The high massive ramparts and the deep trenches of pre-European
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIM ATE PLAINS.
days were made to obstruct an enemy armed with native weapons, and the defenders actually fought standing on the wide top of the great ramparts. After the coming of the musket, the trench became much shallower, and the defenders fought from behind a low rampart, which afforded them protection from enemy bullets. Instead of fighting on top of a massive rampart, the defenders fought from behind a low one. The introduction of flanking angles and traverses and gunpits in Maori fortifications was subsequent to the introduction of the musket.
Just as the old-time Maori was a model of neatness in his cultivations, so he was most particular about his pas. Mr. Percy Smith, writing of the Ohangai Pa, near Te Ruaki Pa, three miles east-north-east of Hawera, states that when he stayed there in 1858 a large number of people were living at the pa, and they kept it beautifully clean and neat. It was surrounded by karaka groves, and many of these trees grew in the pa itself, furnishing a grateful shade. At that time the pa was fully fortified with fosse and rampart, and grotesquely carved heads grinned from the great posts of the stockades. During the Hauhau troubles of the ’sixties the pa was burned by European troops. Throughout New Zealand there is not surviving to-day the complete stockades of any pre-European pa. Various attempts have been made to restore old-time fortifications, but these have not been very successful.
As was characteristic of the forts of ancient Maoridom, the pa built by the Ngati-Tupaea beside the Tawhit i stream was very irregular in shape. The Maori did not construct his fortifications to any particular design, but made his arrangements in conformity with the nature of the ground selected. The ground plan of the defences was determined entirely by the contour of the position and by the needs of the situation, the number of ramparts varying with the actual requirements of the place. As many as five ramparts have been noted at certain pas, each with its accompanying trench outside it, increasing the strength of the defensive works. The trenches of those days varied in depth, but were usually formidable barriers as much as 20 feet or more in depth, with a width of
36
HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
about 12 feet at the bottom of the trench. The spoil from the trench was utilised in building up the rampart with bracken or manuka used as binding agents. The front of the rampart and the inner slope of the trench presented a continuous face on a fairly steep batter. The stockades were built on top of the ramparts, usually two feet from the outer edge, leaving four or five feet on the inner side for the defenders to stand on. Outside the stockade, the narrow strip of ground was usually pared off at an angle to increase the difficulty presented to the attackers. In digging the trenches, the soil was loosened with a pointed stick (wauwau), or the native spade (ko), and was shovelled out with a scoop-like instrument. A sharp-bladed tool (puka) was used for trimming the batters.
The main stockade, usually the third in order from the outside, had whole tree trunks, 15 to 20 feet in diameter, deeply imbedded in the ground, for its main timbers, and the upper parts of these were usually carved with grotesque figures of defiance. The main posts were most irregular, both in spacing and in height. They often reached as much as 20 to 30 feet above the ground. They gave great strength to the stockade, as they were placed on the average about 14 feet apart. Hardwoods, such as puriri, maire and kowhai, were favoured as stockade timbers, as they were good lasting material and could not readily be destroyed by fire. Totara and other timbers were also used. Secondary posts, less heavy and much shorter, averaged 10 to 18 inches in diameter, and from 10 to 15 feet above the ground. These were more numerous and were securely embedded in the earth, their tops being cut like round knobs. The palisades were shorter again, and of irregular lengths, from eight to 12 feet above the ground in which they were embedded. The palisades were rough split timbers several inches in width.
The palisades were placed several inches apart to enable the use of spears through the spaces, and they were securely lashed with tough vines to long rails, usually three in number, which passed on the inner side of the heavy timbers of the stockade. The palisades were lashed on the inner side of the rails. This was done to make it difficult for the attackers to pull down the stockade from outside the pa with rope and
12
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND, THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
bar method. The lashing (aka) was green and pliable when used, out became rigid and immovable when dry. The formidable nature of the defensive works may be gauged by reckoning the height of the steep slope from the bottom of the trench to the top of the rampart at 20 feet, with a stockade of, say, 10 feet surmounting the rampart, making a barrier of 30 feet presented to the attackers. The outer stockades were usually lighter and less ornate than the main stockade, but were strongly built with posts about six feet apart. The outermost, known as the pekerangi, acted as an elevated screen with its palisades attached to the rails, but not inserted in the earth.
In sinking post-holes for the heavy timbers of the stockades, the Maori used a pointed stick, or the ko, and removed the loosened earth with a scoop, or with a curious instrument something like a birch broom and called a matarau, which consisted of a number of prongs attached to a straight rod. This was trust into the loosened earth in the hole, and then removed with a quantity of earth caught among the prongs. Fighting stages (puwhara) were platforms erected at weak parts of the defences, or over the entrance to the pa, and from these the warriors harrassed the enemy with long spears and missiles. In Taranaki such raised platforms were known as Taumaihi. In flat country especially the raised platform was used as a watch tower. Fighting stages disappeared altogether in the days of gun fighting. Special devices were adopted to render secure the entrance to the pa, one of the most common being a narrow passage formed by running a line of stockade parallel to the line of defence in which the enemy was situated, thus exposing the enemy during his progress along the entrance to spear thrusts before he reached the barred entrance. Many apa of the old days was practically impregnable when attacked by a tribe using native weapons, and for this reason more pas of the days before the pakeha were captured by strategem, surprise or starvation than by actual assault. Fire also was a grave danger owing to the inflammable nature of the many whares in the pa, and hence preparations for a siege included throwing earth on the
13
14
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
whare roofs and other devices to minimise the risk of fire, which would render the pa untenable.
On all sides of Turuturu-mokai Pa was a triple line of deep trenches, each with a massive rampart behind it surmounted by a stockade. A very interesting feature of the pa is at the south-western end, where the trenches follow and include a low spur nestling into a bend of the Tawhiti stream. At this part there was a sub-division of the pa, for only two lines of trenches and ramparts enclose the spur, while the third or innermost trench and rampart do not enclose the spur. In the area so divided from the main pa are a large number of rua kumara (food storage pits), many of these being of considerable size. Some of these ruas communicated with each other by tunnels or holes cut through the intervening earth, as may still be seen.
Although the tribes of Taranaki do not appear to have carried war into the territories of other tribes to any extent, local history discloses that the tribes and sub-tribes of Taranaki were almost continually at war among themselves. For some reason, long and bitter enmity existed between NgatiTupaea and another sub-tribe of Ngati-Ruanui, known as Ngati-Hine, who lived at Meremere and round about Manutahi and Ohangai. Towards the end of the 16th century there was peace for a time between the two hapus, and during this cessation of hostilities the Ngati-Tupaea were lulled into a false sense of security, for their old enemies secretly cherished vengeance and brooded over past events. Shortly after the year 1600, a warrior chief of Ngati-Hine conceived an idea whereby his tribe would be enabled to inflict a defeat on Ngati-Tupaea. There was a tohunga-ta-moko, or tattooing expert, who was famed throughout Taranaki for the artistry and symmetry of his designs, and the services of such an expert were always in very great demand. The warrior-chief of Ngati-Hine craftily proposed that this artist should visit the pa of the Ngati-Tupaea and operate on the young warriors of the place, especially attending to the moko (rape and puhoro) on the hips and thighs. The garrison of the pa had very naturally no suspicions of any motive behind the sugges-
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
tion, and they very readily assented, thus playing into the hands of Ngati-Hine. The tohunga came to the pa, and moko’d many of the men, including the best fighters, the toas.
In the old-time tattooing, the lines were deeply engraved with an instrument known as an uhi, which was usually a small bone chisel-like blade set in a wooden handle after the fashion of an adze. The uhi, after being dipped in pigment, was placed in a position following a design traced on the skin, and was then struck a smart rap with a short mallet known as the mahoe. The uhi out right into the flesh, and blood flowed freely at every incision. Naturally, such an operation was an extremely painful one, and took not only a very long time to complete, but also a long time to heal. In a very old chant recorded in John White’s “Ancient History of the Maori,” the patient faints thrice under the operation, and his ancestors console him by saying—
“We do not cause the pain;
It is the instruments,
And blood and severed flesh.”
Mr. C. 0. Davis gives a translation of a lament on the death of Te Heuheu in 1846:
“Turn yet this once thy bold athletic frame,
And let me see thy skin carved o’er with lines
Of blue; and let me see thy face
So beautifully chiselled into various forms;
Ah, the people now are comfortless and sad.”
Major-General Eobley records a song of a tohunga-ta-moko from which it is clear that such artists were remunerated for their work. It was translated by John White—
‘‘He who pays well, let him
Be beautifully ornamented.
But he who forgets the operator,
Let him be done carelessly,
Be the lines far apart.”
After the tohunga-ta-moko had completed his work at the pa, he returned to the bush kainga, and two or three days later the blow fell. Just before daybreak the Ngati-Taki-Ruahine delivered their carefully planned attack. The prin-
15
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
cipal defenders were in no condition to make a vigorous resistance, as they were still suffering from the effects of the strenuous moko operations. Most of the inmates were killed, and the rest were made slaves, while the conquerors for the time being occupied the great pa. It will never be possible to obtain details of the wild scenes which attended the sacking of the Ngati-Tupaea stronghold, but a legacy of bitterness and rancour was left to survive for centuries. After the massacre, the smoke-dried heads (mokai) of the slain Ngati-Tupaea warriors were set up on stakes (turuturu) as trophies of victory, and it was from this circumstance that the pa was given a new name, Turuturu-mokai. The original name of the pa, given by its Ngati-Tupaea builders, has long since been forgotten during the centuries since the massacre.
Ngati-Tupaea have never ceased to claim the pa as their own, and to resist any other claims, bnt the tapn of blood lay on the pa, for chiefs and warriors had been slain there, and so the great pa was deserted. (This tapn was removed less than two years ago.) The whares and the stockades fell into decay as the years went by. Fosse and rampart, constructed with so great labour by primitive tools, lost their sharp outline; debris from the crumbling batters littered the trenches; pits and passages were filled up; but always the main lines of the defences remained to remind Maori and pakeha of the days of long ago.
16
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER 111,
British Troops’ First Engagement
wreck of the barque “Harriett” in 1834 had no particular direct association with South Taranaki, but it was, nevertheless, an important event in the history of this portion of the province, for it was the original means whereby British troops came to be pitted against the Maoris. The occasion has been referred to by several historians, and the account set out herein is a condensation of the works of various writers on the subject.
In April, 1834, the “Harriett” was driven ashore and wrecked near Cape Egmont, all of the passengers, including Mrs. Guard and her two children, being successful in reaching the shore. Mrs. Guard was the wife of Captain Guard, partowner of the “Harriett,” and a man who had been whaling in New Zealand for several years prior to the incident recorded.
On the third day after the disaster, a party of Maoris arrived at the temporary camp that had been erected, and these were followed on May 10 by a larger force, the camp being attacked, and Mrs. Guard and her children carried off by the raiding natives. The prisoners were taken along the coast to the Waimate Pa, where they lived for five months.
In the meantime Captain Guard and 11 men had escaped to Moturoa. Later Captain Guard reached Sydney, where he made an appeal to Sir Richard Bourke, the Governor of New South Wales, to send a force to New Zealand to rescue Mrs. Guard and the children, as well as eight men who were also held captive. He was examined before the Governor and the Executive Council, and it was decided to send a man-of-war and a military force to New Zealand to demand the restoration of Mrs. Guard and her children without ransom. The Governor suggested that if the restoration of the prisoners
17
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
should not be accomplished by amicable means, the Council recommend that force should be employed to effect it; and if it should appear desirable he would send a military party to embark on the “Alligator” to assist in the proceeding.
The account written by Mr. S. Percy Smith and quoted from Dr, W. B. Marshall, who accompanied the expedition, stated that the “Alligator” arrived off the coast of New Zealand on September 12, but bad weather forced the vessel to take shelter in Queen Charlotte Sound for five days, when the force proceeded to Moturoa. Here Captain Guard and some others of the party, including three Maori chiefs, who had been taken to Sydney, were landed and the Maoris informed of the object of the warship’s visit.
It was thought that Mrs. Guard and the children were at Moturoa, but it was found that they were living with NgatiRuauui at Waimate Pa. Captain Guard, the pilot and an interpreter proceeded by land south to Te Namu Pa, while the “Alligator” and a schooner sailed round the coast and anchored in the bay. The Maoris, on seeing the two vessels, fired a volley in defiance, evidently aware of the object of their arrival, and this was immediately replied to by the “Alligator’s” guns. This so frightened the natives that they fled into the bush, thus enabling the vessels to take Captain Guard and his companions on board again.
Bad weather came on, and the vessels were compelled to retreat from the dangerous Taranaki coast and seek shelter at Port Hardy, where they were detained until September 20. On September 24 the vessels proceeded again to Te Namu and a landing was attempted, but the surf was too great. They learned, however, that Mrs. Guard and her children were in the pa. On September 28, as the sea had subsided, a party of about 40 seamen, soldiers and marines, commanded by Captains Lambert and Johnson, landed on the beach below Te Namu Pa. Two unarmed chiefs advanced to meet the landing party, and one of them, who announced himself as the guardian of Mrs. Guard, said they were prepared to give her up on payment of a ransom, a cask of powder. The sailors, acting on the order of Captain Lambert, suddenly seized this chief,
18
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Oaoiti, and dragged him to a boat, in which he was rowed towards the “Alligator.” He jumped overboard in an attempt to make his escape and was recaptured after receiving a bullet wound in his leg. On gaining the deck he fell down in a faint as the result of his wounds, and Dr. Marshall found ten bayonet wounds on him.
The landing party took possession of the now deserted pa, and after a vain pursuit of the fugitives, spent the night there, and in the morning, after discovering that Mrs. Guard had been removed to Waimate Pa, the soldiers set fire to the pa and palisades and completely destroyed them before re-em-barking.
On September 30 the vessels proceeded down the coast to the mouth of the Kapuni River, opposite the Waimate Pa, and an attempt was made to communicate with the Maoris there, but the sea was too rough to land a boat. On October 1 two boats were sent in with Oaoiti, who stood up and addressed the natives from the boat. The Maoris were overjoyed to see Oaoiti alive and he persuaded them to bring Mrs. Guard and her younger child out in a canoe, and soon these latter were safe on board the “Alligator,” while Oaoiti was sent ashore.
Lieutenant Thomas was sent ashore to demand the return of the other child, and while he was waiting for an answer in the boat outside the surf he was fired at by a native. This defiant act on the part of the Maoris was replied to by a furious cannonade at the two pas and the canoes on the river from the ships. Although a white flag was twice hoisted by the natives, the cannonading continued for three hours.
A westerly gale then sprang up and the ships had to seek shelter at Port Hardy again, but when the weather cleared they left for Waimate Pa on October 5. On October 7 a Maori came off to the vessel with a message that the child would be brought on board if any officer would remain on shore as hostage for the safe return of the chief who would bring the child out. Captain Lambert refused such terms, and on October 8 a party of six officers and 112 men were landed without opposition at a beach about two miles south-east from Waimate, together with a six-pounder. Some of the party re-
19
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
mained on the beach, and the rest went to the top of the cliff, where the natives met them and expressed a desire to settle the affair amicably. Then about half-a-dozen armed natives, headed by a stately chief bearing the captive boy on his shoulders, approached those on the beach. One of the sailors snatched the boy away and ran off with him, and immediately his comrades on the beach and on the cliff-top began to fire on the unfortunate natives who had brought the child, and they retreated hastily. This firing was a great breach of faith, for the flags of truce were flying all the time, and although Captain Johnson and Ensign Wright, the two officers of the 50th Regiment, did all they could to stop the firing, it was some time before they succeeded in restoring discipline.
The landing party advanced and rushed the Waimate and Oraugi-tua-peka pas and the British ensign was seen flying over them four hours after the first shot had been fired. The party spent the night at the pas and as it was very rough at sea for the next few days, it was not until October 10 that the boats could come in and take them off, but before they left they burned both pas to the ground. The ships called at Kapiti Island on October 12, and after interviewing Te Rauparaha, sailed for the Bay of Islands on October 24, 1834.
Thus on the first occasion on which Her Majesty’s troops were ever employed in New Zealand, their operations were not such as to add much lustre to the arms of the regiment concerned —the 50th “Queen’s Own Regiment.”
The year 1834 was a notable one in the history of Taranaki, for not only did it see the end of the Waikato raids and the first engagement between British troops and the Maoris, but also the coming of Christianity into South Taranaki. Reference to the coming of Christianity to Taranaki is contained in the Ngati-Tahinga account of certain Waikato raids recorded by Mr. John White. “The party from Te Namu then returned to their homes,” he wrote. “Then the Gospel was introduced, and after the arrival of the missionaries, I always restrained my people from going to war. I, Wiremu Nero Te Awa-i-taia, and all my tribe have accepted the Word of God. After the introduction of Christianity the Waikato
20
Mounted Rifles on the march. A section of the Q.A.M.E., which has its headquarters at Hawera.
HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
carried the war further on—namely to Ngati-Ruanui—because there were no men whatever at Taranaki.”
As a direct result of the coming of Christianity, large numbers of Taranaki slaves—taurekareka—were released, and in due course returned to their homes. This homeward movement seems to have commenced about 1837, though apparently the greater number returned after that year. The Bible was the Maoris’ first book, for the first edition of the New Testament in the Maori language was printed in 1837.
According to the Rev. T. G. Hammond, there are traditions in South Taranaki that somewhere about 1837 a company of freed men were permitted to return from Hokianga to the Hawera district in South Taranaki in order to influence the southern Maoris in favour of the Gospel. It is understood, however, that most of this party, having failed to effect any change in their people, returned again to the north. The attitude of the southern tribes towards their freed kinsmen is more or less understandable when one considers the former relations between the Taranaki and the northern tribes, and the fact that the Christian doctrine had not then been preached in Taranaki.
The Taranaki tribes doubtless suspected treachery on the part of the northern tribes, and suspected that the latter might be using the returning slaves to bring some further disaster upon them. One man among this mission party of returning slaves was, however, made of sterner stuff, and he decided to remain among his people in the vicinity of Hawera, at Waipapa Pa, near Ohangai. This man had been taught by the Rev. John Hobbs and other missionaries at Mangungu, Hokianga, and had received from them the baptismal name of William Baylor, and to this William Naylor belongs the distinction of having been the first evangelist to the Maori of South Taranaki.
The Rev. Henry Williams established an Anglican mission at Waikanae and Otaki at the end of 1839, placing in charge of the station the Rev. Octavius Hadfield, whom E. J. Wakefield met and admired greatly, for he “had wisely managed to introduce the new doctrine without destroying the native
48
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
aristocracy. ’ ’ In 1839 additions to the staff of the Methodist mission made it possible for appointments to be made further south than hitherto. The new missionaries were Messrs. J. H. Bumby, Samuel Ironside, John Warren and Charles Creed. While waiting at Kawhia for an opportunity to proceed to Cloudy Bay and Wellington, where they had been appointed, Messrs. Ironside, Aldred and Buttle were directed to take an overland journey to Wanganui for the purpose of choosing suitable locations for new mission stations. The missionaries accompanied a large party of Taranaki slaves who had been liberated by the Waikatos, and there were scenes of wild joy when these freed men once again came in sight of Mount Egmont. From the Sugar Loaves the missionaries went on to Oeo, taking with them a freed slave named George Morley, who belonged to the district, and who later saved the party from the grave displeasure of the tribesmen when the missionaries inadvertently trespassed by taking wood from a sacred place (wahi-tapu). The missionaries proceeded from Oeo to Waingongoro, which they regarded as a most suitable site for a future mission station.
Under the guidance of William Naylor, the South Taranaki Maoris, in an attempt to follow the pattern of things religious in the north, made provision for large gatherings, meeting regularly for worship. A church was erected at Maererau, and was named “Mangungu” in memory of the great church built at Hokianga in the early days of the mission, and this became the first church on the coast from Mokau to Wellington.
In January, 1841, the Rev. Charles Creed was appointed to New Plymouth. His appointment there was to meet the spiritual needs of the Maoris, who were then returning to their ancestral homes from Cook Strait, and also those who were returning from the Waikato, freed from slavery. Mr. Creed’s arrival at New Plymouth was evidently regarded as an important event by the Maoris all along the coast, for during the first year of his missionary work, Reihana Toko, a young chief of Kai Iwi, travelled to New Plymouth for the purpose of escorting him down the coast, and this was probably the second missionary journey to South Taranaki.
22
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WALMATE PLAINS.
As the report of Mr. Ironside had been in favour of the appointment of a missionary to South Taranaki, the Methodist mission decided to send the Rev. John Skevington, who was at that time doing missionary work at Kawhia under Mr. Whiteley, to establish a station there. The Maoris knew of this appointment, and as no opportunity offered for Mr. Skevington to come by way of the sea to New Plymouth, in their anxiety to possess a missionary they journeyed to Kawhia and brought the missionary and his wife, with all their household effects, overland to Waingongoro, a considerable undertaking. On May 30, 1842, the Rev. Skevington began his missionary work among some four hundred resident natives at Ohawe, near the mouth of the Waingongoro River. It was estimated that there were at this time 1,700 Maoris in the whole district, and prior to this date, save for the two missionary journeys already mentioned, all Gospel teaching in South Taranaki had been in the hands of the Maori teachers. At the time of Mr. Skevington’s arrival there were three “church houses” in the South Taranaki district, one at Maererau, one at Manawapou, and one at Taumaha.
Mr. Skevington’s circuit extended from Oeo in the north to Waitotara in the south, and included Patea and Whenuakura. Missionary premises were erected at Heretoa, between the Inaha and the Kapnni streams, a little over half a mile from the sea. The Ngati-Ruanui tribesmen were particularly loath to part with their land by absolute sale to the missionary, and accordingly he was “noho noa iho,” or merely in occupation, and the arrangement as to the tenure was anything but satisfactory. The site was also exposed and really quite unsuitable, but the land between the two streams -was particularly fertile, and Mr. Sole, who as a young man went down from New Plymouth to assist Mr. Skevington as a worker on the mission station, raised some wheat which they ground in a small mill into coarse flour. The site of this mission station, Heretoa, is one of the most interesting historical spots in Taranaki, especially as every spring sees there a lovely display of spring bulbs, which disclose the situation of an old-time garden, doubtless planted many years ago by either Mrs. Skevington or Mrs. Woon.
50
BISTORT OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
In 1842 a bridle track was cut through the forest to the east of Mt. Egmont with the object of opening up communication by land from the infant settlement of New Plymouth to Wellington. The work was done by gangs of Maoris, working under the direction of two brothers named Nairn, who acted on the instructions of Mr. J. T. Wickstead, the Company’s resident agent at New Plymouth. One brother worked from Mataitawa at the northern end, and the other worked to meet him from the southern end, near Ketemarae Pa. For some inexplicable reason Mr. Skevington opposed this project, telling the Maoris that the road was being made with a view to the seizure of their land. A Ngati-Ruanui chief named Te Pakeke, supported the idea, however, and the work was duly completed, the southern place of egress being on the Waingongoro River, near Te Pakeke’s cultivations. The workmen received double-barrelled fowling-pieces as the principal part of the payment for their services.
Bishop Selwyn preached his first service in Taranaki on Sunday, October 23, 1842, at Waoikena Pa. This coastal pa Ngati-Ruanui was situated some two and a-half miles southeast of modern Hawera. Bishop Selwyn’s journal entries read as follows: “22nd October, 1842. From Manawapou we walked along the beach four miles to Waokena, and accomplished the ascent to my eagle’s nest, where I spent Sunday.” “Sunday, 23 October, 1842. Native services and schools occupied nearly the whole day. The day was very wet, but my tent was pitched close to the chapel, so that I had nothing to do but to step from one to the other.”
In 1845 the Rev. John Skevington journeyed from Heretoa to Auckland to attend the District Synod, and he was accompanied by some young men of Ngati-Ruanui, amongst whom was a youth named Titokowaru. Tattle did the missionary dream what terrible part Titokowaru was destined to play in South Taranaki during the Hauhau trouble in the late ’sixties. Mr. Skevington died while attending divine service during the Synod and the young Maoris returned sadly homeward, alone. This Synod of 1845 then appointed the Rev. William Woon to succeed Mr. Skevington at Heretoa station, and at about the same time the Rev. William Hough was ap-
24
The old Flour Mill at Tawhiti, 1880.
Daffodils at the Mission Station at Heretoa. These were planted by the late Mrs. William Woon, whose husband was in charge of the station in the ’forties.
HISTOEY OP HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
pointed to Patea. This missionary compiled the first “Maori Preacher’s Plan” for South Taranaki, which set out the distribution of church work for the early part of 1846. This document is of particular interest, as it shows the extent to 1 which the Gospel entered into the lives of Ngati-Ruanui at that time.
The Rev. Woon arrived at Heretoa from Hokianga on May 27, 1846. He, with his wife and family, had left New Plymouth on May 18, after a three weeks’ stay there, and had been escorted to Heretoa by nearly 100 Maoris. The missionary, assisted by his devoted wife, carried on the work of the mission in South Taranaki with varying fortunes until October 31, 1853, when the station was abandoned, partly on account of the then attitude of the Ngati-Ruanui people, and partly owing to Mr. Woon’s failing health. He died at Wanganui on September 22, 1858.
Mr. Woon took a deep interest in the material prosperity of his people, and constantly refers in his diary to the progress they were making in the cultivation of their land. The first three or four flour mills were erected while Mr. Woon was at Heretoa, for mill building followed church building. One of the mills visited by Mr. Woon in March, 1848, was at Orokowhai, one of his regular preaching places, not far from the township of Normanby, and he records that it furnished between 500 and 600 bushels of flour in six weeks, the wheat being of the finest quality. The erection of these mills was paid for by the Maoris in pigs; for example, a mill at Waitoto had been completed at the contract price of 400 pigs. At this time the Maoris were sending away large droves of pigs to Wanganui, New Plymouth, and even as far as Wellington. In those days, too, when settlement was just commencing, the Maoris, realising the need for European commodities, went to work with infinite patience, not only to raise large numbers of pigs, but to start off on a journey of nearly 200 miles with these animals over the unbridged rivers to the Wellington market.
Although everything was so bright and generally satisfactory in 1848, yet bad times were coming. Following an epidemic of influenza that broke out in 1850, there came a partial revival of old superstitions, and then a corresponding
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
neglect of the practices of the new religion. Also, the conduct of the increasing pakeha population elsewhere in the North Island had shaken the faith of the Maori people in the pakeha’s religion, for it appeared to them that the rank and file of the white men did not practice what the teachers had preached.
The ever-increasing needs of the Maori people led them into money-making enterprises, and also took them away to the towns, to New Plymouth, Wanganui, and even as far as Wellington. There were also constant visitors from the European towns who introduced the latest vices such, as cardplaying, dice, and other gambling habits. The moral tone of Wanganui and Wellington in those days was shockingly low, and the missionaries of the period wrote bitterly on the subject. The Rev. Richard Taylor records that at Wanganui one Christmas “whilst nearly 700 Europeans were attending the races on one side of the Wanganui River, exactly opposite nearly 4,000 of the lately ‘barbarous heathen’had congregated from all parts and from considerable distances, some coming fully 150 miles, to celebrate the Saviour’s birth.’’
Another fact had also to be reckoned with; the various clashes between the two races during the ’forties and the trouble about land in other parts of the country had their effect when talked over among the South Taranaki tribes. In the course of these two conflicts between the two races, many of the Christian churches of the Maoris were burned, along with their houses, by the English soldiers. Such indiscriminate action had a bad effect on the minds of the Maori people, for it destroyed their diminishing confidence in the pakeha’s sincerity in relation to his own religion. AVhat made the burning most shocking to the Maori was the fact that in the churches were Bibles and prayer-books, and in burning them the soldiers burned the sacred name of God. If an old Maori had known that a letter he had written and to which he had signed his name, had been consigned to the flames, he would have been most indignant and highly offended.
Undoubtedly the prestige of the pakeha troops in the eyes of the Maori people was seriously affected by these conflicts. “The only superiority on our part, which they would admit
HISTORY OF HAWEHA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
after these wars, was the possession of greater resources in the shape of arms and ammunition, a conclusion which stimulated them to the acquisition at any cost of the means which alone they believed to be wanting to give them an absolute superiority in case of future hostilities,” wrote Mr. William Fox in “The War in New Zealand.”
Indeed distrust of the pakeha was ever growing, and Ngati-Ruanui felt, as many other Maoris felt, that the pakeha religion was simply a cloak under which the pakeha might rob the Maori of his land. In the Waikato there was a saying, “You sent missionaries to tell us to look up to Heaven, but, while we have been looking up to Heaven, you have been busy stealing our land.” Another Maori in Wanganui varied the same idea by saying, “The missionaries were sent to break in the Maoris as men break a wild horse; to rub them quietly down the face to keep them quiet, while the land was being taken from them.”
From what has already been written about the attitude of the Maoris towards the missionary’s desire to secure land for the mission station at Heretoa, it will have become apparent that the South Taranaki Maoris were decidedly averse to any alienation of the land within their territory. Besides the trouble at Heretoa, Mr. Hough at Patea, and Mr. Stannard at Waitotara had the same difficulties, where they had been unable to procure a single acre of land by actual purchase from the natives. Mr. Woon, whenever he did anything to offend his parishioners, was reminded of the nature of his tenure, and one one occasion, when very angry, one man even threatened to burn the whole premises.
During the ’forties considerable unrest was occasioned in the mind of the Ngati-Ruanui people by the pakeha’s land purchases in North Taranaki. On February 15, 1840, some 72 Maoris of North Taranaki signed a deed of sale to the New Zealand Company for a very considerable area of land.
The various land transactions in North Taranaki were discussed by the South Taranaki people. It was not long before the lands so purchased by the Europeans were being sold for prices far in excess of the original purchase money. This fact was speedily appreciated by the Maoris, who did not
27
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
forget the price which had been received for the land in the first instance. Such considerations made the South Taranaki Maori determined to retain his land, and undoubtedly led to the great meeting at Manawapou later on, and to the formation of the Land League. The Maoris were becoming more and more convinced that the ultimate intention of the Europeans was to enslave the Maori by acquiring all the land. They had often been warned by the missionaries against the selling of all their land, and they had been told that by so doing they would become dependant upon the Europeans for a living. To a Maori the most repugnant thing is to be ordered about by anyone, especially a master. These suspicions gradually grew and they were communicated from tribe to tribe, until throughout the whole of the North Island there prevailed the idea that Government and European anxiety to secure the land was part of an ill-disguised intention to possess themselves of the whole, and so secure the slavery of the people. National preservation and individual freedom therefore necessitated united action.
To appreciate the Maori viewpoint in the Taranaki wars of the sixties, Mr. John Houston says the almost passionate attachment of the Maori to his ancestral lands must be remembered. To understand the attitude of the Maoris in South Taranaki in particular at the time of those wars, the tribal covenant at Manawapou in May, 1854, must be taken into account.
Manawapou was an historic kainga by the sea-coast on the southern bank of the Ingahape River. Growing distrust for the pakeha, who appeared bent on acquiring all the land, was the main factor leading all the chiefs and kaumatuas (elders) of Ngati-Ruanui to call together at Manawapou representatives of all the West Coast tribes. A celebrated meetinghouse was built for this assemblage. To the house was given the significant name of Taiporohenui, which indicated that no more fresh water should be permitted to run into the salt sea. This was a figurative method of saying that sales of land to the pakeha must cease. Over 1000 attended the meeting, and the matter was thoroughly debated.
28
Titokowaru, the famous fighting chief of the ’sixties.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS
In the dead of night, while the West Coast sea murmured over the rocks at the foot of the high cliffs, a strange scene was enacted at Manawapou. The lights were dim in the great meeting-house, but were sufficient to illuminate the tense faces of the tribesmen as they sat crowded together in their hundreds. From hand to hand was passed a small axe, with a richly carved handle. Each in turn, as he received the axe, repeated the oath: “Te tangata to mua; te whenua to muri!” Literally, these words mean; “The man first; the land afterwards !” In effect the pledge was that only after the death of the Maori might the pakeha take the land.
By this tribal enactment, Ngati-Euanui were ready to die for their ancestral lands. In their loyalty to this solemn covenant lies the explanation of much that occurred in South Taranaki during the Maori wars of the ’sixties. Even in the ’forties, Ngati-Euanui declined to sell any land to the earliest missionaries. The year 1865 brought extensive confiscations of land by Proclamation of the Governor. The mind of the Maori people in 1868 as to this matter of the land is evidenced by. a letter from Titokowaru to Colonel Whitmore, dated Weraroa, December 5, 1868.
“This is a word of earnest and sound advice for Whitmore; salutations to you. I desire to ask you this question: to whom does England belong, and to whom belongs the land on which you are now standing?
“I will tell you. The heavens and the earth were created in the beginning. Then was man created and also all things that are in the world after their several kinds. If you believe that God created them all, it is well; we are agreed thus far.
“But you were formed a pakeha; and England was named for your country. We are Maoris, with New Zealand for our country. Bethink you; there has been fixed between you and us a great gulf, even the ocean. Why did you not take thought before you crossed over hither? We did not cross from hence over to you. Away with you
62
HISTORY OP HAWEBA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
from our country to your own country in the midst of the ocean; away with you from this town. . . . Enough for the present, from Titokowaru.”
Titokowaru was a chief of the Nga-Ruahine hapu of the Ngati-Ruahine tribe. Various tributes have been paid to his ability in war. In a despatch dated December 18, 1868, from Governor Sir 6. F. Bowen to the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, he writes: “Titokowaru appears to possess in a large degree that passion and genius for war which are common to most Maoris. Colonel Whitmore reports that he commands his men with all the skill of an experienced general.” Mr. James Cowan, in his book, “New Zealand Wars and Pioneering Period,” writes: “Had such a man as Titokowaru led the Taranaki tribes in the earlier campaigns, the task of the British troops would have been infinitely more difficult. He was the most skilful warrior that the West Coast produced in the Hauhau wars.”
As well as being a chief and warrior, Titokowaru was a tohunga of great personal mana. When he abandoned Christianity, he revived the cult of Maru, an important deity of the Aotea migration, and of the ancient war-gods, Uenuku and Tu.
In 1868 Titokowaru was about middle-aged. He was a stern commanding figure, every inch a chief. As the result of a glancing blow from a bullet, he lost the sight of one eye at Morere, the Hauhau attack on Sentry Hill Redoubt in 1864.
The year 1867 was a year of peace in South Taranaki. Titokowaru appreciated the necessity for intensive preparations for a fresh campaign, and wanted time. Warlike material had to be prepared, his warriors had to receive necessary schooling, the fortified strongholds of his people needed strengthening. Herein lay the reason for his proclaiming a year of peace. The year 1867 was “the year of the Lamb.”
“Whakarongo, whakarongo mai ete iwi. Tenei te tau tamahine, tenei te tau o te rameti!” “Hearken, hearken all ye people. This is the year of the daughters, this is the year of the lamb!” Such was the message of the warrior chief to
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WATMATE PLAINS
his people, and well they understood his figure of speech. The pakeha was lulled into a false sense of security. There was peace in the land. The West Coast gave no trouble. All was well!
Titokowaru spent the Year of the Lamb travelling from kainga to kainga. Everywhere he urged preparation. Everywhere he taught his brown-skinned warriors new methods, or rather how to adapt old methods to new circumstances. The hidden fire burned well.
In consequence of the establishment of this Land League of 1854, there came a period of conflict between the Maori factions in North Taranaki. Some wished to sell land there, but they were violently opposed by supporters of the Land League. Raiwiri Waiaua offered to sell Taruru-tangi in the Puketapu Block to the Government, and he was shot with some of his followers in August by Waiters Katatore and his party. Pas were then fortified, and intermittent fighting ensued between the contending parties till 1859, the conflict being known as the Puketapu Feud. The white settlers were not participants in these quarrels, although some anxiety was occasioned by fighting which took place close to the settlements, and on account of this the first British garrison of the province was established in 1854 for the protection of New Plymouth.
The Ngati-Ruanui tribe was drawn into the conflict known as the Puketapu Feud because of the killing of Rimene at the instigation of Ihaia te Kiri-Kumara. In 1854 a war party of three hundred and eighty Ngati-Ruanui warriors beseiged Ihaia in his pa. Ihaia, however, made good his escape owing to a diversion made by his friends, and on Christmas Day 1804, the Ngati-Ruanui “taua” commenced the homeward march through the forest to the east of Mt. Egmont.
Thus, during the period from 1834 to 1860 was the stage set in Ngati-Ruanui for the wars which were to follow in the ’sixties. The most important factor of all was the passionate attachment of the Maori to his ancestral lands.
31
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS,
Christianity came to Ngati-Euanui and gained a foothold in kainga after kainga, only to lose what ground had been gained when the tribesmen turned again to the gods of old New Zealand. Heretoa was abandoned shortly before the Manawapou covenant to die for the land. Years of strife were to rend the province of Taranaki, staying the forward march of civilisation. Yet in the end came peace with the two peoples living together in the land, each with a real regard for the other, and the passing years were to see the youth of both races crossing the Great Ocean of Kiwa together—brothers in arms.
65
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
CHAPTER IV.
Opening of Cameron’s Campaign
JX November, 1864, General Sir Duncan Cameron, commander of the Imperial troops in New Zealand, advanced up the coast with a considerable force and attacked the enemy at Kakaramea, carrying their pa there after a sharp fight. He then proceeded as far as Ohawe, building block-houses en route at Manutahi, Manawapou, Hawera and Waihi. Supply steamers brought stores to the troops at Manawapou by means of surf boats, a dangerous method on this open and boulderstrewn coast, and on one occasion seven lives were lost through the overturning of a cargo boat. Their remains were interred at a point where the Manawapou River bends sharply on its final run to the sea. It was from the camp at Manawapou that the notorious Kimble Bent escaped.
_ Kimble Bent was bom in Bastport, in the State of Maine, U.S.A., in 1837, the son of a ship-builder of that little town and a half-breed woman of the Musqua Indian tribe. His father’s name was Waterman Bent. At seventeen years of age he ran away to sea, and spent three years on a United States training frigate, in which he became an expert gunner. Later, he found his way to England, where he enlisted in 1859 in the 57th Regiment, the old “Die-Hards.” The regiment was sent to Ireland, and at Cork Bent deserted, of the interminable drill. The American barque in which he stowed away sprang a leak and foundered, and all hands were rescued just in time by a brig belonging to Boston, which landed them at Glasgow. Here the deserter was arrested punished by court-martial, and sent to rejoin his regiment. ’
With the 57th he went to Bombay and spent two years m India. In 1863 the regiment was ordered to New Zealand to take the field against the Maoris, and Bent had experience of barrack life at Auckland and New Plymouth His im
66
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
patience of the strict discipline culminated in an offence which brought him to a court-martial in the camp at Manawapou in the early part of 1864. He disobeyed a corporal’s orders, and received a flogging of 25 lashes at the triangle, followed by a period of imprisonment. This severe punishment sent him to the Maoris as soon as he found an opportunity of deserting. He stole away from the camp in the winter of 1865, and made his way to the nearest Hauhau settlement, the palisaded pa at Ohangai, on the rebel side of the Tangahoe River.
From that day onwards Bent led the life of the Maoris. The Ngati-Ruanui tribe to which he deserted received him with savage ceremonies, and he became a protege of a chief named Tito te Hanataua. The Hauhau prophet Te Ua, the founder of the Pai-marire fanatic religion, also befriended him and bade the tribe give hospitality to any soldier who deserted to them from the pakeha forces. At Taiporohenni, Keteonetea, Otapawa and other stockaded villages of NgatiRuanui Bent lived with his “rangatira,” taking his share in all the work of the kaingas; he had imagined for himself a life of leisure among the Maoris, but he soon found that he was little better than a slave. Among a less intelligent and forceful people than the Maoris, perhaps, he would have realised his ambition of an easy life and a position of authority ; as it was, he found his level, which was that of a servant; he was compelled to labour in the plantations and in the building of the fortifications, and all the heavy labour of the tribal life. His special skill was made use of in the repairing of the Maoris’ guns and pistols, and for years he was the Ngati-Ruanui’s chief armourer and cartridge maker. His European clothing soon wore out, and his clothing for years was either some tattered shirt or blanket, with a Maori flax mat about his waist; he went barefooted and bare-headed like the Maoris, and became as hardened to the rough bush life as they. He was given a Maori woman as wife, and when she died he was provided with a new wahine, his chief’s daughter. His first Maori name was “ Ringiringi, ” which the celebrated fighting chief, Titokowaru, his master and protector for many years, afterwards changed to “Tu-nui-a-moa,” an ancestral
67
HISTORY OF HAW ERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
name, by which Bent was universally known among the natives until his death in June, 1916.
It w T as when living in Te Ngutu-o-te-manu stockade that Titokowaru adopted Kimble Bent. The pakeha-Maori had been in considerable danger from some of the malcontents of the pa; they wished to see him killed, as they believed that he was waiting an opportunity to escape to the Government forces and the men of his own race. The war chief, in order to protect his protege, announced to the tribe assembled in the great meeting-house, “Whare-kura,” that Bent was now his “mokopuna,” and that his name would henceforth be Tu-nui-a-moa, which had been that of his (Titokowaru’s) great-grandfather.
Long after the war, the worn old war chief lay dying in his little kainga, near Manaia, in the year 1888. All his tribe had assembled to receive his parting exhortations and see him die. Kimble Bent was at this time living with the Maoris at Taiporohenui, some 15 miles away. As the old chief lay there, near his end, he was heard to ask, “Where is my grandson, Tu-nui-a-moa?”
The Maoris at once sent for the white man. Te Kahupukoro, one of TitokoWaru’s relatives and warriors, set out for Taiporohenui, and told Bent that the dying chief had asked for him. “If you wish to see him alive,” said the Maori “you come back with me.”
Bent at onee went with the Maori and rode into Titokowaru’s camp. The old warrior lay there, with fast-glazing eyes. He looked up as Bent approached and said, “E Tu, tena koe.” The white man pressed his nose to his rangatira’s, and uttered his Maori greeting and farewell. The grim old war chief held his white mokopuna’s hand feebly in his own. In a few minutes he spoke again. “Remain you herj,” he said. “I am going away. Do not desert the tribe. Remain with our people.”
That was Titokowani’s farewell. A few minutes later he died, and the tangi’s wail and the firing of guns announced the passing of the last great warrior of the Plains. For some years after his old chief’s death Bent lived in Taranaki with his Maori friends, but he later took up his
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HISTOET OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
quarters with the little Ngati-rarua tribe at the Wairau village in Marlborough and earned his living by carpentering and working in the cultivations.
The old pakeha-Maori was often accused of having fought against his fellow whites in the Maori war, but he always strenuously declared that he had never used a weapon against the troops, and Maoris who had been his comrades, when questioned on the subject, supported his denial.
As the South Taranaki natives still refused to listen to pacific proposals, confiscation of their lands was decided upon by the Government. On January 30, 1865, Governor Grey proclaimed that all the coastal land south of the Waingongoro River was forfeited to the Crown, and in the following September it was further announced that 50,000 acres in the vicinity of Hawera would be open for settlement under the military settler scheme, whereby outposts were to be established along the coast and lands allotted to settlers, who would be obliged to serve under arms if required. Town sites were surveyed off at Kakaramea, Mokoia and Ohawe, but, as might be inferred, there was no great rush to establish these places.
After the resignation of Lieutenant-General Sir Duncan Cameron from the position of commander-in-ehief of the Army in New Zealand in 1865, Major-General Trevor Chute was appointed to the command. He it was who conducted a vigorous campaign in Taranaki in 1866 with a mixed force consisting of Imperial and Colonial troops, but from the close of that year until the end of the wars the Government relied solely on its own officers and men.
General Chute’s policy in the main was to hunt the Maori out from his retreats in the bush, whither his predecessor, General Cameron, had not gone. He sought them out in their pas, stormed strongholds, and concluded a series of attacks by undertaking a venturesome march through the forest through the roadless country at the eastern side of Mount Egmont. This road follows for some distance the present Mountain Road, and half a century ago it was familiarly known as “Chute’s Track.”
36
Memorial Cairn erected at Ohawe
HISTORY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
General Chute worked his way towards Taranaki from Wanganui, having several engagements en route, mainly in the Patea and Waverley districts. Early in January, 1866, he decided to make an attack on the Otapawa Pa, near Taiporohenui and situated on the banks of the Waingongoro River. He selected Tawhiti as his field base for the advance, one of his first actions being the destruction of the large meeting-house at Taiporohenui.
On January 2, General Chute moved out and camped within easy striking distance of Otapawa, the position being reconnoitred on the following day by Ensign W. McDonnell and some of the Wanganui Maoris. The attack began on the morning of January 14, 1866, the force consisting of 200 men of the 14th Regiment, 180 men of the 57th Regiment, 36 of the Forest Rangers under Major Yon Tempsky, and 200 men of the Native Contingent. The tactics intended were that the friendly natives should move to the rear and cut off the retreat, but Mr. James Cowan’s account of the battle states that the general was so impatient to begin the battle that he did not give them time to get into position in the very broken ground.
The general opened fire with one of the three Armstrong field guns with the force, these being placed on a plateau facing the pa, and several shells exploded within the palisades. No natives appeared and it was thought that the pa was deserted, but there were 200 Fauhaus manning the trenches waiting for the pakeha troops to come within range. The order to assault the position was given to the 57th Regiment, which was to be supported by the 14th, and the veterans, led by Lieutenant-Colonels Butler and Hassard, breasted the rise leading to the level front of the pa. They were within pointblank range when the whole front of the palisades blazed out a heavy volley which ripped through their ranks, this being followed by another volley as the soldiers rushed the stockade with their bayonets at the charge. Slashing at the aka-vine fastenings of the palisading with tomahawks and bayonets, the troops were soon inside the fort and despatching the Hauhaus who remained to dispute possession. The Maoris who escaped
37
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
fled down the long steep spur to the Tangahoe River, most of them eluding the native contingent who followed them. On the right flank of the pa, where the ground was steep and wooded, Von Tempsky and his Bangers had cleared the bush of some Hauhaus who had opened lire on the Imperial troops as they advanced to assault.
In this encounter the Hauhaus lost some 30 killed, while they had many wounded, the latter being taken to a sheltered spot up the Tangahoe River and attended to. The fugitives finally made their way to the wild forest country beyond Meremere.
The British losses amounted to 11 killed and 20 wounded, the dead including Lieutenant-Colonel Hassard of the 57th Regiment. General Chute had a narrow escape, a bullet tearing the braid on his coat.
It was stated at the time that the heavy casualties were due to the impetuosity of General Chute’s frontal attack. Lieutenant-Colonel Butler considered he should have been allowed to send out flanking parties, and he was very indignant on that score, it being thought that that part of the engagement could well have been attended to by the Forest Rangers and the Native Contingent had a little more time been allowed.
Kimble Bent, the deserter from the 57th, was stated to have been in the pa at the time of the assault, ahd it was common gossip at the time that it was his bullet that had mortally wounded Lieut.-Col. Hassard. his former officer. This assumption was subsequently proved to be incorrect. Bent, however, had been compelled to assist in the building of the fort, but two or three days before the battle he was sent with the non-combatants to a place of security in the forest higher up the Tangahoe River.
This stronghold having been taken, General Chute proceeded to Ketemarae, then a famous gathering place for the West Coast tribes and the junction of several old war-tracks. The stockaded village of Ketemarae was attacked by the troops and occupied by them on the morning of January 15, 10 Hauhaus being killed in the brief engagement. The Wanganui Native Contingent had some sharp encounters in
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the advance when the orders were given to clear the various settlements in the neighbourhood of Ketemarae, including Keteonetea and Puketi.
The force moved on past Waihi, taking several settlements, and, crossing the Waingongoro River, captured the large village of Mawhitiwhiti, the principal kainga of NgaRuahine, where seven of the defenders were killed. Most of the fighting was done by the Native Contingent, and Kepa (later Major Kemp) distinguished himself by his activity. One of the historic settlements destroyed was Weriweri, the home in the war days of Toi Whakataka, who took a prominent part in the opposition to General Chute, and afterwards in Titokowaru’s war. His son, Pouwhareumu Toi, is now the leading man of the kainga at Weriweri.
With the completion of these actions the general commenced his march through the forest to New Plymouth, the march taking nine days. The force returned by the same route and marched into Patea on February 6, 1866. In the five weeks’ campaign the force had captured and destroyed seven fortified pas and 21 open villages, inflicting a large number of casualties.
While the march was proceeding northwards, LieutenantColonel Butler had some skirmishing with a flying column operating from the camp at the mouth of the Waingongoro River. With 200 of the 50th and 57th Regiments and 120 Maoris, he marched inland and went as far as Tirotiro-moana, east of Ketemarae, and the pa and cultivations there were destroyed. On January 20 he made another expedition, marching northward into Ahipaipa, which was found deserted, but as the troops were destroying the whares they were fired on. The Native Contingent, pursuing the Hauhaus, found another large village, and a detachment from the 57th came up and attacked and took the village after a sharp fight, in which five Hauhaus were killed.
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER V
Titokowaru’s War Opens
P'OR the three months following the incidents related in the last chapter there was little doing in the way of organised battles in South Taranaki, although hostilities had by no means ceased. Preparations were made by the European troops for what promised to be a more or less lengthy war, and a force that had been engaged in operations on the east coast of the North Island was transferred to Taranaki. Included in this force was Captain W. Newland, who later settled at Waverley, and it is from his hitherto unpublished account of the Taranaki war that the following extracts have been taken. Captain Newland was virtually in charge of the forces stationed in this district on occasions, and he took part in every major engagement on the West Coast from 1866 until the cessation of hostilities.
“The expeditionary force left Opotiki for Wanganui early in June, 1866, landing at Wanganui,’’ wrote Captain Newland. “There was some little excitement on arrival, as we were not allowed to land. The officer in command, Colonel Gorton, issued orders for the steamers to anchor in the stream, the men to remain on board until everything was ready for the march up the coast. The men became troublesome, and asked to be allowed on shore, and permission being refused, some of the most determined jumped overboard and swam ashore. This action taken by the men altered the arrangements as it was feared some of them would be drowned. The steamers were brought alongside the wharf and it was not long before the men were all over the town.
“Marching along the next morning, the route taken being the old road along the seashore and sandhills, crossing the Kai Iwi stream on to the beach and on to Waitotara, we halted and camped at the latter place for the night. Early
4(1
Early morning scene at a South Taranaki dairy factory.
Veterans of the Maori War. Standing (left to right): Sergt. T. Allen, Sergt. W. Wallace, Dan Hughes, Cor 1 . J. Heslop, G. Newland, Sergt. W. Jenkins, Alex Black. Sitting: T. Ennis, W. Rowe, A. Gunnahell, Sergt. J. Livingston, Sergt.-Major R. B. Hamilton, J. Flynn, P. Sweeney, and D. Ginger.
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
the next morning we resumed our march along the beach to the Whenuakura River. This is a very dangerous river to cross on account of the quicksands, and it is necessary to wait till the tide is well out, and then keep in the surf. Three miles further brought us to Patea, which was our destination for a time. We had had a very tedious journey, having so many drays to escort. After remaining at Patea for a week, we proceeded on to Kakaramea, and occupied an old redoubt previously held by the 57th Regiment. . . . Some weeks later our force advanced to Manawapou, where there was a detachment of the 18th Royal Irish under the command of Major Inman. We remained in this camp for several weeks, the Maoris not showing themselves very much. A force marched out one night under command of Colonel McDonnell in the direction of Hawera, turned inland some four or five miles from camp, and followed a native track to the Tawhiti Stream, near Ohangai, formerly a Roman Catholic priest’s station.
“It was quite dark and we did not know how far we were from the place intended for the assault. We halted under cover of some karaka trees. The night was bitterly cold, with a hard frost, and being wet-footed in crossing streams and bogs, it was more than we could do to keep our circulation and we had to move about, although strict orders had been given to keep quiet. Dawn came at last, and we advanced half a mile, and we could then see the outline of the position. Colonel McDonnell ordered Captain Wilson with his company of Taranaki Military Settlers to take the advance, going very cautiously until the village, as it turned out to be, was seen. The place was at once rushed. The men who were so cold and cramped with standing about so long, made more noise than they should have done, which gave the alarm to the enemy, who with few exceptions, cleared out, one of the Maoris being killed. In dragging the dead native from the whare one of our men was shot. Some others standing inside the whare, seeing a man coming out, exclaimed, ‘Here is one of the white Hauhaus’ and shot him dead. It was known that a deserter from the 57th Regiment (Kimble Bent) was somewhere about the district, and the
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
man thought it was him. The man who shot the other was taken to camp as a prisoner and tried, but he got off.
“One of the men tried forcibly to take a greenstone ornament from a woman’s ear, and was at once made a prisoner. It was nothing of an engagement—a good deal of firing, but not much damage done. After burning all the whares, we returned to the camp at Manawapou, as nothing could be seen of the enemy. A few days after this affair some of the troop horses were taken away by the Maoris at Manutahi. (These animals were later recovered.)
“The force did not remain very long at Manawapou, and soon advanced in the direction of Hawera, taking up a position about a mile from the site of the present town. A redoubt was built near a beautiful piece of bush called Te Motu Porotaka (Round Bush), about five or six acres. It seemed to be a sin to destroy it, but being the only firewood, it was cut down. There was very little shelter, as it was high ground.
There was a fairly strong force in the camp, including three companies of Taranaki Military Settlers, Patea Rangers, Wanganui Rangers, Native Contingent, and Kupapas (friendly natives), about 30 troopers and transport men with their teams. The supplies came from Patea under strong escort. A detachment of the 18th Royal Irish was stationed at the Waingongoro under the command of Captain Hoblett.
“Some of the natives inland of the camp sent word that they wanted to come in, and Colonel McDonnell went out to meet the party. About 40 of them were met at Matingarara, where the oath of allegiance was administered. Later a letter came from the natives at Mokoia expressing a wish to come under the flag, and acting on the advice of the chief Te Eangihaeta, they took the oath also. At about this time two companies of the Taranaki Military Settlers and the Patea Rangers’ term of service expired. Most of them would have enrolled again had the Government allowed them a small percentage more land. They were then each allowed 50 acres of rural land and a town allotment. Captain Wilson was asked by the men to go to Wellington and
42
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
represent their position, the men being quite willing to carry on with their duties until he returned. When he returned he told the men the answer of Colonel Haultain, Minister of Defence, and it was considered very unsatisfactory, the men then applying for their discharge. They were marched to Wanganui, where they handed in their arms and were paid off.”
Captain Newland’s company of Patea Rangers then asked him to go to Wellington to state their ease, and he put the matter at some length before the Minister. He explained what a severe loss it would be to the field force if the Patea Rangers were discharged, and what a difficult matter it would be to replace them. Colonel Haultain said the Government fully recognised the position, but as for granting an extra percentage of land, the Government did not know whether it had a single acre of land in the Patea district. On his return the men thanked him for his efforts and said they would take their discharges. During Captain Newland’s absence in Wellington an engagement had taken place at the entrance to the Ketemarae clearing (the present township of Normanby) and three of the Patea Rangers were wounded. Captain F. Ross, of the Wanganui Rangers, was shot through the arm, which disabled him for some time. Other men were enrolled as soon as they could be got together, but very few of the old hands joined again.
A force later marched in the direction of Ketemarae and threw up a breastwork, expecting to be fired on at any moment. The next day Colonel McDonnell ordered Captain Newland and Lieutenant Gudgeon to go and look at the old pa on the other side of the Waihi stream, and it did not take long to see that the position was a good one, and they reported accordingly. The men were marched over, and very soon entrenching tools-were in use building a redoubt. Manga Manga was the name of the old pa, but it was always called Waihi, as the old name was not then known. It did not take long to build the redoubt as the old trenches required cleaning out only on three sides. The drays were sent back to Hawera under strong escort for stores. A detachment of one captain, two other officers and 50 men was left at this station. The
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Maoris were often seen near the bush, and shots were frequently exchanged, and the natives used to plan ambuscades and try and intercept the convoys. On one occasion a dray of provisions was sent from Hawera with only three troopers, and the leading trooper, Haggerty, was shot dead, and his horse also, the body being fearfully mutilated. The driver, George Tnffin, was wounded, but managed to escape by taking a short cut to the redoubt through the fern.
A few days later, a party of Hauhaus were seen near the same place, and about 50 of the native contingent under Major Kemp went out to try and induce them to come into the open. As they drew near the bush they commenced firing, and the troops who were ready galloped across, thinking they were engaged.
Hearing horses some little distance from the bush, Captain Newland enquired of Major Kemp what the firing was about, Kemp replying that it was the native custom to fire before entering the bush. Captain Newland ordered them to advance, and they went forward a few chains, one of the party firing his rifle, and on being asked why, he replied that he had shot at a Hauhau. Following up the blood on the track they came upon the body. One of the contingent, Winiata, was the first on the scene, and he took a patiti (short-handled axe) from the dead man and used it freely in chopping the man’s head to pieces, stating that this was utu (revenge) for what had happened the previous day. Some rifle pits just ahead of this scene were rushed by a party of men brought from the redoubt by Lieutenant O’Callaghan, but they were found deserted. The whole incident had a good effect as the Maoris did not show themselves for some time, although the troopers were almost continually on the move from one part of the district to another.
A force under the command of Captain McDonnell marched one night and went inland of Ketemarae, following a track some distance into the bush. At dawn they came upon a village, and the order was given to rush it, but instead of going quietly the men raised a cheer, and this gave the Maoris time to escape to the bush. A few shots were fired
83
The pride of South Taranaki at the Egmont Show at Hawera.
•lISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
but no damage was done. All the crops were destroyed, and the village burned before the troops retired. A few days later a force of Europeans and Wanganui natives went out, again turning inland at Ketemarae and advancing in the direction of Tirimoana. About a mile along this track the party was met by a volley from the Maoris, Captain McDonnell being severely wounded through the hip. Firing on both sides was very heavy for some time, but the attacking force did not go much further, as the Maoris were retreating to their main position.
The detachment of the 18th Royal Irish (250), which had been stationed at Waingongoro for some months under the command of Major Roche, marched into the Waihi camp to be stationed for a few weeks before taking their final departure from New Zealand. The Governor, Sir George Grey, also paid the camp a visit and remained about a fortnight, going out with the forces on two or three occasions. The force marched out one day across the Waingongoro River in the direction of Te Maru ote Whenua. Heavy firing commenced as the party drew near the place, which was found to be a large village. The natives retreated to the bush, and the village did not prove very difficult to take. Major Roche was in command, the force being a mixed one comprising Royal Irish, Constabulary, Native Contingent, and Wanganui natives. The village was destroyed, and the whares burned before the force retired followed by the Maoris who continued firing for some time.
Not long after this incident the Commander-in-Chief, General Chute, arrived, and gave orders to the Royal Irish to hold themselves in readiness to march, and this regiment left for Wanganui about a week later. Their departure threw the entire responsibility upon the colonial force.
Not long before the Royal Irish departed an attack was carried out on a place inland of Waimate Plains, the exact position of which was not known. They marched along the plains to what is now Manaia, and then turned inland, reaching the bush some four miles away before halting. By Colonel McDonnell’s orders, the force was to proceed with the Wanganui natives in the van, but some of them sat by the side
86
HISTOEV OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
of the track, remarking “Let the pakeha go in front.” The outline of the village was just visible in the grey light of the dawn, and Captain Newland extended his men, moving forward very quietly and crossing a small stream, finally lying down about 100 yards from the position. One of the Maoris came out of a whare, and apparently hearing some noise, turned to give the alarm, Captain Newland gave the order to fire, and this man was shot dead, the village being rushed at once, proving to be not a very strong situation, although housing a great many Maoris. The firing was very heavy on both sides, reinforcements coming to the assistance of the Maoris until they had a strong force opposed to the pakeha and Maori forces. The enemy occupied three sides of a clearing, and several of the attacking force were wounded in the three or four hours’ firing that ensued. Colonel McDonnell, who was near one of the huts, had already stationed some of the men nearby with orders to shoot any Maoris who came out of the whares. He wanted the Maoris to surrender, but they did not come out after he had ordered them to do so. He went a short distance away, and one of the inmates of the whare, in trying to escape tumbled over before he had got many yards away. This brought Colonel McDonnell back, and he ordered the men not to shoot any more Maoris who came out. He called again in Maori asking them to surrender, and after some time, 13 able men came out, being made prisoners and sent to the rear.
Captain Newland’s company occupied the extreme right of the position taken up when they first rushed the place, and all the others were to the left. Colonel McDonnell ordered him to retire, but Captain Newland pointed out that he had six men down, two being dead and others badly wounded, and the colonel replied, “Well, get them away.” Captain Newland could not spare enough men to carry them, so he ordered Cornet Hirtzel to collect some men and to take the casualties to the rear. He was doing as ordered when he was shot through both sides of the back whilst getting over a fence. Fortunately, he was able to crawl back and his place was taken by Ensign H. W. Northcroft. The force then began to retire, having a very steep grade to go down
87
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
to the Inaha Stream and up the other side. They had no stretchers with them and had to swing the wounded in a blanket and carry them the best way they could. Captain E. B. Leatham, of the Defence Force, and Ensign Northeroft, of the Patea Rangers, did good work during the action.
Many months after one of Titokowaru’s men (Katene) said the Maoris had not a single round left or the attacking party would not have got across the Inaha so easily. The action lasted for four and a-half hours, and was one of the hottest on the coast.
Fortunately, when half-way to the Waingongoro redoubt, the force met Captain Noblett and Dr. Spencer, who took charge of the wounded. One man died on the way. Volunteer W. Wright, who belonged to the survey party, but was anxious to go out with the force, lost his life in going to the assistance of a wounded Maori who was crawling out of a whare that was burning.
The dead men, Farrier-Major Duff, Volunteer Wright, Private Green (Wanganui Rangers), and some of the wounded were left at the Waingongoro redoubt, the funeral taking place next day, Captain Noblett reading the funeral service. The prisoners who were brought in had to be guarded and fed, but they gave little or no information, and in a month they were quite at home, mixing with the Wanganui natives. The night before Te Ngutu-o-te-manu they managed to escape, however, and were able to give Titokowaru a great deal of information regarding the strength of the European force and other things that they had been watching during their period in camp.
The next battle of any consequence was an attack on Tirimoana, the force marching through Ketemarae and getting on to the leading track at daylight one morning. After marching a long way the force came to higher ground and could see the Maoris’ position in the distance, it appearing to be a very strong place with the Tawhiti Stream in the valley below.
Ensign Northeroft and a man named Eeonemedes, a Greek in the Taranaki Military Settlers, were allowed at their request to join the advance guard of the attacking party. After
88
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
crossing the stream at the bottom of the valley, advancing carefully, the party was met by a volley fired by a large number of Maoris in ambush in the forest, Econemedes being mortally wounded. The Wanganui natives became panicstricken and rushed back, it being more than the pakehas could do to stop them.
It was useless to try to get the Wanganui natives to take the lead again, so Lieutenant O’Callaghan, of the Wanganui Rangers, with 40 of his company was ordered to the front, supported by Captain Walter Morrison’s company of military settlers. When the force advanced to the foot of the hill leading to the Maori position smoke was seen and some makeshift huts, which were soon in the attackers’ hands. There had been a great number of natives there, judging by the amount of food that was being cooked, and it was quite obvious that the place was the key to Tirimoana.
A conference concerning the advisability of attacking the main position was held, it being decided not to make the attempt owing to the fact that the force consisted of only 100 men who could be depended upon.
At this time the survey of the district was in progress, Mr Octavius Carrington, head of the Survey Department at New Plymouth being in charge, his staff being Messrs S, P. Smith, C. W. Hursthouse, T. Humphries and George Northcroft. Theirs was a very trying and dangerous occupation, as they had only a small covering party.
At about this time, too, Titokowaru had a letter sent to the redoubt at Waihi saying there was to be a lull in hostilities and requesting permission to pay a visit to the redoubt. He was informed that due notice must be given, and he did not reply at once, but sent word shortly afterwards that he would make the visit on a certain day, and that he wished to pay a compliment by marching round the position three times to show his respect for the Queen. Colonel McDonnell was in Wanganui when the party arrived, and it was left to Captain Newland to do the entertaining. The natives made preparations for the reception of the visitors by building a place for them to sleep in. Seeing the party coming, all the men were ordered inside the redoubt until the
48
HISTORY OF HA WEI! A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
visitors had marched three times round it, about 50 of them being in the procession, with Titokowaru and his chiefs being in the rear. After completing this movement the visitors walked to the enclosure provided for them and sat down. The food that had been prepared was taken to them and they waited until Titokowaru came in front and looked at the food and then broke a piece of bread and tasted it, finally returning to his place and resuming his seat. That was the sign of grace and once over, the party commenced their meal.
Captain Newland mentioned during the meal that it would be the correct thing to do to invite Titokowaru and his head men to spend an hour or so in the redoubt, and he put the proposition before the Hauhau chief. Titokowaru replied, “Why invite us and leave out all my Tamariki?” (followers). Captain Newland stated that the officers were inviting them and only rangatiras would be present, including several Wanganui chiefs, Mete Kingi, Kawana Paipe, Kepa, Wiriana and others. Titokowaru remained undecided for a short time and then said he would accept the invitation. Shortly afterwards, all adjourned to the mess-room, where they had a long korero. Before the natives departed Captain Newland said, “I want, before you go, to propose health and long life to Queen Victoria.” All stood but Titokowaru and his followers, and Captain Newland ordered them to stand up and drink the health. The natives muttered something about not caring for it.” Captain Newland said he was surprised at the natives attitude after they had been allowed to march around the redoubt to show their respect for the Queen, and after a little more talk Titokowaru and his followers stood up and drank the toast, this ending the evening’s entertainment.
At 10 o’clock the next morning the visitors were ready to march away, the chief requesting permission to pay the same compliment at the redoubt at Turuturu-mokai. Permission was given and Captain Newland rode ahead to acquaint the officer in command, Captain Smith. The same procedure was followed here as had been done at Waihi, and the party then moved on to Taiporohenui, Captain Newland accompanying them to the native settlement.
90
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
During the evening a great korero was held and many long speeches were made, among the most important statements being that the Maoris were going in for extensive cropping during the year of peace. Early the next morning the next move was made, it being the intention of Titokowaru to visit all the native settlements as far south as Waitotara.
Several months passed quietly, and then one day a trooper galloped into the camp with the information that he had seen an armed party of natives crossing the river at Waiugongoro, this being reported to Colonel Gorton, who was in command during the absence of Colonel McDonnell, who had been ordered to the Taupo district to quell the disturbances there. The men were paraded at once and marched out to capture the lot. They had not marched far when they came upon a number of women from the village at Mawhitiwhiti who were loaded with potatoes, pumpkins and other food to dispose of in the camp. When questioned regarding an armed party the trooper saw they replied, “It was us he saw,” and laughed loudly and long.
Colonel Gorton did not remain long in command when he was succeeded by Colonel M. Lepper. There was very little excitement in the camp, as it was considered to he safe to go about the country within certain limits. Some of the surveyed land was ready for occupation and those who drew their sections nearby were allowed to go and work on them. Two men named Cahill and Squires, started by digging a sawpit, with the intention of sawing timber at Ketemarae; some were clearing the land; others were splitting fence timber and doing other work. Titokowaru had returned from his trip among the tribes south of Hawera, and had made many converts from the different villages. The Government evidently was suspicious as to his movements and a sharp look-out was kept, while men were enrolled for the New Zealand Armed Constabulary in Wellington and other places. Mr. St. John Branningan was Chief Commissioner, and six divisions, each 60 strong, were raised, one Inspector and two sub-inspectors being appointed to each division.
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER VI
The Attack on Turuturu-mokai
pROM early in 1868, minor disorders commenced. These are recorded in Mr. J. C. Richmond’s Memorandum of July 4, 1868, to His Excellency the Governor, from which the following is of South Taranaki interest;
The Ngati-Ruanui district, between the rivers of Patea and Kaupokonui, has been, for above a year and a-half, in peace Outrages have recently been eommitted Early in last April robberies by Maoris began to be committed; and Katene, a man who had been employed during the war as a guide and spy of the Colonial troops, was tried and convicted for an offence of this nature. On the Bth of the month (April), Mr. E. Bayly, a young man of quiet and prudent character, brought up in the colony, was ejected from his land at Kakaramea, on the Patea River, by men of the Pakakohe hapu. Two days later, Messrs Henderson and Luxford, two other settlers, were molested in the attempt to occupy their allotment inland of Mokoia, about 12 miles northwest of Patea.
The aggressors in this case were also a party of Pakakohe. The two settlers were the first to attempt occupation inland of Mokoia township. The Pakakohe hapu, and the very men active on this occasion, had previously shown a somewhat sulky spirit of resistance; but, on the exhibition of firmness by Mr. Booth, the resident magistrate, and Mr. Parris, civil commissioner on the West Coast, they had always given way. Mr. Booth at once repaired to the place, and remonstrated. Nevertheless, on the 19th April, Luxford and Henderson were again roughly expelled from their land. A few days later, Mr. Booth obtained the help of a party of Armed
51
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Coustabulary, and arrested Paraone, a leading chief, and Tokorangi, another native active in the aggression. Upon this, the Pakakohe held a meeting, and promised to make no further resistance, nor have they broken their pledge to this date.
“Meanwhile a similar aggression had been made on a settler named Hiseox, and robberies were becoming more frequent. The settlers’ houses are built only of rushes, and are sometimes left for days together unprotected. These offences were most common at Turuturumokai, a place five miles westward of Mokoia, and were traced to men living deep in the forest at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The case of a robbery of horses and other effects by these men was chosen to endeavour to check this evil, and Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell, commandant of the Armed Constabulary, proceeded to Te Ngutu-o-te-manu to execute a warrant by Mr. Booth for apprehending the robbers, Toi, Haowhenua and others. The force came by surprise on the people of this bush settlement, but the robbers were not to be found. A chief named Tauke, however, returned as a sort of hostage, agreeing that the stolen property should be given back. Ngatanahira Ngahina, a chief of the neighbouring hapu, the Tangahoe, went inland the next day (12th May), and recovered three of the horses, but several were still retained. Tauke, the hostage, proposed to go himself, or that Ngahina should go again for them, but Mr. Booth preferred going in person, with Inspector Hunter, Captain Cuming, and a few constables on horse-back, followed by LieutenantColonel McDonnell and a strong party on foot. The latter halted at Pungarehu, two miles short of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The advanced party entered the settlement before the natives had discovered their approach; but they found, nevertheless, a considerable party of men in arms. They arrested three men, notwithstanding, and were endeavouring to secure a fourth, who struggled to escape, when, perceiving guns pointed at them, it was thought prudent to desist, and to return with the men already in charge. Colonel McDonnell had been inform-
52
Cairn erected to commemorate the gallant stand of the troops at Turuturu-mokai in September, 1868.
HISTOHY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Ed meanwhile of the probability of resistance, and was approaching with the main force when he met the advance party returning with the prisoners. All went back to quarters. Two of the men were quickly released as nothing could be proved against them. The third was detained, but subsequently made his escape.
“On the 9th June, a settler named Cahill, who was working near the edge of the bush, in the direction of Pungarehu and Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, and two others with him, were murdered by a party of about ten men, some of whom were recognised by native witnesses as belonging to Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The bodies of the murdered men were found horribly mutilated. A fourth settler was killed within sight of the camp of the Constabulary, but the murderers were not recognised. On the following night huts of natives and settlers near the coast at Waingongoro, about four miles seaward of the camp, were sacked and burnt.”
Thus the hidden fire burst into flame. Cahill was a military settler, who had been a sergeant-major under Captain W. E. Gudgeon. Those killed with him were Clarke and Squires, also military settlers. The three were engaged in felling bush on a block called Te Rauna, north-east of Normanby toward the Austin Road. The timber was largely matai and karaka at Te Rauna. The Maoris claimed both timber and land, and had given these settlers notice to quit. The attackers were not a large force—Mr Richmond says about ten. Prominent amongst these were Haowhenua and Katene. The party fired a volley from ambush, and then used the tomahawk on the pakehas.
The steamer Storm Bird arrived in Taranaki, having on board Major von Tempsky and his two subs, Brown and Roberts, of the No. 5 Division, Armed Constabulary. Colonel McDonnell returned from Taupo and assumed command, and Colonel Lepper returned to New Plymouth. There were between 300 and 400 men in the redoubt, including members of the Wanganui Contingent of natives and Kupapas under their officers and chiefs respectively.
53
HISTOBY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
At this time the Waihi Redoubt, near Normanby, was garrisoned by the Armed Constabulary. Soon after the tragic killing at Te Raima, followed the fourth killing, as mentioned by Mr. Richmond. This was a trooper named Smith, who had gone from the Waihi Redoubt towards the bush in order to catch his horse. He was shot from ambush, within sight of the redoubt. By the time a party doubled over to the spot, the body had been mutilated with tomahawks. The legs alone remained, for the upper part was carried away by his assailants, and was cooked and eaten at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. This was a definite act of cannibalism in June, 1868. On 20th June, 1868, there was a sharp encounter, when a ration party of a sergeant and 10 men was ambushed near Waihi Redoubt by a larger party of Hauhaus. Two troopers were wounded and two Maoris were killed.
Titokowaru then issued a warning to the pakehas. It was dated Wharekura, 26th June, 1868, and directed to Puano, a Mawhitiwhiti chief friendly to the pakehas.
“A word to you. Cease travelling on the roads. Stop for ever going on the roads which lead to Mangamanga, lest you be left on the roads as food for the birds of the air, or for the beasts of the field, or for me; because I have eaten the European trooper Smith as a piece of beef. He was cooked in a pot; the women and children partook of the food. I have begun to eat human flesh, and my throat is constantly open for the flesh of man.
“I shall not die. I shall not die; when death itself shall be dead, I shall be alive.
“That is the word for you extending to Matangarara. That is a clear word for you extending to all your boundaries. Cease. Stop. Prom Titokowaru.” The wording of this letter as to the eating of human flesh by Titokowaru himself is not to be taken literally. The object of the letter was to intimidate. So far as Titokowaru was personally concerned, he believed that the eating of human flesh by himself would impair his mana-tapu. Certain of his followers undoubtedly carried out the practice.
97
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
“Wharekura” was the name of Titokowaru’s sacred house at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The building was some 70 feet in height, and was built of sawn timber. Manga-manga refers to the pakeha redoubt at Waihi, for part of the fortification was built on the site of an old Maori pa of that name. The deep trenches and steep ramparts of the old pa are still well preserved beside the military cemetery. Towards the end of June, 1868, the Rifle Volunteers from Wellington arrived to reinforce the garrison at Waihi. About the same time, Colonel McDonnell ordered a party of 25 Armed Constabulary, under Captain George Ross, to garrison the pakeha redoubt at Turuturu-mokai.
The pakeha redoubt at Turuturu-mokai was originally constructed in 1866 by a company of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment. Sir George Grey, the then Governor of the colony, personally selected the site for the redoubt, while visiting South Taranaki for the purpose of directing Colonel McDonnell’s operations. For a time the post was held by Imperial troops. With the coming of the peaceful “Year of the Lamb,’’ 1867, the garrison of Turuturu-mokai was withdrawn. Thereafter a settler, Mr. Morrison, used the redoubt as a sheep-pen.
To this dilapidated fortification Captain Ross brought his 25 Armed Constabulary in accordance with orders from Colonel McDonnell, after the killing of Cahill, Squires, Clarke and Smith in June, 1868. The party forthwith commenced the work of putting the defences, in order.
The redoubt was of small dimensions, being approximately 20 yards square. A circular flanking bastion was built at each of two opposite corners of the work. A rampart five feet in height with a trench six feet deep constituted the earthworks. An open gateway on the western side, and near the southern angle, was reached by means of a plank across the trench. The gateway was protected to some extent by a small earth wall inside the fort. What was intended to be a plank walk, or firing step, ran along the inner side of the rampart, but, like other necessary work on the rampart, it was still unfinished at the time of the attack.
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Inside the redoubt were some half-dozen bell tents, and a raupo-thatched building, which was store and guard-room combined. This building was erected between the gateway and the south-eastern flanking bastion. As a result, the men on duty in that bastion could not effectively assist in defending the entrance.
In fact, there were other and more serious disadvantages from the defenders’ point of view. Eastward of the redoubt there was slightly higher ground, from which an attacking party could actually fire into the fort. That higher ground would have been a preferable site for the redoubt. Again, the earthern rampart had no loopholes for fire purposes. There were no sandbags arranged with spaces. To discharge their weapons, the defenders had to expose head and shoulders above the rampart, thus affording excellent targets for the attackers.
As the redoubt was so small, Captain Ross occupied a raupo whare outside, rather less than a chain south-west of the gateway. The canteen-keeper, Lennon, was also quartered outside. His canteen stood south-east of the redoubt, just over what is now the roadway. Several military settlers had their whares near the post. There were a few of these settlers in the neighbourhood, and they made a practice of coming within the defences at night. Mr Coslett Johnston, who distinguished himself at the defence, had taken up 80 acres by Keteonetea, within sight of the redoubt.
The surrounding countryside was then very different from the farm lands of to-day. Heavy bush lay at no great distance north and east of the redoubt. The intervening land was in fern, flax, tutu, and koromiko. A few groves of peach trees added variety to the scene.
Titokowaru’s headquarters were eight miles away at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, snugly situated in the depths of the forest. Daily, men and women of his race came to him with reports of the doings at Turuturu-mokai Redoubt, until the Maori leader knew as much of the garrison and its routine, as the pakehas did themselves. When he considered the time was ripe, and the omens were favourable, he decided to strike.
50
Survivors of Turuturu-mokai. From left: Messrs Kershaw, Flanagan, Beamish and O’Connor.
A sketch of Turutuni-mokai redoubt as it appeared prior to the battle in 1868.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
He called his people together, and chose from his warriors the members of a war party, 60 in all.
The first 12 men chosen constituted the advance-guard. They were the Tekau-marua, the “twelve,” though this name applied to the whole war party also. This was the manner of the choosing. It was the work of the gods. When all were assembled in Wharekura, Titokowaru balanced his taiaha across his hand, and invoked the gods of his ancestors. The sacred weapon moved by the breath of the gods, until its richly carved tongue, arero, pointed to a chosen warrior and stopped. So it happened again and again, until all the members of the war party were chosen.
Thus were selected Haowheuua, who was placed in charge of the expedition, Taketake, whose bravery was noteworthy, Nuku, a brother of Titokowaru, Tihirua, a young war-priest, Te Kahu-pukoro, and the rest. Haowhenua was nearly 70 years of age, but very active. He was rather short, and stoutly built.
Two renegade pakehas were at Te Ngutu-o-te-mann at that time. Charles Kane, or King, was a deserter from the 18th Royal Irish Regiment. Kimble Bent was a deserter from the 57th Regiment. At his express request, Kane was permitted to accompany the war party against Turuturu-mokai. He carried a double-barrelled gun.
The tribal tohungas performed the appropriate rites over the chosen 60, and chanted the necessary karakias, which had come down to them from the days of old. Then the forest resounded with the hakas of the warriors. Finally, came the sweetly blended voice of the poi maidens, who danced to “make good the hearts of men,” as was the custom of the Maori people. About two hours before midnight, the war party set out in single file on the eight-mile march through the bush on the night of July 11th, 1868. In their ears were ringing the final commands of Titokowaru: “Kill them! Eat them! Kill them! Eat them! Let them not escape. Hold them fast in your hands!” They were strengthened by the knowledge that, in Wharekura, Titokowaru was continuously invoking the gods on their behalf. The war party was divided
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into three sections of 20 men each, under the leadership of Haowhenua, Taketake, and Nuku respectively. Haowheuua was to storm the gateway of the redoubt, Taketake was to attack the northern end, and Nuku was to assault the southern end. Tihirua was with Haowhenua’s men. The deserter, Kane, was with Taketake’s party. The attackers were armed with muzzle-loading Bnfields, shotguns and tomahawks. The attackers were armed with Terry carbines and revolvers, and the military settlers carried long Enfield rifles.
After crossing the Tawhiti Stream, the war party took cover in the gully near the redoubt, and there waited the time for attacking, shortly before daybreak. A frozen vigil it was. According to the account given by Taketake to the late Rev. Robert Tahupotiki Haddon, Kane became so restive that the Maoris thought his movements would be heard by the pakeha on duty. The young men wanted to tomahawk Kane, and he was pulled into the fern in the souffle that ensued. The sentry heard this scuffle, and fired. Then the assault commenced.
The Maori custom of attacking just before dawn was well known to the pakehas, who accordingly made it their practice in frontier forts to call the garrison at 3 a.m. The men would then stand to arms until daybreak. This was adopted at Turuturu-mokai and usually the corporal of the guard aroused the men. On the morning of July 12th, however, this practice was not followed. What called the garrison was musket fire 1
Owing to the condition of the uncompleted plank walk, or firing step, on the inner side of the rampart—it was wet and slippery—the sentries did duty outside the fort that night. There had been rain and wind. At 5 a.m. the sentries were changed, Garret Lacey taking duty at the northern end of the redoubt, and Coslett Johnston at the southern end.
Shortly after 5 a.m. Lacey challenged: “Halt! Who goes there?” and fired. The answer was a volley from the attacking party. Lacey shouted: “Stand to your arms, men!” He was wounded in the shoulder, and in danger of being cut off before he could regain the fort. However, he managed to escape the rush, and succeeded in reaching Waihi.
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Lennon, the canteen-keeper, was killed outside the fort. He was the first man slain, the mata-ika, “the first fish.” Thrice flashed the tomahawk of Tihirua, the war-priest, and then he made offering to the god of war. This was the ceremony of the whangai-hau, the mawe offering. With a pakeha match, Tihirua singed the heart of the man he had slain, exclaiming: “Kei ahau a Tu!” “The war-god Tu is with me.” Lennon’s heart was found outside the redoubt after the engagement. At the first alarm, Captain Ross rushed from his whare and entered the redoubt. When the Maoris attempted to storm the gateway, he headed the defence there with sword and revolver. He shouted for volunteers. Michael Gill joined him first, and then Henry McLean, George Tuffin, Peter Swords and William Gaynor. After Tuffin received a severe head wound, the captain spoke to him, but the wounded man was unable to reply. Tuffin made for the north-west bastion, and by the end of the fight was wounded five times.
Captain Ross was killed while defending the gateway, and his heart was cut out, as Lennon’s had been. According to Taketake, it was Kane who cut out the dead captain’s heart. Before the captain fell, he shattered Taketake’s left arm with a revolver bullet. Taketake distinguished himself throughout the attack by his bravery. Colonel Gudgeon speaks highly of his valour.
Sergeant McPadyen took command when Captain Boss fell. The sergeant carried on bravely until he himself was killed.
Again and again the Maoris endeavoured to climb over the rampart. Again and again the defenders drove them back. Hand to hand fighting, and close range firing were the order of the day.
Nuku rushed right into the fort, and killed William Gaynor with his short-handled tomahawk. Corporal John Blake fell early in the fight. George Holden was shot between the guard-house and the gate. Patrick Shields and Peter Swords were both killed. Alleyn, the younger of the two gallant Beamish brothers, was mortally wounded. Before he
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died, he told his brother, John Beamish, his belief that he had been shot by a white man. The white man must have been the deserter, Kane, who received a face wound in the encounter. John Beamish was himself seriously wounded. Ralph Ross was killed in the trench. Flanagan, Kershaw and Michael O’Connor (or Connors) were wounded. Papia, Taroai and Uruwhero were killed among the attackers.
As was to be expected, some of the Maoris took post on the higher ground to the east of the redoubt, and fired right into the north-west bastion from that post of vantage. Several of the defenders were killed or wounded there. Other Maoris attempted to undermine the rampart with their tomahawks. The whares outside the redoubt were soon set on fire, and provided some illumination for the scene. At daybreak, the defenders were still holding the position. Ten lay dead, or mortally wounded. Six only remained unwounded—Cosslett Johnston, Michael Gill, Milmoe, O’Brien, Stewart and Henry McLean.
Meantime, the sound of firing had been heard at Waihi Camp. Fifty Armed Constabulary, under Major Yon Tempsky, set out on foot to the relief of Turuturu-mokai. As this force approached the position, the attacking party retired, carrying their wounded. The few defenders who were able to do so, rushed out of the redoubt for a parting shot—and the fight was over. The action lasted from shortly after 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., practically two hours.
After the party returned to Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, according to Taketake, Kane sought to win favour with Titokowaru. Presenting the heart of Captain Ross, he claimed to have slain the first man killed in the fight. Tihirua was naturally much incensed, and wanted to kill Kane. Titokowaru would not permit this, though he threatened to return Kane to the soldiers at Waihi. Later, Tihirua tomahawked Kane in revenge for the attempt to steal from him the honour of the whangai-hau of Turutnru-mokai. Tihirua died at Ohangai in 1907.
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Hawera Methodist Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.
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Mr. James Cowan writes of the fight: “The survivors who particularly distinguished themselves by their gallant bearing and resolute resistance were Cosslett Johnston, Gill, John Beamish, and Connors. Each of these men deserved the highest recognition and the decoration of the New Zealand Cross, instituted for just such exceptional cases of valour, might well have been bestowed upon them.”
On the Maori side, those who particularly distinguished themselves were Taketake, who led the attack on the northwest bastion, Nuku, who dashed right into the redoubt and killed his man, and Tihirua, who killed the first man slain in the fight.
Immediate steps were taken to restore the defences of the stronghold, and to supply a numerically stronger garrison. Captain J. M. Roberts was placed in command, with nine noncommissioned officers and 50 Armed Constabulary. Part of the rampart actually fell soon after the relief, as a result of the Maoris’ undermining work. The new garrison repaired the rampart, and increased its height. Wooden loopholes were constructed, thus eliminating a serious defect. Broken bottles were strewn along the bottom of the trench, and a drawbridge took the place of the old plank bridge. However, no further attack was made on Turuturu-mokai Redoubt.
When eventually peace came to South Taranaki, the garrison was withdrawn. The rampart started to crumble, and to fill in the trench. The settler came, and the rampart was levelled; the land was ploughed; when a road was made it passed over the site of the south-eastern bastion. To-day, the rest of the trench-line may still be seen, showing the dimensions of the redoubt.
By statute of 1901, it is enacted that the site of the engagement, Section 329, Patea District, containing three acres, four perches, or thereabouts, is “hereby vested in the Corporation of the Borough of Hawera, for an estate in fee simple, in trust, without power of sale or lease, for the purpose of preserving the fortifications at present standing thereon as an historic monument, and, subject to such purposes, to be available as
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a recreation ground for the general public, upon such terms as the Borough Council of Hawera, by regulations from time to time provides, provided that no charge shall be made for admission thereto.”
Thus the scene of what this famous encounter will be for ever preserved. A stone memorial to the defenders now stands in the centre of the north-west flanking bastion.
Captain Newland wrote as follows concerning the attack on Turuturu-mokai;
“On the morning of July 12, 1868, just before daylight, sharp firing was heard in the direction of Turuturu-mokai and it was at once seen that the redoubt was attacked. Major Von Tempsky, who was in command during Colonel McDonnell’s absence, at once ordered his Division to fall in, and the whole camp was aroused. Captain Newland was ordered to be in readiness to start at a moment’s notice, and to tell Major Hunter, of No. 3 Division, A.C., to take command during the absence of Major Von Tempsky. Heavy firing was going on all the time, and some of the huts outside the redoubt were in flames. When Major Von Tempsky had got some distance out, he sent a man back to tell Captain Newland to start at once, and this party being mounted, very soon passed at full gallop the Major’s party on foot.
“On arrival at Turuturu-mokai an awful sight presented itself. Just outside the draw-bridge lay the body of Captain Frederick Ross, sub-inspector A.C.’s, with his chest chopped open and his heart cut out, and nine others more or less mutilated. These were got together when Major Yon Tempsky arrived. There were three or four who stuck to one angle of the redoubt and held it like ‘bricks’ until supporters arrived. A few of the detachment scampered over the parapet.
“The position was assaulted by a large number of Maoris and a panic had ensued. Captain Ross was unfortunately sleeping outside in a whare, and was shot down in getting to the draw-bridge, clad only in his shirt. Where the parapet
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HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
had been undermined, the enemy could shoot underneath, and it is a wonder that it did not collapse into the ditch. The tents standing inside the redoubt were completely riddled with bullet holes. The redoubt was much improved after this, and occupied by another detachment of A.C.’s.”
“The day following the attack the dead were buried at Waihi Camp, the Church of England service being read by Major Hunter, and the Roman Catholic service by the Rev. Father Rolland.”
Captain Newland’s opinion was that a mistake was made in not sending the mounted troops out immediately the firing was heard, instead of them being held in readiness.
I □
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CHAPTER VII.
Battle of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu
defeat of the British forces at Turuturu-mokai was a matter that called for an attack in retaliation, but Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell was not prepared to make any move until his force was strengthened. The reinforcements consisted mainly of the Wellington Rangers and the Wellington Rifles, two companies that had recently been formed, and with the arrival of these troops he prepared to launch his first attack on Titokowaru’s stronghold in the fastness of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu on August 21, 1868. The preparation of the attack was a matter of some import, particularly as the Maori chief’s stronghold was so well guarded by the more or less virgin forest that surrounded it.
The attacking force consisted of three divisions of Armed Constabulary; Wellington Rangers; Wellington Rifles; Taranaki Volunteer Militia; Patea Yeomanry Cavalry; and a number of volunteers, the total numbering about 350 men. The force was divided into two parties, one being commanded by Major Yon Tempsky and the other by Major Hunter.
The engagement was dealt with by Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell in a despatch sent from the Waihi Camp on the following day. He stated that he paraded the force at 5.30 a.m. and his first difficulty was experienced in crossing the Waingongoro River, which was then in high flood. The force entered the bush by the track he had previously used, and on arriving at Pungarehu, the Commanding Officer left Lieutenant Roddy, with the Taranaki Militia as a connecting link between the main body and the Patea Cavalry outside the bush. He found that rifle-pits and defensive posts had been made on each side of the track right up to Te Maru, and as the embers were still smouldering he concluded that these pits had been used during the previous night. He also
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found that a stockade had been erected since his previous visit and as this commanded the crossing of the creek, it caused him to change his original plans. Instead of sending Major You Tempsky’s division to the left to occupy the bush and allowing Major Hunter to rush the village, he led the advance division right at the new stockade, which did not take five minutes to seize.
The Colonel then directed Yon Tempsky to take his men along the track to the left and endeavour to enter the village at the same time as the men whom the Colonel led round to the clearing in front. When they reached there they were greeted by a heavy fire from the village. As soon as sufficient men arrived the commander ordered a cheer and a charge, and in spite of the destructive fire blazing forth from the palisading the force went right into the pa without a pause. At about the same time Major Von Tempsky entered from the left and the defenders broke and fled in all directions, only one man being found.
The village was thoroughly searched for arms and a good quantity of powder and Government ammunition was found, together with breech-loading cartridges made by the Maoris themselves. After a thorough search the houses were set on fire and finally the force left on its return to Waihi. The return journey, however, was not completed without skirmishes with the natives who were under cover in the forest in positions where it was impossible to follow them because no track was visible. The European casualties amounted to four men killed and eight wounded, while the Colonel estimated that the Maori casualties must have been much more severe than that.
The second attack at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, the engagement that resulted in the death of Major Yon Tempsky and several other officers and men, took place less than a month later, on September 7, 1868. The result of this battle had very farreaching consequences, for it brought reinforcements to Titokowaru’s already considerable forces, and so weakened the morale of the European troops that in a very short time the whole of the country northward of Patea was abandoned to the Hauhaus.
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The attacking force, numbering nearly 360 men, marched out from Camp Waihi at midnight, with a half-caste woman, Takiora, accompanying the column. The detachments were made up as follows; No. 1 Detachment, under Major Von Tempsky— No. 2 Division of the Armed Constabulary, 16 men; Patea Rifle Volunteers, 14 men, under Captain Palmer; No. 5 Division A.C., 59 men, under Captains Brown and Roberts; Wellington Rifles, 45 men, under Lieutenants H. Hastings and Hunter; Taranaki Rifle Volunteers, 26 men, under Lieutenant Rowan; Volunteers from Waihi, 2 men; total, 142. No. 2 Detachment, under Major W. HunterNo. 3 Division A.C., 32 men, Captains Newland and Goring; Wellington Rangers, 65 men, Captain G. Buck, Lieutenant Pookes, and Ensign Hirtzel; Patea Cavalry (dismounted), 11 men, Captain O’Halloran; total 108. Maori Contingent—llo Wanganui natives under Captain W. McDonnell and Kepa and other chiefs. Dr. Walker accompanied Major Von Tempsky as surgeon, and Dr, Best acted in a similar capacity with Major Hunter’s detachment.
The plan was to strike deep into the forest and endeavour to surprise the Hauhaus in their village, Te Rua-ruru, which was believed to be at the rear of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The force advanced for nearly eight miles and not a sign of the Hauhaus was seen, and at this point one of the Maori contingent climbed a tree and reported smoke about half a mile further along the track, while Maori voices were also heard. A sentry’s camp was surprised and one man and two children killed, but up to this time the leaders of the force did not know where they were, it being finally discovered that they were well in the rear of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. Kepa was then ordered to take his Wanganui Maoris and work round the pa on the left flank, while Von Tempsky’s division went ahead toward the pa, crossing a small creek which bounded the clearing on the west and north.
As Von Tempsky’s men were advancing in open order through the heavy timber they were met with a devastating fire at close range, the Hauhaus being well hidden behind the undergrowth and logs and in the branches of the rata trees.
(!S
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAIN 6.
Casualties became very numerous and Colonel McDonnell did not know whether to advance or retreat. This was a fatal indecision, for he left his subordinates without orders, and the various units quickly lost touch with each other. Men were being struck down by bullets from unseen marksmen, and although volleys were fired into the rata trees and the undergrowth no advance was made, and men continued to fall. Had the order been given to storm the place, the casualties would have been fewer, but the commandant imagined that the force opposed to him was much stronger than it actually was. Majors Hunter and Von Tempsky both made a request to be allowed to storm the place, but Colonel McDonnell still hesitated, and at last, seeing how numerous the casualties were becoming and considering it to be his duty to get his force away with as little further loss as possible, he ordered a retreat. The wounded were sent on under Major Hunter, and the commandant followed with about 80 men, a heavy rearguard action being fought.
In the meantime Major Yon Tempsky, who was the senior officer remaining before the palisaded village, waited in vain for the order to advance against the pa. He moved restlessly to and fro, indignant at the absence of the order to attack, and careless about taking cover. Finally he was shot down By one of a party of Hauhaus crouching in the undergrowth near the bank of the Mangotahi Stream.
Mr. James Cowan states that it is generally agreed by Ngati-Ruanui and Nga-Ruahine that it was an elderly warrior named Te Rangi-hina-kau who shot Yon Tempsky. He took careful aim at an officer whom he saw armed with a curved sword, and shot him through the head. The dead major’s sword, revolver, cap and watch were taken as prizes. For many years there has been much controversy concerning the ultimate destination of Von Tempsky’s sword, but the matter has never been satisfactorily cleared up, and probably never will be.
In his account of the battle, Captain Newland stated concerning the retreat that it took a long time to get away in consequence of having so many to pick up, while it was also
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
trying work carrying a man on a stretcher. Fortunately, the track out was better than the one used in going in, but in spite of that it was dark before the force got out of the bush. The Maoris did not follow the force after they got out of the bush.
On reaching the Waingongoro River, the Wanganui natives had lit a fire, and Captain Newland called out to one of the officers to send some of the natives to help the stretcher party across, but they would not come. The only alternative was for the party to carry the wounded themselves. The water was about four feet deep, and was running very swiftly, the procedure being four men to each stretcher. All were transported over the river without incident, and the force reached the redoubt at midnight.
On the fourth day after the battle a man was seen making his way toward the redoubt, and some of the men went out to his assistance, as it was seen that he was barely able to walk. It was a man named Dore, who had a terrible wound in his shoulder. He said he was shot when only a. short distance from the pa, and the Maoris, thinking he was dead, went on in pursuit of the remainder of the force, after stripping him of all but his shirt. As night came on, the Maoris returned and collected some of the dead and wounded whom they took to the pa. Dore had somewhat recovered from the effect of his wound, and he tried to get away, but after two or three attempts, found he was back where he started from. He then hid himself in the flanges of a tree, from where he could hear the wounded calling for help. The Maoris were out before daylight collecting the remainder of the wounded, but they did not find Dore. He remained in the tree all day, and as the dogs were barking, he expected to be found at any moment.
During the following night he got away from the place, very weak from loss of blood and from want of food. On the third day he found himself out in the open country, and although several Maoris passed him, they did not find him in his hiding place in the fern. He could travel only at night, and he made in the direction in which he thought the redoubt
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Hawera Light Horse Troop, with Major R. H. Davies in command.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W Alii ATE PLAINS,
would be. When found, he had been for four days without food, and his only garment was part of a shirt.
Nineteen dead and wounded were taken into the redoubt, and five officers and 14 men were left on the field at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. To make matters worse, No. 5 Division (Major Von Tempsky’s) became mutinous in consequence of losing their commander, and the Division was returned to Auckland and discharged.
Colonel McDonnell’s despatch concerning the battle of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu read as follows:
Camp Waihi, Sept. 9, 1868.
‘Sir, I have the honour to state, for the information of the Hon. the Minister for Colonial Defence, that I left at 4 a.m. on the 7th inst., with the force intending to reach Te Rua-aruru through the bush, attack that village, and return by Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. On reaching Mawhitiwhiti we struck inland on the main track to Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, and to seaward of the track that is supposed to exist leading to Te Rua-aruru. After proceeding some distance on a very old trail, it ceased altogether. We then headed in the supposed direction of the place named. We got into a very rough country, intersected with gullies and streams, and a perfect network of supple-jacks.
“About 1 p.m. we ascended a bush ridge, and on the advice of Honi Papara, our guide, struck for the sea to try and hit a track. After struggling in the bush for another hour, we heard voices ahead, and I sent a native up a tree to reconnoitre. He could only see smoke. Pushing on in the direction of the voices, we came upon three or four bark huts, which were rushed by the Kupapas, who fired into them, the inmates rushing away, leaving two killed and three children, who were taken.
"I then left the Kupapas to bring up the rear, and directed Major Yon Tempsky to lead on with the men under his immediate command, sending Honi Papara and a few friendly natives on in front. We soon got into a fair track, and after proceeding about 400 or 500 yards,
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we saw some huts and a tent to the right of the path, and afterwards, to our surprise, found it was Titokowaru’s sleeping place. Of course there was no one inside, the shots that had been fired having warned them.
“Following sharp on the track, we crossed a creek, and on rising the opposite bank we received a sharp fire. As fast as possible I got the men formed up and returned it. In a very few minutes we were fired upon from front, right and rear, but except within the palisading in the clearing in our front we could see no enemy. In examining the place more closely, I found we were at the rear of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, and not at Rua-aruru, and that a new stockade had been erected and the old one rebuilt. As I could see it would be impossible to rush, and even if successful, to hold the place, as the enemy were not only occupying, but were round three sides of it, and up in the rata trees, some of which were hollow at the butt, and loop-holed, I determined to collect the wounded, now seven in number, and endeavour to push to my left, the only point that appeared open. There was no track, and the few natives who were with us not knowing one, I directed Inspector Hunter to accompany the wounded with Captain Newland, instructing the latter to keep Honi Papara in view, who had promised to strike a way out. I was obliged to trust to his knowledge of the country, he having lived there for some time.
“I then turned to Major Yon Tempsky and sent Kemp to collect as many of his men as he could, and send them to join Captain Newlaud in front. I then desired Major Von Tempsky to collect the rest of them to form a rearguard and come on at once. I told Captain Gumming to come with me. During the whole of this time the enemy were firing heavily at us in every direction. Our way had to be cut through supple-jacks and undergrowth, which with the eight stretchers we now had, was a work of toil and difficulty. We at length reached the creek that runs through Te Maru, but still no track. “Presently the news was brought to me that Major
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HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
You Tempsky, Captain Buck, Captain McDonnell, N.C., and Lieutenant Hunter were shot dead, but just then Captain McDonnell came up and said that Major Von Tempsky, Captain Buck and Lieutenant Hunter were killed, and that he had told Lieutenant Hastings that the only chance was to carry out the orders that had been, given to Major Von Tempsky at once. His reply was, ‘Captain Buck is senior,’ and that he would consult him. Captain McDonnell then went to see Captain Buck, but found he was killed, and the enemy by this time in possession of the place where the bodies of Major Von Tempsky, Captain Buck and two men lay. He returned then and pointed out to Mr Hastings the necessity of retiring. The fire at this time was very heavy from the front, rear, and right, and from the tops of the rata trees. He then followed on my trail with eight natives and ten Europeans, and reported as above.
“I had now with me about 80 men, including natives —hardly sufficient to carry our wounded, now increased in number, and to keep down the fire on our right. Knowing that a large proportion of the force was in the rear, and several good officers, I moved on, feeling sure they were covering our retreat, but I presently found that the enemy had got between us, and it appears from what Sub-Inspector Roberts tells me, that soon after Captain McDonnell had left, the Hauhaus succeeded in completely surrounding the rearguard, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that they cut their way through them. The Hauhaus then left him (as he struck to the left further into the bush), and came after us, just before we struck the main track leading into Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. Captain McDonnell meanwhile had taken up a position at Te Maru to keep our front open; our wounded had by this time increased to 12, who had to be carried, besides several who had been hit, but could walk. The men in our party worked hard, but were so done up as to require every persuasion and advice I and my officers could think of to keep the majority from abandoning the
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wounded. One man was killed and I had to leave him, Dr. Best being badly hit in going to ascertain his state. The doctor had to be carried off on rifles, having no more stretchers with my party.
“The natives now swarmed in our rear, and kept up a heavy fire, which I was obliged to return only occasionally, as my ammunition was very short; Captain Gumming and myself loading and firing now and then, and 1 was afraid the enemy might have got round to the crossing of the Waingongoro River before I could reach it. We attained the opening at Ahipaipa just at dusk; here we received a parting volley from the enemy. They followed on yelling, and commenced a war dance in the open ground out of the bush. I caused my men to cheer and give them a volley, which I think took effect, as their dance ended rather abruptly, and they did not molest us any more. I may state that for some time I had not heard any distant firing, and therefore, concluded the remainder of the force had got in advance of me. I pushed across the river and found a few of the friendly natives holding the crossing. We got the men and wounded safely across, and reached camp about 10 p.m. A mixed party of natives and European, the latter numbering about 80, had arrived before me, and reported that all the officers had been killed or wounded and left behind, myself included.
“On roll being called, I found that Sub-Inspector Roberts, Captain Palmer, Lieutenant Hastings and Ensign Hirtzell, with about 80 men and four natives, were still absent. I caused three rockets to be fired, and sent a party to the heights above the river, and they sounded bugles, but no response was heard. Being satisfied that I could do nothing until daylight, the officers and men exhausted —I had arranged to start the natives to hunt up the missing men in the morning, and just as they were about to start, a party was seen approaching the camp, which proved to be Sub-Inspector Roberts, Ensign Hirt-
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Memorial to the pioneers. The late Mr. C. E. Gibson, of Normanby, after planting an oak tree on the Waihi Road near Winks’ Crossing. The late Mr. J. E. Campbell is on the left and Mr. C. R. Honeyfield, of Patea, is on the right.
Heroes of the Maori wars of 1868. Top left: Major Von Tempsky. Right: Colonel McDonnell. Bottom left: Captain Buck. Bottom right: Privates Campbell and Dore.
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
sell, and 62 men, with four natives, who reported Captain Palmer and Lieutenant Hastings as having been killed.
“I enclose the statement of Sub-Inspector Roberts of what took place from the time he became senior officer of the rearguard. It is, I feel, a most difficult task to do justice to the conduct of the brave officers I have had the honour to command on this occasion. I simply say they did their duty like Englishmen; their gallant conduct under a most galling fire, their inspiring and cheerful demeanour to encourage men when wearied, exhausted, and almost giving up, saved many lives and commanded respect and obedience in situations rarely exceeded for difficulty and danger; and I feel confident that if Major Von Tempsky or Captain Buck had lived a few minutes longer I would not have had to regret for ever the loss of so many gallant comrades, whose services at this time the colony so much required. The conduct of the men was excellent, until they found the enemy was in force on all sides, when some of them became dispirited, but the noble example of many of their number, with the assistance of the officers and non-commissioned officers, helped to instil fresh heart, notwithstanding that seven hours’ scrambling through dense forests had almost exhausted them before they reached the enemy.
“Of the conduct of the Kupapas I can speak highly; I never saw them behave better. Kemp, Power, and their small party with us, and the guide Hororapara, deserve the special thanks of the Government. The services of Ngatiapa, under Hunia, Hakiki, Pirimona, Peete, Hunter and others in assisting Europeans through the bush when cut off from us, I consider deserve to be recognised by the Government. The five men who remained with SubInspector Roberts, when they might have left him and party to their own resources, are Hakaru, Tarei, Te Waikuine, and Waikitoa or Pita, and the men were so grateful for the conduct of the Kupapas that they subscribed some money and presented it to them.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
“Amongst the non-commissioned officers and men whose conduct deserves special notice were SergeantMajor Scannell (for whom I would be grateful if the Government would do something in the Armed Constabulary), Sergeant Davey, No. 2 Division, A.C., who got up a tree and fired at the enemy; Sergeant Bennett, No. 3 Division, A.C.; Corporal Cahill, No. 3 Division A.C.; Constables Ready, Kelly, Perry and Quigley, No. 3 Division A.C.; Sergeants Anderson and Toovey, No. 5 Division A.C.; Corporal Boyd, No. 5 Division A.C.; Sergeant Fleur, Wellington Rangers; and Volunteer-Sergeants Livingstone, Blake and Pope.
“And now, in conclusion, I would beg strongly to' represent to the Hon. the Minister for Colonial Defence the fact that the natives who accompanied me, and who, it is known, killed 15 of the enemy, yet themselves suffered no loss —not even a man wounded —and this, I trust, will prove that to fight natives successfully in a bush every tree and track of which is known to them, requires men who have been long and carefully trained to such difficult work. Instead of my men dispersing and taking cover, they could not be prevented from huddling together in small lots, affording a good target to the enemy. My efforts, and those of my officers, were in most cases almost without effect in convincing them of the mistake they were making. Though willing and anxious to do their duty, their short training had not been sufficient to teach them how.
“Mr. Pringle, late of the 18th Royal Irish, accompanied the expedition as a volunteer. On the way back I desired him to take charge of some men, which he did in such excellent manner that I promised him, on the field, to recommend him for a commission in the force. I beg to enclose a list of my casualties, which, I deeply deplore, are very heavy, but I am satisfied those of the enemy are much heavier. The Kupapas killed 15, and the known killed by the Europeans was 13, making a total of 28. This does not include the loss they must have suf-
129
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAIN
fered when we were fighting our way out.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Thomas McDonnell,
Lieutenant-Colonel.
(N.B. —I omitted to mention that Father Holland again accompanied the force and shared the same dangers. He also assisted to carry the wounded with my party, and his example was a great incentive to my men to persevere. For fear there might be any mistake, I regret to have to state that the dead had all to be left behind.—McDonnell, Lieut.-Colonel.)
A marginal note accompanying the report read as follows
“The whole of the force was under Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell, No. 2 Division, A.C., 16 men; Patea Rifle Volunteers, 14 men, under Captain Palmer; No. 5 Division, A.C., 50 men, under Sub-Inspectors Brown and Roberts; the Wellington Rifles, 45 men, under Lieutenants Hastings and Hunter; Taranaki Volunteers, 26 men, under Lieutenant Rowan; Waihi Volunteers, 2 men; total, 142 men. This detachment was under the command of Major Von Tempsky; Dr. Walker as surgeon. The following companies were under the command of Inspector Hunter: No. 3 Division, A.C., 32 men, with Sub-Inspectors Newland and Young; Wellington Rangers, 65 men, with Captain Buck, Lieutenant Pookes and Ensign Hirtzell; Patea Y.C., 11 men, with Captain O’Halloran; Dr. Best as surgeon; total 108; chiefs and men, Kupapas, 110 men, with Captain McDonnell.
“Casualties.—Killed: No. 3 A.C., Corporal Russell, Constable Elkin, Constable Hennessey, Constable Hart; No. 5, A.C., Major Von Tempsky, Constable Gilgan, Constable Davis, Constable Farram; 'Wellington Rangers, Lieutenant Hunter and Lieutenant Hastings, Private Dove, Private Hughes; Wellington Rifles, Captain Buck, Corporal Lumsden, Private Grant; Taranaki Volunteers, Private Deekson; Patea Rifles, Captain Palmer.
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Wounded. —No. 2 A.C., Constables O’Brien, Houston, O’Connor and Burke; No. 3 A.C., Constables Hogan, Walton and Fulton; No. 5 A.C., Sergeant Toovey, Constable Shanahan; Wellington Rangers, Privates Genniskin, Harris, Caldwell, McManus and Goddard; Wellington Rifles, Corporal Walden, Privates Griffiths, Loder and Tansey; Taranaki Volunteers, Lieutenant Rowan, Privates Wells, Hamblyn, Melvin, Holloway, Hyland and Flynn.” The statement of Sub-Inspector Roberts read as follows;
Camp Waihi, Sept. 9, 1868.
“Sir, —I have the honour to report for your information that after the retreat commenced I consulted Captain Buck, commanding the Wellington Rifles, who was the senior officer in the rear, whether we could take the dead. We concluded it was not possible. Immediately after this Captain Buck was shot whilst assisting to bring out a wounded man. I then sounded the halt and officers call, and tried to form the retreat into some order. Whilst doing this I took some men with me to bring in the bodies of Captains Buck and Palmer. Whilst so engaged Lieutenant Hastings, Corporal Russell and four men were killed. Lieutenant Hastings I felt a severe loss, he proving himself a cool and efficient officer. Even after being hit, he requested Ensign Hirtzell to hide the circumstances from the men, dreading to create a panic. Corporal Russell’s death also proved to me a severe loss, his services being most efficient, doing his duty coolly and bravely throughout. Having got the men extended, I recommenced my retreat, trying to form a junction with you. Failing in this, I pushed for the Waingongoro; halted at dark in the bush, and quietly remained until 2 a.m., when the moon was sufficiently high to give me light and guidance through the dense bush. I was not again attacked by the enemy, and arrived in camp about 8 a.m. on the Bth. I succeeded in bringing 10 wounded men with me. Unfortunately, one man, just expiring, I had to leave behind. I wish to bring to your notice the great assistance I received from Ensign Hirtzell all
76
On the historic Marae of Parihaka. The tomb of the prophet, Te Whlti, who died in 1904, and the granite column to his memory. At the base of the column are stored valuable ornaments and greenstone, visible through glass panels heavily barred.
HISTOKY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
through this trying march, and beg to mention the cool and gallant conduct of Volunteer-Sergeant Livingston, to whose untiring efforts I owe in a great measure my being able to bring the wounded through the bush; as also Sayte, Anderson, Toovey and Fleur, who were conspicuous for the assistance they gave me. I must also bring before your notice the valuable assistance of five of the native contingent as trackers in my retreat through the bush.
“I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
I. ROBERTS,
Sub-Inspeetor, No. 5 Division, A.C.”
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HIS TOBY OF HAWEBA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTEE VIII.
Parihaka and Peace
CARRY in March, 1869, Titokowaru established himself at Otautu on the left bank of the Patea River, and here he gathered most of his people. At this point they were attacked by a force under Colonel Whitmore, and the natives relinquished the battle when their ammunition was exhausted. Half-starved, they made off in the direction of Whakamara, where they found many pigs and other food supplies, but they were not left in peace by the pakeha forces. Titokowaru and his force abandoned their camp without attempting a defence, and made no halt in their flight until they reached an old refuge-place, Rimatoto, near the bank of the Tangahoe River.
The chase from Whakamara was one of the most arduous of the whole campaign. The pursuing force was commanded by Major Kepa, it being the first time in the history of the wars that European officers volunteered to serve under a Maori officer. Kepa’s efforts were successful, Titokowaru’s power being finally broken by the ruthless methods adopted by the Maori commander. The Hauhau leader and his people retreated and took refuge in the country bordered by the Ngaere swamp, and finally beyond Waitara.
Thus was brought to a close the war in Taranaki. For a number of years there were various “incidents,” mainly the result of passive resistance on the part of the natives, but there was no further outbreak of hostilities. All through the campaign many of the Maoris remained loyal to the pakeha cause, and many gave their lives fighting on the side of the colonial troops. Among these were a company of Kupapas under the command of Major Kepa, and their valuable assistance was recognised on all sides. Many of the deeds of gallantry by the pakeha under fire were emulated by the loyal Maoris under similar conditions. With the close of the war
7S
mSTOEY OF lIA WEE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
many of the vacant sections in South Taranaki were taken up and thereafter settlement began in earnest. A few of the military settlers’ grants were never taken up, and these ultimately became the property of occupants who paid the rates ■on them for a certain number of years.
Practically all the open country between the Patea and Waingongoro Rivers was soon occupied by European settlers, but none had the hardihood to settle across the Waingongoro, where native guards in the employment of the Government were stationed to warn off trespassers.
The cause of peace was immensely strengthened at this time by the good offices of Hone Pihama, who, seeing far into the future, and feeling that the time must come when the Europeans would predominate, convened a meeting of the still fractious element at Manawapou, and counselled them, in the interests of the preservation of their race, to accept and pursue peace.
After the wars of the sixties, Cameron’s campaign, Chute’s campaign, and Titokowaru’s war, the Government sought to open up the lands between the Waingongoro River in South Taranaki, and the Hanga-tahua, Stony River, in North Taranaki. The inevitable pakeha road was necessary, nnd this naturally became a bone of contention. The attempt at pakeha settlement was the root cause of the ploughing and fencing. The ploughing consisted of parties of Maoris ploughing up the land of the white settlers as a protest against their occupation of the lands of their ancestors, while the fencing consisted in parties of Maoris erecting a fence as an obstacle to the pakeha road. Again and again ploughing parties made their protest, and again and again these parties were sent to the pakeha prisons. Again and again fences erected on the pakeha roads were removed, only to appear again the following morning. There was no war; but only passive resistance.
Thus, in the late seventies, before peace finally came to the frontier, there was the great era of pakeha block-houses and redoubts in Taranaki. Some, of course, were built earlier, such as Turuturu-mokai, and the Hawera block-house, but it was as late as 1879 that the Tokaora block-house was erected.
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HISTOEY OF HAWK I; A AND THE \V AIM ATE PLAINS.
The local settlers had banded together for their mutual protection and had declared the Hawera Republic, with the late Mr. James Livingston as president—evidence of the anxiety of the settlers of those days. Mr. Livingston’s home was at Waipapa, where for a time the armed settlers were billeted. A guard was mounted, and a flag was flown over the homestead, and as a result of the ploughing the Tokaora redoubt was built.
This redoubt was a stronghold of some importance. There was a thick earthern rampart with a wooden door, the side timbers of which were very heavy. The rampart was surrounded by a trench some four to five feet in depth by the same width, 'and the door was so fitted that when it was let down it served as a bridge over the trench. The rampart was fitted with loop-holes lined with heavy timber, in this respect being superior to the old Turuturu-mokai redoubt, which had neither loopholes nor sandbags. The redoubt was approximately 20 yards square, with flanking bastions in diagonally opposite corners, while the door faced the Waingongoro River.
Meanwhile, the assembly of disaffected natives at Parihaka continued to increase in numbers with infinite faith in the protecting power of Te Whiti. Possibly it was because of this power that Hiroki, who had killed McLean, a member of the surveying party at Moumahaki, went to Parihaka. The Queen’s writ did not run at Parihaka; yet in the end the Queen’s justice overtook Hiroki, in spite of the mana of the prophet.
Parihaka, then, was a centre of unrest. The question was how long that state of affairs would be permitted to continue. Certain ill-advised and inflammatory speeches added to the difficulty, and finally the Government of the day decided to make an end of the settlement as a plague spot in troubled Taranaki. The investment of Parihaka on November 5, 1881, was the outcome.
At a meeting at Parihaka on September 21, 1881, Te Whiti delivered a long speech with more than his nsual earnestness, his words being listened to with close attention by the natives. Indeed, his power of eloquence was so great
so
HISTOEV OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
at times that he wrought upon the feelings of his people to a high degree as to make them intensely excited, although they remained profoundly still. Te Whiti spoke as follows;
“This is the September meeting, but it is unlike other September meetings; the aspect of things is greatly changed. Hitherto, I have carried your troubles on my back. I have done this as long as I can, but now you must act for yourselves. The Government say the land is theirs and I say the land is mine. I do not speak of the small pieces here, but I speak of the whole of the world. I do not care for the Governor, nor for the King; and now I say to you, carry on everything for yourselves until the trouble is over.
“The pakanga (war) commenced at Waitara; then there was the ploughing, then there was the fencing, and then you were taken prisoners. That time is all passed. The Government has returned you here, and you must not be taken prisoners again. I see nothing but trouble, trouble, trouble before me. Talking has been going on for years, but it has come to nothing. We were alone here—we were by ourselves; but now we have enemies all around. The land question is all settled; it is settled now. The pakanga has not all been settled. The fighting has been hanging over you for a long time. The King and the Government are close to you, but don’t be alarmed. The fighting must come. If my hand is wrong to-day, my thoughts are wrong. What I have said to you at former meetings was correct. This day I say we will talk about fighting—nothing but fighting. All I said formerly was right. lam the land, and all the people are in my hand. All the evil which formerly existed in the land is upon us. All our talk to-day is of fighting, and nothing is now left but to fight. The peace that existed has passed away; there is no peace now. You have tried to keep the peace, but were not allowed.
“Whatever you do, be not boastful, for the Atua looks on all you are doing. All that I said before was on account of the land, which is dearer to us than life, but
SI
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
the stranger has come and settled on it and we are driven off what is our own. The evil of the world is loose now amongst us, and there is nothing to stop it but to fight. Let the Government and the King and the people listen to the words of this meeting. Let them take heed what I say; let them depart from the land. Let them cease to bring their evil to us, for so sure as they do, will that great tribe melt away. I do not say whether it will be by guns or anything else, but that great tribe will melt away before you.
“This meeting alone can settle the matter between the two tribes. Go, all of you, and look upon me as your protector. Take your arms and the blessing of the Atua be with yon. Although this meeting may look insignificant in the eyes of the pakehas, still we are doing what is right in our defence. I am disquieted and vexed with today’s work, for it is merely the talk of my lips. Go you all on with your land work. All will yet be straight.
“When I said formerly that there would be no more fighting, it was the Atua who made me utter the words. Our time is now come when suffering must be broadcast over the land. It is only talk to-day, but I send for the pakanga on to the land to-day, on to the land sold by the Governor. If, when pakanga goes on to the land, they strike you with a stone; likewise, if they hit you with their hand, strike you thus yourselves. If they bring guns, take your guns likewise. If the pakehas come to say it is the Governor’s land, and lift hands to defend it. strike them down. These are my words; Atua puts them into my mouth.”
Tohu then rose in his place and said
“I have little to say to-day. All my teaching has been on former occasions. To-day the talk is of pakanga and nothing else. Both tribes, whites and Maoris, have been living together quietly till the pakehas came with their evil close to us. We have warned them before, but that is all past now. First there was the ploughing, then the fencing, and then the imprisonment. All that is ka mate (calm) to what is to come. There will be nothing
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HISTOEY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
but death for Maoris and whites to-day, and for the generations to come. Listen, all of you, listen to my words. Pakanga, pakanga, pakanga, this is what the talk is today. Our tribes will go on the land of our forefathers to tautohetohe (contend one with another) with the Governor, the King, and the whites; for they have taken possession of what is ours, and what we will not part with. I say to all we will not give up the land till the Governor, the King, and the whites have swallowed us up. You are not fighting for the small pieces of land, but for the whole of it.
“We have talked before of peace, but all that is past now. It is not so; and the taking of it has raised the pakanga over the land. The Atua approves of what we are doing. It comes from Him what lam saying. Things have been quiet for a long time, but that has passed away. Those who have greenstones or taiahas. let them look to them for their safety. All the troubles are centred in this generation, so that future generations may be safe from them. They have been caused by enemies of yours, and the evil is centred in this day’s proceedings. What Te Whiti says to-day is all talk. Pakanga is on us all who wish fighting to come this way. You who are far off, come this way. All I have to say is to fight and kill. Don’t save anyone. Destroy all before you. It may be dark to-day, and many think it will be fine to-morrow. Who can make all right? What I say is that all the land is ours. The name of it to-day is pakanga. Let it all stick to you what I say. lam done for to-day.”
Te Whiti, rising again, said: “Every year we have been talking; the Atua talks to-day. It is different to-day. You will stretch yourselves over the land and hold it. If there were thousands at Pungarehu, the banks of the redoubt would be a sepulchre for them. The land to-day is in my hands, and those on it will all fall—thev will all perish ”
These utterances gave rise to considerable concern throughout Taranaki, general opinion being summed up in the leading article of the “Hawera Star” of September 21, the day the statements were published.
S3
HISTOBY OF HAWEHA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
‘ ‘ The news from Parihaka is of a disquieting nature, ’ ’ stated the article. “What may come of it is hard to say. One thing is certain, that if a shot is fired in anger the settlers throughout the district will rise to a man to defend their homes, and to put an end to the long-continued and harassing doubts about Maori disturbances, which have hung like a cloud over the district for years, and have seriously interfered with its progress. A war would be a calamity, and would mean ruin to very many struggling settlers, but even a war would not be an unmixed evil.”
In view of the alarming character of the speeches delivered at Parihaka a number of settlers met at Manaia and forwarded a request to the Government that arms should be supplied to the district. Those who assembled at the meeting were in favour of enrolling volunteers, and believed that they could readily enlist at least 50 or 60 well-mounted men and probably from 150 to 200 infantry. Many of the settlers seemed to think that they had been hardly used by the Government, it being stated at the meeting that when the land was sold to deferred payment settlers, the Government made residence compulsory; but after erecting a redoubt, apparently to accommodate about 100 A.C.’s to defend the settlers, as soon as there were any signs of disturbance removed all the force, except about 20, abandoning the Waimate settlers to their own resources. The new settlers seemed quite determined not to quit their farms without a struggle, and even if orders were issued to the white settlers to come in under cover of the redoubt, it seemed very doubtful whether such an order would be obeyed. Most of the Waimate people were agreed that the chances of attack were small, and they still hoped that the constabulary at Pungarehu might be able to intervene and use a strong hand without bloodshed.
A meeting was duly called at Manaia and as a result the Waimate Mounted Rifles came into being, Mr. Martyn being appointed commanding officer. A further resolution at the same meeting agreed to the formation of an infantry corps, a subsequent meeting being held for the pnrpose of swearing
84
Parihaka as it appeared to the force sent to receive Te Whiti’s answer to the Hon. J. Bryce on November 5, 1881,
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
in those who had volunteered and to enrol further volunteers. At the second meeting Major Stapp, officer commanding the Militia of the district, said he had been deputed by the Minister of Defence to enrol volunteers. He also pointed out that the proclamation calling out the militia on active service had never been rescinded, and that all individuals were then actually out on active service. Every man between 17 and 55 years of age, between Waingongoro and White Cliffs, was a soldier. (As a matter of fact this proclamation has never been rescinded, and the Government still possesses the power to call up such men for service by proclamation.)
Major Stapp said the pay for privates would be 2s 6d per day, and that any man who was wounded or disabled would be legally entitled to a pension under the Pensions Act.
A similar meeting was held at about the same time in Hawera, and after a lengthy discussion 63 men enlisted in the Hawera Volunteer Corps, Mr. I. Bayly being elected Captain, Mr. W. T. Watts lieutenant, and Mr. R. Nolan sub-lieutenant. Similar action was taken in other parts of the district, and general preparations were placed in hand in the event of trouble ensuing out of the Parihaka meeting.
The opinion that the steps of the settlers in forming volunteer corps for the defence of their homes was considered justified when a further outbreak of ploughing occurred at Otakeho, Mr. Hunter’s property being the venue. The Maoris who belonged to the kainga at Otakeho had, ever since the second land sale, said that they would not give up possession of a cultivation adjoining a small reserve there because they wanted to use it. Mr. Prosser, the late owner of the land, was asked by them whether they could put in a crop, and he did not refuse to allow them. Mr. Adam Hunter then bought the land from Mr. Prosser and he told the Maoris that he would not allow them to cultivate the patch, but during his absence they proceeded to plough the cultivation, which contained about four acres.
When this became known, Mr. Hunter was informed, and the Native Minister (Hon. Kolleston), accompanied by Major
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA ANT) THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Parris and Mr. Martyn, visited the cultivation and found about half a dozen Maoris there. Those who were ploughing were Tarawhiti, Tairua, Te Kepe, and Tairua-Kena, the latter being a returned prisoner and a brother-in-law of Titokowaru, having married his sister. The Maoris were warned to leave off ploughing, and they stated they were prepared to give a share of the crop to Mr. Hunter, but they must cultivate it as they had no other land fenced in. However, they stopped ploughing about an hour later and went to Manaia.
On the following morning Mr. Hunter interviewed the Minister and Mr. Rolleston said that if Mr. Hunter wished the Maoris removed the Government would remove them. Mr. Hunter replied that the deferred payment settlers could hardly be expected to remain on their lands under the circumstances, but the Minister declined to mix up a question of residence with that of Maori trespass.
Finally, Mr. Hunter agreed that if the Maoris would promise to give him one-third of the crop as rent for the land they should be allowed the use of it for the season. Mr. Hunter and Captain Wilson then returned to the section and the natives agreed to accept the terms, Tairua-Kena being the only one to oppose the acceptance of the terms, but finally he, too, agreed.
A week later news reached Manaia that the Maoris had again turned out in force with three or four ploughs at Otakeho and had commenced to plough some land. The section on which they had commenced work was believed to belong to Mr. Coxhead, and as soon as the Manaia settlers heard of it, a number agreed that they should go in force and turn off the intruders as trespassers.
Before proceeding to the scene of action they sent a messenger to Captain Gudgeon asking him whether he would agree to be present simply in his capacity as a Justice of the Peace and not as Captain commanding the A.C.’s. Before replying definitely, Captain Gudgeon sent up a special messenger who, on his return, reported that the Maoris believed they were ploughing up land reserved for them, but if they
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HISTORY OF HAVvEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
had made any mistakes about the boundaries they were quite prepared to leave off if told to do so.
It transpired later that Mr. Coxhead had given them permission to plough, and as the settlers proposed to act as eviction officers only at the request of the owners, the matter was dropped.
A Royal Commission was set up to consider the whole question and this commission recommended that certain reserves be set apart for the people at Parihaka. These recommendations have been considered generous. The reserves were duly offered to the Maoris, provided they let bygones be bygones, and submitted to the Queen’s law. A Proclamation to that effect was issued, and the then Native Minister, Mr. John Bryce, wrote to Te Whiti that he would “call at Parihaka on Saturday, November 5, for a reply.” Te Whiti said, “Let him come! He will find no fortifications.’’
On Guy Fawkes’ Day, 1881, Mr. Bryce duly called at Parihaka for his reply. He was accompanied by over 1,600 armed troops. The pa was surrounded, and a six-pounder Armstrong field gun was placed on a hill commanding the pa. This hill was named Fort Eolleston. The gun position was a very effective one, and may readily be identified to-day. However, no opposition was encountered—the children danced a haka for the troops. Beyond that, 2,500 Maoris obeyed the will of Te Whiti, and sat in sullen silence.
Presently, the reply to the Proclamation was demanded by the messengers. That created a stir. Tohu addressed the people “Be patient and steadfast. Even if the bayonet is at your breast, do not resist!”
After some further parley, an arresting party advanced and took Te Whiti and Tohu prisoners, no opposition whatever being offered to this move. Then the arresting party took Hiroki and handcuffed him. Hiroki was subsequently tried for the murder of McLean, was condemned to death and duly executed —a great blow to the mana of Te Whiti. So confident was Hiroki in the mana of the prophet that he came from out of the crowd when his name was called and gave
87
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
himself up without the slightest hesitation. The news of his execution later came as a great shock to Te Whiti.
The pakeha troops remained at Parihaka for some days. Various buildings were destroyed, and there seems no doubt that there was a certain amount of pillaging, complaints being made that valuable greenstone ornaments were looted by the troops. Cultivations surrounding the settlement were destroyed and, generally, a definite effort was made to terminate the existence of Parihaka as a place of importance.
The history of Te Whiti and Tohu subsequent to their arrest is an interesting one. They were never brought to trial in the Supreme Court, and the reason is not difficult to seek, as there was no charge on which they could be tried. They experienced a species of “honourable captivity,” during which they were taken for a tour of the South Island. Later, when peace in Taranaki seemed assured, they were brought back to Parihaka in March, 1883.
Whatever be the rights or wrongs of the matter, Taranaki owes it to the prophets of Parihaka that there was not bloodshed and war in this province in 1881.
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Mr. Mocre Hunter, First County Chairman.
The late Mr. Albert Muggeridge, County Engineer 1908-37.
Mr. John Winks, Hawera County Pioneer.
Mr. Isaac Bayly, Second County Chairman,
Hawera County Council, 1939. —Sitting (from left to right): Mr. J. W. J. Harding (clerk), Cr. J. Lander, Miss P. Rodgers (typist), Mr. J. B. Murdoch (chairman), Miss G. Duke (assistant clerk), Cr. A. G. Laxcom. Back row: Crs. W. Rothery, T. A. Winks and E. A. Washer (deputy-chairman), Mr. F. Muggeridge (engineer), Crs. G. W. A. Williams and A. E. Linn.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
OHAPTEE IX.
Constitution of Hawera County Council
r JTdF Hawera County Council, although not the oldest County Council in New Zealand, has now reached a period when it can turn the pages back on nearly 60 years of its existence, years that have been full of incident. The county has witnessed the growth of the Dominion of New Zealand from the status of a colony to its present estate of nationhood; it has seen the development of the fertile plains of South Taranaki from the days when fern, flax and bush were the main forms of plant life, and when pigs roamed the same plains in very large numbers, causing inconvenience to settlers. It came into being during the same year as the last incident of the Maori wars, the siege of Parihaka, in 1881, and since that period the County Council has played its part in the development of the southern portion of the province of Taranaki in no small measure.
For nearly 60 years, the Hawera County Council has met regularly each month and has considered the problems of the ratepayers of the particular period. These problems varied according to the age, became acute as time went on, were solved and cast into the background, and the council was ready to face up to the next issue confronting it. These 60 years have been a period of achievement, and to-day the people of South Taranaki hardly realise the amount of time and attention that had to be put into the work of the council during the days gone by before the present high state of perfection was reached with the roads and other public amenities. They also do not fully realise the problem of laying the foundation of these works on a limited revenue; how the early councils were confronted with the problem of'ratepayers in all parts of the district requiring work which was far beyond the limits of the council’s income. To-day, the
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HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ratepayers look around them and say to themselves, “We have got this or that,” and to them it looks good, but they do not pause to consider the difficulties that had to be overcome before these amenities were provided.
To get down to fundamentals as far as the origin of the County Council is concerned, it is necessary to go back to the period prior to 1876 when the provincial form of Government was in existence. In addition to the central Government, with its headquarters in the capital city, each province had its own provincial government, which attended to the needs of its own particular district. The necessity for some amendment to the constitution became evident during the ’fifties and ’sixties, but owing to the fact that the Maori wars were still raging in various parts of New Zealand, mainly in the Bast Coast, Waikato and Taranaki districts, any amendment was not considered feasible at the time. Further, the activities of the members of the House of Representatives were being directed into other channels caused by the war. When peace was secured, opportunity was taken to introduce legislation which was intended to pave the way for the development of New Zealand, and included in this legislation was the Counties Act, providing for the constitution of a certain number of county councils throughout the colony. Taranaki was divided into two counties, one with headquarters at New Plymouth and one with its headquarters at Patea, Hawera being attached to the latter county.
The County Council at Patea received its constitution in 1876, and held its first meeting in January, 1877, a meeting which was attended by members chosen from the Hawera district who became members of the first Patea County Council. The reason for Patea being chosen as the headquarters of the new County Council was probably due to the fact that the township was older and more developed than Hawera was at that period. Further, Patea had been the headquarters of the military units that were operating in the province prior to Titokowaru’s War of 1868, and quite a township had sprung up. In addition there was a larger population than in Hawera; the township was also the distributing point for immigrants who arrived by vessels from other parts of the colony
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to land at the port of Patea and to have the immigration barracks as their first temporary home in the province. All these factors contributed towards Patea being chosen as the headquarters of the new County Council; it was the only logical centre.
Those who were chosen to represent Hawera on the first Patea County Council were Messrs. J. Livingston, John Winks and T. Middlemas, and in later years Messrs. James Davidson, W. J. Furlong, Max D. King, J. W. Partridge, and W. G. Gane served on the council, while Mr. Felix McGuire, later M.H.R. for the district, and a resident of Hawera, was chairman of the council.
Among the matters dealt with during the early meetings of the council were several with direct relation to the Hawera and Waimate districts, and it was on account of the alleged lack of interest on the part of the southern members of the council that it was finally decided to make application to the authorities to have a new county constituted, efforts which were successful during 1881, five years after the Patea County had been constituted.
Among the early decisions of the council were some affecting the future of the Hawera and Manaia districts, including matters appertaining to the sale of the lands of the Waimate Plains and the appointment of officers in connection therewith. An agreement on this question was reached at the second meeting of the council when it was decided to write to the Waste Lands Board, the then controlling authority, requesting the Governor to create the County of Patea as a land district and to appoint an officer at Patea for the conduct of the sale, letting or occupation of waste land in terms of the Waste Lands Act.
Later in the year, further resolutions were adopted concerning the future welfare of the district, the first being that with a view to fully developing the resources of the county, it is advisable that the line of railway from Kai Iwi to Inglewood be proceeded with without delay, the portion from Kai Iwi to Carlye (Patea) to be. if practicable, taken inland. ,r The second resolution was that in the opinion of the council it
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was highly desirable that a considerable portion of the land known as the Waimate Plains should be thrown open for selection on the deferred payment system as provided for by the Taranaki Waste Lands Act. The question of the settlement of the Waimate Plains again came before the council in 1878 when, after a division, the following resolution was lost; “That this council is of the opinion that the stoppage of the survey of the Waimate Plains is inimical to the best interests of this county, and desires to urge upon the Government the extreme advisability of as soon as possible opening up the said land for settlement. Strangely enough, those who opposed this resolution included Crs. Livingston, Davidson and Furlong, Hawera members of the council.
Then came trouble as far as the town of Hawera was concerned, and certain resolutions were rejected by the council, the result of which provided the first signs of a break from the original body, although there is little doubt that the break would have come very soon afterwards. At this particular period the town of Hawera was being formed, and settlers were taking up all the available land in the vieinty, thus forming the nucleus of the later prosperous settlement. In January, 1878, a resolution was submitted to the council suggesting that a certain portion of the county rate received from the town of Hawera be expended in improving the main line of road passing through the town of Hawera. This was followed by an amendment suggesting that the sum of £BO be handed over to the Hawera Town Board to be expended by that body in improving the roads through the township, but both resolution and amendment were lost on a division. In the following month a further motion was introduced by Cr. Davidson, who moved that the sum of £lOO of the rates collected within the town of Hawera be given to the Hawera Town Board for the improvement of the road, but the chairman gave his casting vote against the motion.
Then, in March a motion affecting the route to be taken by the Mountain Hoad after leaving Hawera came under consideration and provoked a dis»ussion that lasted for the greater part of two days of the council’s time. It was finally
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The late Mr, James Livingston, well-known pioneer figure of Hawera
Waipapa,” the Livingston homestead at Tokaora
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
decided that from the corner of Waihi and Ohangai Roads that the Mountain Road should run through the township of Normanby, this being opposed by three councillors, while the balance of the council were in favour of it. This matter occupied attention for the whole of the day on March 5, 1878, and for part of the following day, but after several amendments concerning the preparation of plans were considered, it was finally agreed that the road should be formed to Te Roti.
The matter which caused most of the discussion was a lack of definite information concerning the deviation proposed at Normanby, and several councillors “stone-walled” on that account. At an hour some time after 2 p.ra. on the second day of the session, the council reached an agreement to call tenders for the work. The council then spent the rest of the day and part of the night in considering what reply should be made to the Normanby settlers on the question, a deputation from whom had been received earlier in the year.
Then began a long series of arguments concerning the formation and constitution of road boards, these being matters that finally led to the splitting up of the county area. The first application came from settlers in the Whakamara Block, who asked permission to form a road board, this being declined. Then the settlers in the district between the Manawapou and Tangahoe Rivers made the same request, but this application met with the same refusal.
Within the next year or so the council was faced with a similar application from the settlers on the Waimate Plains, to which reference is made elsewhere in this history.
This application caused more discussion than any other resolution that had been placed before the council to date, and many times the subject was introduced, in a different form each time, before the council finally capitulated. The cause of the Waimate settlers was sponsored by Cr. Gane, who fought his fellow councillors in his typical manner until he finally won his point.
The reason for these road boards was perfectly obvious. The headquarters of the County Council were situated too far from the northern end of the area, and the settlers felt, with
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some justification, that they were not getting what was their due in the direction of attention to their needs. Transit from one part of the province to the other was by no means rapid, and with a preponderance of representation from the southern end of the county area, the Hawera councillors felt that they could not make the progress they desired. Hence the reason for the applications to constitute road boards, and finally the constitution of the Hawera County Council.
In 1876 the Hawera Road Board was formed to administer to the needs of the settlers of that period. The first meeting of this body was held in the store of Mr. James Davidson in High Street, Hawera, and Messrs. J. McMichael, F. Finlayson and T. Middlemas were appointed commissioners, Mr. Davidson being appointed to act as clerk and Mr. J. Southby being appointed auditor. Mr. McMichael was one of the first settlers in this district and farmed, in conjunction with Mr. James Livingston, a large area of land between the AVaingongoro and Waihi Rivers. Mr. Farquhar Finlayson was a later arrival and he selected a tract of land on the Normanby Road next to that owned by Mr. Gideon Inkster, who had owned his section since the Hauhau wars of 1868. The other member of the board, Mr. Middlemas, was one of the first group of pioneers who arrived in South Taranaki after the advance of General Cameron in 1864. He later returned to Canada. Mr. Davidson had arrived from the Turakina district in 1871 and had started a general store in Hawera.
The territory administered by the commissioners was situated between the following boundaries: The Waingongoro River on the west, the Ingahape (or the Manawapou) on the cast, the imaginary line marking the confiscated boundary of native lands on the north, and the sea on the southern side. Prior to the constitution of the Road Board the South Taranaki representatives on the Taranaki Provincial Council were Messrs. Felix McGuire and H. S. Peacock. Mr. McGuire had been in business on this coast since 1870 and later became the first Mayor of Hawera and representative of the district in Parliament.
The board functioned under the direction of the Patea County Council, whose area extended to the Taungatara River,
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
and did so until July, 1881, when Hawera was gazetted as a separate county.
The names of those who served as members of the Road Board during its existence are as follows:—Messrs. G. W. Gane, Illston, Robson, F. Riddiford, J. Morrison, Moore Hunter, Morecroft, Thos. Allen, H. Williams, Treweek, L. Milmoe, W. Wallace, W. Duirs, J. Crocker, Hobbs, D. Buchanan, W. Broderick, 6. McLean, Cosslett Johnson, R. W. Foreman, J. W. Partridge, J. Cowper, J. W. Scott, W. L. England, G. Bamford, A. A. Fantham, Q. Muir, J. Matthews, Charles Quin, Wilson, C. Casey, and W. G. White. These are in addition to those elected at the first meeting and mentioned earlier in this chapter.
Messrs. Gane, Hunter, Morecroft, Riddiford, Morrison, Allen, Scott, Quin and Fantham acted as chairmen at different periods.
Mr. John Twigg acted as engineer to the board for practically the whole of its existence. Later, his brother, Mr. Thomas Twigg, acted as engineer to the Hawera County Council for a long term.
The Hawera County Council was constituted in 1881, and the following notice appeared in the N.Z. Gazette, No. 61, of that year:—
CONSTITUTING COUNTY OF HAWERA, PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF TARANAKI.
L.S.) ARTHUR GORDON, Governor.
A Proclamation.
In pursuance of the powers vested in me by the fourteenth section of “The Counties Act, 1876,” I, Arthur Hamilton Cordon, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council thereof, do proclaim and declare all that area in the Provincial District of Taranaki, bounded towards the north-west from the ocean by the Taungatara River to its source; thence by a right line to the summit of Mount Egmont; towards the north-east by a right line to the source of the Patea River, and by that river to the point where it last crossed the confiscation boundary; towards the south-east by a right line to the source of the
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Manawapou River, and by that river to the sea; towards the south-west by the ocean to the mouth of the Taungatara River, the starting point, being portion of the County of Patea, shall constitute a new county, with the before-mentioned boundaries, under the name of the County of Hawera. Given under the hand of His Excellency the Hon. Arthur Hamilton Gordon, this twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
The first meeting of the Hawera County Council was held at the Hawera Institute on Saturday, December 18, 1881, but Councillors J. W. Partridge and J. Livingston were the only councillors present, and the meeting was adjourned for one week, Mr. Partridge being elected chairman pro tern.
At the second meeting, held on Christmas Eve of the same year, there were present Messrs. Moore Hunter, Inkster, Merchant, Godkin, Livingston, Finlayson, Partridge and Yorke, Mr. Partridge taking the chair.
The first business was that of the selection of a chairman, Mr. Hunter being elected after Messrs. Livingston, Yorke and Partridge had declined. Mr. Hunter at first declined to accept nomination, but he finally agreed after the other gentlemen had also refused.
It was then decided that the chairman should write to the Patea County Council requesting that a balance sheet be prepared showing the receipts and expenditure for the year ending September 29, 1881, when the Hawera County was constituted, and showing also the assets and liabilities of the Patea Council at that date. The Hawera Council was prepared to meet the Patea Council to apportion the assets and liabilities as provided by the 21st clause of the Counties Act, 1876, as soon as the balance sheet was prepared, and as convenient to the Patea County Council.
The council then agreed that the chairman should communicate with the Road Boards within the county asking if they would co-operate with the council in the repair of main roads within their respective districts and, if so, to request them to forward not later than January 14 a detailed estimate of works most urgently required on those roads.
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It was agreed that Crs. Livingston, Yorke, Marchant and Partridge be appointed a sub-committee to draft by-laws for the conduct of business at meetings of the council. The dog tax within the county was fixed at 10/- for each dog, with no exceptions. The chairman and Crs. Yorke and Livingston were requested to draw up conditions for the guidance of the dog-tax collector and to call for tenders for the right of collecting the tax in each riding or throughout the whole county.
The chairman was authorised to obtain a minute book, stationery and a seal, and with Cr. Yorke was instructed to interview the several banks in Hawera in order to ascertain the terms on which they would transact the business of the county.
At the second meeting of the council, held on January 14, 1882, the Ngaere, Waimate and Hawera Road Boards advised that they were willing to co-operate in the matter of main road repairs as requested at the previous meeting. Considering the estimates, the council estimated that at a full rate of one shilling for the year, the income would be: Ngaere £6O; Waimate £400; Hawera £BOO. Licenses would be: Waimate £75, and Mangawhero £25. Dog tax was estimated to produce £l5O (300 dogs), and subsidies, calculated on a rate of one shilling for six months, were estimated to amount to £3lO, giving the council a total revenue of £1,820.
The condition of the road between Hawera and Normanby at this time was a matter that gave the settlers some cause for concern on account of the fact that in some places it was almost impassable. When the matter came under the consideration of the council it was pointed out that the gravel which had been put on would probably be trodden through unless repairs estimated at £750 were not done at once, this being the advice tendered in the foreman’s report. Accordingly, the council agreed to write to the Minister of Public Works, and also to Major Atkinson, Prime Minister, urging that the road be put in a proper state of repair at once. At the same time the council agreed to contribute the sum of £lOO towards the cost of the work, as well as to supervise it. The question of revenue was another matter that was of great interest to the settlers of that period, and the ratino-
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question was just as serious a matter as it is to-day. During the early years the bulk of the revenue came from rates; in fact, it might be said that there were few other sources from from which it was derived, and naturally the amount was a matter of more than passing interest. It was at this second meeting of the council that the first rate was struck, or rather, that the council gave notice of its intention to strike a rate. The decision was to levy a rate over all rateable property in the county of one shilling in the £ for the period commencing October 1, 1881, and ending on March 21, 1882, such rate to be payable on February 16, 1882. The chairman and Cr. Yorks were asked to submit the resolution to a solicitor in order to ascertain the legal powers of the council.
The first hospital to be erected in Taranaki was the one at New Plymouth, and for many years patients were sent from all parts of Taranaki to that institution. As the years passed each centre established its own hospital, and thereafter attended to its own patients, collecting the revenue by means of a special rate levied over certain defined areas.
In 1881 Hawera was not provided for in the matter of hospital accommodation, and steps were taken by the County Council to remedy this defect. As the nearest and, as stated, the only hospital in Taranaki was at New Plymouth, patients from this portion of the province had to be sent there, and this raised the question of cost. The matter in the first instance was referred to the chairman to take action, and he was instructed to enquire of the New Plymouth hospital the terms under which patients from the county would be admitted.
The County Council, too, at one time was the responsible body for the administration of charitable aid, now administered by hospital boards, and it was not uncommon for applicants to be examined at some length at meetings of the council. The council was also held responsible for the payment of hospital fees, and the early minutes of the council contain many references to this question, particularly the ability of some people to pay, and further, what class of person should receive hospital treatment. Some of the resolutions passed when considering such a subject were rather drastic
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considered in the light of present-day amenities, but in the early years, when finance was such a problem in view of the fact that so much country had to be opened up at considerable expense, it can be readily understood that the councillors had to be careful of the manner in which they spent their revenue.
In all parts of South Taranaki the scarcity of gravel was a matter which gave some concern for a number of years, and it is of interest to note that this problem later led to the establishment of a railway line to Mount Egmont, the junction of the line with the main track being at Waipuku, between Tariki and Midhirst. The Patea County Council was so concerned over the question that it offered a reward of £5 to any person giving information as to the whereabouts of gravel that could be worked in payable quantities. In the Hawera County area it was considered that gravel could be obtained in payable quantities in certain localities, and the council decided to request the Minister of Public Works to send a qualified person to inspect and report on the relative merits of the gravel in the Waingongoro and Mangawhero pits before the council laid rails to either. The Waingongoro Elver later formed the basis of the council’s supply of gravel, and many of the roads received their early formation with metal from that source. When the tramway proposal came under consideration in 1908 the cartage of gravel from the beach to the main road was one of the reasons advanced in its favour.
Present-day councillors, in common with representatives serving on other local bodies, receive travelling allowances according to a scale laid down in the Act, but when this matter first came up for consideration, the council had no precedent to guide it. It was considered fair, however, that each councillor should receive 10/6 per day, and this was agreed to by resolution in 1881.
The first contact between the Hawera County and the Hawera Borough Councils came as the result of the formation and maintenance of the roads forming the borough boundary, the object of a resolution on the subject being to decide which one of the bodies should have control, each to bear a proportion of the cost of formation and the subsequent maintenance.
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HISTORY OP HAWEHA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
At the time of the passing of the resolution, January, 1882, the Hawera Road Board was in existence, and that body was asked to make the necessary arrangements with the Borough Council. In the closing years of the ’eighties, this question was the subject of litigation between the borough and county councils, it being held that one body was responsible for more than “fair wear and tear.” However, the matter was finally settled in an amicable manner.
It was at the same meeting that the first mention was made of a county clerk, a resolution being carried authorising the calling of applications for the office of clerk to the council at an annual salary of £4O. On February 22 of the same year, Mr. G. V. Bate was appointed to the position at a salary of £5O per year.
The question of the main road through Normanby again came before the council in May, 1882, when Messrs. C. Quin and C. E. Gibson waited on the council with a request for a subsidy for repairing it. It was agreed, on the motion of Crs. Inkster and Yorke, that the sum of £45 be granted to the Normanby Town Board for gravelling the main road within the boundary of the town distinct. It was apparent from this resolution that the road for which repairs were sought from the Minister in the previous year was not affected, and had probably been attended to in the meantime.
Town boards within the county district were given a further source of revenue by a resolution passed at the next meeting of the council whereby it was decided that the council hand over to them all publicans’ licenses which may accrue from licensed houses within town districts, and also to hand over an equitable share of any auctioneers’ licenses which the council may receive. This procedure has been amended in recent years, and the general procdure at present is for the local body collecting the revenue to retain it.
During the same year, 1882, the Egmont Racing Club was in process of formation, although races had been held near Hawera and Manaia at dates earlier than this. They were, however, more or less unorganised meetings, and the question of a site for racecourse had not been definitely agreed upon. The Egmont Racing Club had obtained a reserve at Mokoia
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The late Sir Harry Atkinson, former Prime Minister.
The late Mr. Thomas Middleman, an original Hawera settler.
The late Mr. J. C. Yorke, Member of first council.
The late Mr. James Davidson, a pioneer of Hawera.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAIN’S.
for its use, although it is not thought that race meetings were ever held there. The council decided to advise the club that it had applied for the Mokoia Racecourse reserve to be transferred to the council, but if the authorities were willing to allow the course to be transferred to trustees appointed by the club, the council would be prepared to support the transfer.
Once more the roads came under consideration of the council at a meeting held later in the year, the section on this occasion being that between Otakeho and Opunake. This road had been constructed by Armed Constabulary labour, as had been the case with roads in other portions of the province, but the work had not been completed, the metalling being more or less left undone, or in other ways unfinished. The condition of the road was described as so bad that it was feared it would be almost impassable if it was not gravelled before the following winter, and the council decided to bring this point of view before the notice of the Government for the necessary action to be taken. It was declared that traffic would be stopped altogether unless something were done immediately, and this would cause great inconvenience to settlers on the Waimate Plains, who had bought the land on the understanding that the Government intended to have the formation and gravelling of the road completed during the summer of 1881-82. Further reference was made to the same matter at the meeting of the council in November, 1882, when it was decided that, as money had been voted by the House of Representatives to complete the formation and gravelling of the main road between Otakeho and Opunake, the council urge upon the Government the necessity of proceeding with the work at once, so that the gravel would have time to settle before the winter.
At the same meeting it was proposed to ask the Goverment to have the Ahipaipa, Tawhiti and Auroa Roads proclaimed main roads. It is interesting to note that a similar procedure exists to-day, as local bodies must make application to the Main Highways Board when it is desired that certain routes shall be declared main highways.
The next road to receive consideration was the Mountain Road, and in April, 1883, the council decided to apply to the
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Minister of Public Works for a grant of £l,OOO in order to complete the gravelling of the Mountain Road from the Ngaere station to the boundary of the Stratford township. This application was contingent upon the council receiving from the Ngaere Road Board the necessary plans and specifications and an assurance that one-fourth of the cost would be forthcoming from the board.
Arising out of this resolution the council agreed to pay one-third of the contribution required from the Ngaere Road Board that year out of the £lOO voted for that purpose, and would pay the balance of the £lOO in the following year in the event of the loan being granted. It was also agreed at this meeting that upon the Waimate Road Board satisfying the council that it was willing and able to contribute from £5OO to £7OO towards the cost of gravelling and forming nine main roads within the riding, and would forward plans as required by the Roads and Bridges Act, the council would apply for a grant of from £2,000 to £2,800 under the Act.
At the following meeting the council agreed to forward applications under the Act for the following amounts when plans and estimates were supplied; Ngaere Road Board, £5,900; Waimate Road Board, £5,000; Normanby Town Board, £263.
The fact that the district was becoming denuded of forest owing to clearing and other operations during the ‘eighties was a matter that was discussed by the council with some foresight. It was seen even in those days that the preservation or perhaps replacement of the bush that was being felled was a matter of some importance to the province, a factor that has come before the people of Taranaki very forcibly in recent years. It is of interest to note, too, that each year the Hawera County Council makes a grant to the South Committee of the Egmont National Park Board with the proviso that the money shall be spent on the preservation of the forest on Mt. Egmont, a policy that carries with it an obvious wisdom. When the matter was first discussed by the council in 1883, no such thought existed in the minds of the members of the council other than to secure the replacement of trees being cut down,
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and the portent of the resolution carried was that application should be made to the Colonial Secretary to have the district comprising the counties of Hawera and Patea proclaimed under the Forest Plantings Act, and that copies of the regulations to be observed be sent to the council. Incidentally, the council still retains an afforestation committee as one of its sub-committees.
In order to minimise trouble and expense the council considered the question of co-operating with the several road boards and town boards within its area regarding the collection of county rates, it being decided in 1883 to ask these bodies whether they would be prepared to undertake this duty, and so include all the rates, county and town or road board, in the one demand. However, the replies to the suggestion were not very satisfactory, and at a subsequent meeting the clerk was instructed to collect the rates as hitherto. At the same meeting the salary of the clerk was increased to £75 per annum.
The first mention of a hospital being supported by the general Government of the Colony was referred to at a meeting of the council held on December 6, 1883. There appeared to have been some difference of opinion between the council and the body controlling the New Plymouth hospital, the implication being that the patients from the New Plymouth borough and the Taranaki County were being treated free. The Hawera County, after consideration, expressed a somewhat natural desire to receive the same treatment, and pointed out this fact in the text of a resolution, explaining in support of its argument that no charge for county patients could be made in view of the fact that the hospital was supported by the Government. There is no record of the reply received to this request.
However, the council did not allow the subject to be dropped, although it did not make its appearance in the minutes of the council for several months. It was resolved in May, 1884, that the hospital board be advised that the council was given to understand that patients in the Taranaki County were treated without payment, and while the Hawera County
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was quite prepared to pay the same charge as other local bodies, it objected to being exceptionally charged. The council sought an assurance that this exceptional treatment was not accorded to the Hawera County Council. Three months later the council decided to ask the Taranaki County Council what amount it had paid to the New Plymouth hospital for patients in its county during the year ending March 31, 1884, and admitted by county order. Information was also sought regarding the number of patients and the amount paid for each patient.
These resolutions were duly forwarded to the proper quarter, but the council’s protests were not received with the sympathy that was expected, and this was one of the matters that hastened the provision of a hospital in Hawera—an institution which it was considered could be more directly controlled by the County Council, and so it proved.
The repayment of the loan of £2,000 obtained for the improvement of the road in the Opunake Road special area exercised the minds of the council early in 1884, and it finally decided to give notice for fourteen days that the council would make an annually recurring rate of 3fd in the £ for 10 years to provide for the repayment of the amount raised under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act for metalling the area, the Stratford-Opunake Road.
The completion of the railway line between Hawera and Manutahi became something more than a probability towards the close of 1884, its completion being an established fact less than twelve months later. The completion of this section was to have its effect on the county roads, particularly for the reason that some of the traffic would be removed from road to rail. However, the council was concerned over the then delay in the completion of the line, and it was decided to write to the Minister of Public Works asking whether he was satisfied that there was a strong probability of the line being opened for traffic before May 1 of the following year, as some persons, allegedly with some knowledge of the work, denied that it could be completed before the coming winter. It was important that the council should know whether it would be
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Out with the hounds at a meet in South Taranaki.
The only transport of half a century ago. A team of bullocks on the road with wool from the back country.
Modem development in transport facilities. The Hawera Aero Club s hangar on the Waihi Koad.
HISTOET OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
necessary to provide for the heavy traffic which would be thrown on to the road by the delay in the opening of the railway line. The concern was a very natural one, but, as matters turned out, the line was completed according to schedule and the council’s fears were set at rest.
Prior to the formation of the Hawera County Council, the Hawera Road Board had functioned under the jurisdiction of the Patea County Council, the then controlling local body for the district. When the new county was formed the Hawera Road Board continued to function, but only for seven years, the board going out of existence and the body being merged in the County Council on June 30, 1888. The Waimate Road Board, formed after many lengthy discussions, and some arguments, with the Patea County Council, continued its existence until the formation of the Waimate West County Council in 1908. During the intervening years between the formation of the two new councils, the Waimate Road Board was represented on the Hawera County Council by three members.
It is interesting to note that five years after the Hawera County was constituted, there were records of population and livestock, the increase in which in the years that followed bore a very close relationship to the increases in capital value and improvements. The 1886 county statistics covered an area which amounted to approximately 520 square miles. The population (the figures including the Hawera Borough) was given at 4,732, while there were 61,692 sheep, 36,535 cattle, 3,423 horses, and 5,436 pigs. At March 31, 1939, there were over the same area, 179,421 cattle, 232,310 sheep, 6,928 horses and 25,581 pigs. The latter figures, however, now refer to Hawera, Eltham, Waimate West and Stratford Counties, which in 1886 were part of the Hawera County Council’s area! For the purposes of further comparison the figures for the present boundaries of the Hawera County are as follows: 46,737 cattle, 110,366 sheep, 1,776 horses, and 9,205 pigs.
The growth of the stock during the period referred to is rather remarkable, in view of the fact that the first intentions of the settlers were directed more in the direction of cropping. The most marked increase has been in the cattle and pigs,
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
these being synonymous with the growth of the dairy industry, although the fact that sheep have made such a rapid increase is something which calls for comment in some quarters. During the last 10 years there has been a remarkably rapid growth in the number of pigs, as may be evidenced in the fact that in 1930 there were only 18,900 of these animals in the original area referred to. The reason for this can be traced to the operations of the Pig Marketing Association, which organisation has played an important part in the furtherance of this product in the Home markets, where New Zealand now competes favourably with Denmark and other pork and bacon countries. There has been some comment on the growth of the sheep industry in Taranaki, there being an opinion in some quarters that farmers have been forced to turn from dairy cattle to sheep because of farm labour troubles, which has become one of the problems of the present day. However, during the last 10 years the number of cattle has increased from 103,000 to 179,000, so the contention of those who claim that these figures convey their own answer may have some merit in it.
The valuation rolls of the Hawera County Council of 1888 placed the total capital value of the county at £986,150, while the value of improvements was £264,883. The same figures for 1939 are £2,856,318 and £1,302,923.
Reverting again to the business of the county, the council decided in 1887 to call for plans and specifications for a new bridge over the Tangahoe River on the Main South Road, the proviso being made that totara should be used wherever possible. Apparently two sites were in view at the time, for alternative estimates were required. The council acquired a portion of the land for deviation purposes from Mr. Lysaght, and three months later tenders for the new bridge were submitted to the council, the tender of Mr. Thomas Twigg being accepted. His price was £379 for the timber and extra for the concrete and iron-work, and he undertook to complete the job in three months and did so.
In 1935 the bridge at this locality was swept away in a heavy flood that did an enormous amount of damage through-
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIM ATE PLAINS.
out the district. Some months prior to that flood, preparations were put in hand for the erection of a new ferro-concrete structure over the river, and to provide a deviation which would eliminate the rather dangerous hill, but at the time of the flood this structure was by no means completed. A new bridge was constructed over the river to act as a temporary measure until the other and more portentious bridge was completed, but until this temporary structure was ready traffic was diverted to and from the south round the Ohangai Road.
As stated elsewhere in this history, the early settlers were faced with a serious problem in the wild pigs that roamed the plains over a wide area, the animals being claimed in the main by Maori owners. Prom all quarters there arose a storm of protest at various intervals, and these protests were invariably forwarded to the local bodies throughout the district. The settlers’ protests were made for the reason that their fences consisted of the “ditch-and-bank” formation, and these fences proved a great attraction for the “Captain Cookers,” which were in the habit of rooting underneath them and perhaps destroyed several chains in a day or two. The efforts of the local bodies, the Hawera County Council included, were not very successful in dealing with certain individual Maori owners, and finally a resolution passed through the council that the matter be referred to Hone Pihama with an instruction that he urge his people to remove the pigs to places where they would not do so much damage.
Hone Pihama was regarded as the leading chief of this portion of the province, and most certainly was a man of considerable mana. He achieved a great deal in furthering the cause of peace in Taranaki, and was frequently called upon by the authorities to use his pacific influence. That he was used in other directions is evident from the resolution passed by the County Council in the matter of the depredations of the pigs on the Plains.
Pigs were known to uproot even telegraph poles on the Waimate Plains during the ’eighties, and, as stated elsewhere, the settlers finally took the law into their own hands and shot them down on sight. This created another problem in the
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
form of a protest from the Maori owners, but this only strengthened the cause of the local bodies in bringing pressure to bear on the Maori elders.
As mentioned earlier in this section of the history there arose a difference between the Hawera borough and county councils regarding excessive damage allegedly done to the Main South Road by the Hawera Borough Council in carting gravel for metalling the streets of the borough. This matter came to a head during July, 1888, when it was recorded in the minutes of the County Council that the matter had been settled upon the Borough Council agreeing to pay a certain sum in reparation.
In these days, the question of noxious weeds is a problem that causes a great deal of concern, chief among the weeds being ragwort. For a number of years experiments have been carried out in trying to eradicate what has become a menace on farm lands, and it is now an offence to allow the weed to grow unchecked. Local bodies are granted a certain subsidy to assist them in stamping out the weed, and this is used in the main in the purchase of sodium chlorate, which has been proved effective in killing it. In the early days of the ’eighties, however, ragwort was probably unknown, but the settlers were faced with another weed that might have proved a very serious problem had steps not been taken to prevent its spread. This weed was gorse, which is now comparatively rare in this portion of the province, although there are parts of New Zealand, Taranaki included, where it has gained such a hold as to be almost part and parcel of the countryside.
The County Council first took notice of the matter in September, 1888, when an instruction was given to the foreman to warn land owners and occupiers of land that they must check the spread of gorse throughout the district. In some parts of New Zealand gorse was introduced for the purpose of establishing live hedges, but in Taranaki, boxthorn serves the same purpose. Whether gorse was the first type of live hedge introduced into Taranaki is not now known, but the early settler realised that some form of protection was needed for stock from the winds that blew from the sea and off the moun-
179
Hawera. s First Rutjbv "Ropb- m -in tNewsham, W. H. E. Tabuteau s Lysaght ’ M - Byrne, C. “ r ;^“
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
tain, and to create such a break-wind resulted in the introduction of the African boxthorn. This plant, however, does not become a noxious weed menace.
Boiling-down works were not infrequently found in many parts of Taranaki, even in the days before pakeha settlement had become as marked as it was in the ’eighties. These works were to be found in the Waverley district during the early ’seventies, and old settlers in that district can recall the purchase of a leg of mutton for sixpence, while other parts of a sheep were sold pro rata. Among those who introduced the “industry” in this portion of the province was Mr. J. R. Lysaght, a former member of the Hawera County Council, and a pioneer of the Mokoia district. It was during his term on the council that he established the works, and when the railway was completed between Hawera and Manutahi he conceived the idea of constructing a siding to connect with the works. In order to bring this into effect, he had to obtain permission from the council to carry the siding across the road, this permission being duly granted in November, 1888. by council resolution.
The fact that settlers were beginning to take up sections in the present Awatuna, Te Kiri and Riverlea districts brought forward the question of opening up an access with the towns that were growing rapidly, such as Stratford and Opunake, in addition to Hawera. The present Opunake-Stratford Road was surveyed some time prior to 1889, but it was not until that year that steps were taken to do anything about the formation of the road. In April of that year the foreman was instructed to have a pack-track cut along the line of the road between the Manaia and Auroa Roads, and presumably where they cut the present route. When this was done, the council could then proceed with the preparation of estimates for the completion of the formation of the route, which is now a main ighway although not under the jurisdiction of the Hawera County Council. The council lost control of that particular section when the Eltham County Council was constituted some years later.
It can be readily understood that, with the roads bavin? a more or less shallow foundation, care had to be exercised
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
regarding the class and weight of traffic allowed upon them, and with that intention in view the council took steps to frame by-laws restricting traffic where necessary. When the draft of the by-laws was brought forward in the council meeting there was a very lengthy discussion, each councillor striving to do what he thought was best in the interests of the ratepayers. However, after some discussion, the matter was settled, and the by-laws approved of, receiving the subsequent confirmation of the council. At this particular period, and indeed for many years afterwards the county election was a matter of some importance in the district, and the ratepayers were in the habit of taking the elections very seriously. It not infrequently happened that a councillor who got out of favour with a portion of the ratepayers found himself without a seat at the council table when the election was over. The pioneers took their polities, local body or Parliamentary, more seriously than is the case to-day, and there were times when an election became a very bitter campaign. As far as local bodies are concerned, such tactics have now passed into the background, and in many eases councillors do not have to go to the trouble of an election, but are returned unopposed.
In recent years the unemployment question has become very acute throughout New Zealand in common with other countries, but the fact is not generally known that the problem was particularly acute during the closing years of the last century. During that period, however, there was no Unemployment Board to be approached by any local body in an endeavour to solve the problem, although the Government was not entirely disinterested in the question. It is difficult to estimate a cause of such a problem in these years which are so far distant, but the fact remains that it was a very definite problem, and one which gave the county councils some cause for concern.
Among the steps taken by the Government to relieve an acute situation was to engage the unemployed for public works in the Mangamingi district beyond Eltham, then under the control of the Hawera County Council. The latter body’s desire was that the unemployed men should be used to fell
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HISTORY OF HAVVEEA AND THE IV Alii ATE PLAINS.
the line of road from the Anderson Road to the Tutaeariari Block, and representations were made to the Government on that point in October, 1893. Later, a deputation from the unemployed waited on the council urging the establishment of the co-operative system in count}' works, but this did not meet with the approval of the council, who decided to adhere to their usual system of letting contracts by tender.
It is interesting to note that during the recent years when the unemployment problem became so acute that the Government introduced the co-operative system of work among the men, but whether it was a success or not depends largely on the outlook. For a number of years the County Council has used the unemployed on a number of projects, including the repair of flood damage in 1935, these works being carried out on a subsidy basis. Gradually, however, the men have been released from such activities and are now more or less under the control of the Public "Works Department and employed on undertakings which have produced a certain amount of criticism in recent years. Furthermore, the men to-day receive a wage that was undreamed of when the problem first became acute. In the ’nineties it was considered that a man was well paid at a rate of one shilling an hour; one cannot help wondering how such wages would be received to-day, although, to be quite fair, it must be pointed out that the cost of living in the closing years of the last century was comparable with the wages received.
The unemployment problem was still evident in September, 1894, for at a meeting of the council held during that month a circular was received offering suggestions for the solution of the problem. The circular was not received with open arms, for the decision of the council was that it should “lie on the table.” Evidently the suggestions offered were not considered practicable to men who had a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the district.
The toll-gate question, which was to loom largely in the affairs of the council, and which is fully referred to at a later date in the history when the gate was actually constructed, received its first consideration in December, 1894. The Tara-
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HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIM ATE PLAINS.
naki County Council had a proposal to erect a toll-gate at the bridge over the Taungatara River, which was the boundary between the Hawera and Taranaki Counties, but this project did not meet with the approval of the Hawera Council. Accordingly, the clerk was instructed to advise the Taranaki County Council that it (the Hawera County) disapproved of the scheme entirely. In later years, the Waimate West County Council voiced a similar objection regarding the toll-gate erected by the Hawera County Council at Inaha, but the gate continued to function for nearly 20 years in spite of that objection, which included a Royal Commission’s sitting for a period of four days.
Further evidence of the fact that land was being made available for settlers was produced in August, 1897, when the council decided to ask the Chief Surveyor to have a proposed road down the Tangahoe River opened up in order to tap a large tract of Crown land available in the Omoana and Opaku Blocks. Later, this proposal was given effect to and the Tangahoe Valley Road was surveyed by Mr. 6. H. Bullard and its formation started in 1898. This section of the Hawera County’s area is now devoted mainly to sheep raising, and there are several large holdings in the locality. It will be remembered that the Tangahoe Valley was the scene of considerable damage during the floods of 1935, and some of the settlers there were cut off from Hawera by reason of the fact that bridges and culverts were destroyed by the storm waters of the Tangahoe River. The reading of these back-country areas has always been a problem with local bodies, and even to-day steps are in progress to urge the Government to grant further help to county councils in order to bring about a better condition of affairs. The Patea County Council, which joins Hawera in the south, has a similar problem, and has been dealing with the Minister of Public Works for several years regarding the matter of improvements.
When the county was first formed it will be remembered that the clerk was appointed at a salary of £5O per annum. In 1897, although the clerk’s salary had been increased more than once, it was felt necessary that a further increase should
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
be made, this being due to the fact that the work was becom ing more extensive in scope, and had reached a stage where the clerk’s full time was required. In 1897, therefore, his salary was raised to £l5O per annum, while at the annual meeting in the same year he received a “perk” in the nature of an extra £5 when he was appointed registrar.
The first beginnings of the present extensive plant were established in 1898, when a steam roller was purchased, this being considered a most necessary and useful adjunct to the council s equipment. Later in the year two Champion road graders were purchased and road formation was expedited very considerably as a result.
The steam roller was a familiar sight on the roads for many years, and especially when tar-sealing operations were being carried out in all parts of the county. The roller was a constant source of interest to small boys, in whose minds the engine was a counterpart of George Stevenson’s famous “Rocket,” but to horse drivers the roller was a bit of a problem, especially if the man happened to be driving a young and skittish horse, who sought to shy at the most simple reason. Nowadays, such road-side machinery is passed by the equine family in lofty disdain.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER X
Hawera County in the 20th Century
r pHE previous chapter brought to a close the proceedings of the Hawera County Council up to the close of the 19th century. The council faced the new century with a certain amount of confidence in the thought that the Maori wars were a thing of the past, and the future of New Zealand could be looked forward to with confidence. The Boer War was still raging in South Africa, but the colony was not affected to the same extent as it was to be 14 years later when the Motherland sent out a call to the Dominions to assist her in her hour of need, a call that was answered in a manner that earned the unanimous acclamation of the world. During the first 20 years of the new century New Zealand was to rise to nationhood and, all unconscious of this fact, the members of the County Council went about their duties and perhaps unknowingly paved the way for what was to come later.
Among the first matters dealt with during the first years of the 20th century were subjects of interest to the borough of Hawera, including the cutting up of the Hunter Estate and the introduction of electric light to the district.
When the borough of Hawera, or what later became the borough of Hawera, was first offered for sale, many of the sections were much larger than they are at present, as may be natural to suppose. The sections were offered for sale in various lots, that is, those that were not governed by the legislation covering the military grants in which a soldier received 50 acres of rural land, together with a town section, in return for his military services. Among the sections bought at one of the earlier land sales was one purchased by Mr. Moore Hunter, who later became the first chairman of the Hawera County Council, When the time came for this property to be cut up into smaller sections and offered for auction, it was
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HIS TOE Y OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
necessary that the permission of the council should be obtained in order that a sub-division could be made. The surveyor responsible for the work made formal application to the council in January, 1903, and this was duly authorised. The property now faces Waihi Road, and the site of the original homestead still remains.
In the same year, 1903, electricity as a means of light and power to the general public became an established fact, for in that year the Hawera County Electric Company was formed. The objects of this company were to supply electric current over a certain defined area, and it continued its operations until the formation of the South Taranaki Electric Power Board over 20 years later. The company included among its activities the formation of a dam and weir on the Normanby Road mid-way between Normanby and Okaiawa, this dam being the principal means of supply as far as the company’s electrical energy was concerned. When the proposal to establish the dam was first brought forward the company had to make application to the County Council, and accordingly a deed of grant was executed by a committee of the council, this enabling the company to commence operations. It is of interest to note that the Power Board still makes use of this dam, although not as the principal source of supply. Additions have been made to it from time to time, the most recent being in 1935, when the weir was reconstructed, giving the dam a greater capacity.
At about this period, 1903, the first steps were being taken towards the establishment of technical education in Hawera, this proposal being in line with the general trend in education throughout New Zealand. At first the transaction was intended to be mainly of a manual nature, although there were those who visualised something more like the system that exists at the present time. The adoption of this principle meant the erection of a suitable building, the securing of a suitable site, and the obtaining of necessary equipment for instructional purposes. Much of the revenue was obtained from voluntary sources, these being intended to carry a certain subsidy from the Government, and in common with other
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HISTORY OF HAWERA. AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
local bodies the Hawera County Council fell into line and made a grant for this purpose. The county grant was £l5 in the first place, but there is no suggestion that this was the only amount granted.
The street joining Main South Road and the Manawapou Road, and what is now known as Dive’s Avenue, was formed for the purpose of creating a suburban residential area, and when the adjoining properties were sold the question of the control of the thoroughfare came under consideration. The owners of these sections made their representations to the County Council, and it was agreed in April, 1904, that the council should take control. In more recent years, Dive’s Avenue has become one of the beauty spots as far as streets are concerned in Hawera, this being due to the fact that trees were planted along each side of the street, giving it a real avenue appearance.
Later in the same year came the death of the chairman of the council, Mr. John Winks, an original member of the council, and a man who had given a great deal of time and thought to local body affairs of the district. One of the original settlers in the district, Mr. Winks was always a strong advocate of its progress, and he had set a fine example by the manner in which he had carried out his duties. There was not a local body in South Taranaki at the time that he had not served on, and he was accorded the marked respect of everyone in South Taranaki for his integrity of purpose. The death of the chairman caused an extraordinary vacancy on the council, this being filled by the election of his son, Mr. T. A. Winks, who is a member of the present council. Mr. T, A. Winks, except for a period during his absence in England, has been a member of the council ever since his election after the death of his father.
In 1906 came the secession of the Eltham area from the Hawera County Council and the formation and constitution of the Eltham County Council. This proposal was first brought forward in September of that year, but it was not put through without some opposition, and the Hawera County Council decided to record a strong protest. To further this protest the chairman, Mr. Jacob Marx, was appointed to voice tie
118
The Wanganui-Hawera Coach in the ’7o’s.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
oil’s objection before the Local Bills Committee in the House of Representatives.
This procedure was duly carried out, but in spite of the protest, the representations made by the people of Eltham were successful, and the district became a separate county. Strangely enough, one of the councillors to be affected by the new constitution was the chairman (Mr. Marx), and he had to resign his seat, as he was a resident of the new county. Following the secession of Eltham, the Hawera County was divided into six ridings, these being Waimate, Hawera, Ararata, Meremere, Mokoia and Kaupokonui, there being two representatives for each of the first three divisions, and one each for the remainder. Later, this representation was varied, the first occasion being on the secession of Waimate and the formation of that county.
Naturally, the constitution of the Eltham County meant a change in the personnel of the Hawera County, and at the annual meeting in November, 1906, there were four new members, among them being the present county chairman, Cr. J. B. Murdoch.
On April 20, 1907, a resolution that was to have far-reach-ing effects was carried, when it was decided to take steps for the erection of toll-gates, an action which was to provide the council with a means of additional revenue until 1925, when the last of the toll-gates disappeared. At a meeting of the council on August 13, 1907, the matter was again before the council, when a motion was put forward suggesting that tollgates be erected on the main roads leading from the Waimate Plains to the railway. The voting on the subject was close, there being five votes in favour of the proposal and four against it, and the decision caused some lengthy discussion in the Press at the time. Three months later, the decision was reversed, and the contractors were authorised to be notified of the cancellation, but on February 10 of the following year a formal notice appeared in the “Hawera Star” proclaiming a resolution to establish toll-gates at Inaha and Okaiawa, and announcing the schedule of fees for passage through each. Milk carts employed solely for the conveyance of milk and
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HISTOEY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
whey to and from dairy factories were exempted from payment of a toll. Mr. T. Lloyd was appointed collector at Inaha and Mr. P. Doyle at Okaiawa, the former holding his position until the toll-gates were abolished.
Shortly after the installation of the gate at Inaha a daring and what seemed to be a deliberate attempt was made to destroy the barrier. It was well-known that there was a very strong adverse feeling in regard to the establishment of the gates, but few thought that any deliberate attempt would be made to bring about their destruction.
Late one night, Mr. Lloyd was aroused by the glare of a strong light in front of his watch-house and, rushing out, he beheld the gate enveloped in flames, which were with some difficulty suppressed. The incendiaries had done their work fairly well, for there was no trace of their presence, nor were there any footprints to be seen, although a careful search was made. A bottle, containing a portion of the inflammable substance that had been used to start the fire was discovered, and it was quite obvious that the bulk of this preparation had been used in smearing the woodwork before it had been set alight. This substance had a very strong odour and it was thought that its finding would lead to the detection of the person or persons responsible for the outrage. Acting on this conviction, the toll-gate keeper took particular care to avoid placing his fingers on the bottle in order to prevent existing fingerprints from becoming smudged.
Prompt action was taken by the authorities, and Detective Siddells, of Wanganui, was sent to make enquiries, but although he remained in the district for some time, and even made a house-to-house visit in the vicinity, he did not obtain any information that was of assistance in apprehending the person who had caused the fire. After an exhaustive enquiry the detective abandoned the search, and no one was ever brought to justice over the incident.
After the abolition of the toll-gates, many references were made to the ability of Mr. Lloyd, and the following reference in “New Zealand Truth” is a fair indication of the appreciation of travellers of his services:—
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
“The passing of the toll-gates, pleasing as it is from the point of view of freedom of the roads, is tinged with regret in some instances to travellers by road in Taranaki, as they will miss the cheery smile and genial greeting of the toll-gate keepers which made parting with the nimble florin or half-crown almost a pleasure. It is safe to say that none will be missed more than Tom Lloyd, the keeper of the gate at Inaha. Tom has been installed at the gate since its inception 17 years and four months ago, and save when away on account of ill-health, either he or his good lady was at the seat of revenue, whether the weather was wet or fine. During his term he handled the vast sum of nearly £26,000; nearly a million and a-half vehicles used the toll; and he watched the motor traffic grow from nothing. So systematic was he that he could even now tell the date and hour at which any vehicle passed through by referring to his comprehensive tabulated books. It is pleasing to report that this faithful performance has been recognised by the Hawera County Council, which at its last meeting, right from Chairman Murdoch to the newest councillor, paid eulogistic tribute to Tom’s long service, and, better still, showed appreciation by granting him a year’s leave on full pay, in recognition of his loyalty.’’
The following return, compiled by Mr. Lloyd, shows the gross takings at the Inaha gate during the term of its establishment, from February 26, 1908, to March 1, 1925. Besides the paying traffic enumerated there was a vast amount of free passage, comprising return trips, which were free, school children, and Government servants on departmental business (the latter being non-paying from October, 1915).
Description of Traffic. Number. Fees Col i ected .
u , , £ s. d.
Horsemen and loose horses 48,506 606 6 6
One-horse light vehicles 96,195 2,404 17 6
Two-horse light vehicles 2,209 82 16 9
Waggons, cart, drays, etc 28,109 3,359 io 10
lcy , cles - 36,911 153 15 11
Cattle •••• 164,587 781 810
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HISTORY OF HAWBEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Sheep 266,425 190 4 9
Pigs (driven only 156 5 6
Motor ears 124,518 11,346 16 6
Motor lorries, trucks and vans 20,866 4,533 10 0
Motor buses or charabancs 5,410 960 5 6
Motor cycles 29,048 726 4 0
Motor cycles with chair 7,645 286 13 9
Other traffic 47 29 11 9
The following return shows the yearly amount of receipts over the term of collection:—-
Year £ s. d.
1908-09 917 4 2
1909-10 979 15 1
1910-11 1028 8 8
1911-12 1140 12 1
1912-13 1304 9 2
1913-14 1272 13 7
1914-15 1400 15 5
1915-16 1452 0 11
1916-17 1697 16 3
1917-18 1661 12 0
JLDDI U 1918-19 1505 18 8
1919-20 1956 12 1
1920-21 2092 5 8
1921-22 1872 9 1
1922-23 ....„ 1559 ig 7
1923-24 '' 1777 4 6
1924-25 1847 12 2
Total £25,467 8 1
The variation in methods of transit is interesting to note. In the first year of Mr. Lloyd’s appointment only 145 motor ears paid fees, while in the last year the total was 10,232; during the first five years there were no motor lorries, while it was six years before he recorded the passage of a motor bus. Buggies and gigs figured largely in the returns for the first 10 years, but towards the close of the term these faded away to almost nothing.
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Flocd waters in 1935 destroy the Tangahoe Bridge on the Main South Road.
The new Tangahoe bridge is of particular architectural beauty and will last for centuries.
The old toll-gate at Inaha, which went out of existence in 1925
Portion of the modem plant of the Hawera County Council
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
An Okaiawa correspondent wrote to the “Hawera Star” just after the abolition of the toll-gates, the letter being as follows: “The toll-gates are gone, and may they never return. They have been a continual source of irritation to those who have been cut off from towns and railway by them. To those persons it has meant not only the passing through the gates in their cars, but a considerable increase in the cost of their manures and all farm and household requisites. Waimate County had also to carry the heavy traffic from its western neighbour, but never adopted this antiquated method of taxation, and I think it will be agreed that the Waimate roads compare favourably with any in Taranaki. However, the gates are gone, and we are all prepared to let bygones be bygones. None of us liked the gates, but there were a number of persons who vented their ill-humour upon the poor unfortunate keepers. The keepers were put there and paid to carry out certain duties, withorrt fear or favour, and we must pay them a tribute for having done so. Many of them (and in particular I would like to mention our old friend at the South Road gate, wdio has been there from beginning to end) have gained our good-will and esteem, and while we are not grieved at losing the gates, we feel a certain amount of sorrow at their departure. One individual with a touch of humour decided not to let the gates pass out without showing a 'tribute of respect.’ He placed a wreath on the Normanby toll-gate with a card attached upon which was inscribed: 'ln memory of our toll-gate; died March 31st, 1925; aged 17 years. Though lost to sight, to memory dear.’ ”
The establishment of the toll-gates, as can well be imagined from the foregoing letters and newspaper articles, was met with a great deal of opposition, not the least among which was the opposition of the Waimate West County Council. This body actually sought and obtained a Royal Commission on the point, and when the commission was appointed the two counties, Hawera and Waimate West, each engaged the services of prominent counsel to further its ease. After a hearing of four days, the Commission gave its decision in favour of the Hawera Council, and the toll-gates remained. The abolition
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HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE tV AIM ATE PLAINS.
of the toll-gates was synonymous with the constitution of the Main Highways Board, and the licensing of motor vehicles annually, an Act which gave an annual revenue for road maintenance and construction work.
To revert to the business of the council at the time of the establishment of the toll-gates. A special meeting of the council had been held on August 31, 1907, to confer with other local bodies concerning the question of a proposed tram-way from Hawera to Kaupokonui. The Hawera Borough Council was asked to sanction the laying down of tram rails through certain streets, and a proposed loan to finance the project was to be levied over the entire county. Earlier in the year a motion had been carried: “That this council approves of granting the Mono-Bail Company the right to lay down rails, provided suitable terms are agreed on.” This company proposed to run a single-line rail to Kaupokonui, but no finality was ever reached with the project, and the company finally passed into the background of oblivion.
However, the matter was not allowed to stop at that, and in September, 1908, the suggestion that a special poll be taken on the question of raising a loan of £60,000 for the tramway scheme was brought before the council, but the proposal was ultimately defeated, although not without considerable argument, and many meetings.
The project to establish a tramway between Hawera and Kaupokonui was considered by many people to be a very ambitious one, and before any proposal was submitted to the ratepayers the Hawera County Council considered the matter from every possible angle. One of the first steps taken was to secure a comprehensive report from a Wellington engineer, Mr. Frederick Black, his report comprising 22 foolscap pages, in which he made certain recommendations.
In his report, Mr. Black stated that in establishing a tramway undertaking the capital expenditure could be made to vary to a considerable extent, according to the standard of construction adopted. He said the amount of traffic to be dealt with was the most important consideration and on it depended the outlay that was justifiable, regard always being had to the fact that the strength of the construction must be
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
great enough to prevent the annual cost of maintenance becoming excessive. He advised the adoption of a 2ft. 6in. gauge for the tramway, and he based his report on the assumption that such a gauge would be adopted.
The only grades of any extent on the route were on Batten’s hill, and at Inaha, and Mr. Black said the electric traction on such grades was quite feasible so long as it was not intended to run a train of cars hauled by the leading one or by a locomotive. He went on in his report to detail the road construction and alterations that would be necessary to put the scheme into operation, and also referred at some length to the question of freight rates.
As far as the route was concerned, Mr. Black said it did not admit of any alternative except in the case of the way to be taken through the Hawera borough to reach the Hawera railway station. A service consisting of freight cars chiefly was best kept out of the busiest streets, and as the track within the borough would be the more expensive the shortest route should be adopted. This was along South Road and thence via Princes Street to the station, reaching the goods yard by a level crossing over the main railway line. For the convenience of passengers travelling to and from Hawera, a siding of about two chains length was suggested for construction from Princes Street along Glover Road, parallel with the station platform. He said that all tramway passenger cars would run to this siding, and as the railway authorities already contemplated an extension of the platform, they should be asked to provide an entrance opposite to the car terminus.
Another proposal was referred to in the report, this being to establish a branch line to Ohawe Beach, and Mr. Black said this did not present any engineering difficuties. However, from a traffic point of view he could not see the justification for the establishment of the branch line at that time. It would cost £5,200 to build, and would involve annual charges of over £4OO, in addition to working expenses. If the haulage of shingle and stone from the beach to Hawera were not less than 10,000 tons per annum, the nett cost to the tramway would be 5/- per ton. The passenger service to the beach
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
could be worked only at a heavy loss, as it would be simply a holiday and Sunday run for a little over half of the year. Even if passengers were offering every day in the year, it would require a much larger population in Hawera and some resident population at Ohawe to make the proposal financially sound.
The classes of traffic to provide for on the tram-way were divided into four headings, and included (1) dairy products, (2) general goods, stores and farm materials, (3) live stock, and (4) passengers. He could not recommend the use of ears designed partly for freight and partly for passengers, as this increased the working cost and imposed a handicap on the proper distribution of rolling stock, and in effecting a compromise between the most suitable service for each, neither got a satisfactory time-table.
In his summary of capital expenditure on the project, Mr. Black estimated the track to cost £26,070; overhead line, £9,407; feeders, £1,680; rolling stock, £4,180; sub-station, £4,200; goods and car depots, £3,700; engineering and contingencies, £4,823; total, £54,160. He estimated an annual revenue of £8,995 from freight and passenger services, and a working expenditure of £7,906, leaving a nett profit available for depreciation.
The proposal of the council was to raise the sum of £60,000 by way of special loan, the rates chargeable to each riding being based on a valuation basis. The Hawera and Waimate Ridings, the Manaia Town District and the Hawera Borough were to contribute the sum of £3,545 per annum, and the Kaupokonui Riding the sum of £l5O per annum towards interest and sinking fund for the loan. Fallowing the reception of the report meetings were held at various places in the county area, and generally, the proposal seemed to find favour with the ratepayers. Meetings held at Hawera and Manaia passed resolutions asking the council to proceed with the work of establishing the tram-way, but, as stated, a motion that a special poll be taken in connection with the raising of a special loan of £60,000 for the scheme was defeated in the council and the matter passed into the background.
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Tlie first dairy factory at Okaiawa, Mr. T. L. Joll, the founder being the man in white overalls.
Te Ngutu domain, and the monument erected in * -» T Tempsky and his fellows, who were Vn o-te-manu in 1868. "Kutu-
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The decision of the council not to proceed with the raising of the loan caused a certain amount of discussion among other local bodies in Hawera and Manaia, among them being the Hawera Chamber of Commerce, which body passed a resolution that the matter be reconsidered. The Borough Council passed a similar resolution, and finally a deputation consisting of representatives of the Borough Council, Chamber of Commerce, the Waimate Road Board, and the Manaia Town Board waited on the County Council to urge that the matter be proceeded with.
At this meeting the discussion became rather heated at times, and there were some frequent exchanges betwen Cr. W. Goodland (chairman) and Cr. Davidson, the latter taking the chairman to task for abandoning the scheme without instructions from the council. After some time had elapsed the deputation withdrew, but the matter did not rest at that, for ater in the day Mr. F. J. Gane, of Normanby, attended as a deputation of one in connection with the proposal. Mr. Goodland explained to Mr. Gane that the scheme had been abandoned the latter stating in reply that the people of his district desired the project to proceed. Upon his retirement Cr Hastie moved as follows: “That it is the feeling of this council that the tram-way scheme be referred back to a meeting of delegates to be held as soon as possible, in order that it mav oe put on a better business footing.”
. ti? r ' Tar t rant thought that the ma «er should be considered t the next meeting of the council, but Cr. T A Winks remarked that a week was not going to make much difference. The chairman then stated that it was very likely that certain things would come up shortly which would very materially affect the position. One of these was that very shortly wjate would have a county of their own, and that would alter he position very much. He was not prepared to go on wth the matter on the following Saturday, which was to be the council meeting day. tne
ss rtti. “%sr ,he
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HISTOEY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIM ATE PLAINS.
the matter be referred back to a meeting of delegates. Cr. Goodland’s reply to this was that there were no delegates and therefore he could not call them together.
Cr. Bridge: You had a large deputation here last Saturday.
Cr. Goodland; Until the various bodies appoint their delegates again I cannot call a meeting. Concerning the poll I was instructed by this council
Cr. Davidson: I beg your pardon
Cr. Goodland: Well, I will hear you.
Cr. Davidson: You said there was nothing formal before the council concerning the tram-way. Now the scheme was initiated by resolution, and until that resolution is rescinded the tram-way scheme is in existence.
Cr. Goodland: The stand I take, and that I do not intend to deviate from, is that there are no delegates. At the last meeting seven councillors stated that it had been agreed that the scheme was to be abandoned unless half the exercisable votes were east in favour of the tram, and yet Cr. Hastie (who was not present at the meeting when the arrangement was made) spoke more positively than anyone else and said I had no authority.
Cr. Hastie; I maintain that I am right now. You had no authority because it is not recorded in the minute book. You stonewalled the matter for half an hour last Saturday, and now when I want only a few minutes you practically tell me to sit down.
Cr. Goodland: I never in deed or in spirit asked you to sit down, although there may have been times when I ought to have done so.
Cr. J. B. Murdoch: If there is to be a different scheme before the council there must be new delegates.
Cr, Hastie; This is only an amended scheme
Cr. Goodland: Who amended it?
Cr. Bridge: The deputation at the last meeting agreed to the amended scheme, and that it should be gone on with on a differential rating basis. The main scheme (Mr. Black’s) is the same as in the first place, only different areas are to have
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HISTORY OF II AW ERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
differential rating. I am not speaking greatly in support of the scheme just now, but think it should be referred back to those delegates to say whether they approve of this proposal.
Cr. Murdoch: It is a new proposal.
Cr. Goodland; There is another question. In six weeks there is to be an election of a new council; probably before that six weeks is up Waimate will have its own county. In any ease I hear there is to be a strong effort made to shift three of us. Assuming that these efforts are successful and Waimate gets its new county, there must be four new members. What I say is, wait till you get your new men; it is only six weeks.
Cr. Davidson: The new council would be bound by what we do now. I would like to remind the chairman when he says he is not departing from the stand he has taken that there are nine men against one.
Cr. Goodland; Eight against one to be correct. What I said was that I was instructed by the council to declare the poll abandoned. At last meeting I asked councillors if that were so, and seven of them answered yes.
Cr. Borrie: The “yes” referred to the 50 per cent majority.
Cr. Bridge: I agree. The word “abandoned” was never used at that meeting of the council. What they said was that the matter would not be proceeded with; there is not much difference I will admit, but I expected the result of the poll to be advertised and the matter to be brought before the council again.
Cr. Goodland: Undoubtedly you authorised me to declare the scheme abandoned. As to the present proposal, call it a new scheme and ask the different bodies to appoint new delegates.
Cr. Tarrant then protested that in any case Mr Black’s scheme was too costly; £60,000 was too much money to spend for the traffic on a piece of road like that. He thought a horse tram would be cheaper and would do all that was required for years.
Cr. Bridge: I think exactly with Cr. Tarrant. It is too big a sum of money to ask the ratepayers to borrow. A horse
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
tram on two lines, or the monorail, would take the heavy traffic off the road. We want a cheaper scheme. Although I am fighting for it to be put before the ratepayers I am not going to say what my attitude will be with the ratepayers in my riding.
Cr. Hastie urged that the matter should be put before the ratepayers for them to decide. I think the present chairman and councillors know the position better than a new council could.
Cr. T. A. Winks: I do not know why the Hawera riding should go in for the scheme at all. The Waimate riding and the Hawera Borough Council, who want the tram, should do so. The council has had no petition from the Hawera ratepayers about the matter.
Cr. Goodland: Devil a one
Cr. Davidson: But a majority of the ratepayers voted foi the tram at the informal poll. I will second Cr. Hastie’s resolution.
Cr. Goodland said it was estimated that the Basham concrete block could be laid for £BOO per mile, and if they had two tracks it would be only £1,600 per mile, while would be very much cheaper than a tram, and a team of horses could take fully one-third more load than at present.
Again the existence or non-existence of the delegates cropped up, and in reply to Cr. Davidson the chairman said that when he declared the scheme abandoned the delegates died a natural death.
Cr. Borrie then moved: “That a formal poll for a loan of £60,000 be taken over the special area at the informal poll, and that the rating be according to the differential scheme defined by Cr. Hastie.”
Cr. Winks: Do you maintain that the council shall bear all the survey costs? The expense will be fairly big; I understand £l7O in one hit.
Cr. Hastie: Oh no, the other local bodies will stand their share.
Cr. Goodland said he did not know if the cross-sections had to be prepared before they took the poll, bnt it had to be done before they got the validating order.
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history of hawera and the waimate plains.
The county clerk said the work had not to be done before the poll.
Cr. Goodland: Before you take this poll you must point out to the ratepayers how, when and where you are going to get the money, and you must state what interest is to° be charged.
Cr. Hastie: If you pass this motion we will undertake to fix up the money part of it.
Cr. Goodland; What guarantee have we? We are not going to take over a risk like that. You might be over the Great Divide before to-morrow.
Cr Hastie: Others have the authority. I will be pleased o withdraw my motion in favour of Cr. Borrie’s.
Asked whether he had been desired by anyone to support the tram, the chairman said “lots.” But he qualified the reply by saying that in every case but one it was a tradesman in town, with a small section outside, who asked him.
Cr. Hastie: The poll will cost only £l5.
Cr. GoodJand: The movers of the motion are asking too much. I want a little time to consider the proposed rating divisions. Where Waimate puts 15 tons on to the road Hawera puts only one. ’
Cr - Tarrant: It will be only a matter of two years or so before the railway is into Te Both (Laughter.) That will greatly modify this scheme.
'r. Goodland: Will you Waimate people undertake to take nr 11 * d ibid t b >; * “o "• ™ p.i, j,s 11 I 7s T y be free 0f the district soon i for which (laughingly) the Lord be thanked.
S t r anger G r;JrtaHe think * a
table C % G ° od ! and: T eU He iS S ° metimes at this end of the table. I can t say about yours, of course.
Cr Ilastie ; We have no power fQ takg would be another illegality. P PU ‘ K
Cr. Bridge: lam of the same opinion. The votes in all the ridings must be counted together Thov wn i lumped and the majority rule ‘ t0 be
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
There was some further desultory discussion, and the chairman said he thought enough had been said and he would put Cr. Borrie’s proposal. This was done and the motion was lost by five votes to four. The voting was:—For: Hastie, Davidson, Borrie and Bridge. Against; Goodland, Murdoch, AVinks, Tarrant and Duirs.
And so passed into the background the proposal to establish a tram-way between Hawera and the Waimate Plains. Since the now historic occasion the matter has never been seriously considered. Within a few weeks of the closing of the incident Waimate was formed into a separate county, and this may have been one of the reasons why the subject slipped into oblivion. Another reason may have been the fact that steps were taken at about this time to bring pressure to bear on the Government to hasten the completion of the OpunakeTe Roti railway, referred to by Cr. Tarrant during the council meeting discussion. This was not completed within the time specified by him, as all will remember, but in later years it became an established fact, only to run up against another form of competition—road transport, but that is a matter which does not have to be referred to for some considerable time as far as the passage of years and this history go.
Two important projects affecting the future policy of the council were adopted during 1908 and 1911, one, that of tarsealing the roads throughout the county area, being a subject that later proved to be Dominion-wide in its interest. For a number of years prior to about 1925 the Taranaki province was famed throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand for the excellence of its roads, and this fame may be traced to the original work done in tar-sealing by the Hawera County Council in 1911, under the direction of the then engineer, the late Mr. Albert Muggeridge.
The proposal was really introduced to the council table by Cr. T. A. Winks, and when he made the announcement it was received with a certain amount of scepticism on the part of his fellow councillors, and particularly on the part of the engineer. However, the council granted the engineer permission to travel to other parts of New Zealand in an endeavour
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HISTOEY OF HAWEKA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
to find out what he could regarding the proposal. In this under-taking he was accompanied by Cr. Winks.
The first town visited was Wanganui, but in that place little of value was learned regarding the manufacture of tar for road purposes, and the pair then travelled to Palmerston North to interview the engineer in that town, Mr. Sam Jickell. They found that he was absent from the town, but they did find his assistant, and from him they gained much valuable knowledge during a day spent at the borough council yards, where they examined the boiling plant and other equipment. From there they went to Napier, and later to other centres, but nowhere did they find the same knowledge as that which they had obtained at Palmerston North.
Upon their return to Hawera they prepared a report and presented it to the next meeting of the council, the report being adopted and the experiment put in hand at the yards on the Turuturu Road. In the first instance some difficulty was met with in the boiling operations, the first lot of tar being boiled catching fire and sending a huge cloud of black smoke over the town. This difficulty was finally overcome, but another presented itself in regard to the stirring operations, this difficulty being accentuated when one of the council employees fell into the boiler, fortunately not when the heat was very great. With a certain amount of ingenuity the engineer managed to overcome this difficulty by constructing a handle on the principle of that which exists in a certain type of washing machine. This enable the tar to be stirred from the ground, and minimised the risk of a man falling into the mixture.
In order that the mixture might be effective, the tar had to be mixed with a certain quantity of oil, and the engineer created some amusement in the early stages by pouring in a quantity of eoeoanut oil that happened to be on the premises At last the mixture was tested and it was agreed that it was ready to be applied to the road, the council deciding to experiment on a section of road immediately outside the county yard. Accordingly the tar mixture was conveyed thither, and applied with marked success, which was an encouragement for the engineer to proceed in other directions.
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
It is of interest to note at this stage that this section of the road that was tar-sealed as an experiment still exists in its original formation, although the tar was laid down over 25 years ago. Certainly the section has had applications on top of it at various times since, but the fact remains that the experiment was an undoubted success.
The engineer then decided to extend the tar-sealing operations to other localities, but here he met with further difficulties. The first section treated was not a success by any means, as it was found that, when applied, the tar and the top surface of the road peeled off in a manner suggestive of rolling up linoleum. Here was another problem, and the engineer sought advice from Cr. Winks. The latter found out during the course of his enquiries that, before the tar was applied to the road, the surface had to be dry and also had to swept clean. This was done before another section was treated, and thereafter no difficulty was met that could not be overcome.
Once there was sufficient roadway tar-sealed, the experiment began to attract the attention of local bodies in other parts of the Dominion, and they sent representatives to make inspections of the work, and to seek information of the manner of treatment, preparation of tar, etc. In such a manner may the Hawera County Council be said to have been the pioneers of the tar-sealing movement in New Zealand, and much credit must be given to Cr. Winks and the engineer for their enquiries and later experiments.
The second incident referred to was, strangely enough, also introduced by Cr, Winks, this being in connection with the metalling of the whole of the roads within the county area. As has been stated elsewhere in this book, the question of the metalling of the county roads was one of the main problems during the early years of the County Council’s existence, and the subject of patching had become so much a part of council routine in 1908 that Cr. M inks brought forward a suggestion that a loan be raised and the whole matter disposed of°in one operation. His suggestion at first created something in the nature of a minor sensation among the members of the council and the chairman, Cr. W. Goodland, held up his hands in horror at the thought of the amount the work would cost
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Syme Memorial Rect Room for Women in the Tower Grounds at Hawera.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
When he asked Cr. Winks to name the sum required, and the latter mentioned the sum of £63,000, it was again the chairman’s turn to pass some strong comment. However, the subject was debated at some length, and the outcome was the council’s decision to proceed with the raising of the loan and the putting of the roads into some sort of decent order. Of course, the money was not spent in one year, or in two years either, but when it had been expended the council had excellent roads in all parts of its area.
The loan money has not yet been repaid, but it will be by the end of 1949, in which year the maturity date arrives. Under the loan conversion scheme in which the council participated a few years ago, this loan was included, and it will disappear as a liability when the date mentioned arrives.
Associated with the reason for the loan is the growth of the dairy industry. In all parts of South Taranaki the dairy industry was showing signs of rapid growth at the period in which the loan was raised, but it was at the same time creating something in the nature of a problem for local bodies, among them the Hawera County Council. There were no motor lorries with inflated tyres, that is, in any quantity, and the road surface was called upon to carry waggons with iron shod wheels, which did untold damage to the surface of the roads. This resulted in an enormous annual expenditure in maintenance, and it was to obviate this that Cr. AVinks brought forward his suggestion to raise the loan of £63,000,
During the period of the discussion on the tram-way scheme matters were in train for another division of the county area, the proposal on this occasion being that the Waimate West County Council should be constituted. When this was completed the boundaries of the Hawera County Council were much the same as they are at present. A full reference to the formation of the new county is made in the Waimate West section of this history.
During 1912 there was another difference of opinion with the Hawera Borough Council, although on this occasion there was nothing serious at stake, merely a refusal on the part of the county to support the borough in a certain agitation occupying the attention of the borough council at the time.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The difference arose as the result of the movement on the part of the borough council to urge upon the Government the necessity of hastening the completion of the Te Roti-Opunake railway, then in course of construction. For some reason the county refused to support the agitation, the opinions of individual members of the County Council being that the project would not be a paying proposition. All through the war years, for obvious reasons, the work on the line lay almost dormant, and it was not until after peace was signed that the railway commenced working. Whether the railway line’s completion was going to serve the interests of the County Council at that period is a matter for conjecture at present, but it must be pointed out that hardly any of the line passed through county area, and perhaps the councillors were more or less justified in their opinions.
The outbreak of the Great War on August 4, 1914, is referred to in the minutes of the council, a special meeting being held on August 20, when it was decided to make a grant of £250 towards the funds of the Patriotic Society. An indication of the rise in the cost of living at this period is evident in a minute granting an increase of £75 per annum in the salary paid to the clerk.
The same year saw the appointment of Cr. Murdoch, who had joined the council in 1906, to the position of chairman, this being recorded on November 28, 1914. Except for a period of eight months while he was absent in the United Kingdom, he has held the office ever since, a record which is equalled by few local body representatives in the Dominion. Few men have given the service to local bodies that Cr. Murdoch has given, and as will be seen at the end of the county section of this history, he has a record of which any local body representative might well be proud.
Two former members of the council, and pioneers of the Hawera district, passed to their “Eternal Reward” at about this time, reference being made in the minutes in the form of motions of sympathy with the relatives. These were Messrs. James Livingston, to whom reference was made in the minutes of the council on May 10, 1915, and James David-
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
son, whose relatives received a similar vote at the meeting of the council in August of the same year.
Mr. Livingston achieved a certain amount of fame as the President of the “Hawera Republic,” which he instituted as a means of protest against the native policy of the Government in the late ’seventies. He was a commanding figure of a man, and one who had played no small part in the development of South Taranaki during the days that followed the close of the Maori wars in the province. His homestead was at what is now known as Tokaora, being known throughout Taranaki as “Waipapa.” Here it was that he established his “republic,” and each morning a flag was hauled to a mast-head to flutter in the breeze until the evening. He established a redoubt at Tokaora, and generally put his “republic” to a practical use in the preservation of the pakeha population in this portion of the province. Later, the Waipapa estate was cut up and sold by the Government, and the locality became known as the Touaora Settlement.
Mr. Davidson was familiarly known to everyone in South Taranaki as “Baldy.” In the early days of the borough of Hawera, he established a store in what is now High Street, and many of the early pioneers looked to him to supply their household needs. He did his share in local body activities, and, in fact, his shop was the venue of many of the early meetings of the Hawera Town Board and the Hawera Borough Council. In the early days the general store was the common man meeting ground for the populace, and it was only natural that meetings should be held in such a place. When the Patea County Council was formed in 1876, Mr. Davidson was one of those chosen to represent the Hawera district on the council, and he filled this position until the constitution of the Hawera County Council. He also served on the Hawera Borough Council, and was so much a part of local body affairs generally that it seemed that a meeting was not complete without his attendance.
These two gentlemen were among those who helped to make South Taranaki what it is to-day, and the district was the poorer for their passing. With an almost uncanny fore-
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIIIATE PLAINS.
sight they laid the foundations of a solid community with all the amenities available to a larger centre, and the present-day generation owes much to their wisdom.
In March, 1917, there came a readjustment and an alteration in the ridings of the county, this being the subject of a special meeting of the council. The county was divided into three ridings as follows: Hawera, Ararata and Mokoia, the latter absorbing the former Meremere riding. The readjustment meant an increase in the number of councillors, eight being required instead of six as formerly. Hawera and Ararata had to find three each, and Mokoia two. Since this period there have been occasions when the question of the abolition of ridings altogether has come up for consideration, but this abolition has never materialised in actual fact, and the representation agreed upon in 1917 is the one that is in existence to-day.
The abolition of ridings meant no more than the abolition of riding accounts in the books of the council, but its effect was held to be far more extensive than that in actual practice. Under the present system each riding has its own separate account, and the work done in each riding is charged to that particular account, and each riding has its own separate rate. Those who sought the abolition of ridings held the view that the whole of the county should bear the cost of the maintenance and other work, but this raised the question of loans raised for separate ridings. The view was held that ridings with only a small annual loan redemption charge should not be called upon to pay for the redemption of loans in which they had no interest, or, in other words, they objected to paying for the redemption of loan moneys which had not been spent in their particular district. Whatever the arguments for and against the proposal were, they do not matter now, as the council definitely agreed that the present system of accounts should continue.
The question of access to the various beaches in the vicinity of Hawera has always been something in the nature of a problem, although during recent years it has been partially solved by the increase in the motor traffic. There are two
136
Mr. J. W. J. Harding, County Clerk since 1922.
Mr. F. Muggerldge, Count; Engineer since 1937.
‘Giant’s Cottage” at Ararata, with Mr. Fantham in the door-way.
The winding road along the foot of the Tangahoe Valley in the Ararata district.
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATB PLAINS.
good beaches within easy reach of the borough, and both are considered safe bathing places which prove a source of great popular attraction during the summer months. Both of these beaches are situated within the area of the County Council, and road access to each comes within the jurisdiction of that public body.
The road to the Ohawe beach has been in existence for a great many years, and was originally constructed for the purpose of gaining access to the gravel that is more or less easily obtainable, but the same cannot be said of the beach at Waihi. The latter beach is more quickly reached than the one at Ohawe, being much nearer to the borough, and it was for that reason that the council was approached in 1917 with a request that a road be constructed to it. The dedication of this road was accepted by the council in June, 1917, a proviso being made that the borough council should obtain a reserve there. This reserve was obtained through the generosity of Mrs. R. L. Pease, and the citizens now have a beach that can be reached within ten minutes by motor car. As was the case with the Ohawe beach, however, a settlement did not spring up at the locality, but at the same time the Waihi beach is by no means neglected during the summer, as it is a source of attraction, for fishermen as well as bathers.
In December, 1917, Or. E. A. Washer took his seat at the council table for the first time, and he still holds his position and also the office of deputy-chairman. Cr. Washer has the second longest term on the council to his credit, and also represents the council on the South Taranaki Power Board and the Hawera Hospital Board.
At various intervals throughout the county’s history floods have created a considerable amount of damage, and the council has frequently been faced with the construction of new bridges to replace those structures washed away in rain storms. One of these floods occurred during 1918, and the bridge over the Tangahoe River on the Ohangai Road was irreparably damaged. In April of the same year the council decided to replace the structure in concrete.
The cause of the damage was a cloudburst and the storm ■was purely local, the bulk of the damage being confined to
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the Hawera County’s district. In addition to the bridge mentioned, the fillings over the Kiritae and Kotukutuku streams on the Tangahoe Valley Road were washed away, and their replacement involved the council in a considerable expenditure. At various intervals since this period floods have occurred, details of these being found in the section dealing with each particular period.
At a special meeting of the council held on May 31, 1919, Cr. Murdoch intimated that he was leaving for a trip to England, and he resigned his position as chairman. Cr. C. J. Hawken was appointed to fill the position until Cr. Murdoch’s return. Three months later Cr. Winks resigned his seat and his place was taken by Cr. A. G. Lareom, another member of the present council. Cr. Winks rejoined the council on his return from England, where he was engaged in the marketing section of the dairv industry for several years.
Suitable road metal, which has always been more or less of a problem to local bodies in Taranaki, as has been pointed out earlier, formed the subject of a discussion at the council table at a meeting held during 1920. It was then decided to seek the assistance of other local bodies in urging upon the Government the need for the completion of the railway line to the quarries on Mt. Egmont. However, the quality of the metal proved to be unsuitable, and the gravel pits and the railway line fell into disuse.
Within three miles of the borough of Hawera is situated what is recognised as the best preserved Maori fortifications of the old-time Maori in existence. This is Turuturu-mokai, the historic battleground of the days of the inter-tribal wars long before the advent of the pakeha, and later the scene of the defeat of the British forces at the hands of Titokowaru’s natives during 1868. It was only natural that such a spot with such an histoijcal association should be preserved for all time, and thanks to the interest and generosity of several publicspirited citizens, this has been done as far as Turuturu-mokai is concerned. The locality is now a public domain vested in the Hawera Borough Council, and it is a matter for satisfaction that the borough council has appointed a committee to
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
carry on the work at the domain, in which the late Mr. J. E. Campbell took such a keen interest.
A donation to the funds administered by trustees in 1921 was made by the Hawera County Council, which contributed the sum of £25. The money that has been made available for the reserve from time to time was well administered by the late Mr. Campbell, and after his death in August, 1939, there was a fear in certain quarters that care and attention to the reserve would be lacking. However, this fear has been removed by the appointment of a committee to control the reserve, and neither Maori nor pakeha need be concerned during the future.
Access to other scenic spots in the Hawera County occupied the attention of the council at the same meeting as the grant was made to the trustees of Turuturu-mokai, a resolution being passed urging the Government to expedite the construction of the Tangahoe Valley Road and the formation of the tunnel under the Tarere Hill. The latter project was designed to provide access to the Rehu bridge and its environs on the Patea River.
In October of the same year the council passed a resolution recommending the purchase of a section of land at Brett’s Corner,” on the Austin Road, for the purpose of making a cut-off to the highway at that point. This spot was the site of the old Ketemarae Hotel, kept by Mr. Brett, and when the new road was made, the cellar of the hotel had to be filled in. In the early days the same spot was known as ‘‘Roche’s Castle,” being an outpost established to overawe belligerent natives and also to keep an eye on the traffic of the hotel. The spot secured the name ‘‘Roche’s Castle” from the name of the constable stationed at Normanby at the time, Constable M. Roche, who was a famous figure in this portion of the province during the latter quarter of the last century.
The formation of the new road at Brett’s Corner left a small triangular section of land which would probably have become a repository for weeds had it not been for the forethought of Mr. J. E. Campbell. He took the locality in hand with the permission of the County Council and turned it into
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a roadside garden, securing the necessary labour to continue its upkeep. As a background to the garden Mr. Campbell had planted a row of flax bushes, and these attracted the attention of a member of the staff of the Massey Agricultural College during a journey through Normanby. He discovered that the plants were of so rare a nature that he expressed a desire to remove some of them, but this removal was not permitted to the extent he desired. In September, 1939, the County Council agreed to carry on the work commenced with such success by the late Mr. Campbell, a decision that met with unanimous approval in the Hawera district.
One of the few changes in county clerks was made during the latter part of 1921, when the present clerk, Mr, J. W. J. Harding, was appointed to the position. For a number of years prior to this date the late Mr. G. Stringer had held the position, and on his retirement in November, 1921, Mr. R. S. Sage was appointed interim clerk until an appointment was made. A total of 53 applications for the position were received, these being considered at a special meeting held on December 12, when Mr. Harding was appointed to the position.
The year 1922 saw the beginnings of a “lean” period, and evidence of this was forthcoming in the various economies noted in the minutes during that year. The reason for this depression was not difficult to find, for it was the result of a collapse in prices following the boom figures of the war period which closed three years earlier. During the war the price of butter-fat rose to as much as 2/3 per pound, and when the soldiers returned from Europe and the other war sectors, land speculation became a feature of New Zealand’s reaction to the war period. The trouble was that land was being valued on the basis of the high price that had existed for butter-fat for several years, and this created a rate of interest that the farmers could not afford to pay when the bottom fell out of the dairy market. Consequently, there came a slump period which affected all sections of the community, although it proved only a temporary one at that stage. The bigger slump was to come seven years later.
Among the economies affected by the County Council in 1922 were a reduction in the fees payable to councillors for
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A busy day at the Egmont Races at Hawera.
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attendance at meetings, and later in the year, when the customary honorarium of £lOO was offered to the chairman, he urged that the vote be reduced to £75 on the score of a further economy. His suggestion was accepted.
Not many years later the slump hit the world with a resounding crash, and further economies followed as a natural sequence. The first section to be hit was the farming community, who felt the effects of the high land values that had ruled in the years immediately following the war, and it will be remembered that one of the actions taken by the Government of the day was the setting up of the Dairy Commission and the finding that 50 per cent, of the farmers of the Dominion were bankrupt. The Government which followed in office endeavoured to rectify the position by the institution of the guaranteed price, and that is the position of the industry at the time of the writing of this history. There can be no doubt, however, that the origin of the trouble lay in the false post-war values of land, as has been explained above.
Our grandparents tell of the time during the closing years of the last century when sheep were sold for 2/6 and such ridiculous prices, but there are members of the present generation who can recall similar prices for sheep during the slump of 1922. There were cases in some parts of New Zeaand where sheep were given away for nothing at this period, but this may have been due to the fact that the seller did not have the feed to winter his flock, although that was not neeessanly the sole reason. The sheep farmer felt the pinch every it as much as the dairy farmer did, as wool prices fell in sympathy with the butter and cheese market.
In March, 1922, the subject of tree planting again came under the notice of the council, and at this meeting it was demded to obtain a report on the availability of council lands for the purpose of establishing miniature plantations The outcome of this was that several reserves were planted wiJh JESSES*" tr - and * «ns P ha:: d d r
Another reduction, and the final reduction to date in coun y s area came into being in November, 1924, when, after
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some agitation extending over a long period, a Commission consisting of Messrs. J. S. Barton (chairman), John Cook, and O. Gardner, was appointed to hear the claims of the petitioners lor merging the Nolantown area of the county with the Hawera Borough Council. Both the county and the borough councils took a neutral attitude in the proceedings, and the Commission sat for six days taking the evidence of the petitioners and that of the counter-petitioners. The outcome of the Commission was the merging of portion of the Nolantown area of approximately 140 acres, with a capital valuation of £71,232, from the Ararata and Mokoia ridings of the county into the borough of Hawera as from April 1, 1925.
Nolantown received its name from a pioneer of the borough of Hawera, the late Sir Robert Nolan, who was knighted for the work he did for the New Zealand soldiers in London during the war years. In the present year (1939) the borough council raised a special loan to provide the area with a sewage scheme, adding the locality to the town’s system, and at the time of writing this work is well in hand. It has also become a thickly populated area, with its own school, while it is also situated in the vicinity of Messrs. Thos. Walker and Sons’ bacon factory, which is one of the largest businesses of its kind in the province. The Hawera Co-operative Dairy Company also has its offices and part of its storage buildings in Nolantown, but these buildings were erected because of the close proximity to the Hawera railway station. Nolantown, once a part of the Hawera County, is now a rising suburb of the borough of Hawera, and the time is not far distant when the borough council will have to provide further amenities for its residents. Already there has been some mention of a park, hut, as the late Mayor pointed out, this provision is fraught with several great difficulties.
During the last 20 years there have been two occasions at least when a Commission has sat to consider the position of the Normanby Town District and its merging with the county. The first of these commissions sat on August 5, 1924, the personnel being the same as that which heard the Nolantown question. The petition on that occasion was that certain Nor-
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manby Town District ratepayers might merge their properties in the Hawera County. After hearing the evidence of the petitioners and of the Town Board, which opposed the proposal, whilst the county remained neutral, the Commission reported that it could not recommend the merging of the properties of the petitioners, as it would throw an undue burden on the remaining property holders, but, in view of the evidence put forward, the Commission could see no justification for the existence of Normanby as a town district, as the benefits provided could more effectively and economically be maintained by the Hawera County Council.
Ten years later, another Commission sat at Normanby to hear the claims of petitioners for the merging of the whole of the town board district into the Hawera County Council, but the outcome was similar to the previous one—the Commission decided to dismiss the application. As before, the petition was opposed by the Normanby Town Board, which engaged counsel to present its case. Prior to the hearing of the petition, there was considerable difficulty with the names on the petition, and numerous alterations had to be made to both petition and counter-petition before one was completed and finally approved of.
The next important phase in the history of the County Council was the erection of the new Hawera hospital, to which reference is made elsewhere in this history. The proposal to erect new buildings came before the council in March, 1924, when the councillors constituted themselves as delegates to attend a meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board to discuss the proposed new buildings. The new hospital became an established fact a little over two years later.
Three months later the question of the re-building of the Tangahoe bridge on the Main South Road and of making an alteration in the site so as to eliminate two dangerous bends in the road was discussed in the council, hut without finality being reached. This bridge was opened four years ago, as will be seen by a later reference.
At the end of March, 1925, the toll-gates ceased to exist, and two months later the council granted Mr. Thomas Lloyd
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what was equivalent to one year’s leave with full pay. (Full reference to this incident is also referred to elsewhere.)
In June of the same year, Cr. Winks rejoined the council table to fill a vacancy in the Ararata riding caused by the resignation of Cr. R. B. Douglas. In May of the following year, Cr. W. Rothery took his seat at the council table for the first time. He and Cr. Winks are members of the present council.
A deputation from Tokaora waited on the council during 1926 requesting the use of a portion of the reserve at the Waingongoro hill for the purpose of erecting a social hall. The petitioners were ultimately granted their request and the present hall is the outcome. This hall is on the site of the Tokaora Redoubt established during the late ‘seventies.
A decision in regard to the elimination of the dangerous South Road railway crossing was made by the council at the meeting in April, 1927. This level crossing was considered to be one of the most dangerous in South Taranaki, and it was eliminated by the construction of a sub-way underneath the railway line, and the locality is now considered as safe as any highway may be expected to be. In order to meet the cost of the work it was agreed that the Hawera Borough Council and the Hawera County Council should each contribute 5 per cent, of the cost of the work.
The fatal attempt of Hood and Moncrieff to fly across the Tasman Sea from Sydney to New Zealand in February, 1928, is recalled by the record in the minutes authorising the opening of a subscription list.
At the same meeting the engineer reported the collapse of the Patea River swing bridge, the circumstances indicating that the severance of the suspension cables was not entirely due to friction. A cage was temporarily used to enable passengers to cross to the Rehu side.
A contract was let to Mr. Louis Butler in September, 1929, for the erection of a new concrete bridge over the Mangatoki stream on the Sheet Road, this being intended to replace the old wooden one, which had been condemned as unsafe for traffic. The total cost of the new structure was £2,732, and
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was shared by the Hawera and Eltham County Councils and the Highways Board.
In June, 1929, an agreement for a right-of-way to the beach at Ohawe for the purpose of procuring stone from this locality and establishing a metal depot was effected with Mr. H. J. Finlay, the owner of the property. In August of the same year the road formerly known as Beach Road or Lake Road was re-named Fairfield Road.
Further evidence of depression times was forthcoming at the council meeting in December, 1930, when in view of the economic position it was decided to reduce the salaries and wages of all members of the council staff, the reductions to take effect from January 1, 1931.
The damage created by the great flood of February, 1935, is still fresh in the memory of the present generation; in fact, it is so recent as to need no telling here. However, the purpose of this history is to meet the needs of the future generations insofar as the present is concerned and therein lies the reason for bringing the work up to date.
The early part of 1935 had been dry and hot weather prevailed throughout the latter part of December, 1934, January, 1935, and for most of February. Therefore when the heavy rain set in during the night of February 21 the ground was unable to cope with it, and the rivers, already in high flood, were swollen still further by the water which ran off the surface. Every river in South Taranaki reached a new high level record, and damage to farms, roads and bridges ran into many thousands of pounds. In the Hawera County alone the damage was estimated at £20,000, and this fact alone gave the council grave cause for concern.
The most serious result of the flood so far as the roads were concerned was in the fact that the bridge over the Tangahoe River on the Main South Road was washed away portion of the structure being recovered subsequently at the mouth of the river. In the Tangahoe Valley untold'damage was done, culverts being washed away, the approaches to bridges meeting a similar fate, while in other eases bridges were either washed away altogether or else they were moved out of alignment.
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At a special meeting of the council held on the day following the flood, the acting-engineer, Mr. F. Muggeridge, reported that the Tangahoe and Ngawini bridges were gone altogether ; the Noonan bridge was moved three feet down stream and had a number of trees against the piers; the Manawapou bridge uuderstruts were full of timber; the Ohangai bridge structure appeared to be sound, but he intended to make a closer examination; and the main braces of the Mungumungu bridge were in need of immediate attention.
On hearing the report, the council decided to treat the Ngawini and Mungumungu bridges as matters of urgency and to effect repairs immediately. It was also reported that the Tangahoe bridge, minus the decking, was stranded on the Mokoia beach almost intact, and the engineer said he would make an inspection of it with a view of ascertaining whether or not it was worth salvage.
Cr. T. A. Winks then reported on the condition of the Tangahoe Valley. He said the road was in a very bad state, the culverts being either gone altogether or else covered with rubbish. The approaches to the bridges were washed out, and generally sufficient damage was caused to keep a gang of men fully employed for nearly a year. Referring to the Tangahoe bridge on the Main South Road, Cr. Winks considered that it would be cheaper for the council to erect a temporary bridge than to divert all southern traffic round through Ohangai and ruin the road with excessive traffic. This suggestion was agreed to.
Mr. H. 6. Dickie, M.P., who was present at the meeting by invitation, stated that there used to be a fund within the Consolidated Fund for the purpose of relief to areas stricken by floods, but the fund was dispensed with in 1930. He said he would wire the Minister of Public Works immediately, informing him of the position, whereupon the council decided to make formal application stating an approximate amount which would be required.
After some negotiation between the council and the latter agreed to grant a subsidy of £1,140 from the Public Works Department towards the reconstruction of bridges,
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this subsidy being on a basis of £2 for £5. However, the council did not consider this amount to be sufficient for its immediate needs, and finally an increase was granted. Later in the year the Unemployment Board made a grant of 35/- per man per week for the clearance of slips, culverts, etc., in the stricken areas, and later increased the amount to £2 per man.
In September, 1935, the council received advice that a further subsidy of £2,000 (approximately) would be granted for work on the roads, this being in addition to the grant already made for work on bridges.
As far as the Department was concerned, this final grant probably closed the incident, the remainder of the work being left to the council. The temporary bridge suggested by Cr. Winks for erection on the Main South Road was duly completed, and this structure remained in use until the new overhead bridge was completed..
The new bridge was duly opened for traffic in 1936, there being no official ceremony attached to it. The bridge was therefore bereft of any honours, but in spite of that it has proved a great boon to the travelling public, eliminating as it did, a winding hill with more than one dangerous comer.
During the last four years, the work of the council has proceeded on its way almost without incident, there being only two features of its existence worthy of record. The first was the suggestion of the Minister of Internal Affairs that a certain number of local bodies throughout the Dominion should be abolished, a suggestion that created a considerable amount of discussion among the bodies concerned. His suggestion as far as Taranaki was concerned was that the province should be divided into two counties, but he gave no indication where the headquarters of each was to be.
The arguments raised against the proposal were that under the present system it was possible to give a better service to the ratepayers than the Minister’s suggestion, it being considered that the division of the province into two counties would make the work too unwieldy. Finally, the Minister visited Hawera and stated his case to a meeting of all the local
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bodies in this portion of the province. Since that time practically nothing has been heard of the measure.
The second incident was the death on June 20, 1937, of the engineer, Mr. Albert Mnggeridge, who had served the council since 1908, his place being taken by his son, Mr. F. Muggeridge, engineer to the Bltham County, who still occupies the position at Hawera.
The feature of the life of the Hawera County Council has been a record of good service to the ratepayers, and that they have given good service is evident in the fact that changes in the personnel have been comparatively rare during recent years, the general cause being resignation or departure from the district. The policy of the council has always been to guaid the interests of the ratepayers, and in this respect the councillors have earned the gratitude of those whom they represent. Looking back through the years it will be noticed that many pioneer families are represented among the councillors, men who laid the foundation of a solid local body and whose names are by-words in the history of South Taranaki.
lIS
Modern school at Tunituru
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XI
Hawera County Council To-day
'yHIS chapter brings to a close the records of the work of the Hawera County Council during the past 59 years. It has been a period of achievement—a period which the members of the present County Council and the ratepayers generally, can look back on with pride. They are in the position where they are able to say that the work has been well done, and due to the foresight and energies of the pioneers, they recognise that to-day they possess a wonderful heritage. The days of the mud roads and the bush tracks are gone; to-day is the age of the motor ear and fast transport, and where the early councils had to face one problem, that of laying down good roads with a limited income, the council of to-day has to watch the problem of maintenance on roads that have to stand up to continual wear and tear from fast traffic.
But the work of the council does not cease with the care and attention bestowed on the roads; there are problems in other phases of the council’s work that have to be met; very often problems that have their creation overnight, and it is necessary for the council to pass a resolution, the effect of which might even be national, or conforming to a national policy in a certain direction. It is a tribute to the efficiency and smooth-working of the council’s business that these resolutions are brought forward without hesitation and passed when the fullest consideration has been given to their terms. In the interests of the ratepayers the council does not recognise party politics, and whatever Party may be in power the first thought of the councillors is for those who have reposed in eight men the utmost confidence—the ratepayers.
In working to a budget of receipts and expenditure each year, the question of finance is a matter of more than passing importance and throughout the years the successive coun-
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oils have had a surprising grasp of that aspect of their work. The result is quite obvious —harmony at the council table, efficiency in administration, and a healthy financial position. That is the Hawera County Council of 1939, nearly 60 years after its constitution.
Having shown the area of the Hawera County Council at the time of its constitution and set out the difficulties encountered by early councils in road formation and other problems, it is of interest to give details concerning the present statistics of the county, which provide a striking example of the amazing progress that has been made in little more than half a century.
There are 121J miles of bitumen roads and 101J miles of metalled roads in the county to-day which extends from the Inaha stream to the Manawapou River. In addition, there are 22i miles formed to dray width, but not paved; 50 miles of bridle tracks, and 29J miles of unformed legal roads. The progress that has been made with bitumen roads has all been accomplished since the first experiments were made a few years prior to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, and the ratepayers have no cause for complaint in the manner in which the money has been spent in this direction. As time goes on, and finance becomes available, other roads will be included in the bitumen section, which grows larger each year.
The County Council has its own depot on Turuturu Road where supplies of bitumen and other materials are stored, while there is also the plant necessary for the boiling and mixing of bitumen for road purposes. Here, too, concrete pipes for use in the construction of culverts are made, while there is also a mechanical workshop where the county plant and machinery are attended to as required.
In addition to the latest Diesel tractor shovel and Auto patrol grader, the mobile plant of the County Council includes 11 motor lorries, and these are in constant use in all parts of the county district. The value of this portion of the council’s equipment at March 31, 1939, was £7,693, of which amount the sum of £2,223 was absorbed by the tractor shovel, a mechani-
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cal device that has been of immense value in grading and excavation work in the hinterland of the county’s area.
The policy of the council, particularly in later years, has been to consolidate its position regarding equipment, and gradually assets have increased in value until to-day it possesses plant valued at £22,971 in that section of the balance sheet, the amount of excess of assets over liabilities being over £20,000, which is, indeed, a very satisfactory position for any local body to be in. Included in the assets of the council are cottages for the workmen, these being situated at Turuturu Road, Normanby, Ararata, Mokoia, Meremere, Makino, Tokaora and Okaiawa, their total value being £2,284.
• The County Council was not so fortunate in the matter of reserves as was its interior Borough, the Hawera Borough Council, but gradually in recent years some have been acquired, some being used for afforestation schemes, and some for other and more general purposes. For general purposes, there are three reserves at Normanby, two at Tokaora, and one at Okaiawa and Meremere in addition to the one situated on Turuturu Road and used as a county depot. Forest reserves have been planted at Mawhitiwhiti, Waihi, Denby Road, Tangahoe, Ohangai Road, Fraser Road, Meremere, Makino and Morea. The total value of the reserves according to the latest balance sheet is, £2,682.
The policy of establishing forest reserves was instituted many years ago, as recounted earlier, and the sub-committee of the council on whose shoulders rests the responsibility for that work, performs its duties very well indeed. From time to time the suggestion of more reserves for afforestation comes under consideration as the councillors are fully appreciative of the ravages possible by an uncontrolled policy of denudation.
The bridge problem has always been evident in the Hawera County, and even as recently as 1935 and 1936 the council had to face up to expenditure in this direction because of heavy floods that occurred. In each of these years floods created an enormous amount of damage to bridges, roads and culverts, so much so that the council was forced to seek 6ov-
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eminent assistance in their replacement. At the present time, however, there is no indication that any bridges will have to be replaced in the next few years unless there is a flood the like of which has been unprecedented.
In the County Council’s area there are to-day 22 bridges, of which four are in concrete with a total length of 491 feet; five in steel and concrete with a total length of 226 feet; five hardwood with a total length of 687 feet; and eight in native timbers with a total length of 480 feet. The largest of these is the one over the Tangahoe River on the Main South Road, this having been constructed on the viaduct plan, and is guaranteed by the contractors to be earthquake-proof. Being many feet higher than the spot reached bj 7 the record flood waters in 1935, there is no danger of the bridge ever being washed away by torrential rains in the future as was the case with its predecessor during that eventful February of 1935.
Naturally, the control of such a large amount of equipment, roads and bridges, requires a large staff in addition to those responsible solely for administration purposes. Exclusive of the five in the latter category, there is a staff of 33 employees, and the total annual pay-roll is £9,952. This wage bill raises another important side-issue of the county’s value, and shows clearly how closely the interests of town and country are allied. Practically the whole of the council’s staff live either within the Borough of Hawera or within easy reach of the town, and further, the bulk of the wages of the employees are spent in the business area of the town. While it may be easily understood that there will always be a certain co-operation between Borough and County Councils, there is too often the assumption that co-operation ceases with the business at the council table. It is sometimes necessary to point out these facts regarding wages and spending power to bring home to the people of both sides that co-operation very often extends over a much wider area than is realised.
Financially, the Hawera County Council is in a very sound position, this being a definite tribute to the excellent administration of successive councils and executive officers over a long period of years. There comes a period in the exist-
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Tie old Technical High School in Princes Street,
The main block of Hawera’s modem Technical High Schoo
Teaching staff at the Hawera Technical High School, 1938.
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ence of every local body when it is necessary to raise loan money, and in this instance the Hawera County Council was no exception. At various times the council has raised money by way of loan, the largest one being in 1908 when the sum of £63,000 was obtained for the purpose of metalling the whole of the roads in the area of the county. The present loan liability of the council is £41,853, but within the next 10 years practically the whole of this will be liquidated, this having been facilitated by the conversion of loans scheme entered into in 1934.
Two loans were raised, in 1907 and in 1912, for the provision of bridges at Kapuni and Waingongoro, the term being 41 years, and the total amount owing at March 31, 1939, was £1,060. The first of these will mature on February 1, 1948, and the second on February 1, 1953.
Loans for work on the Austin and Hauroto Roads, will mature in 1948, while further loans for work in Pantham Street and Princes Street Extension will mature in the following year, the total amount owing at March 31, 1939 under these headings being £855, this money having been obtained under the State Advances Act, 1909.
The largest amount still owing is the balance of the £63,000 loan obtained in 1908, the total balance under this heading being £36,477. This loan will reach maturity in 1949, the date for the final payment being November 15 of that year. Then in 1954 comes the final payment in the last remaining loan, known as Conversion Loan No. 2, being an amount borrowed from the New Zealand State Guaranteed Advances Office. The amount of this loan owing on March 31, 1939, was £3,461.
Naturally, the bulk of the council’s revenue comes from rates, and for the year ending March 31, 1939, rates were struck to bring in a total sum of £18,482, of which amount the collections were not far short of 100 per cent. Actually, the amount collected was £18,561, but this sum included money outstanding from the previous year. The amount outstanding on March 31, 1939 was only £2OO, hut this cannot all be charged to the one year, but even if it were charged to the one year the percentage would be less than 2, which shows
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
that the rate collection in the Hawera County Council compares more than favourably with any other local body in the Dominion.
Ihe county is divided into three ridings, Hawera, Mokoia, and Ararata. The Hawera Riding embraces the district of Normanby, Okaiawa, part of Matapu, the South Road from Inaha to Fairfield Road, Ohawe and Scott Road; the Mokoia Riding extends from Fairfield Road to Whareroa, Mokoia, Whakamara, and Ohangai—Meremere, this riding joining the Patea County at the Manawapou River, just south of Mokoia; the Ararata Riding takes in Ararata, meets the Mokoia Riding at the Tawhiti Road, and extends to a point where it joins the Eltham County Council on the Fraser Road, and the Normanby Town Board below the Ohangai Road.
Each riding has its own separate account, and at March 31, 1939, the Hawera and Mokoia Ridings had a credit balance of £1,432 and £l7B respectively, while the Ararata Riding had a debit balance of £1,129. There has occasionally been d ; scussions at the council table concerning the abolition of riding accounts, but as stated earlier, these have all ended with the position in status quo, although the opinion is held even by those who opposed the change over, that the time is not far distant when riding accounts will have to go.
County Chairmen.
The following gentlemen have held office as chairman of the Hawera County Council since its first meeting in 1881:
Moore Hunter 1881-1884
Isaac Bayly 1884-1889
John Heslop 1889-1890
S. Forsyth 1890-1895
John Heslop 1895-1899
John Winks 1899-1904
George McLean 1904-1905
Jacob Marx 1905-1906
Jas. Davidson 1906-1907
W. Goodland 1907-1910
w. Duirs 1910-1911
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HISTOIiY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
W. Goodiand 1911-1914
J. B. Murdoch 1914-1919
C. J. Hawken 1919-1920
J. B. Murdoch 1920-to date
County Clerks.
The following gentlemen have acted as clerk to the council since its constitution;—
W. J. Caverhill .. .. 1881-1882
G. y. Bate 1882-1888
C. A. Budge 1888-1911
G. Stringer 1911-1921
J. W. J. Harding .. . . 1922-to date
At different periods Messrs W. J. Tristram and B. S. Sage acted as interim clerks to the council during the interval between one resignation and the appointment of another clerk.
County Engineers.
The following gentlemen have held the office of engineer to the council:—
T. Twigg 1887-1904
P. Basham 1904-1908
J. C. Montefiore Nov. 1908-Dec. 1908
Albert Muggeridge .. 1908-1937
P. Muggeridge 1937-to date
First Councillors.
The following gentlemen were members of the first Hawera County Council when it first met in 1881:
Hunter, M. Inkster, G. Marchant, G. A.
Godkin, J. B. Livingston, J. Finlayson, P.
Partridge, J. W. Yorke, J. C.
Members Of The Council.
The members of succeeding councils are as follows, the order of their membership reading from left to right:—
Milne, A. C. Malone, W. G. Bayly, Isaac
Heslop, J. Winks, John MeCutchan, A.
Lysaght, J. R. Godsal, E. H. Parsons, T.
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Forsyth, S. Turner, 6. C. Mitchell, W. W.
McCarthy, P. Lomax, G. Ellerm, E. J.
Quin, J. T. Scott, J. W. Shearer, A,
Glenn, G. McLean, G. Wilson, W
Mcßae, E. Stewart, J. R. Hemingway, W
Stevenson, J. F. Proudlock, A. Buchanan, D.
Boddie, J. Preeee, G. Wilkie, F. W.
Maunder, G. H. Marx, J. Watson, T.
Pearce, Gilbert Joll, T. L. Dive, B,
Duirs, W. Hastie, A. J. Blair, W
"Winks, T. A. Davidson, J. Forbes, J.
Tarrant, C. C. Bridge, T. A. Borrie, W,
Goodland, W. Hawken, C. J. "Murdoch, J. B.
Williams, Wm. Dunlop, J. Lysaght, B. C.
Linn, R. J. "Williams, G. W. A. "Washer, E. A.
"Larcom, A. Q. Douglas, E. B. "Ilothery, W.
Walsh, T. Death, A. E. Crocker, H. I.
Preston, C. J. "Lauder, J. "Linn, A. E.
Members of the present council are marked by an asterisk.
Who’s Who On The Council.
Or. J. B. Murdoch, County Chairman, elected 1906.—Cr, Murdoch is one of the best known local body chairmen in New Zealand, and he has a longer period of service in various directions than most men who serve in a similar capacity. On the Hawera County Council alone, he has more than 30 years service to his credit, and few there are who can equal this achievement. Born in Victoria, Australia, Cr. Murdoch came to New Zealand with his parents when a boy and entered the Okaiawa school on the first day it was opened, his father then owning a property on the Waimate Plains. He first farmed on his own account in the Toko district, but after breaking in the rough country and providing a good homestead, he sold out and returned to this district and acquired a farm in the vicinity of Okaiawa, where he lived until he retired to Hawera just over 25 years ago.
His wide interest in local body affairs began with his election as a Hawera Riding member of the Hawera County
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The school at Okaiawa.
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS
Council in 1906. Eight years later he succeeded Cr. W. Goodlaud as chairman of the county and he held office until the close of 1919, when he retired on the eve of a trip to England. Returning to the Dominion in the following year, he again assumed office as chairman, Cr. C. J. Hawken, of Mokoia, having filled the position in the interim, and since that year he has had an unbroken period in the chair. It was during the past 20 years that the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association was formed, and at the first meeting Cr. Murdoch attended as a representative of his council. With the retirement of the chairman of that body several years ago, Cr. Murdoch was the unanimous choice as his successor, and he holds that office to-day. He also represents the council on the South Taranaki Electric Power Board, and he succeeded Mr L. A. Bone as chairman of that body, another position he still holds.
Apart from his interest in local body politics, Cr. Murdoch has been closely associated with the dairy industry and its administration for a great many years, and to-day he is chairman of directors of one of the largest co-operative concerns in the Dominion, the N.Z. Co-op. Rennet Co., Ltd., with headquarters at Bltham. The Joll and Riverdale Dairy Coys., the Bgmout Box Co., and the South Taranaki Shipping Co., have also known Cr. Murdoch as chairman at periods during his career, while he has also been an executive member of the National Dairy Association and the Taranaki Federation of Dairy Factories. Outside this sphere of actvities, Cr. Murdoch has been for several years a member of the Hawera Technical High School Board of Managers, and he is also a past president of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce.
Such a list of public and semi-public activities is formidable in itself, and when it is remembered that each body makes a good demand on the services of its chairman it will be realised that his time has been fully occupied in the service of those whom he represents. There are few persons with a sounder knowledge of local body administration than Cr. Murdoch, chairman of the Hawera County Council for a quarter of a century.
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HISTOBY OF HAWEHA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Cr. E. A. Washer, elected 1917. —Cr. Washer at present holds the office oi deputy chairman of the council, and he is one of the most familiar figures at local body tables in fcjouth Taranaki. Born in Somerset, England, Cr. Washer came with his parents to New Zealand at the age of six years, and after spending some 20 years in Auckland, came to Inaha in 1894. He was present as one of the suppliers when the Riverdale Dairy Factory was first opened and he is now one of the company’s directors. For four years from 1899 Cr. Washer lived in the Hurleyville district, but in 1903 he returned to this portion of Taranaki and took up his present holding at Okaiawa, where he has resided ever since. He has been a director of the Riverdale Dairy Company for more than 20 years, and a supplier for a much longer period, while he is now in his 23rd years as one of the representatives of the Hawera Riding of the Hawera County Council. He is one of the council’s representatives on the South Taranaki Electric Power Board, and as far as the present members are concerned, is one of the oldest members of the Hawera Hospital Board. He was first elected president of the Egmont A. and P. Association in 1919, and he held office until the annual meeting in 1925, but his term as president did not cease at that, for he was again elected in 1938, and he holds the position to-day. Since 1921 he has been vice-president of the Hawera Trotting Club, and he has given much useful service to that body, while as a judge of dairy cattle he is known to farmers all over the North Island.
Cr. T. A. Winks, elected 1904-19, and 1925-to date. —Cr. Winks is a son of one of tke oldest residents of the Hawera district, and has a long record of local body service to his credit. Born in Hawera, he has lived in the district for the whole of his life with the exception of four years spent during a trip to America and Europe, during which period he was engaged in business connected with the marketing side of the Dominion’s dairy produce in London. Until 1898, when he went to live at Ararata, Cr. Winks lived with his father at Normanby, the homestead being at the locality familiarly
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
known as Winks Crossing, where the Ohangai Road joins the Waihi Road. Un the deaih of his father in 1904, Cr. Winks was elected to the Jtlawera County Council, and he continued as a member until he resigned prior to his departure for England in 1919. For over 12 mouths of the next four years, Cr. Winks was a director of the New Zealand Produce Association in London, being one of the foundation directors, this organisation having as its purpose the marketing of butter and cheese from the Dominion. He spent the remainder of his period abroad in a general tour, and returned to New Zealand in 1923 to resume work on his Ararata property. His interest in dairying administration did not cease, however, for the following years saw him elected to the Dairy Control Board as a Government nominee in succession to the Hon. 0. Hawken, who was promoted to Cabinet rank; his reappointment in 1924 as chairman of the Ararata Co-op. Dairy Company, which he had held from 1914 until his departure in 1919; and his election as chairman of the Taranaki Federation of Dairy Factories when that organisation was first formed, a position he held for nine years. He was elected chairman of directors of the Egmont Box Company on the death of Mr J. S. McKay, and he still holds that office. His other local body interests include the Hawera Hospital Board, and he is now one of the oldest board members. He was first elected to the board in 1912, and he continued as a member until 1919, while in 1925. two years after his return from abroad, he was again elected as one of the County Council representatives. Cr. Winks has given good service to the people of the Hawera district, and one of the features of his work is his thorough knowledge of everything he undertakes.
Cr. A. G. Larcom, elected 1919.—Cr. Larcom is one of the oldest residents of the Ararata district which he represents on the County Council, and he is now reaching the time when he can look back on 21 years of good service as a councillor. Born in Colac, Victoria, Cr. Larcom came to New Zealand with his parents in 1872, two years after his father had purchased a farm on the Turuturu Road. Mr Larcom Senr., later bought a property near Stratford, and the family lived in that
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HISTORY or HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
district until the Ararata property was acquired in 1900, and Cr. Larcom has lived there ever since. His chief farming interests are connected with sheep and cattle grazing, and he has a thorough knowledge of this class of work, a knowledge backed by a life-time of experience. Cr. Larcom’s term on the County Council began with the resignation of Cr. T. A. Winks on the occasion of his visit to Europe in 1919, and it was not long before he was chosen to represent the County on the Hawera Hospital Board, where he has another unbroken period of service to his credit. In the district in which he lives he takes a keen interest in community affairs, and for nearly 18 years he has been chairman of the Ararata School Committee, and he is also the chairman of the Ararata Hall Committee. For several years he served on the directorate of the Farmers’ Co-operative Orgainsation Society, where he gave useful service which marked what he did in other spheres of interest.
Cr. W. Rothery, elected 1926. —Cr. Rothery is one of the representatives of the Mokoia Riding of the council, having been a resident of the Whakamara district for over 20 years. Pihama is his birth-place, but he left that district at an early age and went to reside at Rahotu, where he was engaged in farming and contracting work until he left to take up a farm in Whakamara. Farming has been his life’s work, and he has now reached the stage when he knows every aspect of New Zealand’s main primary industry. Since making his home in South Taranaki, Cr. Rothery has assumed his full share of responsibility in local body work, and is now in his 14th year as a member of the Hawera County Council. In 1933 he was elected as one of the council’s representatives on the South Taranaki Electric Power Board, and he has served continuously on that body ever since. As a member of both local bodies he is fully conscious of his responsibility, and he carries out the duties entrusted to him in a manner that suggests a thorough knowledge of the work in hand.
Cr. G. W. A. Williams, elected 1926-32 and 1935 to date.— Cr. Williams is a member of a pioneer family of South Tara-
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
naki, and follows his father as a member of the Hawera County Council. His father was one of the first men to take up land in the Meremere district, and it is interesting to note that the original house on the property was carted along what was little more than a cart track through the bush, a bullock dray being used for the purpose. Returning to Meremere from Wanganui College, where he received his education, Cr. Williams started work on his father’s farm and has followed that occupation ever since. During that time further property has been acquired, and what was originally a farm of 200 acres is now in the vicinity of 5,000 acres, on which are running 9,000 sheep and 1,000 dairy cows, the latter being milked by sharemilkers. In the affairs of the district Cr. Williams takes an active interest, and for nearly 20 years has been chairman of the school committee, while he is also chairman of the Melrose Dairy Co., and a director of the Meremere Dairy Co. He is a Mokoia Riding representative on the council.
Cr. J. Lander, elected 1932.—Cr. Lander is one of the pioneers of the Ohangai district, where he has resided for nearly half a century. He was born and educated at Okoia, in the Wanganui district, and he has devoted the whole of his life to farming, at present being the owner of one of the largest holdings in the Ohangai district. In matters appertaining to the farming industry, Cr. Lander has always evinced a keen interest, and for a groat many years has been a member and keen supporter of the Egmont A. and P. Association. Until 1935 Cr. Lander had been chairman of the Meremere Co-operative Dairy Company for a number of years, but his farming interests are not confined to dairying, for he runs a large number of sheep and has done much to improve the standard of crossbreds in the district in which he lives. In 1932 he was elected as one of the Mokoia Riding representatives on the council, and he has occupied a chair at council meetings ever since that time. He watches the interests of his district closely, and his advice and suggestions are always sound.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Ur. A. E. Linn, elected 1935. —Cr. Linn follows in the footsteps of his father, the late Mr R. J. Linn, who served on the Hawera County Council for many years. Born in Mangatoki, Cr. Linn has been a resident of Normanby for over 30 years, and during that time he has taken a full share in the affairs of the district. He is recognised as being one of the best known amateur horticulturists in Taranaki, and as an exhibitor at various shows has met with signal success, winning many championships, particularly in the section for bulbs, in the growing of which he is an expert. He was closely associated with the Normanby Horticultural Society for a number of years and filled the office of president on a number of occasions, while he was a delegate from that society to the Taranaki Institute of Horticulturists. His other interests are closely connected with the Hawera Highland Pipe Band, and after being a playing member for seven years he was elected a life member and a vice-president. He was for a term one of the delegates to the Taranaki Provincial Excutive of the Caledonian Society.
Mr J. W. J. Harding, County Clerk. Appointed 1922. —Mr Harding has been clerk to the Hawera County Council for nearly 18 years, and is one of the best known local body officials in Taranaki, while as secretary of the New Zealand Institute of County Clerks since its inception in 1928 he is known over a much wider area than the province in which his council is domiciled. Born in Auckland, Mr Harding went to live in the island of Rarotonga in 1889, and remained there until July, 1898. In the latter year he returned to Auckland, and in September, 1900, he came to Hawera, where he served for a short time with Mr J. E. Wilson, a well-known cabinet-maker of the town. Later, he entered the service of Mr H. G. Pitcher, who was responsible for the formation of the Hawera Gas Company and the Hawera Starr-Bowkett Building Society and he remained with him until 1905. Mr Harding then went to Napier, but after a few months he returned to Hawera as accountant for Mr H. Halliwell, then in practice in the town as a solicitor. For
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
12 years Mr Harding remained in Mr Halliwell’s employment, and at the end of that time he bought a farm at Ngaere. After one season in that district he sold out and again took up office work, this time as secretary of the Awatuna Co-op. Dairy Co., where he remained until he was chosen for the position of County Clerk in 1922. Mr Harding has taken his share of responsibility in other directions of community life, one of his chief interests being in the work of education. From the position of secretary of the Awatuna and later chairman of the Hawera Main School Committee, he was appointed by the School Committee as its delegate on the board of managers of the Hawera Technical High School, being a foundation member when the present board was constituted. He was later appointed chairman of that body, which office he held until he relinquished the position in 1938, although he is still a member of the board. He is the present treasurer of St. Mary’s Church and also a member of the vestry', while he has gone through all the offices of the Hawera Druid’s Lodge, being a Past District President. He is also President of the Hawera Cage Bird Club and Treasurer of the Hawera Rotary Club. He has been a member of the N.Z. Society of Accountants since its inception in 1909.
Mr Frank Muggeridge, Engineer. Appointed 1937.—As engineer to the Hawera County Council, Mr Frank Muggeridge follows his father, who held the position from 1908 until his death in 1937. Born and educated in Hawera, Mr Muggeridge, as a young man undertook bush-felling in the Waitomo district, but the year immediately preceding the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 found him doing bridge carpentering work in the Hawera County. He answered the call for volunteers for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and he went overseas with the 9th Reinforcements as a member of an artillery unit. During the war he played football as a member of battery and brigade teams, and was asked to keep in training for the New Zealand Army team, but a subsequent war injury spoiled his chances of inclusion in that side. After the war Mr Muggeridge returned once more to bridge carpentering in the Hawera County,
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
and from 1921 to 1922 was engaged in bridge work by contract for the Public Works Department in the Taumarunui district. In 1923 he was appointed engineer to the Eltham County Council, and he filled that position until appointed to succeed his father in a similar position in Hawera. His other public interests were centred in the Eltham School Committee during his residence in that town. In Hawera his main interests are fishing and wrestling, being a member of the Hawera Wrestling Association and of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society.
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Hawera’s first Post Office.
Hawera Post Office In 1939,
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XII
Before Hawera was a Borough
to the history of the Borough of Hawera is much that has occupied the minds and labours of historians for over half a century, for there are few places in New Zealand so rich in historical association. Being in the direct path of the famous fighting chief of the ’sixties, Titokowaru, who had his actual headquarters within 10 miles of the borough, it was naturally the scene of many conflicts between the Maoris and the pakeha, first the Imperial troops, and then later the Colonial forces. Within a short distance of the borough, too, stands what has been claimed to be the best preserved Maori fortification in existence, the famous Turuturu-mokai pa, the scene of a bloody conflict several centuries ago between rival Maori tribes, and in 1868 the venue of the battle between Titokowaru’s forces and the Colonial soldiers. Ohawe, Taiporohenui, Ohangai, Whareroa, and Normanby, all within easy reach of Hawera, add their quota of incident to the historical pages of the past. These places saw the advent of the Maori in the 14th century; five centuries later came the pakeha—and the ultimate conflict.
In the pages of the history of Hawera may he found many names which to-day are remembered with gratitude for the manner in which they carried out the early administration of local body activities; this after they had sheathed their swords and put away their rifles at the conclusion of the conflict with the Maori people. They were true pioneers in every sense of the word, and the people of to-day honour their memory. That future generations may also do them honour is the reason for the writing of this historical survey of the district.
How Hawera received its name is a matter of some historic importance, dating as it does, back to the period before
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
pakeha settlement was even thought of. The story was written by Mr. John Houston, LL.B., who went to considerable trouble in order to unearth the facts underlying the meaning of the name.
The Maori of old frequently preserved the memory of an event in the name given to a locality, or to a natural feature, wrote Mr Houston. In the same way, individuals sometimes received names which served to keep alive the recollection of matters of interest. Thus, after the death of Te HeuEeu Tukino, of the Ngati-Tuwharetoa tribe, in the Te Rapa landslide of 1846, his son was given an additional name, Horonuku, “swallowed up in the earth.” A Taranaki chief, who was prominent at the defence of Te Namu and Orangi-tuapeka against the Waikato raiders, was named Matakatea, “the clear eyed,” in memory of his keen sight in those eventful days. Manawapou was named from an incident that took place on the bank of the river (as explained elsewhere).
Hawera takes its name from an event which occurred many years ago, at a short distance from the present borough. Mr Houston said the story was related to him by the late Rev. Robert Tahupotiki Haddon, whose high lineage in the NgatiRuanui tribe entitled him to speak with authority.
In bygone days, there was a settlement of some of the descendants of the Titahi folk near the present Whare-roa. These Titahi were a warlike people, and were constantly involved in disputes and conflicts with their neighbours.
In the days when Nga-ngaru-tukituki-waka. “the waves that pound the canoes,” was one of the chiefs of the NgatiOkahu at Waingongoro. the Titahi people in some way offended the inhabitants of Okahu-titi Pa, the great stronghold that lies in a fold of the river by the Normanby Road. Such insults were easily given in the old days of Maoridom. for the Maori was of a proud race, and readily took offence. Forgiveness was almost impossible, and an insult might be avenged only by the shedding of blood. For this reason the Waingongoro people determined to seek revenge or payment, utp. A great venegance was decided on, with the object of completely exterminating the offenders.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIM ATE PLAINS,
Nga-ngaru-tukituki-waka orangised a war party, taua, for the purpose of carrying into effect the plan for revenge. The project was carefully debated by the seniors of the hapu. Appropriate karakias were said over the chosen warriors by the tohungas of the pa; the maidens danced “to make good the hearts of the men”; the final haka was given, and then the taua passed out of the pa on its deadly mission.
Some seven miles lay between Okahu-titi and the objective of the taua. Each warrior carried with him, in addition to his weapons, a large bundle of dry fern. In the dead of night, the war party arrived at the sleeping settlement of the Titahi folk, who had no night sentinels posted to warn them of impending danger. Silently, the Okahu warriors deposited their bundles of dry fern round the great sleeping house, and when all was ready, fire was applied to the fern, which immediately sprang into a blaze. Then the work of extermination commenced.
The element of surprise by night worked against Titahi. As a warrior leaped from the blazing house, or from other whares round it, he was met by the inexorable foes of his people, and the conflict in the dark hours did not last long at the blazing settlement. And so, flame and taiaha and mere did their work, until not one of the Titahi remained alive. Nothing was left, save the blackened, smoking ruins. Now, there is but a memory of long ago contained in the name given to Te Ha-wera, “the burnt place,” and in the story of the vengeance exacted by Ngati-Okahu as utu for an insult.
The first use of the name Hawera by the pakeha appears to have been in connection with a redoubt built in the ’sixties of the last century, about a mile and a half to the south-east of the present borough. The official survey maps still show “Te Hawera Old Redoubt” between the South Road and the Manawapou Road, about a mile from the coast. Later, the name was given to the Town District, which on January 2, 1882, became the Borough of Hawera.
The ground on which the Borough of Hawera stands is part of territory confiscated from the natives, and it is common knowledge that Hawera was not laid out as a township,
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
as was the case with Manaia, Normanby and Ohawe. Hawera was a military settlement and with the exception of a few larger blocks on the outskirts, consisted of 10-acre blocks, approximately 30 in number. Grants of 50 acres of land had been given to settlers who had enrolled and had given military service. These farms being in the outlying district, there was considerable danger, at the time the grants were made, in working upon them, and the holders had the option of acquiring a 10-acre block in the settlement, where in 1870 a blockhouse had been erected for their accommodation, or for refuge in ease of an outbreak on the part of the Maoris. Thus was provided the means of the settlers becoming a community much closer in contact than could have been the case had residence been taken up on the various farms.
The block-house, which stood on a rise on the site now occupied by the public library, and Messrs Welsh, McCarthy, Houston and Coleman’s offices in High Street (since levelled), actually became the nucleus of what developed very rapidly into a township. Residences more or less primitive began to appear, and as there was business to be done, a store was opened on the site now occupied by the White Hart Hotel. Other premises, hotels, etc., followed, and this development made it necessary to subdivide the original blocks, which was done by the owners as circumstances, speculation or judgment dictated.
There is abundant evidence in the reminiscences of old settlers that by 1872 the settlement had grown into a township presenting every appearance of permanency and promise of expansion, but officially it remained a military settlement and there was no local body other than the Patea County Council and later the Hawera Road Board, until the Hawera Town Board was constituted. To the people of those days, the constitution of the town of Hawera was a very important event, for the locality thereby received official recognition as a town, with a governing local body having jurisdiction within the boundaries of the township.
It was at a public meeting held in the block-house in October, 1875, Mr. James Livingston being chairman, that
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Hawera Borough Council. —Sitting (left to right): Cr. J. Edmondston, Mr. H. S. Elliott (town clerk), Cr. R. R. Henderson, Mr. L. H. Clapham (Mayor), Cr. A. Reid, Mr. J. Nielsen (assistant town clerk), Cr. J. L. Carter. Standing: Mr. L. Hunt (inspector), Crs. M. R. Jones and P. O. Veale, Mr. C. F. Marshall-Smith (engineer), Crs. W. M. Eggletsonc, H. Thrush, and G. B. Mann.
Panoramic view of Hawera, the capital of South Taranaki.
HISTOEY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the boundaries of the town were decided upon, and these were duly gazetted when the formalities in connection with the setting up of the new body had been carried out.
The first meeting of the town board was held in the blockhouse on December 8, 1875, and for six years—very important years, too—this body controlled civic affairs.
The census of March, 1874, showed that there were 438 Europeans in the road district of Hawera, of whom 257 were resident in the settlement. At the next census, taken in March, 1878, the total population of the road district had more than doubled, being 985, the township having 377 inhabitants, with 157 more in the vicinity. At the next census, in March, 1881, there were 1,219 persons in the district, of whom 943 were resident in the township and 49 in the vicinity.
With the constitution of the town board came the first map of the “township of Hawera,” the boundaries of which were considerably less than those proclaimed for the borough in 1882. The township boundaries, starting from the junction of the South Road with Waihi Road (then called Normanby Road) extended to the northern boundary of a reserve, which is now King Edward Park, thence eastward in a straight line (except for a short break) which traversed the full length of Surrey and Grey Streets and continued to the northeastern corner of the cemetery, thence on a right-angle line to the South Road and along South Road to the starting point. The break in the straight line of the northern boundary was made at the junction of Union and Grey Streets. From this point the line ran mid-way between Union and Cambria Streets to Glover Road, thence along the latter road and Collins Street to the junction of Grey and Collins Streets, from which the straight line continued.
The reason for the inclusion of the triangular area between Grey Street and Glover Road, thus breaking the rectangle, was probably due to this area including the drill-hall site and military parade and exercise ground. The members of the first town board were Messrs. James Davidson (chairman), John Winks, Colin Cameron, H. R. Baker, D. McL’Dowie, John Black and William Dingle. Mr. Winks was a
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HISTORY OF HAWEKA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
member of the board from the first to the last, being the only member to achieve this distinction.
The members of the board could not be charged with extravagance in the expenditure of public funds any more than they could be accused of being “niggardly” in the amount of time and effort they gave in laying-out and supervising works, and assisting in other ways where there was no officer for such duties.
One service that will stand to the everlasting credit of the town board was the prompt measures taken to secure reserves for the benefit of the town. This fact has become patently obvious in recent years, as those connected with the administration of the borough are fully aware.
The first meeting of the town board was brief. After electing a chairman, it was resolved to request the Superintendent of the Province to pay to the board’s credit at the bank the sum of £lOO, as promised, and next to inform Major Atkinson, member for the district, that the board had been elected and was anxious to be endowed with the reserves “already promised” as early as possible.
A week later, a special meeting was held, Major Atkinson reporting that he had given orders to hand over the cemetery, and he desired to know the wishes of the board in respect of other reserves. In reply it was resolved to interview Major Atkinson regarding reserves, erecting a lock-up, a site for a town hall, reading-room and library, etc.
Reserves, lock-up and court-house were matters brought up at nearly every meeting of the board for twelve months. The board was getting on very well in respect of the reserves when it was discovered that titles could not be given until certain legislation had been passed at the next session of Parliament. Finally, in March, 1877, the Crown Lands Department advised that Crown grants had been forwarded for sections 30 (hospital reserve—the Old People’s Home and Naumai Park are on this section); 33 (cemetery reserve); part section 35 (for town purposes) ; 36 (now King Edward Park—for recreation purposes); and 37 (the large block now traversed by Dixon Avenue —for town purposes).
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The board applied for a site to be reserved for a town hall and in reply to an inquiry from the officer in charge of the confiscated areas as to what particular site was desired, chose “the corner opposite Muir’s store.” This is where the National Bank of New Zealand now stands. The site was reserved and the board was willing to have the section handed over to the Town Hall Company that had been formed, but reserved it for town hall purposes. Eventually the section was sold to the company in spite of a protest from the board.
In April, 1877, the board applied to the Government for a reserve of one acre for Town Board purposes. The result of this request was that in June of the following year the Minister of Lands advised that the Government had permanently changed the purpose of one acre of Section 19 from a “site for a telegraph station or the other purposes of the General Government” to a site for the offices of the Hawera Town Board. It was in this manner that the board became possessed of an area of slightly over an acre with frontage to Princes Street, High Street and Albion Street, being the block on which now stand the borough chambers, Commercial Hotel, and several other premises. This block yields the borough council a very considerable revenue, being £1,263 per annum.
The reserve of part Section 35 mentioned above, was a triangle bounded by Grey Street (the base), Princes and Collins Streets. The board planned to set aside half-acre sections for religious bodies and to cut the balance up into quarter-acre sections. The Anglican site was located where St. Mary’s Church now stands, the Homan Catholic site at the corner of Grey and Collins Streets, the Wesleyan site on the corner of Grey and Princes Streets, and the Presbyterian site in Grey Street, mid-way between Princes and Collins Streets. The proposed grouping of places of worship did not succeed, however, the Anglican church being the only one erected on the site nominated.
Finality in regard to the lock-up had not been reached up to the beginning of April, 1877, in spite of repeated representations. A further application was then forwarded, a
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court-house beng included in the request. The town clerk stated in his letter, “seldom a day or night passes that a drunken man cannot be seen rolling about the streets and creating a disturbance, much to the annoyance of all.” Whether this appeal was the deciding factor or not cannot be told, but a reply was received that orders had already been given for a lock-up, but a vote for a court-house could not be placed on the supplementary estimates.
The method adopted for the appointment of a town clerk was to call for tenders. For the first appointment two were received; Mr. James Strachan Greig undertook to give his services as clerk and collector and to find a room for meetings of the board for £35 per annum; Mr. Joseph Alder Smith tendered at £33 per annum, “subject to certain consistent restrictions.” Mr. Greig, who received the appointment, recorded these facts in a flowing script with elaborate capital letters. The salary was later reduced to £3O per annum.
Mr. Greig resigned in February, 1878, and tenders were again called for the position. Messrs Thompson and McGuire tendered at £4O; Mr. Thomas Crowhurst at £35 and Mr. Charles Broadbent at £25. Mr. Broadbent was appointed.
In March, 1879, Mr. Broadbent resigned and again tenders were called for the position. There were two tenderers, Mr. G. V. Bate (£35) and Mr. W. H. E. Wanklyn (£36). Mr. Wanklyn received the appointment and held it until the board ceased to function, and he became the first town clerk to the borough.
The board’s first statement of accounts was made up on May 26, 1876. The receipts totalled £152 18s Id, made up of £lOO grant from the Provincial Government, and the balance from rates collected. The expenditure was £55 6s 9d less than the receipts, so that the board started a full financial year that much in credit. Towards the end of that period the clerk’s salary was reduced to £3O per annum, and the month following the reduction the board applied to its bankers for an overdraft of £5O. In March, 1880, Mr. Wanklyn applied for extra remuneration for copying the roll, and a motion to grant one and a half guineas was defeated.
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Before the fire.” A photograph of the jubilee procession in 1887,
Municipal Offices and Fire Station and Bell. This was taken in the ’nineties.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
The balance-sheet for the year ending May, 1877, showed that the receipts for the year were £57 15s 9d only, the credit balance of £55 with which the year was started and the £5O overdraft saving the situation and a credit balance of £l2 10s lid was carried forward. Two-thirds of the expenditure, however, went in survey fees and street and footpath formation. These figures disclose how small were the revenues at the disposal of the board in comparison to the magnitude of the task before it.
In the earlier portion of the board’s activities, the footpaths appeared to be of more consequence than the streets. Whenever the formation of a footpath was undertaken a survey was carried out. The width of the footpaths was originally intended to be 14 feet, but this was shortly afterwards reduced to 10 feet. The board took the advice of its solicitor on the legality of requiring owners of properties abutting on footpaths to be formed to pay half the cost of formation and gravelling, the advice received being that this could not be done. Use of the footpaths by other than pedestrians became a sore point with the board and as late as December, 1879, steps were taken to expedite the gazetting of streets and footpaths, which it had been resolved in March of that year should be done in order that trespassers could be prosecuted.
It was not until October, 1878, that it was resolved that the “street fronting the post office” should be called Princes Street, and the street “running from the cemetery to Moore Hunter’s corner” be called High Street. Up to that time. High Street had been referred to as Main Street. It was not until March 3, 1879, that the board was in a position to decide to have all the streets in the town named and gazetted.
The full list of those who served as members of the town board during the six years of its existence is as follows: Messrs. J. Davidson, John Winks, Max D. King, W. J. Furlong (these four filled the office of chairman of the board in that order), and Messrs. G. V. Bate, Horace R. Baker, John Black, George Bamford, I. Bayly, Colin Cameron, T. E. Crowhurst H B. Cockburn, W. Dingle, J. Duffill, E. B. Eastwood, ’d!
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HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
MeL’Dowie, C. H. McCutehan, junr., E. Pulford, J. Stevenson D. Spence, Charles Tait and A. J. Whittaker.
The final meeting of the town board was held on February 6, 1882. Six months before that date, land in central High •Street had been sold at £l7 per foot, so no mean heritage passed on to the borough. The “Hawera Star” of December 30, 1881, reviewed the position in its editorial columns as follows:
“The times change, and we change with them. The old Roman proverb comes home with great force to those whose lot it has been to settle in a district which has made so much progress as this one has done during the past 12 months. Hawera has advanced. The public school now includes 200 children on the roll, whereas at this time last year there were only about 150; 188 houses was the return then made for Hawera, from which we concluded that the population could not be less than 800, an estimate which was then regarded as extravagant; but in March last the census returns showed that there were close on 1,000 persons living in Hawera. By November the 180 householders had increased to 250, and steps were taken to form a borough. Normanby has, besides the town hall, which was opened at this time last year, a handsome new hotel, good station buildings, as well as other important additions to the town. In point of population and business importance it is improving steadily and surely, and so soon as the Continuous Reserve is opened up, it will certainly take a leap ahead which will astonish even those who at present are deemed over-confident. Railway communication has been opened, and neither Hawera nor Normanby are any longer separated (for six months in the year) from New Plymouth by a gulf of impassable quagmire.
“We refer to these things with a view to pointing out the progress of settlement within the district has not been confined to the Plains; but there the change worked has been marvellous. Already the Manaia people wish to form a town board, and seem likely to have no difficulty in finding the required fifty householders; Normanby proposes to do likewise. Hence it would appear that within little more than
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
twelve months four new local bodies will have been created — a county, a road board, and two town boards. The population of a newly-settled district must, in the nature of things, be a busy community. Men with leisure to devote to public business must necessarily be scarce; every man has more work waiting for him than he can well get through. Under such circumstances, if the labour of looking after local requirements is minutely subdivded, it is more likely to be well done than if larger and more time-absorbing duties were placed in the hands of local politicians. It would be a pity to spoil good settlers by turning them into paid politicians.
“On the 28th October, 1880, the first land on the Plains was sold. On the 22nd December, 1880, Manaia was disposed of; since then three blocks of bush land, varying from 7,000 to 12,000 acres, have been offered, and almost the whole of it sold. A person starting from the mouth of the Waingongoro can now travel either twelve miles up the coast through a thickly settled district, or, if prepared for a rough scramble, might travel nearly twenty miles up the river through country sold to settlers throughout the whole distance, except about three and a half miles of the Continuous Reserve. Not less than 200 sections of bush land, from 80 to 320 acres each, have been offered for sale since February last in the bush at the back of the Plains. With the exception of about a dozen of the remotest sections, the whole area was readily disposed of at auction, in most cases at prices considerably above the upset.”
The first regular mode of communication between Hawera and the towns outside the province was by horse coach, as it was in most places in New Zealand. On January 11, 1871, Messrs Cobb and Co. first started this means of communication between Hawera and Wanganui, the then Premier of the Colony, Sir Wiliam Fox, being a passenger, with the friendly chief, Hone Pihama, riding beside him.
A further step in communication was established with the provision of a telegraph line, first between New Plymouth and Opunake in June, 1871, and five years later to Hawera along the Mountain Road. In the interim communication between
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HISTOBY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Opunake and Hawera was by means of a mounted messenger service. An attempt was made to open up the land on the northern side of the Waingongoro River early in 1874, but the survey party was ordered off and it was deemed unwise to continue the work until four years later, when it was resumed.
Hawera had in 1875 the nucleus of a relatively considerable population, especially as the whole of the European population of the province in that year was only 4,600. There was a post and telegraph office, with Mr. J. Black as the first telegraphist; two hotels, the Egmont (T. Quinlivan) and the Hawera (T. Bspagne); a blacksmith’s shop (Mr. William Williams); two general stores (James Davidson and Taplin and Muir); two butchers’ shops (Mr. John Winks and Mr W. Treweek); two bakers’ shops (Mr. Taplin and Mr. Winks); a saddler (Mr. E. Williams) ; several carpenters, including Messrs. T. Fitzsimmons, R. Lynch, T. Chetham and T. Robinson. There were also quite a number of carriers, including Messrs. J. Stevenson, C. Tait, D. McL’Dowie, J. Redding, J. Dyer, J. Treweek, Oakes, Robinson, and P. Sweeney.
In the township and neighbourhood also resided many families, representatives of whom are still resident in the district. Among these were Messrs. Barrow, Bourke, Brett, Broadbent, Byrne, Cameron, Cowper, Dowdall, Dyce, Douglas, Gillroy, Goodson, Gore, Hamilton, Heyward, Hicks, Inkster, Jupp, Livingston, Malone, Mason, Middlemas, Milne, Mitchell, Morgan, Moriarty, McKoy, O’Donnell, O’Shea, O’Riley, Perry, Powell, Ramage, Reid, Riddiford, Siggs, Turnbull and Worth.
The first form of local government established was the formation of the Hawera Road Board, the initial meeting being held in Mr. Davidson’s shop, as recounted elsewhere in this work. The chief stumbling block as far as expansion of the district was concerned, the freedom of the Waimate Plains for European settlement, was removed by a Royal Commission, with Sir William Fox as president, sitting in 1879 to determine the rights of ownership. The result of the deliberations of the Commission was that there was set apart a sufficient area for Maori use and benefit and the balance was
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mSTOEV OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
handed over for disposal by auction sale to pakehas. This decision was deemed to be arbitrary by many of the Maoris and Te Whiti, the prophet of Parihaka, became the spokesman for the dissenters. His policy, however, was a policy of annoyance and he counselled his followers to refrain from actual violence and to re-enter on the lands and cultivate them as though they were their own. In following out this policy, large bodies of partially armed natives invaded the confiscated area, and crossing the Waingongoro River began ploughing up the laud selected by various European settlers.
The situation thus created was considered to be alarming in some quarters, and there was much activity among the volunteer corps that were formed throughout the district concerned. A troop of cavalry, known as the Hawera Light Horse, was formed in this town with Captain Lukis in command, while a squad of Rifle Volunteers under Captain Isaac Bayly was also promoted. At Manaia the Waimate Mounted Rifles held themselves ready for action under the command of Captain Martyn; at Normanby a solid earthwork redoubt was thrown up on the western side of the township and a strong company of volunteers occupied it and began a systematic course of drill. A track was cleared through the heavy bush which flourished between this point and the established fort at Waihi, so as to permit signalling in case of an attack. Families at Normauby were advised to seek the shelter of the Waihi Redoubt and a number of women and children availed themselves of the protection offered.
In the meantime, an event of outstanding interest had taken place in Hawera with the formation of the Hawera Republic and a solemn declaration of the town as an independent community. The matter is referred to in the columns of he “Hawera Star” of February 17, 1914, in recalling the incident. “Repeated appeals were made to the Grey Government for protection from native oppression, and as none was forthcoming a meeting was held and the settlers in solemn conclave passed a resolution declaring Hawera a republic, end James Livingston was elected president. The settlers (many of whom had done duty when the present town of
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Hawera consisted of only a blockhouse) then took measures for their own defence, and placed guards in front of the president’s house, as his land was the first to be ploughed up.”
With the assumption of office in 1879 by the Hall Government, Mr. Bryce became Native Minister and his first act was to change the mild policy of his predecessors. The survey of the lands in the confiscated area was arranged and the main road between New Plymouth and Opunake was formed by members of the Armed Constabulary, who took their lilies to work with them.
On the resignation of Mr. Bryce in 1880, the Hawera Kepublic again showed considerable activity owing to the succeeding Ministry reverting to the former policy of “hands off native lands.” Sir Arthur Gordon, the then Governor of the Colony, suggested a compromise with Te Whiti and the latter replied with his historical phrase; ‘ ‘ The potato is cooked.” Mr. Bryce resumed office shortly afterwards and his continuation of a firm policy stilled the clamour of the malcontents. The infant republic gradually faded out of existence, and its president was only too glad, like George Washington, to devote himself to agricultural and pastoral pursuits.
The foregoing incidents were those leading up to the arrest of Te Whiti and Tohu at Parihaka in 1881 as related earlier, and the time had now arrived when settlers were able to go about their business in a more peaceful frame of mind. More settlers came to the district and land sales were held at which much of the land on the Waimate Plains was disposed of, the prices, of course, being very much lower than those ruling to-day.
The first public sale of land available on the Waimate Plains was held in Hawera on October 27, 1880, and this sale proved highly successful. A further sale at the court-house later in the year attracted buyers from all parts of the colony, and many of these purchasers have descendants residing on the holdings selected 60 years ago.
An event of some importance to farmers in the Hawera district at ahont this time was the trial of the newly invented
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
reaper and binder on the farm of Mr. J. S. Caverhill at the Lakes. The trial was successful in every way and was of considerable interest on account of the fact that cropping was carried on in the district at this time. Three seasons later Messrs McLean and Livingston advertised for the harvesting of 400 acres of oats and 155 acres of wheat. The Maoris had long cultivated wheat in the Taiporohenui district, grinding the grain in primitive mills by the aid of selected stones from the beach, this procedure being a follow-up of the teachings of the Rev. Woon in this district many years earlier.
Early in 1881 Wilson and Princes Streets were formed, Hawera thus gaining two outlets to the rich pastoral lands in the vicinity. At the same time there was another sale of lands on the Waimate Plains, the upset prices ranging from £4 an acre for open land and from £1 10s to £2 an acre for bush lands.
The railway line from New Plymouth to Hawera was officially opened on October 20, 1881, and the only unrailed gap was that between Hawera and Manutahi. This portion was finalised about three years later and in the meantime communication was maintained by a regular coach service over roads that were in a very primitive state.
At the end of 1881 the population of Hawera was in the vicinity of 1,000, and the agitation for the constitution of a borough was commenced, this reaching finality in January, 1882. The first Licensing Bench, consisting of Messrs. Livingston, Winks and Tait, was also formed at this time, the bench meeting for the first time on March 3, 1882. The Egmont Racing Club also came into being during this year.
It is of interest to note the manner of the selection of the site for the Hawera railway station, which was decided upon early in 1880. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. Mr. Oliver (known in the Department as “Tin-Tacks”) paid a visit to Hawera for this specific purpose, and on his arrival he found that there were rival factions to be placated. One party favoured a site on Mr. Thomas Middlemas’ land on the southern side of the town, while another party advocated the present site, but both parties contended that their particular
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site was the more central, taking the Egmont Hotel or the Post Office as the base. “You act as timekeeper,” said the Minister to Mr. Patrick Galvin, who was present as an interested spectator. It was then agreed by both sides that whichever site was nearest should be the most central, and the Minister and others interested walked first from the southern site to the hotel and back again, later repeating the same performance from the present station site. There was a difference of eight minutes in favour of the present site. “That decides it, gentlemen,” said the Minister, and he there and then fixed upon the present position as the site for the new station.
It was not long after this incident that Messrs. Thomas and Andrew Middlemas left for the United States, one going to Florida to start orange growing, and the other to Oregon where he took up sheep-farming. Mrs. Douglas, a sister of the Middlemas brothers, remained in Hawera.
In 1880 the “Hawera Star” had its hirth, the moving spirit in its foundation being Mr. Patrick Galvin, a young Wellington journalist, who had seen the possibilities in the town during a short visit. Partnered by Messrs J. D. Armit and J. B. Innes he launched the paper as “The Hawera and Normanby Star, Patea County Chronicle and Waimate Plains Gazette,” and the first issue of the paper was published on April 10, 1880. The first paper was a very creditable one of four pages, published twice a week, the machinery being housed in a small converted cottage in Regent Street on the site now occupied by Messrs. R. H. Leece and Co.’s garage. The price of the paper was at first threepence per copy, but in 1881 this was reduced to twopence, while the paper was also published three times per week. In 1882 the paper became a daily feature of the life of the community, and with daily publication came a further price reduction to one penny per copy. Later, the offices of the paper were removed to High Street. At about this time, too, Mr. J. C. Yorke partnered Mr. Innes in the venture and the company became known as Innes and Yorke.
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The “Hawera Star” office destroyed in the fire of
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Five years after the establishment of the “Star,” there arose a need in the district for a weekly newspaper, and the outcome was the publication by the company of the “Bgmont Star,” which continued weekly until 1914, the year that saw so many changes in the general order of things. The “Star Almanack” was another publication (annual) that proved very popular in the early years. The publication of this annual ceased in 1921.
In 1889 Mr. Innes decided to leave Hawera, and the partnership between himself and Mr. Yorke was dissolved, Mr. Yorke becoming sole proprietor. At the end of 1892 Mr. Yorke decided to leave and make his home in England, and he in turn sold out, this time the purchaser being Mr. W. A. Parkinson, who had been editor for several years. Mr. Parkinson controlled the “Star” for just on 27 years—lB years as sole proprietor and the balance of the period holding the controlling interest in the private company that was formed in 1912.
The disastrous fire of August 29, 1895, swept over the “Star” building, but with the assistance of many willing helpers the paper was published as usual the next day, although reduced in size. New premises were erected in due course, the building being that occupied by Mr. A. K. Pyson and others in High Street, opposite the Opera House. The paper’s home remained in that building until removed to its present premises in Eegent Street.
HISTORY OF HAWEKA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER MI
Constitution of the Borough
| 'HE first public mention of the movement to constitute the township of Hawera a borough appears in the report of the monthly meeting of the Hawera Town Board held on Monday, July 4, 1881, which appeared in the “Hawera Star” on July 6. At that meeting there were present Messrs. W. J. Furlong (chairman), G. V. Bate, B. B. Eastwood, C. M. McCuteheon and E. Pulford.
Mr. Bate moved: “That in the opinion of this board it is advisable that the town of Hawera be incorporated a borough; that in order to give effect to this resolution a sub-committee be appointed to draw up the necessary petition and get the same signed by the ratepayers; and that, subject to future amendment, the proposed boundaries be from the comer of Normanby Road and Main South Road; thence to the Glover Road and along the same to the south-east corner of Section 546; thence in a direct line to Main South Road to the original starting point.”
Mr. Bate added that he desired to see the question well ventilated. He did not wish his resolution carried in its present form if it could be amended to the advantage of the public. He hoped that every ratepayer who thought it could be bettered by an alteration in the boundaries would communicate with the board. The motion was duly carried and Messrs. Furlong, MeCutcheon and Bate were appointed a subcommittee to give effect thereto.
At the next meeting of the board Mr. Bate stated that the petition was in course of signature, over 50 householders having signed, and there was no doubt that a sufficient number of signatures would be obtained.
The movement proceeded satisfactorily and in the “Havera Star” of August 27, 1881, appeared the formal
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notice by advertisement of the intention to lay the petition before the Governor. In this notice the proposed boundaries were set out and the area stated to be about 223 acres. Subsequently some alteration of the proposed boundaries must have been made, for when the proclamation duly appeared in the first issue of the New Zealand Gazette of 1882, constituting Hawera a borough as from January 2, 1882, the area was given as 765 acres and the particulars of boundaries given in the schedule varied from those stated in the advertisement.
In the latter part of October, interest began to be manifested in the election of the first Mayor of Hawera. It was quite early apparent that Mr. W. J. Furlong, chairman of the town board, was a popular fancy, but he announced that he would not be a candidate. (Shortly after the end of the year he left on a trip to England.) Messrs. Felix McGuire, 6. Y. Bate and Max D. King were named as possible candidates, and in mid-November the position was clarified by the announcement of the candidature of Messrs. McGuire and Davidson. Mr. John Winks was nominated later on. Although nominations did not close until January 24, the respective addresses of the three candidates appeared in the intervening issues of the “Hawera Star” with praiseworthy regularity.
In his address, Mr. Davidson stated; “If returned, I would be in favour of raising a small loan for the purpose of opening up and forming all roads and streets and footpaths within the borough, and having the centre, at least, of all the streets metalled; and of the erection of borough chambers suitable to the requirements of the borough. I would be in favour of setting aside all rents derived from reserves and revenue derived from hotel licenses for the payment of interest, so forming a sinking fund to pay off our debt, leaving brewers’ licenses, dog tax, auctioneers’ and hawkers’ licenses, with rates and revenue from other sources for the maintenance of streets, footpaths and general expenditure, taking great care that the same shall be spent to the best advantage for the benefit of the ratepayers generally. ’ ’
Mr. Winks was more brief, stating: “Borough chambers, improving the town by forming and metalling all necessary
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streets, and drainage are among the principal works that will receive my attention. Should the funds at the disposal of the councillors be inadequate to carry out those works, I would be in favour of borrowing, should the ratepayers deem it necessary. ’ ’
Mr. McGuire left himself untrammelled by details, contenting himself with: ‘ ‘ Should you do me the honour of electing me, I should devote my best energies to the improvement and advancement of the town by the execution of public works upon a scheme so devised as to do justice to all parts of the borough. ’ ’
The dates for taking polls to elect the first council and auditors were: For the mayoralty, Tuesday, February 7; for nine councillors, February 8; and for two auditors, February 9. There were on the roll at the date of nominations being due, 191 voters, representing 250 votes. In the mayoralty there was no plural voting. The nominations received and the nominators were as follow;
DAVIDSON, James—Daniel McL’Dowie and Charles Tait.
MeGUIRE, Felix—Colin Cameron and Horace Remarno Baker.
WINKS, John—John Brown and Edward Pulford. For the council the following were nominated:—•
BAKER, Horace Remarno—Maxmillan Day King and John Duffill.
HOBBS, Alfred Samuel—John William Partridge and Edward Pulford.
KING, Maxmillan Day—J. Duffill and Humphrey George Pitcher.
LYNCH, Richard—M. D. King and H. G. Pitcher
MILMOE, Lawrence—W. J. Furlong and Jacob Meuli.
McL’DOWIE, Daniel—James Davidson and E. Pulford.
PARTRIDGE, John William—Charles Tait and Jacob Meuli.
PRICHARD, Llewellyn Evan—H. G. Pitcher and J. Davidson.
RIDDIFORD, Frederick—E. Pulford and J. W. Partridge.
SHEARER, William—D. McL’Dowie and B. Pulford.
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High Street, Hawera, in the early ’7o’s.
High Street, Hawera, in 1878.
High Street, Hawera, in 19:
Soldiers’ Club and War Memorial, Hawera.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
SYME, George—W. J. Furlong and G. Y. Bate. THOMSON, William Murray—J. Davidson and M. D. King.
For auditors the following were nominated:—-
CAMPBELL, Malcolm James—T. Ecclesfield and W. Murray Thomson.
McCUTCHEON, Charles Henry—E. Pulford and T. Ecclesfield.
RANSON, Charles—W. M. Thomson and E. Pulford.
RYAN, William Ricketts—W. M. Thomson and E. Pulford.
After nominations were received considerably more interest was manifested in the various elections and attention was particularly directed to finance. The “Hawera Star” in its issue of January 25 referred in detail to the magnitude of the task before the council to be elected. Of the condition of the streets the comment was: “It cannot be denied that, with one or two exceptions, the whole of the streets were in a wretchedly primitive condition, unmetalled, unformed, overgrown with long grass and weeds, and in some instances mere receptacles for the storm water flowing from higher levels. But great as is the importance of having good streets, the corporation will entirely fail in its duty if it does not at once turn its attention to sanitary matters. The population is increasing very rapidly and appears likely to do so Drainage of some kind is absolutely essential. . . . Connected with it is the question of a good water supply.”
In the next issue of the paper the revenues of the borough were discussed editorially. It was pointed out that the council would not be saddled with a legacy from the town board in the shape of debt, and comment followed upon the smallness of the amount received by the board in rates. “That the valuable property in Hawera should contribute only £213 is ridiculous. .... In many cases the valuation was absurdly low, while numerous properties are left out altogether. Indeed, we have heard it stated that a certain property worth nearly £2,000 does not pay a halfpenny in rates.” Thus the editor of’the day made it clear that the new governing body had a hard row
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to hoe, especially as it was fairly clear that the delay in proclaiming the borough would lose the 7s 6d in the £ subsidy payable under the Appropriation Act on all sums received by way of general rates for the nine months ending December 31, 1881. However, a detailed estimate of receipts and expenditure made it probable that the new local body would have nearly £9OO a year available for maintenance and repairs and payment of interest on any loans raised for the construction of works of a permanent nature.
The polling for the office of Mayor resulted as follows: McGuire, 75; Davidson, 46; Winks, 3.
The result of the poll for the election of nine councillors resulted as follows;
Syme, 89; King, 84; Baker, 82; MeL’Dowie, 77; Hobbs, 76; Partridge, 75; Thomson, 75; Riddiford, 59; Prichard, 55; Shearer, 54; Lynch, 53; Milmoe, 31. Messrs. Prichard and Shearer polled an equal number of votes and the Returning Officer gave his casting vote in favour of the former. Messrs. M. J. Campbell (47) and C. H. McCutcheon, jnr. (41) were elected auditors, the other candidates being Messrs. Ryan (40) and Ranson (19).
The first meeting of the council was held on Friday, February 10, at the Institute. In addition to the Mayor, all the councillors except Cr. Hobbs attended. Mr. W. H. Wanklyn, as the officer appointed by the Colonial Secretary to conduct the elections and act as Town Clerk, read the notifications gazetted and announced the successful candidates for the various offices. The usual declarations were then made and signed.
The Mayor opened the proceedings by delivering an address. He congratulated the ratepayers on at last having a borough council, and he took the first opportunity of mentioning several matters of importance which should receive the early attention of the council. All would probably agree, he said, that the most important item in their programme must be a drainage and sewerage scheme, and therefore he would like to see a committee appointed that evening to collect informa-
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tion and to draw up a scheme for submission to a future meeting. Drainage was a matter of vital importance, seeing that it affected the health and even the lives of the inhabitants. Another matter of great importance was that of a water supply, and was, of course, intimately connected with, if not a necessary condition precedent to, successful drainage. To say nothing of its usefulness as a means of fire prevention (the necessity for which was shown by the late fire at Gisborne, when £lOO,OOO worth of property was destroyed), and as a means of laying the dust and cleansing the town.
Another matter which, must engage the attention of the council, said the Mayor, was the formation of streets and footpaths, and a committee should at once be appointed to consider the question. Before anything could be done it would be necessary to appoint a committee of finance, whose duty it should be to consider the financial position of the council, to make arrangements to secure an overdraft, for the present at any rate, and thereafter a loan, and to report generally on the subject of finance. This committee might also suggest a system of keeping accounts, so that business might be conducted in a manner which would give satisfaction and confidence to the ratepayers. Standing orders would also have to be made for the conduct of meetings, and by-laws would have to be drawn up regulating a variety of matters. Many things that had taken place under the town board could not be permitted to take place now. Nuisances of all kinds would have to be removed. It would also be necessary to appoint a clerk, treasurer, valuer, and collector, and he thought it would be well that the offices should be combined in the one person. he present acting-clerk had been appointed by the Government for the present, and he noticed that the chairman of the town board, on retiring from office, had commended that gentleman for his services as clerk to the board. It would be for the council to consider what would be proper remuneration and who would be appointed. It would also be necessary to appoint an inspector of nuisances—a man who would not be afraid to go into backyards, and arrangements must be made for securing offices and furniture. He suggested that the
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court-house might be obtained for the present. Five or ten men should be employed at once to see to the streets.
These were the principal things which required immediate attention, said the Mayor, and he hoped that councillors would be prepared to give a good deal of their time just now, and be punctual in attendance. It would be necessary for the council to meet weekly, and for committees to meet daily just now. The town had the makings of a large centre of population, and he hoped that it would now progress rapidly. The town board had left things in a satisfactory state, in that there was no debt or incumbrances, and he hoped that the corporation would at once get to work and achieve success.
Committees were set up as follows Finance: Crs. Partridge, Thomson, King and the Mayor. Drainage: Crs. Syme, King and Thomson. Works: Crs. Biddiford, Baker, McL’Dowie and Prichard. Water: Crs. Thomson, Syme, Prichard and Baker. By-laws: Crs, Syme, Partridge, Thomson and the Mayor.
The works committee was charged with the duty of drawing up a report of the most pressing works required on the various streets in the town and on street improvements generally.
A discussion took place on fixing a place for regular meetings. The Institute was proposed at a suggested rental of £1 per week, the seconder of the motion expressing the hope that the council would never sit in “the wretched place which was called a court-house.”
It was pointed out that the court-house could probably be obtained rent free, and the Mayor opposed the motion, stating that if the Institute must be assisted it must be done directly and not indirectly.
The motion was lost on a division, Crs. Prichard, McL’Dowie, Thomson and King supporting it, and Crs. Partridge, Baker, Biddiford and Syme and the Mayor voting in the negative.
The finance committee was then empowered to select a suitable place for the temporary use of the council and to report to the next meeting.
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Taplin and Muir’s, the first Hawera Store,
The Old Hawera Hotel, Union Street
HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
After some discussion, during which the advisability of calling for tenders for the inclusive duties of clerk, collector and valuer was considered and rejected, Mr. Wanklyn was appointed town clerk, treasurer, collector of rates, and valuer, the finance committee being requested to recommend the salary to be offered.
The Mayor was authorised to employ men and carts for the purpose of cleaning the streets and drains of the town, and it was agreed that all meetings should be called by postcard. The council then adjourned for a week.
The first ordinary meeting of the council provided work in plenty for each councillor, and in the issue of the “Hawera Star” on the following Monday appeared the following:— “To-day a committee was to be seen at every street corner wanting ‘to know you know,’ and members seem to be performing their duties as if they were practised hands at the work. The streets, works, finance and sewerage committees were hard at work, and we hope they will have some valuable and practical suggestions to make when the council meets next week.”
The second meeting of the council showed that in the short space of one week the whole of the councillors had indeed been at work. The works committee was specially commended for the report brought up, which dealt fairly exhaustively with the state of the streets in various parts of the town. The report read as follows;
“We are of opinion that the new street which has lately been opened from Prosser’s Hotel to the railway station (forming, as it does, the chief thoroughfare from High Street to the railway) should be levelled right through to High Street, footpaths formed on each side of the road, and the whole of the street gravelled before the winter sets in. Glover Road should be ploughed, formed, and gravelled, and a footpath made on the town side of the road extending from the Church of England corner to Wilson Street. We suggest that the water-hole on Glover Road be fenced in, in order to prevent cattle from breaking away the formation, also that the cutting be gravelled as soon as possible.
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“Wilson Street.—This street, being a much frequented one, on account of the large population in Bamford’s paddock, it is therefore imperative that no time should be lost in ploughing, forming and metalling it, also in forming and gravelling the footpaths on each side. Footpaths in High Street should be continued on both sides, from the comer of Victoria Street to the corner of the lane leading to the cricket ground. We would call the attention of the council to the fact that the street running from the cricket ground past Mr. L. Milmoe’s new residence is really a chain wide, but owing to a gorse hedge having been planted right in the centre of the road, it is practically reduced to half a chain width. We recommend that this fence be removed. The gorse growing across the cricket ground lane should also be removed.
“The Hawera and Normanby Road being full of holes and ruts, we are of the opinion that it would be better and cheaper in the end to re-metal the whole piece of road extending from Mr. Moore Hunter’s corner to Mr. Roper’s, the road board being, of course, charged with half the cost. The road extending from the top of High Street to the Great South Road should also be formed and gravelled. The street in which Mr. Buchanan’s residence is situated should for the present be formed only, as there is no traffic to speak of upon it. Victoria Street should be ploughed, formed and gravelled, and the footpath on the east side be continued from end to end. We consider this is a most important piece of work, and would like to see it prosecuted with the least possible delay. Regent Street ought to be metalled, and footpaths gravelled and put in order on each side. This, being one of the principal streets in the borough, will, we trust, receive immediate attention. Princes Street footpaths should be formed and metalled from Great South Road to connect with the one proposed to be formed on Glover Road at the church corner.
“We also propose the following: That a culvert be put in and a cutting made in order to give access to property in Cameron Street; that the culvert opposite the cemetery reserve be metalled; that a culvert and formation be made in Malone Road.
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HISTORY OF HA WEI! A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
“We also recommend the formation only of the following streets and roads: Eeclesfield Street to Glover Road; of the latter round the Church of England to Great South Road; the road round the church reserve; Napier, Nelson and Wellington Streets to be formed; formation only of C. Tait’s road, and also to the end of High Street as far as Block 26. On Glover Road a large quantity of dry gorse is lying, and as this has evidently been trimmed from a hedge belong to Mr. Tait, we would recommend that he be ordered to clear it away at once. The furze hedges in Victoria Street, High Street, and other parts of the borough are a great source of danger from fire, and we suggest that the owners of these hedges be instructed to keep them closely trimmed and in proper order, pending further instructions relative to them. We highly approve of the action of the Mayor relative to the commencement of work in High Street.
“In concluding our report, we may state that we have endeavoured to make it as complete as was possible in the time allowed us. Of course, it is impossible that the whole of the work herein specified can be proceeded with at once, and it devolves upon the council to decide which shall take precedence. Some little difficulty has been experienced in describing the streets, as no map of the borough has yet been made. For this reason we consider a map should be made as soon as convenient, in terms of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, which says, ‘The council of every borough shall, as soon as conveniently may be, after the passing of this Act, cause a map of the borough to be made, showing all the streets and private streets therein, with the levels thereof, as the same are or are intended to be, or will be required to be, permanently constructed; and such map shall be open for inspection by all burgesses at the offices of the council.’ This map, when constructed, will be of the greatest possible assistance, and the only question is how to get it done as expeditiously and as cheaply as possible.
“It is very necessary to enable the council to proceed with public works at once that an adequate supply of gravel be obtained to the amount of work to be undertaken. We there-
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HISTOEY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
fore think that, as soon as it is decided what is to be put in hand, a supply should be immediately ordered. We would point out that as the winter season is approaching, it is of the utmost importance that our plan of action be resolved upon at once. By the appointment of a permanent public works committee we should greatly facilitate the working of that department of the council, and no delay should take place in forming a thoroughly efficient one, as public works are at present of premier importance.
“We omitted to state above that the footpaths at the bottom of High Street, running past the Town Hall and the Institute on the one side, and Mr. Pulford’s new hotel on the other, should be put in thorough repair, as during the winter months they are almost impassable owing to their clay formation.”
Water supply and drainage matters had to remain in abeyance, as the time was too short to allow the respective committees opportunity to place anything concrete before the council.
It was decided to invite applications for a borough engineer at £lOO per annum with the right to private practice. Crs. Syme, Prichard and the Mayor were constituted a committee to arrange for competitive designs for borough chambers, a bonus of £2O to be awarded to the successful architect. Notice of motion was given to raise a loan of £2,500 to carry out the works recommended by the works committee. The important question of gravel supply was discussed and the temporary arrangements made by the Mayor were approved. The by-laws committee recommended that the by-laws be based on those in force in New Plymouth, Wanganui, and Palmerston North, with the necessary alterations to suit local conditions.
Finance for street formation and improvement was the most urgent need and it was finally decided to raise a loan of £5,000, of which £3,500 was to be devoted to this work; £750 towards a new system of sewerage; and £750 towards assisting to procure a water supply. At the statutory meeting held on April 10, the proposal was overwhelmingly carried, there being only two dissentients.
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In the following month the Mayor and Cr. King proceeded to Wellington as a deputation to the Government for assistance in raising the loan. They were successful in getting the loan from the Treasury at 6 per cent., giving debentures redeemable in 15 years. Outside the personal expenses of the deputation and the printing of the debentures, the cost of raising the loan was £5, the council thus being saved about £3OO on the estimate of the councillors. There was so much jubilation over this successful result that it was seriously proposed to give the deputation a public dinner, a proposal that was supported by the “Star.” There is no record of the dinner materialising.
The existence of the offices ’ reserve placed the provision of borough chambers on a different footing to other works. There was nearly £l5O in hand when the council took over, and with an annual income from rents of about the same amount, it was an easy matter to finance the erection of the building which is still in use to-day.
The tender of Mr. J. A. Johnston, the lowest of eight, at £1,130 was accepted on June 14 for the erection of the building, and in October the tender of Messrs. O’Neill and Wilson of £2OO was accepted for furnishings. There was some outcry at the time that the lowest tender, that of Mr. Arthur, of Patea, should have been accepted, but the council decided that the difference between the two tenders was so small that the local firm should have the preference. The offices were ready for occupation in December.
Mr. T. M. Poy, who received the appointment of borough engineer, had prepared the complete levels of the town for the town board, and this early work was described by one councillor as being of inestimable value to the council. Mr. Foy did not enjoy good health, and it was the opinion of the council in October that this officer could not combine the offices of a highly skilled engineer and a practical foreman of works. It was then decided to thank Mr. Poy for his services and ask him to accept three months’ salary in lieu of notice and resign his post. It was not until 1911 that the position ot borough engineer was revived.
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HISTORY OP HA WEE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The trouble experienced by the town board in regard to streets and footpaths did not disappear when the more financial body administered the affairs of the town. There was so much to do, so much more traffic with increased building activity, and the always present handicap of difficulty in securing suitable metal in the locality. When work was started on metalling on a fairly large scale, all kinds of trouble arose. Irate ratepayers criticised freely the methods, the inadvisability of doing that class of work in winter, delay in doing the work; in fact, anything and everything. It was indeed a troublesome period for the new councillors, and criticism was not confined to outsiders, for there was some acrimonious discussions among the councillors themselves.
The council was able at the end of September to show that, despite all the difficulties attached to this particular part of its obligations to the ratepayers, it had done good work and at the same time kept well within its estimates, a fact that was favourably commented upon by the “Star” at the time. Up to this date there had been expended of the loan allocation the sum of £1,551. Gravel accounted for £927 of this amount; Glover Road £67; Victoria Street £124; Wilson Street £59; Princes Street £4O; High Street £4O (all contracts) ; labour on streets, £253; and stone-breaking £35. The winter months having passed over, most of the trouble passed with it, but it was a long time before criticism of works expenditure lost its savour for the gentlemen who wrote “To the Editor” and signed as “Ratepayer,” “Progress,” “Anxious,” “Pro Bono Publico,” or even “Disgusted.”
There were several changes in the council during the first year. In April Cr. Baker lost his seat, having been absent from four successive meetings. He had attended only two meetings out of eight. Mr. G. Y. Bate was returned in his place without opposition. In July, the Mayor, in accordance with Statute, resigned and was re-elected unopposed. In September Crs. Prichard, Thomson and Riddiford retired in like manner and offered themselves for re-election. They were opposed by Messrs. S. Adamson, ,R. Lynch and John Winks. Messrs. Adamson, Thomson and Winks were elected. Mr.
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HISTORY OF HAW EE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Prichard returned to the council when Cr. Hobbs resigned in October, defeating Mr. Lynch, who was his only opponent. The Mayor resigned towards the end of the year as he intended residing in Auckland. Crs. Bate and Thomson were nominated for the office, which resulted in Cr. Bate being elected by 96 votes to 46. Mr. McGuire was given a complimentary dinner before he left the district.
Water and drainage were subjects frequently discussed, but no finality was in sight when 1882 came to a close. Other important subjects were not lost sight of, especially that of important buildings for Government purposes. Though the council may not have accomplished all that it set out to do, looking back with the advantage of other years for comparison, the first council of the Borough of Hawera had no reason to feel ashamed of its first year’s work—nor had the ratepayers any real cause for complaint.
C-. I
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HISTOB v OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XIV
Closing Years of the 19th Century
’"J'HE constitution of the Borough of Hawera and its first council meetings having been recorded it is not the intention of the author to deal further with items of council business other than those that have a bearing on important municipal undertakings. Reference will be made in subsequent pages to various matters that were the business of the Borough Council, but these will be in connection with major works.
During the year 1882 dairying had its small beginnings, although at the time there was no suggestion that the province would become as world-famous as later years have proved. Messrs. Iredale Brothers started a private cheese factory at Whareroa from a supply of about 80 cows and the experiment was watched with a considerable amount of interest.
The meat industry also began to assume proportions of some importance at about this period. Meat canning works had been established at Patea for a considerable time, and the Hawera district supplied a large number of the cattle required. The export of frozen meat was also assuming large proportions, and South Taranaki farmers, who had hitherto been satisfied with a profit of £1 per head on their cattle each year, were assured of a more profitable and certain income.
Towards the end of 1882 the second mayoral contest took place, Mr. G. V. Bate being returned. The Wesleyan Church was erected at about this time, as also was the Masonic Temple.
In July, 1884, a large fire in Hawera resulted in the destruction of the Empire Hotel, a boarder named Kilroy being suffocated. The Hawera Fire Brigade, under Captain Leslie, performed a good service in quelling the outbreak.
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Present Modern Hospital, erected in 1926.
The old Hawera Hospital, in Gladstone Street.
HISTORY OF HAW ERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
During the same month a vigorous campaign for a representative in Parliament took place, this resulting in the return of Major (later Sir Harry) Atkinson as representative of the Egmont electorate in the House of Representatives. He was opposed at this election by Mr. A. A. Fantham.
The first show of the Egmont A. and P. Association was held on November 4, 1884, the attendance being about 1,500. The association had been formed nine months earlier. In the same year the Normanby Horticultural Society held its first show also, this organisation continuing with its activities annually until two years ago. The Te Ngutu Domain Board also had its genesis during this year. On March 14, 1885, Hawera was visited by a tremendous gale, many houses in the borough' being partially unroofed, while fences were levelled in all directions.
The same month saw the completion of the gap in the railway between Hawera and Manutahi, this being the last link between Wellington and New Plymouth. The delay had been caused by the fact that there were many deep cuttings to be made, and there was further delay on account of many land slips occurring.
A further epoch in the dairying industry of the province was marked by the manufacture of the first cheese at Normanby towards the close of 1885. Further trouble with the native population occurred early in July, 1886, when Maoris trespassed on the property of Mr. Lysaght at Mokoia and erected whares to symbolise their claim to the land. A fortnight later occurred the famous “Battle of Hastie’s Farm” at Inaha, to which full reference is made elsewhere in this book.
In the following year there was a strong agitation for the establishment of meat canning works in Hawera, but the final decision made was that the works should be established at Patea under the managership of Mr. 0. W. Oldham.
It had long been the wish of the residents of Hawera to have a road to the sea, and after considerable argument between local bodies and others interested a route down to what is now known as the Zig-Zag beach was secured, this being finalised during 1887.
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In 1888 Taranaki people, who were very much footballminded, were delighted with the performance of the provincial team in defeating the English team at New Plymouth on May 16. A subsequent match was played at Hawera, when the visitors turned the tables. Included in the team were a number of South Taranaki players, including A. Good, T. Joll, W. Snook, H. Good, A. Pearce and C. E. Major, several of whom were members of the first Taranaki team ever chosen, the team of 1885.
The question of a water supply for the Borough of Hawera received serious consideration as early as 1888, when it was proposed to sink artesian wells at various points. Funds were raised by public subscription for trial bores to be made and a scheme estimated to cost £2,500 was mooted. However, the bores proved entirely unsatisfactory, the project was abandoned, and the balance of the subscribed money was returned. Some time later a scheme was proposed for obtaining water from the Waingongoro intake, nine miles from Hawera, at a cost of £11,990, while the reticulation of the streets was to have cost a further £1,325. A public meeting adopted this proposal, but when it was submitted to the ratepayers to take a poll on the question, it was defeated. Various other schemes were proposed up to 1897, when it was suggested that £lB,OOO should be borrowed for water and drainage. This project was also turned down by the ratepayers.
Up to this period the only public water supply was from a number of wells in various parts of the town. These, however, were mainly used in case of fire, and residents relied upon tanks and wells for domestic requirements.
Continued agitation on the part of the public for a suitable scheme of supply resulted in a report being submitted to the council on July 30, 1898, by Mr. Leslie Reynolds upon a joint water and sewerage scheme. It was proposed to bring the water from the Kapuni Stream, the estimated cost of the whole reticulation being £24,000, and the estimate for the sewerage £7,000. Both proposals were approved by the ratepayers and a start was made late that year with the necessary works. The water supply was made available in 1901, and
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the sewerage system was completed at about the same time. Except for extensions, both schemes are in operation at the present time. The work of providing sewer drainage for Nolantown was recently commenced, a poll having been submitted to the ratepayers early during 1939 for the purpose of raising the necessary loan.
In choosing the Kapuni Stream as the source of the borough water supply, Mr. Reynolds found it to be almost ideal. There was an ample supply for the town for at least 50 years ahead, analytically the water was all that could be desired, and no unusual engineering difficulties presented themselves. In a bend of the river there was a deep rocky pool which obviated the necessity for a dam, and it was only a matter of taking the intake pipe through the rock face.
From the intake the water flows into a double settling tank to remove silt, and then through other tanks and screens to remove suspended matter. A short part of the pipe at the head works is 15-inch, but the main line carrying the supply to the town, about 11 miles long, is of 10-inch pipe. The water tower is not used for domestic purposes, the storage there being used solely in case of fire.
According to recent analysis the supply available at the stream is more than ample for the town’s requirements, as has been shown by gaugings of the flow during periods of severe droughts. Even at such times the supply was computed to be thirteen times more than the town’s requirements. However, the town outgrew the capacity of the mains in a few years, and the pressure, particularly in the mornings, fell to a very serious extent, so much so that deep consideration was given to a duplication of the mains. The cost of this work, in the vicinity of £30,000 to £40,000, was deemed to be beyond the resources of the town, and investigation was made of means to avoid the duplication. This lead to the adoption of a new method of augmenting the pressure, and one which had proved very successful in England. Briefly, the method was to store up surplus water from the mains at night in large concrete tanks holding 100,000 gallons, and discharge this water from electrically-driven pumps during the mornings when the
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pressure was at its lowest and inadequate for requirements. It was considered that the cost of this “booster” would amount to little more than the interest and sinking fund on a duplication loan for one year, and that if the booster was capable of tiding the town over it would save its cost in a couple of years and possibly avoid the duplication of the mains for many years. It was decided to instal the booster, and since its erection in 1931 it has fulfilled its requirements, the pressure, which sometimes dropped to eight pounds to the square inch during the summer, being kept up to twenty pounds. The plant is electrically driven and is entirely automatic, the cost of the power consumption being comparatively negligible. In all, there are about 30 miles of mains supplying the town, the minimum size being four inches.
During 1938 the whole of the pipe-line carrying water from the intake to the borough was cleaned and scraped, with excellent results, and it was rather remarkable that the condition of the pipes was almost as good as when they were put in over 30 years ago.
The Borough of Hawera has had a modern drainage and sewerage system since 1901. The gravitation system prevails throughout except in certain parts of the borough in which an electrical pumping system operates. The' outfall from the 15 miles of sewers is to the sea, two and a-half miles from the town. The sewer outfall was recently reconstructed, and new settling chambers erected in concrete, and it is considered that the needs of the town in this respect are now provided for to cover a long period of years.
Fire took its toll of Hawera business premises twice more before the nineteenth century came to an end, and in each case the losses amounted to some thousands of pounds. Only in one fire, however, was there any loss of life, this occurring in the second outbreak.
The first fire occurred at 4.25 a.m. on July 5, 1888, the outbreak being centred in one of the central and most valuable blocks of buildings in the borough. When first noticed, the fire was through the roof of Messrs Robbins and Pierard’s grocery store, being apparently strongest at the rear of
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Infants’ Sunshine School at Hawera.
Modem school at Nolantown.
Hawera P'/b’ic Scliooi ± ,~” A :ils In 1882.
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the shop. A few minutes sufficed to show that it would need the utmost and united efforts of the public and the fire brigade to keep the fire under reasonable control, and that it would be a difficult task to save any of the buildings within the block.
Within five minutes of the alarm being sounded the fire engine was on the scene, and was connected with the well at the fire bell which was then situated where the Egmont Hotel now stands. Shortly afterwards, however, the fire spread to Mr. Sutton’s drapery store, and the onlookers openly expressed their conviction that the buildings opposite would be sure to ignite, and that neither Mr. Clarke’s drapery store nor the Empire Hotel could possibly be saved. In an effort to save as much drapery as possible, some twenty willing workers lent their aid to Mr. Jupp, the manager of the drapery department of Mr. Sutton’s store, and several hundreds of pounds’ worth of stock was rushed across the street.
In the meantime, the fire brigade was working hard in the intense heat, and the branchmen suffered more than a little. At first the efforts of the brigade were mainly directed to quelling the fire in Robbins and Pierard’s premises, but within half an hour the walls of that building had fallen in, and the fire had got a strong hold in Mr. Donnelly’s shop. At about 5 a.m. and for the subsequent half-hour, the flames were at their height. From time to time, flasks of gunpowder would explode with a sharp report, and tins of paint, oil, kerosene, etc., lent a fierce heat and ardour to the flames which struck with dangerous and scorching effect upon the buildings on the opposite side of the street.
A few minutes after 5 o’clock Mr. Donnelly’s shop threatened to spread the flames into Mr. Graham’s tailoring establishment and thence into Mr. Clark’s drapery store, whilst at the other end the fierce blaze of Mr. Sutton’s store threatened to ignite Mr. Langley’s bakery store and to spread from there to the Empire Hotel. Very active work with buckets by brigadesmen and the public, however, was responsible for the quenching of the flames which repeatedly broke out in Mr. Langley’s building, although this could not
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HISTOBY OF HAWEKA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
have been saved but for the happy accident of the iron walls of the east end of Sutton’s drapery store falling inwards and partly smothering the flames on that side. This fortunate occurrence helped greatly to cheek the spread of flames in that direction.
A band of men was then formed to chop down the shop of Mr. Buckland, fruiterer, next to the Empire Hotel, this building being demolished within 20 minutes, and it was then seen that the progress of the fire had been stayed. At the west end of the fire several people had seen that Mr. Donnelly’s shop must also be sacrificed, and the verandah posts and studs at the corner of the building had been chopped through, together with the side of the building next to Mr. MeNiven’s tinsmith’s shop. The brigade played on Mr. Donnelly’s shop for a few minutes, the branchmen having a very uncomfortable time owing to the intense heat. They were protected with wet blankets from time to time, but this gave only slight relief.
At about half-past five a number of people succeeded in getting a ladder and, by dint of vigorous pushing, toppled the western side of Donnelly’s building into the flames, and when this had been accomplished the crowd and the ratepayers “heaved a sigh of relief,” as the “Hawera Star” of the day put it. It was true that at that time Mr. Langley’s bakery was in great danger, and the hose was shifted to that end of the fire again, but the fall of iron on to the flames there had checked the spread, and the bucket-men had proved themselves equal to the occasion at a crucial moment.
On the south side of High Street there had been a most lively time, and the contents of Mr. Brunette’s shop had been quickly cleared out. Messrs. Nolan, Tonks and White, with others, had been roasting on top of the buildings since before 5 o’clock, and the staff of Mr. Sutton, together with a number of others, had been fully engaged in draping the scorched and blistered fronts of the buildings with wet blankets, in splashing buckets-full of water over the smouldering shingles and the lumps of glowing cinders and flaming fragments which were pouring down on the roofs at the height of the Are. Those who were watching the front of the buildings were exposed to
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an intense heat, and for about half an hour it was a task of some difficulty to traverse the street at all. Buckets were vigorously plied on all the premises adjoining the fire, and the results of this began to show after the two larger buildings had fallen in. A few minutes before 6 o’clock the engine was shifted to the well in Regent Street, and by this time all the excitement was over, for it was plain that the fire had been subdued. It was estimated subsequently that the losses of those whose premises had been destroyed amounted to between £7,000 and £B,OOO, which was a very considerable amount for those days when the town and district were in their infancy.
Excellent work was done at the fire by the Morrissey brothers, John and Edward, and Messrs. W, J. Graham, Barraclough, Whittington, Gunn, Boyd, and Captain Kivell. Mr. Winks was one of the earliest to volunteer, while Messrs. Whiting, Fitzsimmons, Pease, Ogle brothers, Bond, McLellan, White, Phillips, and M. Campbell were also conspicuously busy.
Had there been any wind, half the town would have been swept away within two hours, and no effort of the brigade would have saved it. Even as it was, but for the brigade the fire would have swept the block. It was stated that the necessity for a water supply and for the abolition of the small shingled buildings of little value at the back of the large blocks was never more plainly shown than on the morning of the fire, when it was only with the utmost difficulty that the roofs of some of the small"shanties at the back of Mr. Fake’s premises were prevented from spreading the conflagration.
Seven years later, in August, 1895, the second fire broke out, and this proved an even greater conflagration, and was also attended by tragedy, for two men lost their lives. These men were Messrs. W. J. Caverhill and A. Tourner, both boarders at the Egmont Hotel, which was among the seventeen buildings destroyed in the fire.
The fire started in the branch drapery establishment of Mr. C. Smith, next door to the present Egmont Hotel. Two of the employees, Messrs. C. Jewell and J. A. Campbell, had been stocktaking, and a large kerosene lamp fell from its
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position in the shop window, setting fire to the flimsy materials that the window contained.
The fire spread rapidly to the adjoining shop of Mr. D. Nimmo Scott, bookseller and stationer, which was quickly destroyed. The Egmont Hotel, in the same building as Mr. Smith’s shop, at once caught and the fire swept across Princes Street to the Commercial Hotel, which was soon a mass of flames, and the sample rooms adjoining were attacked by the fire. A strong wind was blowing up Princes Street and carried the flames from the Commercial Hotel on one side to the premises of Mr. Joseph Wilson, commission agent, and on the other side to an empty shop belonging to Mr. J. W. Kelly, of the Egmont Hotel. The fire brigade was quickly on the scene, but the want of water rendered their efforts almost useless.
A drizzling rain was falling, and this added to the general discomfort of the brigade and the volunteers assisting them. The flames now attacked both sides of Princes Street, and in quick succession the billiard room of Mr. G. Newsham —in the front of which was the tobacconist’s shop of Mr. M. F. Purser —the wine and spirit store of Mr. C. E. Farrington, the bootmaker’s shop of Mr. F. H. Semmens, the new post office and the courthouse—all on one side of the street—were in flames. On the other side the shops of Messrs. R. A. Kemp, baker, and O. Cummins, draper, were soon a prey to the flames, and all the buildings were soon destroyed.
The fire then spread to the rear of the Commercial Hotel, where a long row of loose-boxes belonging to Mr. Fred Faber, livery stable-keeper, were destroyed, and from thence the outbuildings at the rear of the hotel became ignited. The “Star” office was now in danger and an attempt was made to pull down the stables of Mr. Faber, which were between the “Star” office and the Commercial Hotel. The process of pulling down the building was too slow, and an attempt was made to blow it up by dynamite. This, however, proved futile, and soon the machine-room of the “Star” caught fire and in a few moments the whole building was in flames. All of the buildings mentioned, including the Commercial Hotel, were completely destroyed.
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Offices of the South Taranaki Electric Power Board at Hawera.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
On the right-hand side of Princes Street the progress of the fire was checked by the brick building of Mr. H. Caplen, solicitor, the front part, however, being burned. On the opposite side a thick row of trees between the courthouse and the old post office prevented the spread of the flames to the latter structure.
In High Street the fire was stopped by the brick building of Mr. Sutton, occupied by Messrs. Newcomb and Massey, drapers, and Robert Tait, chemist. Water had to be continually thrown on to the Empire (White Hart) Hotel to prevent it catching fire, and the premises of Messrs. Ennis and Son, tailors, were in danger, but fortunately the spread of fire in their direction was checked.
The telegraph wires from the telegraph office to the Commercial Hotel corner were burned, and in consequence communication by wire with outside towns was completely cut off. Very little was saved from the burning buildings. Only bedding and a few odds and ends were salvaged from the Commercial Hotel. From the “Star” office, two jobbing machines, a quantity of type, stationery, etc., was saved, but the bulk of the plant was destroyed. In the new post office (not yet in use), everything was destroyed, including a complete set of new instruments. The post office was a two-storeyed wooden building erected by co-operative labour from plans prepared by the Public Works Department.
Although it has been suggested on many occasions that the gas and electric light undertakings within the borough should be controlled by the municipality, both services were provided by private enterprise until a period not so many years ago, it being only ten years since the Hawera County Electric Company was succeeded by the South Taranaki Electric Power Board. At different periods the Hawera Gas Company and the Electric Company provided the street lighting systems under contract to the Borough Council, and until 1931 the streets were lighted by gas.
It was suggested as far back as 1889 that the town should be lit by electricity, and an offer was actually made by the Guleher Electric Light Company, of Wellington, to reticulate
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the borough. However, the council was of the opinion that the nineteen kerosene lamps which constituted the street lighting system at that period were quite satisfactory, and ample for the borough’s needs.
In 1892 the Borough Council considered installing a gasmaking plant, but it was forestalled in this project by private enterprise, and some time later the Hawera Gas Company came into existence.
The streets of Hawera were first lit by gas on October 26, 1896, this service being maintained for the next eight years, when the Electric Light Company extended its reticulation to include the street lighting. Some years later the Gas Company succeeded in obtaining the contract for street lighting in competition with the Electric Light Company and gas lamps again appeared on the streets. The Gas Company provided the service until 1931, when the lamps were replaced by electric light and a thoroughly modern system installed throughout by the South Taranaki Power Board. The change over followed the taking over of the affairs of the company by the Power Board in October, 1929, and the subsequent extension of the areas reticulated by the company.
The town was first lit by electricity on Friday, September 2, 1904. According to the “Hawera Star” of the following day, a special exhibition was arranged in Messrs. Steuart and Fenn’s premises, High Street. ‘ ‘ Dozens of lights in the window threw a blaze of light across the street in their vicinity,” states the “Star.” “There were also on exhibition electric irons, cigar lighters, fans and radiators, while a kettle of water boiled by electricity attracted a great amount of attention. ”
Mr. E. L’B Barton, late of Auckland, was the promoter of the Electric Light Company, and he first conceived a scheme of supplying electric current in the County of Hawera for the purpose of lighting and supplying power to the various dairy factories. About the middle of 1902 the company was floated and in September a special Bill was passed through Parliament giving the Hawera County Electric Company the right to run electric current through an area of 225 square
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miles in Taranaki. A good deal of opposition was shown concerning the Bill, as it provided that Mr. Barton, who had purchased the present site of the power-house for £3,000, was to receive £3,000 in cash for the property, besides a number of shares, and it was considered this was too much for the shareholders to pay for the floating of the company. However, Mr. Barton successfully fought his opponents, pointing out that the £3,000 was in reality to be paid for the land which he had personally purchased, and in the end the Bill was passed. By the terms of the Bill the country over which the company could take its lines was limited to Hawera, Manaia, Kaponga, Normanby and Eltham, and all the surrounding and adjacent lands. The memorandum and articles of association provided that the company should not commence operations until at least £10,200 of capital had been subscribed, and this amount and more was taken in less than three months. Messrs. Steuart and Penn were appointed consulting engineers, and they supplied specifications of the machinery required. The plant at the power-house comprised two turbines, each directly coupled to a three-phase alternator having an output of 65 kilowatts at 5,500 volts, which was then the highest voltage to be used in New Zealand. The two turbines were replaced at various times by one 300 h.p., one 400 h.p., and one 200 h.p. turbines, a 220 h.p. generating set, and a 500 h.p. semi-Diesel set. This plant was at the power-house when the undertaking was taken over by the Power Board, together with the 5,500 volt reticulation system.
The Power Board extended the system to Waimate West and to parts of the Hawera County, and arranged with the Government to erect a sub-station on the Tawhiti Road to connect with the Mangahao-Waikaremoana transmission system. This sub-station is supplementary to the board’s plant.
When the Power Board took over from the company it was decided to make the distribution more efficient by adopting a standard 11,000 volt system, and a stepping-up transformer station was erected just outside the power-house on the Normanby-Okaiawa Road, with a capacity of 1,500 h.p. and capable of taking the output of the power plant, transforming from 5,500 to 11,000 volts and paralleling with the
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Government station transforming from 110,000 to 11,000 volts. In planning the supply station capacity due regard was necessary for the additional district of the southern portion of the Hawera County and the Patea County as far as the Taranaki boundary.
The Patea Borough Council has an agreement with the Power Board for the purchase of power in bulk for the increasing requirements of the Patea Borough, while at the present time the greater portion of South Taranaki derives its light and power from the South Taranaki Power Board. Many improvements have been made in the system since the board took over, and many extensions to the original reticulation area have been made, until to-day the people of this portion of the province are supplied with electricity to the limit of their needs.
Hawera had its first visit from the Governor of the Colony in December, 1890, when Lord Onslow arrived for a stay of several days. He was taken on a tour of the South Taranaki district, and entertained in a manner befitting the occasion.
It was during this year, too, that agitation commenced for the erection of a hospital suitable to the requirements of the borough and the surrounding district. Cases of serious illness at this time had to be sent to New Plymouth for treatment, and this was considered unsatisfactory for more reasons than one, and finally the first steps were taken in a movement that ultimately gave Hawera its first hospital. Nearly 30 years later the present modern hospital was opened, and to-day this affords a remarkable contrast with the conditions existing half a century ago.
The Hawera hospital, which was completed at a cost of approximately £90,000, was considered at the time of its completion to be the most up-to-date in the Dominion, and since the period referred to appropriate steps have been taken to keep the institution in line with modern progress in hospital development. The present institution presents a striking contrast with the facilities available to the town when the borough was in its infancy.
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Apparently the first movement in the district for the establishment of a hospital was made in 1890, and two years later the old hospital in Gladstone Street was opened. Prior to this period the needs of the people of the district were supplied by a small cottage in Princes Street, somewhere in the vicinity of Syme’s mill. This building was a low fourroomed, grimy looking structure at first, but as patients became more numerous, a lean-to was added. The matron of that day carried on midwifery, and despite a lack of modem conveniences there were very few deaths.
After a long period of useful service the cottage became quite inadequate for the needs of a fast-growing district and the erection of a new institution was mooted. In 1898 two plans were considered for a proposed hospital, one to cost £4OO and the other £550. It was decided to hold an exhibition for the purpose of raising money, one of the conditions being that all services had to be given free. The result exceeded all expectations, over £5OO being raised, and in addition a bequest of £2OO was received from the late Mrs. Stephenson, and a donation of £lOO from Mr. L. Milmoe. These amounts were subsidised by the Government to the extent of 24/- in the £, which brought the total amount raised to over £2,000. More complete plans were then considered, and after the hospital was completed about £lOO was left in hand, and this sum was expended on the gates. At the time of the opening of the hospital the staff consisted of a surgeon (Dr. Buckby) a matron (Miss Tyers), a probationer, a wardsman, and a cook.
Until about 1912 the old hospital was sufficient for the district, but the accommodation and the facilities then proved inadequate with the further development of the Hospital Board district. The question of a new hospital was discussed at different periods until 1918, when the land on which the present buildings are constructed was procured. In 1923 it became essential that both patients and nurses should be housed under better conditions than those which prevailed, and agitation for a new building was made by the public. In 1912 the daily average of occupied beds was 15.3; in 1923 it was 48, and on many occasions there were 70 patients in the
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50-bed hospital. The accommodation for nurses was quite insufficient for the number required, and until outside accommodation was procured the nurses were sleeping three in one room.
In August, 1923, the board decided to ask the DirectorGeneral of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine) to visit Hawera and discuss the situation with the members. After going carefully into the whole position, Dr. Valintine advised them to take steps to have the present hospital put in hand at an early date, and after discussions between the board and the local bodies interested it was decided to take his advice.
Several plans for the financing of the undertaking were considered and finally the Department of Health and the board decided that the best scheme offering was a proposal from the Bank of New Zealand agreeing to finance the undertaking on an overdraft, the Government agreeing to reduce the overdraft annually by £4,000 and the ratepayers reducing it by the same amount. This scheme was submitted to and approved of by the local bodies, and a start was made with the construction in 1925, the various buildings being officially opened on February 18, 1927.
An interesting ceremony performed at the same time as the official ceremony was the opening of the gates which stand at the entrance to the hospital grounds. These gates were the gift of the late Mr. W. A. Parkinson, formerly sole proprietor of the “Hawera Star.”
The contract price for the buildings was £87,000, but the actual cost was in the neighbourhood of £90,000, the construction being the largest public work ever undertaken in Hawera. Eight acres are occupied by hospital buildings, lawns and gardens, and over 32 acres are utilised as a hospital farm.
The sudden death of Sir Harry Atkinson, who had represented the Hawera district in Parliament for a number of years, and who had been Premier of the Colony, was a great shock to the people of South Taranaki when it occurred in June, 1892. Sir Harry Atkinson was one of the outstanding figures of the nineteenth century as far as New Zealand was cornemed, not only by virtue of the fact that he was Premier
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of the Colony, but also because of his wonderful record during the Maori wars.
As a tactician in the class of warfare that was successful against the Maoris, Sir Harry Atkinson was a man who very soon rose to the top of the tree. He formed a company of “Bushrangers,” and the men who served with him in that punitive force were men who knew no fear, and who had an implicit faith in their leader. First a captain and later a major, he proved successful in undertakings which were declared to be such that defeat was not only a possibility, but extremely probable. On the political platform “the Major” proved as aggressive as he had been in the field, and those who opposed him knew that they were up against a man who would prove worthy of any politician’s steel. He was a member of Parliament during very difficult years, when the colony was recovering from the setback it had received during the Maori wars, and that he proved an efficient leader was a further tribute to his outstanding ability. When his death came with such tragic suddenness in 1892, all shades of political opinion were united in their deep sense of loss.
Sir Harry Atkinson was Premier of New Zealand on four occasions, the first being a short term of twelve days. He formed a Government and assumed office on September 1, 1876, in succession to Sir Julius Vogel. On September 13 of the same year he reconstituted his Ministry, and continued in office for exactly thirteen months, Sir George Grey succeeding him on October 13, 1877. On September 25,1883, he again assumed office in succession to the Hon. Frederick Whitaker, M.L.C., and he continued in office until August 16 of the following year. Then came the Stout-Yogel administration, which lasted for twelve days, at the expiry of which Sir Harry was again called upon to form a Ministry. These were evidently the days when political parties changed with remarkable frequency, for Sir Harry’s next term of office lasted for only six days. On September 3, 1884, the Stout-Vogel Ministry again came into being with Sir Robert Stout as Premier, and this party held the Treasury Bench until October 8, 1887, when there was another swing to Sir Harry Atkinson, He assumed office and
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held on until January 24, 1891, when he was succeeded by Mr. John Ballance, who in 1893 was followed by the famous Richard John Seddon.
Sir Harry Atkinson was the recipient of the order, K.C.M.G., during his last term as Premier, his outstanding services being recognised in this manner by Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
During the closing months of 1892 a proposal was submitted for the establishment of a dairy factory at Hawera, and farmers in the immediate vicinity were optimistic concerning its possibilities. Mr. James Edwin, a buyer for Lovell and Christmas, had been doing his best to establish a butter trade and he was meeting with considerable encouragement from the farming community, which made the prospects for South Taranaki look exceedingly bright. However, it was not until September, 1893, that the proposition was taken up in a systematic manner and a large meeting of farmers was held at which canvassers were appointed for obtaining the necessary supplies of milk.
The closing years of the last century were busy ones for all members of the community, and there were indications as the result of combined efforts that Hawera would in the not far distant future be an important centre for South Taranaki. Some of the earlier industries established by the pioneers had their demise at this time, but as compensation for this, the dairy industry had its beginnings, although no one at that period visualised the magnitude to which it would grow.
Two events of outstanding interest occurred towards the close of 1896, the first of these being the drowning fatality at the Waingongoro beach, when Miss C. Crowhurst and Messrs. Briggs and Wordsworth lost their lives. Miss Crowhurst was the daughter of Mr. T. B. Crowhurst, one of the early settlers of the Waimate Plains.
The second incident was the return of Mr. Felix McGuire to Parliament as the representative of this electorate. Mr. McGuire was another of the earliest arrivals in this district, and had already taken a prominent part in the local body life of the community. He had also been in business in Patea, his shop in that township being destroyed by fire.
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St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Hawera
Baptist Church at Hawera
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Early in 1897 South Taranaki was visited by a blizzard which swept the coast and left behind it a trail of desolation. In February of the same year the district lost two of its pioneers in the death of Messrs. Moore Hunter, the first chairman of the Hawera County Council, and J. S. Caverhill. The latter was a leading agriculturist and had farmed land at the Lakes and at Normanby prior to his departure for Christchurch, where he died.
In April of the same year the Tawhiti water scheme was brought forward by the Hawera Borough Council, and ultimately adopted by that body. The ratepayers, however, thought otherwise, and they voted the proposal out.
In the same month the decision to build the Tawhiti dairy factory was made, and concrete buildings were erected opposite the old flour mill. This factory, although there was an early suggestion that it should be co-operative, ultimately became one of the branches of the Crown Dairy Company, then operating a chain of factories along this coast.
On December 8, 1897, occurred the great earthquake which was considered to be the most severe that had occurred in South Taranaki within the memory of European residents. Most of the damage was confined to glassware and crockery, although there was some structural damage to certain buildings.
The New Year of 1898 marked another important epoch in the history of this portion of the province, for at that time the hostel at Dawson Falls was officially opened. A passable road had been formed, and there were bright prospects for the future of the scenic resort. Tragedy, however, was soon to descend upon the mountain, for on April 10 of the same year two Hawera young men, Messrs. McGeoeh and Beaumont, lost their lives thereon.
Hawera was honoured in September, 1898, by the second vice-regal visit in its history, the Governor on this occasion being Lord Ranfurly, who was later the donor of the Ranfurly Shield, the famous “log of wood” competed for by Rugby Unions throughout the Dominion. During this visit Lord
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Hanfurly laid the foundation stone of the Oddfellows’ Hall on the corner of High and Argyle Streets.
Another milestone of progress was recorded on August 8, 1899, with the installation of the telephone exchange. This was part of the programme of reconstruction following the disastrous fire, when the new post office, ready for occupation, was completely destroyed.
The closing of the year 1899 saw Mr. McGuire again returned to Parliament as the district’s representative, the death of Colonel McHonnefl, who had led the pakeha forces in the closing stages of Titokowaru’s war, and the outbreak of the Boer War. The latter catastrophe caused great excitement throughout the district, and a number of young men answered the call for volunteers. The South Taranaki district also sent a large number of horses to South Africa, these being acknowledged as some of the best specimens of equine flesh in the Colony.
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CHAPTER XV
Hawera in the last 40 Years
■"pHE people of the district looked forward with hope to the 20th century, although the war in South Africa was being waged as strong as ever. Good progress was being made with the development of the fertile plains of South Taranaki, while the town of Hawera was steadily forging ahead in spite of any little side-issues that may have arisen. The Egmont A. & P. Association, the Egmont Racing Club, and the various sports bodies were well established, and people went about their business and pleasure without thought or knowledge of what the next 20 years were to bring forth. The southern portion of the province was to witness a rise in butter-fat prices beyond their wildest dreams, while there was to be a boom in land values also undreamed of—all as the direct result of the greatest war in history, a war that was only 14 years away. The boom was to be followed by the greatest slump in prices ever known, but no premonition of these coming events disturbed the people of South Taranaki.
The year 1901 opened with the shock to the whole Empire caused by the death of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and the people of Hawera joined with the rest of the Empire in mourning the loss of a beloved Queen.
On July 24 of the same year, the barque “Lizzie Bell” was wrecked on the rocks near Oeo, this resulting in 12 seamen being drowned. Subscription lists were opened throughout the district, and the people of Hawera gave their quota to the fund. The mast from this vessel was later used as a flagstaff at the Hawera Main School, where it still stands.
The Tokaora settlement was acquired from Mr. James Livingston in September, 1901, and was offered for selection with the right of purchase on October 20 of the same year. Twelve sections were offered, and there were only 13 applicants, it being considered that the upset price was too high.
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November, 1901, saw the letting of the contract for the formation of the public swimming bath in Albion Street, while later in the same month the new Fire Brigade station was opened. At the end of the year Mr. C. E. Major was elected Mayor of Hawera by a substantial majority, while in the same month Mr. Symes was returned as member of Parliament for the Patea seat. The new Anglican Church was opened on July 1 of the same year.
The year 1904 was an important one in the history of Hawera, for this period saw the Industrial Exhibition and the illumination of the town by electricity. The exhibition was opened on February 3 by the Premier, the Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, the buildings used being the town hall, the library, and the large grain store of Mr. William Rowe, which building adjoined the others. The show was considered to be the most ambitious display ever staged in the North Island, and was visited by people from all parts of the province. The result financially was all that was anticipated, some of the proceeds being devoted to the erection of the gates at the entrance to King Edward Park at the end of High Street, but the major portion was devoted to the hospital, for which purpose the Exhibition was held.
The death in October, 1904, removed from the district one of the early pioneers, in the person of Mr. John Winks. He had been a prominent figure in the public life of the community, and from the time of the constitution of the Patea County Council in 1876, of which he was one of the original members, he had taken a keen and active interest in local body politics.
The annual contest of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association was held in Hawera in 1906 for the first and last time to date. Bands from all parts of New Zealand took part in the contest, which lasted for several days.
A new Mayor assumed office in May, 1906, this being Mr. J. W. Hirst. It was during his regime that the council was called upon to pass a vote of sympathy with the relatives of the Premier, “Dick” Seddon, who had been such a colourful personality in New Zealand politics for many years. He died at sea while returning from Australia to New Zealand, and his
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Tile late Mr. Felix McGuire, Hawera’s first Mayor.
Mr. G. V. Bate.
Mr, W. H. Wanklyn, First Town Clerk,
Mr. C. E, Major.
Mr. H. W. Sutton
Mr. B. C. Robbins,
Mr. J. W. Hirst
Mr. E. L’E. Barton,
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
death called forth a genuine wave of sympathy throughout the colony.
On April 2, 1907, Mr. H. S. Elliott was appointed Town Clerk, and since then there has been no other appointment. He has taken great interest in everything relating to the welfare of the town, and has given the council and the ratepayers a very good service indeed.
Early in 1907 a technical school was mooted for Hawera and this resulted in the later establishment of the school in Princes Street, a building which performed a useful service until the new premises were erected on the present Camberwell Road site.
The year 1907 saw the death of Te Whiti, the Maori prophet of Parihaka, his death being preceded by only a few months by that of his famous general, Tohu. On December 14, 1907, the death of Mr. Alf Bayly, captain of the Taranaki Rugby team, and also of the All Blacks, occurred, and the national game lost one of its most valued adherents.
The Awatuua and Auroa districts were devastated by bush fires in February, 1908, the smoke filling the air far out on the Waimate Plains, and burned leaves and ashes falling in the neighbourhood of Hawera. Many settlers were burned out of their homes and hundreds of acres of dry pastures were enveloped in flames.
Another large tract of land was cut up and offered for sale in February, 1908, this area being the property known as “Hirstlands, ” near Normanby. It was sold at an average price of £34 an acre. The Lakes property was offered for sale at about the same time, this realising up to £5O an acre. The Hawera Mayoral election in the following month resulted in the return of Mr. H. W. Sutton, another very early resident of the town, and a man who had been closely connected with public life in the community.
ilr. T. L. Joll, who had played such a prominent part in the dairy industry, died at Wellington on May 1, 1908, as the result of a tram accident. To perpetuate his memory a memorial was erected at Okaiawa, the district with which he was so closely associated.
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A general election took place in November, 1908, this resulting in the return to Parliament of Mr. G. V. Pearce for Patea and Mr. Bradshaw Dive for the Egmont seat.
The new technical school in Princes Street was officially opened by the Minister of Education on February 27, 1909. Towards the end of this year the winter show movement came into existence, through the energy of Mr A. M. Conroy and the activities of the Egmont A. &P. Association. However, it was a considerable time before the company was floated, mainly through the services rendered by Mr L. 0. Hooker.
The next Mayor of Hawera, Mr. E. L ’Estrange Barton, was elected in April, 1910, and two months later came the news of the death of His Majesty King Edward YII.
It was in this year that the long-awaited Dominion Dairy Show was opened, the Hon. T. McKenzie performing the official ceremony. The show ran for four days, and some idea of its popularity may be gained from the fact that from Wednesday to the Saturday the attendance was no less than 13,613. The quality of the exhibits attracted favourable comment from visitors from all parts of the Dominion. Since that time the winter show has become an annual fixture and has performed not only a useful district service, but has been an institution of national importance.
For a number of years the winter show had an annual feature, embodied in a general slogan embracing a particular phase of its activity. In this connection it is of interest to recall one which became familiar throughout the Dominion,
“British Goods for British People.” The business people of Hawera joined with the company in furthering the slogan, and for the duration of the show most of the shops featured British goods in their window displays. The show was officially opened by the British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, who was eulogistic in his comments regarding the institution of this slogan and its ultimate importance.
Enheartened by the success of this movement, the secretary, Mr. L. 0. Hooker, felt impelled to carry the theme still further, and to this end he instituted a scheme whereby an exchange of letters would be made between the children of
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
South Taranaki and those of other Empire countries. The success of this effort was remarkable, and probably did more good from an advertising point of view than any scheme that had previously been instituted.
Right throughout the years the Winter Show Company has continued to progress, and at the same time “boost” South Taranaki, its scenery, its land and its produce. Women’s Institutes, the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the Boys and Girls’ Agricultural Club movement, the Federated Mountain Clubs, the Tourist Department, and many other phases of national and provincial life have had their publicity at one time or another through the medium of the winter show at Hawera, and it can truly be said that it is performing a useful service, not only to South Taranaki, but to the whole of the Dominion.
During the next two years there were two Mayoral elections, the first being a by-election occasioned by the resignation of Mr Barton, this resulting in the election of Mr. H. K. Whittington for the balance of the term. In the following year Mr. A. W. Gillies was elected to the office.
The “father” of the council, Cr. A. Reid, first took his seat at the council table during 1911, he being elected in April of that year. Except for a very short period, he has served on the council continuously since that time.
Another destructive fire visited the town on April 28, 1912, and at one time it appeared as though the conflagration of 189.1 would be eclipsed. The buildings destroyed included the Central Hotel and Messrs MeGruer, Bone’s large promises, and it was only the resolute efforts of the Fire Brigade that prevented the spread of the fire to other buildings. This fire brought home to the residents of Hawera the need for a better supply of water for fire-fighting purposes, and the outcome of several conferences was the construction of the Hawera water tower.
The fire originated in the hotel and the first signs of the outbreak were noticed by Mr A. M. Conroy, a boarder, who wakened to find his room full of smoke. He roused the licensee, Mr. Barclay Harrington, and the other inmates of the hotel, and then called the fire brigade, who were on the scene with
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HISTOEY OF HA WEE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
commendable promptitude. The brigade quickly got out a couple of leads, but they were handicapped by a low water pressure, and in one instance the water would not reach above the verandah. A strong westerly wind was blowing at the time, 5 a.m., and the flames spread with remarkable rapidity, making the building an inferno within a very short space of time. The brigade made every effort to quench the fire, but in spite of their efforts, the building was completely destroyed within an hour of the fire starting.
When the fire was at its height, the flames were so fierce that the windows of Messrs McGruer, Bone and Co.’s premises on the opposite side of the street were cracked, and the blankets on display were soon alight. Seeing that it was not possible to save the hotel the brigade concentrated on McGruer, Bone and Co.’s premises, but they were no more successful here, and this building was completely destroyed within the next hour. There was an 18-inch brick wall separating McGruer, Bone’s shop from that of Mr. Bach, saddler, and had it not been for this there is no doubt that the latter shop would have been destroyed also. As it was, the top story of Mr. Bach’s premises caught alight, hut the brigade subdued the flames before they got beyond control.
When the fire in McGruer, Bone’s shop was at its height, Mr Tonkin’s baker’s shop, on the opposite side of High Street, caught fire, and a lead of water was played on this building. However, the water would not reach the flames, and a fireman climbed a ladder in order to make the water reach the seat of the fire. The Bank of Australasia and three of the shops facing the Central Hotel were scorched, while the windows were cracked by the heat.
The origin of the fire was shrouded in mystery, and even an hour before the outbreak was discovered there was no visible sign of it. The inmates of the hotel had barely time to escape in their night attire, and they lost practically everything. The telegraph, telephone and electric light wires were considerably damaged and a couple of poles were burned through. As a result 130 telephone subscribers were disconnected until late in the day when the service was restored.
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South Taranaki’s Outstanding Landmark.
HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
The water was concentrated to the business area, yet it was a mere trickle, and although the brigadesmen did their best, they were utterly unable to cope with the handicap. After the fire a fireman stated that when the brigade first arrived on the scene they had difficulty in locating one of the fire-plugs, which had been covered with metal during recent operations in High Street. A pick had to be used to loosen the metal round the lid on the plug before it could be lifted.
After the fire the need for a better water pressure was stressed on all sides, and the insurance companies carrying the policies on various buildings were insistent that something would have to be done. Otherwise there was no doubt that the premiums would have to be greatly increased. Among the solutions offered at the time was one suggesting that the water mains should be duplicated, but the position was finally met by the erection of the water tower, it being considered that the borough could not afford to raise a loan for duplication purposes.
Hawera at that time depended solely upon a gravitation water supply from the Kapuni stream, and there being no reservoir and only a 10-inch main, it was impossible to obtain adequate pressure for fire-fighting purposes. The Borough Council investigated the position and engaged Mr A. D. Dobson, Christchurch City Engineer, to make an inspection of the supply and report to the council.
Mr. Dobson first of all considered whether it would be wise to duplicate the main, and next whether it would be advisable to go further up stream and increase the head pressure. With regard to the stream proposal, Mr. Dobson reported that it would have cost a considerable amount of money, was also doubtful whether the old pipes would have stood the pressure. Mr. Dobson estimated that the cost of duplicating the main would be £20,000. There was no doubt that the scheme would have been effective, but the residents would have had to pay a high rate—at least £l,OOO a year, being five per cent, on £20,000, and the Borough Council finally decided to accept Mr. Dobson’s report on a water tower to cost approximately £3,300. A design was
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
obtained and submitted to the insurance companies for their approval, as the latter had intimated that they would raise the fire insurance rates unless the town had an effective water pressure. This increase would have meant another £l,OOO annually in insurance premiums.
Mr. S. T. Silver, a structural engineer, of Wellington, designed the tower, which was approved by Mr. Dobson. The Underwriters’ Association, however, demanded a higher tower, with the result that the council had to plan a structure 166 feet high and capable of holding 100,000 gallons. The council next submitted a loan proposal for £5,000 to the ratepayers for its erection, the poll being carried.
The tower was practically completed in January, 1914, when it was noticed that it had a list of 2ft. 6in. to the southward. It is believed that this was caused by the fact that there were no buttresses at the base of the tower, and ultimately provision was made to construct them. The borough engineer, Mr. J. C. Cameron, made immediate plans to straighten up the tower, and it is understood now that he did this without revealing the predicament he was in. How he accomplished an exceedingly difficult undertaking was later revealed by a Hawera resident who was present when the operations were carried out between 11 o’clock and midnight.
In an excavation under the steps and buttresses that form the feet of the tower a gang of men was working in putting in an extra concrete foundation below what was the former base of the tower. Gradually the earth between the base and the new concrete foundation was taken away and the tower slowly began to settle into place. When the tower was as near vertical as could be judged, the foundations were hurriedly sealed. The feat was considered by engineers to be a master stroke but it was deemed a most hazardous undertaking.
The District Valuer, Mr. 0. Gardner, who occupied an office on the first floor of the Borough Council Chambers, had observed the lean of the tower through a theodolite and was one of the few who knew before the trouble was remedied that anything was amiss.
2°2
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
The news of the engineer’s discovery of the fault and the means by which it was rectified considerably alarmed the Borough Council and Mr. C. Suggate, an Auckland engineer, was asked to report on the safety of the tower. After the original foundations had been strengthened, he stated that it was absolutely safe and a well-carried out job. It was found impossible to get the tower absolutely vertical, and the structure to-day has a list of four inches. This, however, is not even noticeable, being less than l/32in. per foot of height.
During the erection of the tower it was the theme of very general discussion and criticism, not only as to its expediency, but also as to its structural stability and its capability of giving the results claimed for it. There were many who considered that a duplication of the main, although more costly, would have been a more judicious course and that had the ratepayers been asked to sanction a loan for that purpose they would have done so.
The actual cost of the tower was £4,510. Included in this sum was £520 for the strengthening of the structure by the provision of buttresses. The cost included the provision of a fire main in High Street from the tower to Victoria Street.
In 1933, as a memorial to the pioneers of South Taranaki a set of neon tubes were erected on the top of the water tower, and these, being visible for a distance of many miles at night, have added further publicity to the tower, and have truly made it the most outstanding landmark in South Taranaki. The cost of the installation of these tubes was provided as the result of a profit being made from the golden jubilee celebrations of the Hawera Borough held during 1932. Since its erection, the light has been officially recognised and charted by the Marine Department of New Zealand.
The watersiders’ strike of November, 1913, had a disastrous effect on the farming community of South Taranaki, as it assumed such proportions as to threaten the stoppage of the export of produce. Volunteers were sought from among the farmers to assist in loading the vessels with dairy produce and frozen meat and also to man the wharves for the protection of the volunteer workers. A great many farmers,
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mSTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
with their horses went from this district to Wellington and remained there long enough to ensure the loading of the produce. Their task was not an easy one and there were many exciting scenes of conflict between strikers and strike-breakers before the strike was ended shortly before Christmas of the same year. The story is told of one prominent South Taranaki farmer who took a spoke from the wheel of an old waggon to use as a means of defence, and attack if necessary.
Incidents of note during the early part of 1914 were the second annual meeting of the Farmers’ Co-operative Society, which had been founded two years before, and the formation of an Old Settlers’ Association in Hawera. The first meeting of the latter body was an enthusiastic one, but less than six months later occurred the World War, which was to eclipse all local events in the matter of importance.
Following the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, of Servia, on June 8, 1914, events moved with dramatic suddenness to August 4, 1914, when the following notice appeared in the window of the “Hawera Star” office:
"A STATE OF WAR EXISTS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND GERMANY"
Pew realised even at this time what a terrible meaning these nine words conveyed, but this meaning was brought home to the populace as the young men of South Taranaki responded in hundreds to the call for volunteers for active service abroad. It is of interest to recall at this stage that Maori joined with his pakeha brother in fighting what was a common foe, and also gave his life in the great cause of the British Empire.
The man who has become known as Hawera’s war-time Mayor, Mr. Edwin Dixon, was elected to office on April 28, 1915, and he remained as Mayor until 1923, being a prominent worker in the cause of war-time charities and serving the ratepayers well. Mr. Dixon farewelled every draft of men that left Hawera for camp, and as far as possible was present at the station to welcome them home. Since the time when he relinquished the office of Mayor he has continued to give good service to the returned soldiers, and at the present time
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HIS TOBY or HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
is one of the trustees of the Poppy Day fund for the relief of distress among ex-servicemen. He was elected an honorary life member of the South Taranaki Soldiers’ Club in recognition the work he did for the returned soldiers and for the continued interest he has shown in their affairs.
At about this time, too, and in the early months of 1915, South Taranaki lost many of its early pioneers, men and women who had done much towards making the history of this portion of the province. Among these were Messrs T. Ecelesfield, John Gibson, Reuben White, S. Ginger, Felix McGuire, James Livingston, James Davidson, John Turton, and Dan Hughes. Another to respond to the call of the “Grim Reaper” was Mrs. Ann Evans, known to the whole of South Taranaki as “Grannie” Evans, who had nursed hundreds of people through sickness right from the old blockhouse days. A year later the death of the notorious Kimble Bent in the Wairau hospital at Blenheim recalled the early episodes of Titokowaru’s war of the ’sixties.
The years between 1917 and 1920 saw the passing of other early pioneers in the persons of Messrs C. A. Budge, Peter Campbell, John Christie (ex-editor of the “Hawera Star”), J. V. Riddle, Felix Hunger, Joseph Hawken, T. H. Morgan, A. S. Tonks, and G. H. Gibson, and Mrs. M. J. Goodson, seur.’
At 11 o’clock on the morning of November, 1918, came the ringing of bells and the scream of sirens all over the town to symbolise what people throughout the world had been praying or armistice and peace. People in Hawera joined with all nations in spirit—a spirit of extreme thankfulness and the knowledge that the appearance of the telegraph boy at the front door would no longer necessarily mean a message of dread. However, this day was no sooner over than the ravages of another disaster began to make itself felt, and citizens who were in apparent good health were struck down in the epidemic of influenza that passed over New Zealand. This plague visited Hawera about the middle of November" 1918, and claimed victims of all ages. A hospital was provided in the winter show buildings at Hawera, and volunteer workers were sought and obtained for the purpose of relieving suffering. Hotels and shops were closed for a time and the
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citizens devoted their energies towards eradicating the scourge. In the Hawera shelters over 30 persons died, while in the immediate neighbourhood approximately 100 Maoris suffered the same fate.
On April 10, 1919, the national referendum in the cause of the liquor traffic created considerable interest in Hawera, and until the votes from the soldiers overseas became known there was a definite chance that the liquor trade would be voted out. However, the soldiers placed the issue beyond doubt by casting their votes for continuance by a huge majority.
The war reached its final stages on June 28, 1919, when the peace treaty with Germany was signed at Versailles. The event was celebrated in Hawera with the same enthusiasm as had been evident at the signing of the armistice, and bonfires were lit, fireworks displays were given, and the town was a blaze of light from dusk until midnight. The soldiers were returning from Europe and Egypt in hundreds at about this time, every week seeing a steamer arrive at one of the main ports with men from the various fronts. On October 29, 1919, the whole of the Hawera district turned out in force to extend a welcome to Lieutenant J. Grant, one of the two winners of the Victoria Cross to enlist from this town. Lieutenant H. J. Laurent, the second V.C., returned later and was accorded a similar welcome. Both of these men had streets named after them in the new town planning scheme in the vicinity of Dixon Avenue.
The year 1920 marked the beginning of what was to be the greatest laud boom in the history of New Zealand, and prices rose to remarkable values, reaching in one instance £207 an acre for farm land, this sum being realised by auction when a small Hawera farm was offered for sale. It soon became evident that land values were being boomed at more than double their value, and with this realisation came a sudden drop in prices, but with this drop many farmers were mined, and walked off their land to seek another occupation where there was a chance of obtaining suitable recompense for their labours. It is held by many people that the farming community never completely recovered from this boom,
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIJIATE PLAINS.
which had been created by the fact that land was being sold at a false price—2s 3d per lb.—for butter-fat. Heavily mortgaged, some of the farmers endeavoured to carry on and pay interest rates on the high price for land when they received less than half that sum in factory cheques in later years. These were some of the reasons that led to the setting up of the Dairy Commission by the National Government in 1934.
The foundation stone of the new Technical High School in Camberwell Road was laid on April 30, 1920, and three days later the town was honoured by a visit from the Prince of Wales, who was then on his tour of New Zealand and Australia. This was a memorable day in the history of the townspeople, who extended an enthusiastic welcome to the Prince who was then the heir-apparent to the throne of the British Empire. Children played a prominent part in the welcome, and thronged King Edward Park in their thousands.
The deaths of Messrs John Flynn and Cosslett Johnston occurred during the same year, while on August 17 came the cabled news from London of the death of Mr. W. A. Parkinson, proprietor and editor of the “Hawera Star.”
The following year saw the visits to Hawera of the Governor-General, Lord Jelliooe of Seapa, and the Papal Delegate. On October 15 of the same year the new Technical High School was officially opened. The death of Mr. W. D. Powdrell, M.P. for the Patea electorate, on March 9 was responsible for a by-election, the seat being won by Mr. B. Dixon. At the general election in the following year the seat was secured by Mr. J. R, Corrigan.
Mr. L. A. Bone was elected to the mayoralty in 1923 to serve the town for one term. In the same year the death occurred at Auckland of Sir Robert Nolan, who had been knighted for signal services to the New Zealand soldiers during the Great War. Nolantown, the area which was transferred from the Hawera County to the Hawera Borough two years later, was named after him.
The most noteworthy events during the year 1925 were the election of Mr. E. A. Paeey to the mayoralty, the inclusion of Nolantown in the borough, the abolition of the toll gates
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on the South Road, the celebration of the jubilee of the Hawera Main School, and the campaign for the Patea seat in Parliament resulting in the return of Mr. H. 6. Dickie as member. The dairy laboratory in the old technical school buildings in Princes Street was also established during this year. A qualified research chemist was placed in charge of this laboratory which was established as the result of persistent agitation on the part of dairy companies throughout Taranaki.
The memorial cairn at Ohawe was unveiled during 1926 on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Otapawa, the cairn being erected at the Ohawe cemetery. Other events during this year included the appointment of Mr. 0. J. Hawken as Minister of Agriculture; the triumph of the Hawera Fire Brigade at the Dominion championships; the donation of an area of land at the Waihi beach by Mrs. R. L. Pease and subsequently by a further donation from the executors of the estate of the late Mr. A. S. Tonks.
In 1927 the automatic telephone service was installed at Hawera, this being an all-British undertaking and an event of some importance in the mechanical world. On March 3 of the same year came the Royal visit of the present King and Queen, then Duke and Duchess of York, who were accorded the same enthusiastic welcome as had been extended to the Duke’s elder brother seven years earlier.
In the same year, Stan. Lay established an Australasian record for a javelin throw, while later in the year Mr. C. A. Straek, a former headmaster of the Hawera Main School, and the Right Rev. Monsignor P. Power passed to their eternal rest.
The terrible fire in the Ngawhini Gorge, when seven persons lost their lives, occurred on May 24, 1928, and on June 15 of the same year the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, with Lady Fergusson, paid an official visit to the town. In this year, too, Stan. Lay established a world record javelin throw of 222 feet 9 inches while competing at a sports meeting at Stamford Bridge, in England, prior to the Olympic Games at Amsterdam, where he was to represent New Zealand, On September 10 of the same year Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
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Mr, H. K. Whittington
Mr. E. Dixon.
Mr. E. A. Pacey
Mr. L. A. Bone.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
made his historic trans-Tasman flight, and later visited Hawera during the course of his flight round New Zealand.
In 1929 the Hawera Fire Brigade again achieved striking successes at the New Zealand championship demonstrations. Later in the year there occurred the great earthquake, with its centre at Murchison, this ’quake being far greater than any previously felt in South Taranaki. The South Taranaki Electric Power Board took over control from the Hawera County Electric Company during the same year.
We now come to the closing years as far as the history of Hawera is concerned, but these are years full of community effort, not the least of them being the manner in which the people combined to assist those in distress through the wave of unemployment that swept through the world. One of the first to offer his services in this connection was the late Mr. James Ernest Campbell, Mayor of Hawera from 1933 until his death in 1939, during which period he gave of his very best in the service to the community.
Unemployment first began to make itself felt as a problem in 1930, and it was at about this time that a committee was formed in Hawera to cope with the distress that was becoming evident in the district. Mr. Campbell was appointed secretary to this committee, and wth Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Fyfe, he worked many long hours in order that the unemployed might have some relief from a problem that was acute in all parts of the Dominion. Work was rationed out under the direction of the Unemployment Board, Mr. Campbell directing operations in Hawera and Normanby, but it was not here that the work of the committee ceased, for every week that a man had no work, one week in every four, he was supplied with a parcel of food paid for out of money raised by voluntary contributions. This money was administered by the committee and each man received a parcel of food according to the number of dependents in his family. After a year or two the committee decided on making a big appeal for funds in order to prevent casual contributions obtained on a more or less voluntary system, and to this end the services of Mr. L. 0. Hooker were sought for the purpose of staging a queen carnival. The objective of the committee was in the vicinity
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of £5OO, but the result was overwhelmingly in excess of their expectations, for more than treble the anticipated amount was received. This money was sufficient to keep the unemployed supplied with food on the ration system until the need for the committee no longer existed. Mr. R. R. Henderson acted as secretary to the carnival committee and was responsible for much of its success.
Just prior to the election of Mr. Campbell to the office of Mayor, the Borough of Hawera celebrated its golden jubilee, and in this connection Mr. Campbell rendered yeoman service in the capacity of secretary to the jubilee committee. Reminders of this occasion are the neon light on the water tower and the Hawera Mayoral chain, which bears its inscription in Maori, “Hei Mua Tatau Puritia te Tika” (Let us go forward, cleaving to that which is right”).
On the retirement from office of Mr. Pacey in 1933, Mr. Campbell contested the mayoralty with Mr. W. G. Simpson, a former member of the Borough Council, being elected by a substantial margin. At successive elections in 1935 and 1938 he was returned unopposed.
In April, 1933, the death occurred of Cr. B. Morrissey, who had served the borough since 1901 except for one period. He was a member of one of the pioneer families of South Taranaki and had rendered much good service to the community of Hawera.
It was during Mr. Campbell’s term of office that Hawera had another visit from a member of the Royal Family, the third since the termination of the Great War in 1918. The Royal visitor on this occasion was the Duke of Gloucester, and as was the case with his two brothers, he was accorded a welcome befitting his Royal rank and the occasion, Maori and pakeha turning out in thousands to welcome him to the district.
The next visitors of importance were the GovernorGeneral, Viscount Galway, and Lady Galway, who were also welcomed by Mr. Campbell in his capacity as Mayor. Two Prime Ministers, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and the British High Commissioner for New
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
Zealand, Sir Harry Batterbee, were among the other notable visitors welcomed to Hawera during Mr. Campbell’s term of office.
The death of Mr. Campbell on August 11, 1939, deeply shocked the people of Hawera and many in other parts of the Dominion. He literally died in harness, giving service to the town he loved until a few days before his death.
The “Hawera Star,” in a leading article published the day after Mr Campbell’s untimely death, summed up his character in an excellent manner. “With the passing of James Ernest Campbell, Mayor of Hawera, the town has lost not only its chief magistrate—it has been deprived of one of its sons who possessed a unique place in the esteem of the people, Maoris as well as pakeha, throughout a wide area in the province of Taranaki,” stated the article. “His part in civic affairs was a big one and he fulfilled his position with distinction and dignity. Few men who have filled the office of Mayor in the towns of the Dominion have shown such a deep personal interest in the day-to-day affairs of their community, as well as in the business of civic administration as that displayed by the late Mr. Campbell. For him the mayoralty represented a full-time occupation and a real labour of love. Born in the town 57 years ago, it was perhaps natural that the welfare of the town and district should lie close to his heart; but there was something more in his devotion to civic advancement than just that. There was a pride and a faith in his town that was paramount; ;there was a deep-rooted desire to give of his best in the service of his fellow citizens. True, there were times when some associated with him in civic administration did not see eye to eye with him, but none ever doubted his honesty of purpose; and such was the breadth of his knowledge of local affairs that in the large majority of cases in which there might appear to be room for difference of opinion it was found that his view of what might be best in the interests of the town proved to be the soundest. Mr. Campbell was invariably armed with the fullest information on any subject touching upon the administration of the borough; he made it his business to examine every channel of information, whether it touched on the legal, engineering
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or financial phases, and he was at all times closely in touch with officials in Wellington upon any subject which might bring civic administration into contact with departmental authority. Many outstanding instances of his civic service can be recalled, but one that will remain vivid in the lives of many was his magnificent work for the unemployed. In that, Mr. Campbell proved he was a humanitarian. Long before he ever thought of holding the mayoral office he acted as fulltime, unpaid secretary for the workless, ready to help any at all times. But his help did not end with the administration of organised measures. Never an ostentatious giver, little was known publicly of his many acts of generosity, but there are persons who remember being tided over a dark period, though only a few intimates knew the extent of the assistance he gave anonymously.
“It is difficult to convey in a short space the widespread nature of the activities of one who devoted himself so fully to the affairs of his community, but any reference to his interests that neglected his association with the Maori people would be inadequate. Though his interest in the native race and his wide acquaintance with Maori citizens throughout South Taranaki was known to his personal friends, few realised how widely he was known in a closely personal way to the Maori people of this coast. His concern for Maori welfare was always present and he lost no opportunity in demonstrating on official occasions his desire to see the native race regarded as standing on a basis of full equality with the pakeha.
“In addition to his high sense of duty and the ability which he brought to bear on the administration of civic affairs, the late James Campbell had other attributes which made him an outstanding figure in his community, and, indeed, in any company in which he might be found. Those attributes can only be summed up in the vague word “personality.” He was a man of the finest character, genial, sympathetic, strong and even dominant, but above all lovable. He had “a way with him” with children, with the Maori people, and with the aged; he combined dignity and good taste with a boyish humour and an optimistic outlook; and it is because of those
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Viscount Galway in company with the late Mr. J. E. Campbell at Hawera.
The late Mr. J. E. Campbell, Mayor 1933-Augiist, 1939.
Hawera’s Mayoral Chain, procured during the term of the late Mr. Campbell.
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
qualities of the heart, as well as his selfless devotion to public affairs that his passing after a brief illness has left the community with a stunning sense of loss.”
The scene at his funeral on Sunday, August 13, 1939, was a remarkable one, and those who attended will remember it as an event outstanding in their lives. There were over 2,000 people in attendance, Maori and pakeha, the former playing an important part in the obsequies, for they ranked him as the equal of a rangatira. The funeral was carried out with full military honours, for not only had Mr. Campbell served his home town and district, but he had also served his King and country in the Great War of 1914-18.
The death of the Mayor left a gap at the council table which was filled by the appointment of Cr. R. R. Henderson as Deputy-Mayor until a successor to Mr. Campbell was appointed.
In the following month Mr. L. H. Clapham, a member of the Borough Council, was elected to the office of Mayor after a contest with Mr. P. 0. Veale. This caused an extraordinary vacancy on the council, an election being held on October 5. There were three candidates, Messrs W. M. Egglestone, G. W. Spink, and Allan Evans, the first-named being elected.
Just after Mr. Clapham’s election the young men of New Zealand were asked to give their services in the defence of the Empire, war having broken out between the British Commonwealth of Nations and Germany on September 3. The men of the Hawera district responded as they had done in 1914, the result being that the quota was filled with ease. The main body of the force left Hawera on Tuesday, October 3, 1939, for Trentham military camp, which had been used for training operations during the Great War.
Mayors of Hawera
Felix McGuire 1882-1883
George Victor Bate .. .. 1883-1884
William Joseph Furlong .. 1884-1886
Charles Edwin Major .... 1886-1888
James Davidson 1888-1892
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HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Charles Edwin Major .... 1892-1896
Henry William Sutton .. 1896-1897
Charles Edwin Major .... 1897-1901
Benjamin Conrad Robbins 1901-1905
James William Hirst . . .. 1906
Benjamin Conrad Robbins 190"
Henry William Sutton .. 1907-1909
Elliot L’Estrange Barton 1910-1911
Hugh Knight Whittington 1911
Arthur William Gillies .. 1912-1913
Hugh Knight Whittington 1914
Edwin Dixon 1915-1923
Leonard Alfred Bone .. .. 1923-1925
Ernest Arthur Pacey .. .. 1925-1933
James Ernest Campbell .. 1933-1939
Laurence Hugh Clapham 1939-to date
Hawera Town Clerks
W. H. E. Wanklyn 1882-1890
A. G. Brett 1890-1903
B. A. Meek 1903-1907
H. S. Elliott 1907-to date
Hawera Borough Engineers
J. C. Cameron 1911-1914
J. Sturrock 1914-1933
C. F. Marshall-Smith . . .. 1939-to date
Hawera Borough Councillors
S. Adamson W. C. Adamson A. C. Atkinson
H. T. Atkinson H. R. Baker W. Baker
T. Barnby L. S. Barraclough B. Bartlett
6. V. Bate E. B. Bates E. L’E. Barton
C. R. Bayley G. J. Bayley L. A. Bone
J. Boyd F. W. Brunette H. A. Brunette
J. Brunette H. B. Burdekin A. B. Burrell
W. R. Butler *L. H. Clapham W. J. Bright
J. C. Cameron J. K. Cameron "J. L. Carter
H. Caplen J. Champion E. K. Cameron
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HISTOBY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
J. J. Connell P. S. Cooper W. Clarke
C. R. K. Gumming S. A. Chisholm J. E. Cowell
W. Dingle T. Drake J. Davidson
•J. Edmondston *W. M. Egglestone A. H. Duff
S. L. Pairhall E. Fake G. Easton
J. Pennell J. Finlay A. A. Fantham
W. J. Furlong A. K. Fyson J. Poy
C. Goodson D. J. Goodwin W. C. Gilbert
T. C. Gormley G. Grant J. J. Goodwin
J. W. J. Harding J. Hardley J. G. Grant
E. C. Hayton J, Henderson A. Haughey
A. S. Hobbs C. E. Hollard J. W. Hirst
R. J. Hughes T. J. Hurrell R. B. Hood
*R. R. Henderson T. M. Jay G. F. Hutchinson
N. Johnston B. L. Joll M. Johnston
P. I. Jones *M. R. Jones C. Jones
M. D. King A. J. Kirk J, P. Keen
R. H. Leece H. N. Lester J. B. Laurenson
R. Lynch C. E. Major H. W. Lewis
E. Morrissey R. Mortlock H. Morris
J. McAneny C. H. McCutcheon # 6. B. Mann
D. McLean W. J. MeNiven D. McL’Dowie
J. G. Osborne E. A. Pacey A. K. North
W. Page J. Parkin T. Pacey
A. Paterson H. G. Pitcher J. W. Partridge
W. A. Quin *A. Reid L. E. Prichard
B. C. Robbins A. S. Rogers F. Riddiford
W. Sargeson J. Scott R. M. Rickard
D. Spence W. Spence W. 6. Simpson
H. L. Spratt I). G. Smart "W. A. Spragg
P. W. Stevens H. M. Stowell C. R. Stannard
T. R. Surrey H. W. Sutton W. G, Strange
•H. Thrush W. M. Thomson 6. Syme
G. Trevethick *P. 0. Veale J. M. Townsend
A. J. Whittaker H. K. Whittington W. G. Walkley
J. E. Wilson J. Winks P. R, Wilkinson
Those marked with an asterisk are members of the present council. v
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CHAPTER XVI.
Hawera Parks, Reserves and Library
'J’HE Borough of Hawera, due to the splendid foresight of the pioneer members of the Borough Council, is extremely fortunate in the number of reserves for use by the citizens. It was one of the earliest actions of the council to secure endowments for the borough, and the wisdom of this policy is evident in the amount of revenue derived therefrom each year. But in providing endowments from which revenue may be obtained the council did not overlook parks and playing areas, and to-day the result may be found in the fact that Hawera possesses more such areas than any town of similar size in the Dominion.
Originally a rough grazing area, King Edward Park, one of the most picturesque public gardens in New Zealand, and certainly one of the best playing areas, has undergone a remarkable transformation since it was first laid out in 1904, due to a policy of progressive improvements carried out by successive councils. In King Edward Park the borough of Hawera possesses one of its finest endowments.
Although the area was set apart in the very early days as a reserve, it lay for many years in an unimproved state and was leased for grazing for various periods. The last lessee was the late Mr. F. C. Faber, one time proprietor of the Commercial Stables. The Hawera Livery Stables were known up and down the coast and the horses and vehicles were regularly used by travellers and visiting tourists. Originally the park was known as the Recreation ground, but until about 1903 the Borough Council does not appear to have allocated any funds for its improvement and upkeep.
The first improvement put on the comer section was a belt of pine trees given and planted by the cricketers of Hawera. Their ground was situated where the Hawera Tech-
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Entrance to King Edward Park, Hawera
Naumai Park—A Hawera Beauty Spot.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
nical High School now stands. In 1900 a comprehensive scheme of improvements which has resulted in the picturesque park and gardens and playing areas of to-day was initiated.
The massive iron gates that diagonally front High Street and Camberwell Road were erected as a memorial to the men from the district who fell in the South African War, the bulk of the money being part of the proceeds of the Hawera Industrial Exhibition of 1904. A beginning was also made with the planting of the portion bordering Camberwell Road and the adjacent comer, these being the first completed. Mr. Charles Goodson, an enthusiast in horticulture and one of the most experienced gardeners in Taranaki, was elected to the Borough Council and, as chairman of the Reserves Committee, took up the work of laying out the grounds. The council invited competitive designs, and some striking designs were brought forward. With one exception, however, all were too elaborate for the resources of the council, and one plan was adopted partially by the committee and under Mr. Goodson’s direction the work went on.
The first custodian of the park was Mr. A. McNeil, who was succeeded by Mr. A. H. Lay about 1910. Mr. Lay continued until he was in turn succeeded by the present custodian, Mr. Donald Ross, a few years ago. During Mr. Lay’s period the custodian’s cottage was erected at a cost of £2ll 11s 4d.
During the term of Mr. B. C. Robbins as Mayor, the council gave the scheme good support, and the part taken into the improvement and planting plan was five acres. The pine trees were felled and sold and a boxthorn hedge planted, which soon showed vigorous growth and provided effective shelter. Later another piece was taken in and work continued, but a temporary set-back was experienced when the council of that time carried a resolution that funds had to be conserved and the work was stopped for some months.
Another forward mave was made, however, and in 1911-12 the band rotunda, which cost approximately £560, was erected a large amount of the cost being provided by a subsidy from he Government The sports clubs were not neglected and the area round the rotunda was sown down to make courts
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for tennis and lawns for croquet, these clubs having occupied them for years. At about the same period a part of the reserve out towards the Waihi Road was taken in and planted.
In 1912 Mr. John Macklam made a bequest of £5O, with which was constructed the pond named after him. The foundation stone was laid by Miss Rachel Goodson, now Mrs. A. E. Spratt. A model yacht club was formed at the time when the council decided to construct the lake, at a cost of £557. Of this amount the sum of £250 was collected by the Yacht Club. The pond has been a source of pleasure to thousands of children in Hawera for many years, and even to-day miniature yachts may be seen on it occasionally.
To Mr. Goodson fell the honour of performing the opening ceremony of the band rotunda and tea kiosk, the Mayor being absent from Hawera at the time. His object in developing the park was always to specialise in trees, shrubs and plants that thrive in this climate and not to try and introduce those that favour a warmer climate.
The statue of the late Mr. A. A. Fantham, which adorns the lawn opposite the main entrance, was the work of a committee, of which the late Mr. R. D. Welsh was the moving spirit, the statue being erected as a tribute to Mr. Fantham’s work in stock raising and agriculture.
In 1918 Mr. J. M. Townsend took over the position of chairman of the Reserves Committee and he held it for 12 years, much useful work being done under his direction. One of his first moves was the alteration of the croquet and tennis lawns, the croquet club being given the whole of the area, while the tennis club moved to the more extensive area where they are now located. Later the cricket ground was begun, half of the present area being ploughed and sown.and used by cricketers until the increase in the number of players necessitated the area right to Waihi Road being included. This was completed and made into a ground which has earned the admiration of visitors from all parts of the Dominion.
While Mr. Townsend was chairman of the Reserves Committee, the W. A. Parkinson Memorial Fernery was erected,
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the work being much assisted by the kindly help of Mrs. H. T. Lovell.
The next chairman of the Reserves Committee was Mr. W. G. Strange, under whose capable direction further improvements were brought into being. The present chairman is Mr. J. Edmondston, who takes the same keen interest in the work as was evidenced by his predecessors in office.
In more recent years the Borough Council has followed the lead of other towns in the Dominion and has provided an up-to-date parking area and camp site on the Waihi Road portion of the reserve. Additions were made to the camping portion of the reserve during the term of the late Mr. J. E. Campbell as Mayor, it being due to his interest in the town of Hawera that the facilities were provided to such an extent that the camp site is considered second to none in similar sized towns in New Zealand.
Mr. Campbell also played an important part in the development of the playing area, it being due to his efforts that a consignment of Longburn soil was provided in order to ensure as perfect a wicket as possible for cricketers. This developmental work is still proceeding. It is a tribute to those who laid out the playing area that it will stand up to hard work all through the year and shows no signs of wear. In the winter time the playing area is ideal for hockey and Association football, while during the summer the cricketers have a playing area that is quite the best in Taranaki, and the equal of any in New Zealand. It is brought forward in such a condition as to be able to fill all the requirements of a test match.
The gardens are ever-changing as the seasons come round and the custodian has the gift of knowing when to plant and what to plant, so that there is always a seasonal display He has established his own nursery for plants and shrubs and this portion of his work has become a very definite asset to the borough During recent years a begonia house has been thos hi SlB v’ ayS 3 SoUree of S eneral attraction when those blooms are on show.
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HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
In the central portion of the ground a children’s playing area has been provided, and swings and roundabouts provide many happy hours for Hawera’s children. It is a park and playing area of which any city in New Zealand would be proud, and the Hawera citizens recognise that in King Edward Park they have a very definite and valuable asset.
Attached to Bayly Park, which was sold in 1938 by the Taranaki Rugby Union to the New Zealand Education Department, is a history that is of more than passing interest, and it is worthy of note that at one time it was thought that the park would be Hawera’s and, indeed, South Taranaki’s principal playing area.
In 1896 there was a feeling that the time was opportune for the acquisition of a ground that would accommodate all sports in Hawera, it being considered that this would be the most economical means by which they could be run. It was felt that one club would help the other, and that all would gain financially by the association.
The idea originated at a meeting of the Hawera Cricket Club in June, 1896, when Mr. W. G. White mentioned the offer of the ground by Mr. G. Bayly. It was discussed at some length, but nothing was decided at that particular meeting, beyond the setting up of a committee to go into the matter of ways and means and to report to another meeting. That committee consisted of Messrs, White, Bayly, G. Syme, Graves, Newcomb, Riddiford, Crawshaw, Parkinson and Moore. A move was made to extend the sphere of work by getting estimates for laying down a cycle track, and it was reported that cyclists would contribute £2O per annum for the ground. The cycle track, 15 feet wide, cost £7O.
The difficulties facing the club acquiring land in its own name was put forward by Mr. White. Eventually the difficulty was overcome by Mr, Bayly’s executing a deed of trust to the executive of the club, subject to a mortgage of £4OO, and later it was decided to raise money on debentures to prepare the ground, repayment to be secured by debentures. The debenture holders were secured in the event of a sale by a
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HISTORY OF HAW ERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
charge on the proceeds of the land after satisfaction of the mortgage. Any surplus was to be paid to the club.
The cycle track was actually laid down in October, 1896, and leased to the cycle club for three years on terms giving half the gross takings, less the cost of collection, to the company, with an addition that if the revenue from these sources did not reach £2O, the deficit would be made up by the cycle club, the right being given to the company to give other societies the use of the track when not required by the cyclists.
In view of the annoyance caused to residents by cyclists using the track, it was decided to erect a notice: “On Sundays these grounds will be closed; trespassers will be prosecuted.”
Until this time the tennis club had courts in Cameron Street, but when Bayly Park was acquired and formed, the tennis club requested the park committee to lay down courts on the new ground. This was another link in the chain of sports using the ground. Their deputation consisted of Messrs Wallich and Butts, and after discussion a resolution was carried that the club lay down three grass courts and lease them to the tennis club for three years at a rental of £2O per annum or for five years at an annual rental of £l5. The park committee agreed to maintain and mark the courts, the tennis club to provide the wire netting required. The tennis club was also to hand over the lawn mower and marker to the cricket club for use on the courts. Tennis players gave notes for £3O as a guarantee.
An incident of some interest in connection with the new tennis courts was the indignation created amongst members by “a carrier’s impudence and stupidity in driving his dray laden with timber over the courts,” and the club’s decision to punish him.
Tennis matters were going ahead well, and that year an asphalt court was laid down, being used for some years until the club moved its headquarters to Albion Street, where it is domiciled at present. The club put up high fences and carried out many improvements.
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The ground was then named Bayly Park as a compliment to Mr. G. T. Bayly because of the great part he had always taken in cricket in Taranaki.
The next club to come on to the scene was the Star Cricket club, which was granted a lease of portion of the park for practice and match wickets. That club made a contract and at once commenced play on the area. They combined with the Hawera Club in a match for the opening of the season on the first Saturday in October.
An interesting addition to membership was the permission of any player outside Hawera and already a member of a club to join up as a country member at an annual fee of five shillings.
The use of the ground was not confined to summer sports, however, and in 1897 the Taranaki Rugby Union was granted the use of the ground for interprovincial matches at a charge of £5 for each match, provided that all were played on Bayly Park. The Hawera Football Club also made a contract, paying £l5 per annum for the use of the ground.
A tree planting scheme was taken up and it was decided to plant a boxthorn hedge on the north base of the bank fronting Disraeli Street, this work being carried out by Mr. C. Goodson.
Good progress was now being made, and it was decided to at once erect pavilion and dressing-room accommodation, and soon this building was in use. The original cost of the pavilion was £2OO, and this was raised on guarantee—the members were always ready to stand behind any such progressive move.
Then came the vesting of Bayly Park in trustees, this course being advised by the solicitors, and those appointed were Messrs. W. 6. White, H. Caplen, G. T. Bayly, F. Riddiford and F. E. Moore as joint tenants. The outstanding feature of the statement made and signed by the trustees was that For all time the ground shall be held primarily in the interests of cricket and for the use of the Hawera Cricket Club, and that the ground shall be vested in them for such purpose. This is a true statement of fact, and we bind our-
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selves to faithfully observe the obligations expressed in such statement. ’ ’
The northern portion of the park was fenced in order to be used as a horse paddock. (This part is now built over, and forms the rows of houses fronting Disraeli and Surrey Streets.
Athletic sports came into Bayly Park in the next year, when on New Year’s Day the Caledonian sports were held at a cost of £lO. The area of the ground was extended by the acquisition of a property on the Camberwell Road frontage, and this was also vested in the trustees.
Then the clubs suffered a severe loss in the removal of Mr. W. J. Crawshaw and the consequent loss of his services as secretary. He had given an enormous amount of time to the work and ungrudgingly acted in the best interests of the cricketers. The result of the loss of his services can hardly be estimated, but from the time of his departure the movement steadily declined.
In order to get full work from the groundsman, it was decided that he be instructed to give all his time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to the ground and not to play cricket during those hours except on Saturday afternoons, and that the ground must be kept in better order. The question of maintenance during the winter-months was considered at a special meeting, and it was resolved to keep someone in charge all the time.
But there was a rift coming in the scheme, and the cycle club began to be restive. Their subscription began to get into arrears and on December 18, 1898, a meeting was held of park representatives and a deputation from the cycle club, it being reported that by holding a sports meeting in 1897 the club had approved of the agreement made between the two bodies.
The cricket club also effected several improvements and had erected a grandstand opposite the finishing post of the races, and in addition had spent more on a subsidence of part of the track. The cycle club asked for a picket fence all round, and a further raising of the track by three feet, making it in all six feet, as otherwise they would not continue.
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The cricket club, although not bound to do so, agreed to raise £4O if the cyclists raised £BO, and this was undertaken. The cylists, however, could not do this, and actually repudiated their agreement with the cricket club. The original members wanted to stand to the agreement, but they were over-ruled.
The cricket club made it clear that the object of the promoters of Bayly Park was to make it a sports ground for the use of all athletic bodies, so that by combination each body should have a well-kept place for its use. The action of the cycle club was denounced in strong terms, and it was agreed to let the public know the full facts of the case.
Mr. W. J. Tristram (now of Eltham) was appointed secretary in place of Mr. Crawshaw, and one of the first matters of business done was that of dealing with the repudiation of their agreement by the cycle club. Still, an effort was made to work with the cycle club on any reasonable terms. A sub-committee met the cyclists and after much discussion it was agreed to stand to the action of the club in offering to raise £4O towards improvements to the track, providing the cycle club made a guarantee of £3O. Eventually an agreement to accept £2O was made.
The position grew acute during that season, however, and it was only after long discussion that the cricket club continued to play there. One by one the outside clubs seceded—cycling, which was then in the boom, moved to King Edward Park; tennis found a new home in Albion Street; Rugby football went across to the park and then to the showgrounds; and the ground was left to cricket. The scheme, which had looked so promising, fell down, and the ground was taken over by Mr. Bayly, who, however, gave it for the use of cricket so long as the club looked to the upkeep and paid the rates. This was done for several years and at last the cricketers had to acknowledge that they could not maintain the ground, and they, too, transferred to the park, where has gradually grown up one of the finest playing areas in the Dominion.
And so sport left Bayly Park and the curtain was rung down on a chapter in the history of cricket which was full of possibilities and set for the achievement of an ideal which apparently was ahead of its time.
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St. John’s Presbyterian Church at Hawera.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
One of the most remarkable transformations in the Borough of Hawera during recent years is that work which has been accomplished at what is now known as Naumai Park, a locality previously known as “the horse paddock.” The scheme to lay out the area as a park originated in 1924, Messrs. G. S. Watts, J. Garnett and C. M. Haggett being the citizens responsible, and to-day the reserve is one of the beauty spots of South Taranaki.
The three men mentioned agreed that the natural situation of the grounds lent itself admirably for the purpose of a park, and after receiving the approval of the Hawera Borough Council they decided to form themselves into a committee to take over the grounds for the purpose in view. As the result of their labours the citizens of Hawera possess a park which will remain a permanent source of delight to all future generations. More recently the park has been taken over by the Borough Council, and to-day it is a charge on the finances of the borough, and cared for by members of the reserves staff.
In the first instance assistance was obtained from the Borough Council in having the largest of the three lakelets cleaned out, and this appeared to offer a somewhat formidable task, as near the sheet of water there had been a rubbish dump and a great amount of rubbish had found its way into the water. To drain out the lakelet by gravitation was an impossibility, as the level of the water was below the roadway which runs at right angles to the southern boundary. The borough engineer of the period, Mr. J. Sturrock, decided that the only method of draining would be by means of a syphon, and this proved a splendid idea. The lakelet was drained out sufficiently to allow of the workmen removing the conglomeration of rubbish which had found its way into the depression. Quite a number of eels were secured after the water had been run off.
The idea of the committee was that as far as possible only native trees should be grown and a start was made by proenring a few of the more common varieties, such as lace-barks, karakas, lance-woods, etc. These were planted in the unculti-
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vated ground, but it was found by experience that the trees did not make sufficient headway and, on advice, the committee decided to have the ground dug over, with the result that, the trees and shrubs eventually made splendid headway in the rich loamy soil, which is practically of a virgin nature. The belt of pinus insignus trees on the north-eastern boundary in the grounds of the Old People’s Home provided adequate shelter in that direction, and a high boxthorn hedge around the south-eastern extremity lent itself admirably as a break-wind in that direction. As a screening to this hedge a large number of cabbage trees were planted, and also along the south-western boundary. They soon came away and made great progress, until to-day they are one of the features of the park. Where the lakelet at the south-eastern end abuts on to the road no shelter could be grown in the park itself, so it was decided to grow a belt of pinus insignus across the road on private property, and these trees have also grown very well.
Later, the committee was added to by the inclusion of Mr. L. A. Taylor, and after the departure of Mr. Haggett from the town, Dr. W. M. Thomson was appointed, and the committee then consisted of four members.
The policy of planting the park with nothing but native trees has been adhered to with few exceptions, and in the reserve of about four and a-half acres there are to be found many valuable specimens. Growing in a secluded comer are several kauris which are doing exceedingly well, despite the fact that these trees are natives of a much warmer climate than Taranaki, notably, the North Auckland district. The fine coastal tree, the whau, growing to large dimensions, is one of the best in the park, while one prominent rare variety of purple ake ake is growing near the playing area. Mr, Victor Davies, of New Plymouth, from whom this tree was procured, was so struck with its appearance that he had it specially photographed, and told members of the committee that he had not seen a finer specimen of this rare tree. Many different kinds of beeches are also doing well, while another predominant feature is the
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splendid collection of veronicas. Amongst other trees growing in the park are senecios, kowhais, rangiora, ngaio, karo, rimu, etc.
Around the edge of the largest lakelet (there are three in number) various types of native flax have been grown and are doing well. In one lakelet water lilies grace the surface, and some choice kinds procured in 1931 are much admired in their colours of red, pink and cream.
In a prominent portion of the reserve there is growing a weeping elm, which was given to the committee by Mr. J. S. Murray. This tree had grown in his garden for about 24 years, and since being transplanted to Naumai Park it has continued to flourish. The graceful pongas, of which there are quite a number, add greatly to the beauty of the park, and in this connection it might be mentioned here that these were procured by members of the committee, assisted by citizens who loaned motor vehicles for their transport. To procure these was no light task, for it meant excursions into the hinterland for the purpose.
At various times a number of water fowl have been obtained, these being mostly the donations of private citizens, and to-day there are white swans, mallard and Muscovy ducks, these being a special attraction for the children who frequent the park in large numbers.
Much good work has been done in the park by unemployed relief labour, and a number of improvements have been carried out by this means. Pergolas have been erected in various portions of the grounds, and these offer a welcome shade in the summer-time to people who wish to take afternoon tea to the park. At various times seats have been donated by citizens, and full use is made of these during the week-ends.
The promoters of Naumai Park have every reason to feel proud of the results of their efforts in transforming what was at one time an eyesore into a beauty spot. However, the time came when the committee could not finance the undertaking on the amount received from the Borough Council, and then the area was taken over by the council and is now a municipal
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
undertaking. This fact, however, does not detract in any way from the work carried out by the committee, who deserve the congratulations and gratitude of their fellow citizens for their untiring efforts in adding one more beauty spot to the Borough of Hawera.
A considerable part of local history is wrapped up in the affairs of the Hawera Public Library. In 1870 two blockhouses, connected by a stockade, were built in what is now High Street, the site being that now occupied by the library and Messrs. Welsh, McCarthy, Houston and Coleman's offices. The library itself dates back 61 years, being actually in existence for four years before Hawera was constituted a borough. The original library was conducted in an inner room in Princes Street, opposite the post office, but later public efforts and subscriptions resulted in a building being erected on the present site. This building was removed from the site when the present library was erected.
The Hawera Public Library was originally incorporated under the Public Libraries Powers Act, 1875, and the Public Libraries Subsidies Act, 1877, the objects being expressed as the “maintenance of a public library and reading room and the promotion of literature and science.” The date of the incorporation was March 20, 1878, from which time the governing body consisted of nine members elected annually by the subscribers. Some years ago (about 1922) the control of the library was taken over by the Hawera Borough Council, and the institution became, and still is, a municipal library.
Unfortunately, the earliest records are not available, but there is still in existence a minute book covering the period from 1895 to 1911, throughout which period Mr. W. 6. White was chairman. At the first recorded meeting of the committee, on December 13, 1895, the secretary reported that the previous minute book and all the records were burned in the fire which destroyed, among other buildings, the court-house on August 30, 1895, and he was authorised to procure the new minute book which is now so interesting. Those present at this meet-
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St. Mary's Anglican Church, Hawera.
The late Mr. J. E. Campbell extends a Mayoral welcome to H.EH, the Duke of Gloucester at Hawera in 1935. Mr. J. E. Murdoch, chairman of the Hawera County Council, is seated on the extreme lett
HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ing were Messrs. W. G. White, W. E. Dive, R. C. Esse, A. Trimble, J. Davidson, and C. B. Major.
During the ’nineties the library was not always free from financial difficulties. Various efforts were made to amend this, and amongst these an amateur dramatic club gave a performance of “The Magistrate” in aid of the funds. There was a small profit, but, unfortunately, a repetition of the effort not only swallowed up the profit, but caused a small loss. It is amusing to read that on March 25, 1898, the secretary reported that he had sent money to Wellington for the hire of wigs, but that the creditor could not be found. However, in the following January, the committee carried out a series of sports and tableaux in conjunction with the fire brigade, netting the sum of £4O. A living statuary exhibition was included in the entertainment and no doubt proved one of the star attractions.
Prom 1899 the financial position continued to be sound, and small subsidies were received from the Government and from both the Hawera Borough Council and the Hawera County Council. Prom 1897, when the subscriptions totalled £5l, there was steady growth, and in 1907 the subscriptions totalled £194. Against this latter sum, however, a practically permanent charge of £2OO per annum had been built up for maintenance.
A Miss Turner was librarian until towards the end of 1898, when she resigned and was succeeded by Miss M. F. Newland, who held the position until 1931, when Miss Hilda Carson was appointed.
For many years the now demolished inner room in Princes Street did duty as a social room for members of the institute, and as early as 1896 there is reference to a museum being housed there. This inner room played many parts until the growing number of books made further shelving accommodation necessary. Early in 1897 the librarian was granted the free use of it for a tea room, while at one time the Hawera ess Club occupied it during certain evenings. The tea room yeTr. sSUbSeqUently 5 SUbSeqUently CalTied ° n by Miss Newland for several
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The old minute book records an acknowledgement of the oil painting “Maori Life,” which was donated by Mr. D. W. Fraser in April, 1900. Similarly, on July 31, 1902, Mr. P. Lundon was thanked for the fine gift of the painting of the Maori Chief, Taki Taki, which now hangs in the library. Taki Taki took part in the battle of Moutoa, which saved Wanganui from destruction, after which he made unsuccessful overtures for peace with the hostile natives.
On June 27, 1907, an entry records “that with Mr. Ewen MacEae’s concurrence the sword presented by him to the museum be restored to Mrs. Captain Hewitt on her identifying it as having belonged to her late husband.” This sword had a curious history. Originally carried by Colonel William Hewitt at the Battle of Waterloo, it had passed into the possession of his son, Captain J. D. Hewitt, who was wearing it when he lost his life during the Maori War. The Maoris took the sword, and for many years it was supposed to be lost. An aged Maori woman found it in a rata tree, near the Puke-muku Pa, at the southern end of the Allen Eoad, and it was subsequently purchased and placed with the exhibits at the Hawera Library. It was later identified and restored to Captain Hewitt’s widow. In her delightful book of reminiscences, “Looking Back,” she says; “I was glad that only the kind secretary and librarian were present when I received that sad memento of my poor husband I wrapped the sword in the little black shawl that I always wear, and carried it in my arms to the cab awaiting me.”
The average of new books placed on the shelves of the library each year is very high, the total being over 1,000. A feature of the collection is the New Zealand section, which compares favourably with similar collections in any provincial library. An interesting development is the juvenile department. For many years it was the unwritten law that subscribers were allowed one juvenile book each, but there was no great demand for children’s books, and this section was allowed to lag far behind the other departments. In 1931 children were enrolled as separate members, new books were
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bought, and as a result the juvenile department is one of the most popular in the library. This department was instituted by Miss Carson, who has done so much to foster it and make it so popular.
The acquisition of the N.Z. section was the result of the advice and valuable assistance received from Mr. John Houston L.L.B.
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CHAPTER XVII.
Early Shows and Race Meetings
QNB of the necessary institutions in a country that depends so much on the success of its primary industry as New Zealand does is an Agricultural and Pastoral Association. This fact has been recognised in every country in the world, and in England the birth of the Royal Agricultural Society coincided with the year that Queen Victoria ascended the throne. Nearly 60 years ago, the necessity for such an institution was realised in Hawera and the people of that period set about the formation of what became known later as the Egmont A. and P. Association. Throughout the years of its existence the association has performed a very useful service in the farming community, while it has also provided the means of bringing town and country together. It possesses grounds and equipment that are the equal of almost any similar organisation in the Dominion, while its annual spring show is recognised throughout New Zealand as the premier dairy show of the country.
All this has not been brought about without a great deal of hard work on the part of those connected with the association, officials, mainly honorary, having given many years of service to the furthering of its interests. To-day, the people of South Taranaki look forward to the annual show of the association with interest, knowing that its success depends on their assistance, and further, that their success in turn depends on the success of the farming industry which the association is doing its best to foster and improve.
The following chapter has not been written with the intention of giving a complete outline of the association’s history, as such an undertaking would take a book in itself. The purpose of this chapter is to show how the association had its beginnings, and to show how it has grown in the interim
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The Methodist Church at Hawera.
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
to its present premier position among similar organisations throughout New Zealand.
The formation of an Agricultural and Pastoral Association at Hawera was first mooted in 1882, the only show in South Taranaki at this time being an annual fixture at Patea. There was, however, considerable discontent at Hawera with the manner of control of the Patea Association’s affairs, and many exhibitors refused to show there. Efforts had been made to change the location of the show to a centre more convenient to South Taranaki settlers, but the representations made to the Patea Association were without result.
Letters between the Hawera exhibitors and the Patea Association were exchanged and deputations were sent to the various committee meetings between 1882 and 1884, and the outcome was the decision to form an association in Hawera to carry out the same pursuits as that of the existent body. The inaugural meeting of the association was held in January, 1884, the attendance of farmers being small, although there was a good attendance of townspeople. After a long discussion, in which the leading speakers were Messrs. B. C. Robbins A. H. Duff, J. C. Yorke, A. A. Fantham, Max D. King, R. H. Nolan and James Livingston, the formation of an association was decided upon, the movers of the resolution being Messrs Yorke and Nolan.
Later in the year a further meeting was held, at which reports were received from various committees that had been set up to canvass the district to see what support would be forthcoming. At this meeting, too, the question of the site for the first show was considered, the final decision being that the show should be held on a site to be selected by the working committee. Mr. Fantham was an advocate of the proposal that the show should be held on the racecourse, his reasons being that it was close to the railway, had good central location and good accommodation. It was finally agreed to ask ™T° f Ug "° UnCil t0 S6t 3Side a P ° rtion of the recreation g d for the purposes of a show ground. Mr. J S CaverSrrrr ly chosen as the firat president ° f ** *«<>- ciatwn, Mr. Yorke vice-president, and Mr. Morecroft secretary.
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HISTOBY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The following committee was elected Messrs. Moore Hunter, Stent, Nolan, Bate, Thomson, I. Bayly, G. T. Bayly, J. Winks, J. Davidson, I’inlayson, T. Mason, F. R. Jackson, Heslop, Godsal, Fantham, P. Brett, M. Baird, Godkin, Forsyth, Captain Good, G. Wilson, Ross, Taylor, J. D. Mitchell, W. S. Young, J. Crocker, and W. Caverhill. Messrs. King and Robbins were asked to act as auditors for the first year, and Mr. Cobham was elected treasurer.
At a meeting of the Hawera Borough Council held on August 6, 1884, a letter was received from the secretary of the Egmont A. and P. Association asking for the council’s terms, if any, for a lease of, say, five acres of the recreation reserve for show purposes, with full particulars; also asking whether the council would grant a lease of the section of five acres on the south side of High Street, opposite the recreation grounds. After a brief discussion, the council resolved, on the motion of Os. Winks and Major, that the association be granted the use of a 5-acre section then vacant for show purposes should they require it.
At a meeting held on October 29 it was stated that the entries totalled nearly 400. These were classified and a number of stewards were appointed to manage the different sections. It was also decided that the prize money for hacks, jumping and produce won by non-residents should be paid out on the ground at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
After two months of careful preparation and great anxiety on the part of the committee of management, the first show of the newly-formed association was held on November 3, and the “Hawera Star” of the following day stated that the promoters may congratulate themselves on their efforts having been crowned with success. “Everything seems to have gone well,” said the “Star.” “Firstly, the public subscribed liberally to permit the association to build its yards and make the necessary arrangements; then the entries came forward in very large numbers, and finally the day for the show proved fine, and the public showed their appreciation of the efforts of the promoters by turning up in large numbers. Never perhaps in the history of Hawera has there been such a crowd
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
within its walls as assembled yesterday at the show grounds, .and it is estimated that 1,500 people were present.
“But even more than for the number of people present,” the “Star” continued, “are the committee to be congratulated •on the quality of the stock exhibited. We heard it remarked by old farmers that it was the best show' they had ever seen on the coast between Wellington and Auckland.”
Special praise was given to Mr. E. Gower, who at a moment’s notice took the office of secretary, rendered vacant two or three days before the show by the death of the holder, Mr. Moreeroft.
The grounds at the disposal of the association proved inadequate, and it was stated that the area should be increased from five to ten acres, and it was suggested that the Hawera Borough Council, in letting the adjoining sections, should make some stipulation for their use for three days a year for show purposes.
The judges at the show were as follows; Cattle, Messrs. E. Campbell, C. Cameron and W. T. Owen; sheep, Messrs. W. Wilson, B. K. Simpson and J. Biddle; thoroughbred horses, Messrs. Hatley, Eeid and O’Hawes; draught horses, Messrs. D. &. Greig, A. Munro and J. Stevenson; produce, Messrs. Cummins, Hulke and E. Cock; implements, Messrs. Kelland, Forsyth and Lambie; dogs, Messrs. W. T. Owen and A. Colson.
„ 0^ 8 t0 “ article “ the “ Hawera Star” on August 1884, the question of whether it would be better to hold one cattle show yearly for the whole coast, to be called the West Coast Cattle Show, and to be supported by the several f- P ' Ass °ciations jointly, was raised by the secretary of he Wanganui Association, Mr. P. B. Jackson, who had written the Egmont Association, expressing the opinion that it was •a mistake to hold a number of petty shows on the coast.
ciationslw’ eUer J aS sent su Sgesting that the three associations M anganui, Hawera, and Patea-should be asked to consider a proposal to assist each other’s show for three years jst 1 ,i " for
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Commenting upon this the “Star” said: “It so happens that neither the Patea nor the Wanganui Association is very strong financially. In consequence, it is doubtful whether either of them will hold a show this year, or whether they may not yet agree to unite their forces and hold a joint show. If a combination is effected, it would be a pity to have the Egmont Association excluded, and it would be worth while to try and arrange terms which would be suitable in the future, even if not applicable now.”
On September 6 it was recorded that a reply had been received from the Patea Association, stating that it did not consider any central West Coast show could be held conveniently until after through railway communication had been established, but next year it would consider the proposal.
Subsequently endeavours were made to effect an amalgamation with the Taranaki Association at New Plymouth, but the suggestion was finally abandoned.
At the Egmont show in November, 1889, a forward movement was made with the erection of a large stand, capable of holding 500 people, this being taken full advantage of by those who wanted to see the leaping and trotting matches. The leaping match for ladies was a thrilling event, the lady riders showing considerable skill with their mounts, Mrs. Paine, of Kakaramea, being the winner. This rider had a very fine reputation in South Taranaki as a rider and it was considered a treat to see her following the hounds over high fences in the days when some of the finest hunters in the colony were seen following the hounds. Miss Maria Smith, of Patea, was alsoa rider excelled by few and her knowledge of horseflesh enabled her to get the best out of her mounts. She was a daughter of Mr. Daniel Smith, one of Patea’s oldest residents, and later in life married Mr. G. F. Sherwood, the son of the first Mayor of Patea.
The property of the Egmont A. and P. Association is regarded as one of the finest showgrounds in New Zealand, and for many years the area has been used for varied gatherings. In the winter months it is the venue of football matches under the jurisdiction of the Taranaki Rugby Union, which
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body secured in 1935 a lease of 21 years, with the right of renewal. It has been the scene of many epic struggles between club teams, while people from all parts of the Taranaki province visit it every year for the annual match between Taranaki and Wellington. But it was not always thus, and attached to its acquisition is a fairly lengthy history.
Bounded by the Technical High School grounds, King Edward Park, Turuturu and Waihi Roads, and private property fronting Egmont Street and Camberwell Road, with two entrances from the latter thoroughfare, the property has an area of 52 acres, subdivided along the whole of the northern boundary into holding paddocks for show stock. Access to these paddocks is provided by way of private road. On the showgrounds proper are the ring and the two stands for members and the public respectively, and immediately adjacent ample space for outdoor and side-show displays. On the southern boundary is the produce shed and to the west along that boundary sheep yards, cattle pens, pig pens, and judges’ rings, and behind the buildings cropping paddocks, from which large quantities of hay and lucerne are taken each year for bedding and forage purposes. Swinging in a long line around the western and northern boundaries, and affording the grounds a measure of shelter from the prevailing winds, are the horse stalls.
hor the valuable property the association now possesses, a heavy debt of gratitude is owing to a few far-seeing men who were imbued with an excellent spirit and were willing for the public good that they could do, to make some personal sacrifice.
By an agreement dated November 7, 1888, Mr. John Brown arranged for the sale of Section 153, Block 5, Patea Survey District, to Messrs. W. E. Dive, J. R. Lysaght, Moore Hunter and James Davidson. At the time of making arrangements Mr. Brown had mortgaged the land to the New Zealand Life Tnsnrance Office for £7O. Mr. Brown died on December 6, 1800, and he had appointed Messrs. W. G. White bank manager, and Moore Hunter trustees for his estate’ The gentlemen who had purchased the land had already given an
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
undertaking to sell at the original purchase price to the A. and P. Association, and on October 1, 1894, an agreement was executed by which the land was sold to Messrs. Hunter, Dive, Davidson, J. Mason, F. Eiddiford, W. Wilson, J. Livingston, and A. W. Budge as trustees for the association.
The conveyance was made on June 26, 1899. By a subsequent survey the area of the land was proved to be 52 acres, 2 roods, 28 perches. The price was £765, and the amount paid in cash was £56. On the date on which the land was sold the trustees executed a declaration of trust—that they held the land in trust for the Egmont A. and P. Association, and that they would deal with the same by consent of a two-thirds majority of the whole of the members. Mr. Wilson died on July 9, 1899, and Mr. Eiddiford on February 22, 1901, and Mr. John Mason desired to be relieved of his trusteeship. A general meeting of the association was held on May 7, 1910, and Messrs. Alex. Hunter, A. S. Tonks and P. Best were appointed to the vacancies. The next step was the bringing of the property under the Land Transfer Act, by which it is now vested in the association as an incorporate body. This was accomplished on April 9, 1921. Mr. Sutton took over the life insurance mortgage on September 27, 1897, and the mortgage passed to Miss Livingston on November 4, 1901.
Later the association required more money and borrowed £1,500, of which £7OO was lent by Mrs. Baker (nee Miss Livingston) and £BOO by Mr. J. S. Oughton. In November, 1914, Mr. Oughton took over the whole of the mortgage. Then in March, 1921, Mr. W. J. Arundell took a mortgage of £lO,OOO. On July 5, 1915, Mr. Davidson died, and Mr. Livingston died on May 7, 1915, but no new trustees were appointed. The association then required land giving several different entrances to the grounds. At the time the grounds were purchased a strip of land near Mr. Graves’ property, and now forming the main entrance, was bought. At the same time a piece of land was purchased for an entrance at the northern end, and later another piece of land was purchased giving access to the centre of the ground, this last being purchased on January 26, 1917.
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The association was incorporated on October, 19,1885, and a copy of the Gazette notice, which was published when Sir William F. Drummond Jervois was Governor of the colony and Mr. Foster Goring was Clerk of the Executive Council, has been preserved. The first amendment of the A. and P. Societies’ Act of 1877 was amended by the Amendment Act of 1893, which interpreted the words “live stock” in the principal Act. A further amendment was made in 1900, when power was given to acquire land and raise money by way of debentures or mortgage with power to manage land and buildings by way of a sub-committee of three members and providing for the disposal of profits accruing from farm lands. The next Statute was the A. and P. Societies Amendment Act, 1903, which gave extended powers of borrowing. The new main Act of 1908 consolidated all the foregoing Acts.
The mortgage held by Mr. Arundel was liquidated in 1934, when the public of South Taranaki subscribed liberally to provide the means whereby this was made possible. The response to the appeal made by the association on this occasion was remarkable, and cemented the good feeling that has always existed between the people of Hawera and those of the country district from where a large membership of the association is drawn. Mr. Arundel, too, contributed his quota by making a very substantial reduction in the amount of the mortgage.
On June 23, 1887, at the annual meeting of the association, Mr. T. Robson, of Normanby, moved that it was desirable to hold shows annually at Hawera, Manaia, and Eltham in order to strengthen the financial position of the association and to popularise the institution. The seconder was Mr. D. McLean, and after a full and free discussion, in which non-members were allowed to take part and also to vote, the motion was rejected by a large majority. It was raised as an objection that it would be most difficult to get people to rail their stock to Hawera and then drive the animals to Manaia by road. As for Eltham, it was suggested by Mr. Quin that there was not sufficient population there to ensure a payable gate.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The report of the committee regarding the shifting of the show-ground was presented at a meeting held in August, 1887, when it was stated that the committee had interviewed the racecourse trustees, who had consented to allow the association to use that property, buildings, etc., for the sum of £lO, to be paid annually, provided that Mr. A. A. Fantham would consent to give a sub-lease to the association releasing the Racing Club from all responsibility. Mr. Fantham had consented to give a sub-lease to the association on the following terms; That he be paid 10 per cent, of the receipts at the gates during the currency of the lease, and further would hand over any money due to him from the above source to the association, to be given in special prizes in any way thought fit, provided the Racing Club would do the same with the money to be paid to them for the use of the buildings, etc.; in the event of the Racing Club not agreeing to the proposal he would be prepared to forego his claim to the 10 per cent, for the first two years. The committee estimated that the cost of the removal of the present yards and re-erecting them on the racecourse would be at least £3O. The amount of money the association would have to make up during this year in the event of the grounds being shifted would be £45, and it recommended that it would not be advisable to proceed with the undertaking that year. The report was signed by Messrs. Moore Hunter, D. Buchanan, Fred Riddiford, and W. J. Caverhill.
The question of a site for the show was again brought up in 1888, and on the motion of Mr. I. Bayly a committee was appointed to report on the best site. This committee met on May 22, 1888, and agreed that the only choice rested between the old site and the racecourse, though a 10-acre paddock near the railway station would have been suitable if available. After discussion it was decided to recommend that the show be held on the Egmont racecourse in future, as it was held to be more convenient for visitors and exhibitors of stock, and offered better accommodation for children and women. The cost of removing the yards it was proposed should be met by the collection of as many £5 fees for life membership as
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The factory of the Nonnanby Co-op. Dairy Company amid picturesque surroundings.
HISTOEY OF HAWEE A AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
possible. A report was drafted and presented to the general committee, and a motion to hold the show on the racecourse was carried by 18 votes to 11.
However, the show at the racecourse failed to materialise owing to some difficulties between the association and the Racing Club, and on which there was no agreement reached. The first show on the present site was then brought to maturity in December 5, 1888, the officers at that time being as follows: Patron, Sir Harry Atkinson; president, Mr. J. R. Lysaght; secretary and treasurer, Mr. W. J. Caverhill.
“The general verdict,” stated the “Hawera Star” at that period, “was that the show was a decided success. The weather was simply perfect, and as fine days have been conspicuous by their absence, the welcome change tempted a great many visitors, there being a far greater crowd than we can remember seeing previously. The general arrangements were good and worked well, as was shown by the fact that the programme was got through by about 5 p.m.”
It was anticipated that the financial results of the 1888 show would leave the association in about the same position as it was before, and that the receipts and expenditure would about balance. The cost of shifting the yards was included, but owing to the work done personally by members of the association this did not represent a heavy expenditure.
The question of finance was discussed at a general meeting on April 13, 1889, and several proposals were put forward for raising funds with which to meet an indebtedness of about £7. A motion by Mr. Riddiford that the district be canvassed for life members at £5 each was carried, and the following gentlemen in the room put down their names as life members: Messrs. J. R, Lysaght, Moore Hunter, J. C. Torke, J. B. Innes, A. W. Budge, P. Riddiford, Richard Hicks, W. E. Dive J Davidson, F. Lysaght, G. Wilson, Robert Hicks, R. H. Nolan Isaac Bayly, and J. L. Perry. This gave 15 names, or more than sufficient to wipe off existing liabilities.
At a meeting on September 12 of the same year it was reported that there was a membership of 144, including 14 life members. It was estimated that 2,000 people attended the
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November show in 1889. An interim balance sheet presented at a meeting on December 12 disclosed a debit balance of about £67 on the show, but it was stated that about £lOO had been spent on improvements. The total receipts, including members’ subscriptions, amounted to £471, and the expenditure to £538. The assets over liabilities were set down at £122.
Throughout the years, the record of the Egmont A. and P. Association has been nothing but progress, and the manner in which the difficulties have been overcome is a definite tribute to the foresight of the pioneers who laid the foundations of an institution that has become so much a part and parcel of our community life. The growth has been remarkable in some cases, and may be indicated in the fact that from an early membership of 144, the total has now grown to over 1,200; where entries were numbered in hundreds in the early years, and not many hundreds at that, the total is now in excess of 3,000. Where the gate receipts totalled less than £lOO in the early days of the association, six times that amount is now collected annually from the same source. This rapid growth is perhaps only natural, but it could easily have been less had the members of the committee and the capable officials who are responsible for the affairs of the association been less awake to the extreme possibilities of their job.
The grounds are a valuable asset to the people of Hawera, and free use is made of them at varying periods throughout the year, the charge being only a nominal one in most cases. Perhaps those pioneers of 50 years ago had some vision of the future when they secured the present grounds, but whether they visualised the present situation is very problematical. However, to these people who gave the district such a valuable asset, the present generation is very grateful.
Although the Egmont Racing Club has been in existence since 1882, it was not the first body to hold race meetings in Hawera, for as early as 1874 what were known as the HaweraWaihi races were held on November 19 and 20. Mr. James Davidson, afterwards Mayor of Hawera, was secretary and treasurer; Major Turner, of the Armed Constabulary, was president; and the judge was Captain Blake, also of the A.C. ’s.
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The stewards were Messrs. S. S. Broadbent, Charles Tait, T. Mason, junr., Mackay, Nicholson, William Furlong, R. E. Mcßae, and J. Russell. The clerks of the course were Messrs. Treeweek and Adamson, and Mr. Siggs was clerk of the scales, while Messrs. Johnstone and Bayley were the starters.
Six events were run on each day, the principal trophy being the Hawera-Waihi Cup of £25, one mile and a-half, weight-for-age. Other events on the first day were a mile and a-half race of £320, a stock horse race of £lO, over a course of two miles, and open to horses owned by residents and to have been ridden regularly after stock in the district between the Waitotara and Waingongoro Rivers for six months prior to the race. There were also one mile heats for a ladies’ purse of £l5, a hack race for £5, and a Maori race, but it is not clear how the latter race was run.
On the second day there were three hurdle races, the principal stake being one worth £25, and a Hawera-Waihi Handicap of £3O, a Consolation race, and a Forced race. As there was no newspaper office in Hawera at this period, there is no record as to whether this was the first meeting to be held in the district or for how long the Hawera-Waihi meetings were continued. Races were, however, held in a paddock in the vicinity of Dixon Avenue and on the Boundary Road, just opposite the present course. A site just past the dairy factory on the Ketemarae Road, then known as Goodson’s paddock, was also the venue of more than one meeting, but it cannot be ascertained with accuracy by whom the meetings were conducted,
Among the riders at the Hawera-Waihi meeting was Mr. A. Newell, a late resident of Fraser Road, whose mount was a horse called Rob Roy, owned by Mr. J. George. Mr. Newell was of the opinion that only one meeting was conducted at McLean’s paddock, and he recalled that several other meetings were held in various parts of the district before the formation of the Egmont Racing Club.
The winners of the first day of the meeting mentioned were: Produce Race, of £2O, 1* miles.—Mr. F. Palmer’s g.g. Folly, 1; Mr. J. George’s c.g. Rob Roy, 2. Stock Horse Race,
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2 miles.—Mr. A. Kilgour’s b.g. Piretail, 1; Mr. T. Jenkins’ b.g. Nil Desperandum, 2. Hawera-Waihi Cup of £25, ]£ miles.— Mr. T. Rowe’s b.m. Flora, 1; Mr. T. Quinlivan’s c.g. Fox, 2. Ladies’ Purse of £l5, 1 mile heats.—Mr. T. Quinlivan’s blk.m. Fair Helen, 1; Mr. T. Rowe’s True Blue, 2. The winners of the Maori Race and the Hack Race are not known. The results of the second day’s events are also unknown.
The formation of the Egmont Racing Club was first mooted at a meeting of sporting enthusiasts at Hawera in December, 1881, and on January 7, 1882, the club actually came into existence.
The club’s inaugural meeting was held in showery weather on March 24, 1882, on a paddock on the comer of the South and Ketemarae Roads then owned by the late Mr. George McLean. There were no permanent appointments, a few scattered tents, stated to have been loaned by the Armed Constabulary, comprising the quarters of the judge, secretary, and other officials. The Armed Constabulary band was in attendance, and from early morning until well after the start of the first race at 11.30 a.m., settlers for miles around arrived on horseback and in a miscellaneous assortment of conveyances, some even arriving in drays. Several hundred members of the A.C.’s were also present from the neighbouring camps.
The total stakes for eight events amounted to £267, the principal race being the Egmont Handicap (later the Egmont Cup), of two miles and worth £lOO. The winner was Mr. M. O Brien s Larry, a grey horse, which also won a handicap event. The outsider of the meeting was a horse called Wide Awake, which returned a dividend of £29 after winning a mile hack race. Messrs. Hill and Poole, then well-known totalisator proprietors, conducted the “tote” at the meeting, the investments being approximately £1,300.
A copy of the programme and the officials of the meeting is as follows, this being taken from an original card in the possession of the club;—
President, Major Atkinson, M.H.R.; vice-president, Mr. James Livingston; stewards, Messrs. Martin F. Baird, B. E. Mcßae, W. L. Martyn, R. H. Nolan, P. H. Brett, J. Crocker,
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Officials Egmont Racing Club, 1898.—Back row; R. Hicks, J. Davidson, A. S. Tonks, W. Adamson, J. Heslop, r. Iredale J. W. Hirst. Seated: M. T. Baird, J. E. Henrys (handicapper), R. E. Mcßae, E. H. Nolan (president), C ’Brewer A. W. Budge, H. W. Sutton, Y. Riddiford. Reclining: O. H. Gibson, A. O. Brett (secretary).
The showgrounds of the Egmont Agricultural and Pastoral Association, with the grand parade in progress during the 1938 show.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAIN
and H. S. Peacock; starter, Mr. J. Burke; clerk of course, Mr. H. I. Davis; clerk of scales, Mr. J. C. Yorke; handicapper, Mr. W. Hately; timekeeper, Mr. D. Carroll, judge, Mr. Freeman B. Jackson; secretary, Mr. A. Ransom
Handicap Hurdles, of 30 sovs.; two miles; over nine flights of hurdles 3ft. 9in. high. Nomination 1 sov., Acceptance 2 sovs.
Winner; M. O’Brien’s Catch’em
Hack Hurdles Race, of 10 sovs.; nomination 1 sov. Post entry. One mile and a distance. Minimum weight lOst. For horses that have never won an advertised race, hack races excepted.
Winner: M. O’Brien’s Billy-go-by-’em.
Plying Handicap, of 30 sovs.; three-quarters of a mile. Nomination 1 sov. Acceptance 2 sovs. Winner of any handicap of value of 30 sovs. or more after declaration of weights to carry penalty of 51bs.
Winner: W. Hatley’s Scotch Mist
Hack Race, of i sovs.; about one mile. Nomination 1 sov. Post entry. For all horses that have never won an advertised race, hack races excepted.
Winner: Mr. White’s Wide Awake
Egmont Handicap of 100 sovs.; second horse to receive 20 sovs. from the stakes. Nomination 2 sovs. Acceptance 4 sovs. Winner of any handicap of value of 100 sovs. or more after
declaration of weights to carry a penalty of 51bs.
Winner: M. O’Brien’s Larry.
Railway Plate, of 30 sovs.; miles. Weight-for-age
Nomination 2 sovs.
Winner; P. Tancred’s Old Trick,
District Race Handicap, of 40 sovs; 2 miles. Nomination 1 sov. Acceptance 2 sovs. Open to all horses owned for six months prior to time of entry by bona fide residents, who have been living between the White Cliffs and the Manawatu River for that time. Winner of the Egmont Handicap to carry penalty of 51bs. J
Winner: M. O’Brien’s Larry.
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Consolation Stakes Handicap, of 20 sovs.; for all beaten horses; 1 mile and a distance. Nomination 1 sov. Acceptance 1 sov.
Winner: J. Rae’s Grey Momus.
Everything at the meeting apparently went without a hitch until the last race had been run, when there was “a proper Donnybrook, ”as one old resident puts it. The Armed Constabulary were, he states, a wild and woolly lot, and for the most part Irishmen. There were numbers of them about a booth, when a well-known identity flung out a taunt calculated to “rile the Irish.” Within a minute or two there was a wild melee, with belts and stirrup-irons flourishing. A big section of the men engaged in a free-for-all, many of them not even knowing what the trouble was about, but merely joining in what appeared to be everyone’s fight.
The originator of the trouble made a bee-line for his horse and escaped in the direction of Normanby, with half a hundred men in pursuit. However, he was not overtaken. “The sight of that mob galloping in pursuit across country was the best race of the day,” commented an eye-witness of the incident. “It is questionable what would have happened to the man had that wild pack caught him.”
The actual period during which the club held its meetings on Mr, McLean’s paddock cannot be ascertained with certainty, and the date when the club commenced racing on the present course is also unknown. The present property was purchased in 1902, but prior to that date the club had leased the ground from the Fantham Estate. The purchase price was £3,300 for 86 acres, and this area has since been added to by the acquisition of 20 acres in small lots. Part of the last purchase was to provide car accommodation and to give access to Fantham Street.
The club did not erect any buildings until 1903, when £3,680 was spent on stands, a totalisator house and other appointments, the contractors being Messrs. Russell and Bignell, of Wanganui. A little later £5OO was spent on additions to the stewards’ stand. No further large item appears to have been expended until 1913, when the present tea-kiosk was
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
built at a cost of £875. The same year a wooden totalisator house was erected to replace the original building, which was then converted to a number of uses. A further £1,600 was spent on buildings and improvements in 1914, and in the following year £5OO was expended on permanent improvements about the course, including a rail fence.
The first “tote” house was only a wooden building about 12ft. by 20ft., with a single window in front. When it was first introduced there was a staging erected in front of it on which two and sometimes three men stood. The investor handed his money to one of these men and a ticket was issued by a clerk at the window. The man on the staging would then spin on a wheel the amount of the investment on the horse, the whole of the apparatus being on the outside of the building. This system, conducted by Messrs. Naylor and Spriggens, was in operation for a considerable time until the adoption of similar methods to those at present in use. In the days of telegraph betting such transactions at the Hawera course were by no means inconsiderable; in fact, a record amount for the Dominion was handled there on one occasion. The old building utilised for that purpose has had a variety of uses’ since the abolition of telegraph betting, and it now serves as an ambulance room.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Normanby Township’s History
'T’HE history of the establishment of the township of Normanby was very ably related by the late Mr. C. E. Gibson, who arrived there in the early ’seventies, and established a home for himself. During his peoriod in the district Mr. Gibson saw the township laid out, and for well over half a century was closely associated with its progress, being appointed the first secretary of the dairy company that was established in 1894.
The early ’seventies found New Zealand with the development policy of the then Government in full swing. The Maori wars of the ’sixties had ended with the defeat by Colonel Whitmore of Titokowaru in Taranaki and Te Kooiti in the Urewera Country, and settlers were being to return to their deserted farms and burnt-out homesteads. Sir Julius Vogel’s £10,000,000 was being expended on roads and bridges, railways, harbours, and immigration; and also in establishing an Armed Constabulary Force on the lines of the then Irish A.C. Trade Unions, with their strikes and Arbitration Court sittings, together with unemployment, were unknown. Men were paid the market value for their services, and business prospered.
It was under these conditions that men with an eye to business were attracted to the great Ketemarae clearing as a likely centre, it being a little over a mile from the military outpost of Waihi, with its complement of 200 (or thereabouts) A.C. men. Several important roads, including the Mountain Road, converged there. The land to the east, west and south was all surveyed and settled, and the bush land of the north would be surveyed in small holdings and settled in the course of a few years. Ngarongo Pa, Pepe Heke’s kainga, at the north end of the clearing, was occupied by 30 or 40 natives,
419
EanP “^ tC l led v llnt at Normanb y- captain Blake, tlie founder of Nor. auiy, is shown in front of the window, with a dog at his feet
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
while a dozen or so of Hone Pihama’s people occupied the Utinga kainga eastward of the railway station. There was also a fair number of bushmen and pit-sawyers at work in the bush surrounding the clearing.
These were among the considerations taken into account when Jem Southby, one of Patea’s earliest settlers and a squatter on the Whenuakura block, decided to open the first store in Ketemarae. Mr. 0 ’Donnell, the owner of the property now known as the Normanby Domain, sold him a quarter-acre section on the corner where now stands the police station, and the store was opened for business late in 1872 or early in 1873.
Mr. O’Donnell was a Nova Scotian—one of the whalers of Kapiti Island, who carried on that industry there in the ’forties during the reign of the chief Te Rauparaha. During his whaling days he had married a Maori woman, and after the collapse of the whaling industry had moved with his family up the coast to Rangitikei and settled in the vicinity of the township of Bulls. Having bought the land-scrip of a military settler after the close of the war, he moved from Bulls in 1871 and settled at Ketemarae on his 240-acre farm, building for himself and his family a small cottage on the present domain.
It was with the assistance of Mr. O’Donnell that Mr. Gibson built a corrugated iron store on a quarter-acre section next to Southby’s. By the end of 1873, this store was a branch establishment of Mr. John Gilmour’s Patea business, Mr. Harry Gibson being engaged as assistant. After 12 months of storekeeping, Mr. Gibson -withdrew, and his place was taken by Mr. Jem McGregor, who carried on the business until it was sold to Mr. Charles Beresford.
The year 1875 found the Gibson brothers, Ned, Arthur and Harry, with a man named Rodgers, pit-sawing in the bush round Ketemarae. There was a plentiful supply of splendid matai and white pine trees, and good money could be earned at pit-sawing. The demand was beginning to exceed the supply, when in 18(6, a man named Wilson, accompanied by the Robson brothers, Thomas and Jem, introduced the first sawmill into the district and began work on the Austin Road, about a mile and a-half from the Normanby station.
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HISTOEY or lIAWEKA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
It was at about this time (1875-76) that Captain E. T. Blake, a well-educated half-caste who had been employed by the Government in an advisory capacity during the war, and had been awarded for his services a grant of land of about 120 or 130 acres in the Ketemarae clearing (known as Matariki), decided to lay off his block as a township. He named it Normanby, after the Marquis of Normanby, the then Governor of New Zealand, and the streets were named after Governors and Premiers up to that period, and heroes of the war. The survey was completed and the sale advertised, when the Government stepped in and deferred the sale until the present line of railways was laid off. Unfortunately for Captain Blake, the line ran diagonally across the block, necessitating the re-survey of roads and sections on both sides of the line, leaving unavoidably awkward sections here and there, some three-cornered, others obtuse-angled, and others again acute, which generally detracted from their value. However, the sale eventually took place, the three Gibson brothers speculating in sections.
Mr. Gibson then conceived the idea of being first in the field with an hotel for the new township. He therefore got a builder named Fred Searling to draw plans and gave him a list of the timber required. Mr. Gibson and his mate then proceeded to saw out the timber in the bush and get it carted on to the site, Searling began building when he thought there was enough timber on the site to allow the sawyers to keep ahead of him, and he had the building half-finished when a purchasing offer was accepted from a Wanganui hotelkeeper, Mr. D. McGregor, who completed the work and obtained his license. Many years later, after several changes of ownership, the original building was taken down and bought by Mr. J. j’ Patterson for his cowsheds.
Amongst the first to settle on the sections they had bought immediately after the sale were Jack Redding, William Vine, Fred Woller, Ned Collins, and J. Caldwell. These men all carried on the business of carters of goods from Patea for the A.C. Force at Waihi and the two stores at Normanby. A blacksmith’s shop was opened by Felix Hunger; a baker’s shop
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
by Richard Eagles, and a butcher’s shop by John Treweek. Residences were going up in all directions and carpenters were busy. Messrs. Gungall and Bublitz arrived from Germany, and Felix Hunger’s relatives, together with W. Gredig and John Parli, arrived from Switzerland. Among the others who settled at about this time (1876-77) were Thomas Lloyd, John Miller, R. S. Thomson, William Mantle, J. Towers, Dr. Walker, William and Thomas Jenkins, William Rowe, and Paddy Chrystal.
Progress was also being made in the district outside the town limits, in the clearing of Ketemarae. Mr. 0 ’Donnell, the Nova Scotian referred to previously, sold his farm to his son-in-law, Mr. F. H. Brett, a member of the A.C. Force at Waihi. Mr. Brett, on the acquisition of the farm, left the A.C. Force, built an accommodation house on the corner of the Ketemarae and Austin Roads, procured a license for the sale of liquor, together with stores in a small way, and left his wife to manage it while he devoted his time to improving his farm. It is not a great many years since the Hawera County Council, in debating the road to New Plymouth at this corner, unearthed Brett’s old wine cellar.
At about this time the Government, acting on Sir Donald McLean’s “Flour and Sugar Policy” in order to keep quiet the turbulent natives of Ngarongo pa (Pepe Heke’s kainga at the northern end of the clearing), built them a small twostoreyed hotel, issuing the license to sell to Pepe, who. elated with his sudden rise to distinction as an hotelkeeper, ’bought himself an old put-aside “Cobb’s Coach,” together with a team of four and to complete the ensemble, a second-hand bell-topper. In this turn-out, with Jack Julian for driver, and a coach-load of warriors and wahines, he would drive about the country visiting his kindred on the Waimate side of the Waingongoro R.ver. Returning from one of these trips he SUIT “ ~"- —S £
r 1 LTtr:L“. ,o 0 r ,‘ bo “ - «»• *-*. Bushmen and the Maoris, necessitating the Xer inThlrg^t
424
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Waihi, Captain Marshall, stationing Constable M. Roche near Ngarongo pa to keep them in order. Eventually the authorities had to step in and the hotel passed from the Maori to the pakeha, a man named Scowan being the first licensee, being followed by Felix Maguire, James Hickey and Joseph Wilson. The latter got burned out some time in the ’nineties, and the hotel was not rebuilt. Returning to the time when people began to settle on their sections and start in little businesses, and the prospect of Normanby becoming the town of the district were fairly bright, Mr. Gibson decided to give the storekeeping another trial. Besides the three sections on which he had built the Normanby Hotel, he had two sections on the corner of Stafford Street and Ketemarae Road, opposite the present Commercial Hotel. Employing the same builder who built the hotel for him, the early months of 1877 saw him in business again in the most up-to-date store in the town.
Mr. Frank Brett now began to realise that his accommodation house was doing little business, being three-quarters of a mile away from the fast-forming centre. Having a section in Stafford Street, he was not long in building another fair-sized hotel, afterwards known as “Brett’s Hotel,” to which he transferred his license. With the aid of his wife, he ran the business for a year or two. when his brother, A. G. Brett, better known as “Sandy,” came out from Ireland and took it over.
The Bank of New Zealand had put up a respectable building on the site now occupied by Hills’ service station, opposite the Normanby Hotel. The fact of a bank opening in a rising township in those days was a sure attraction. In Normanby’s case it added another storekeeper in the person of W. L. England, who opened shop on a section adjoining Brett’s Hotel.
Sir Julius Vogel’s £10,000,000. previously referred to, had been expended, but business was still brisk throughout the country. With the formation of roads and bridges, settlement in the open coastal districts, from Kai Iwi to the Waingongoro, had gone ahead. In the bush to the north, “Chute’s Track,” or Mountain Road, as it is now called, had been opened up
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HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
from Ketemarae to Inglewood, by felling the bush two or three chains wide and the formation of a rough track. Surveyors were busy laying it off in sections suitable for settlement, and the sites for the future towns of Eltham, Stratford, and Inglewood were being felled ready for burning.
This period of progress continued for about five years (1877-1881), during which the owner of the land known as “ Hirstlands, ” on which now stands the Commercial Hotel, town hall, and Church of England, was induced to cut up 10 to 20 acres of that corner of his property into town sections. Another blacksmith’s shop was opened by a man named Hall, also another bakery by S. Gray. P. Dolan, of the A.C. Forces, opened a billiard saloon and tobacconist’s shop, and Felix Hunger built a large two-storeyed place, which he let or sold to a man named Marshall.
Some years later—probably in the ’nineties—it was taken down and re-erected on the corner of High and Victoria Streets, Hawera, where it still is occupied as a shop. Horace Remarno Baker, a veteran of the Russian War of 1854, opened his cabinet-maker’s shop, and articles made by him can still be traced in the district.
Normanby was constituted a town board district on March 9, 1882, on the petition of 58 inhabitants, the proclamation being issued by the then Governor of the colony, the Hon. Arthur Gordon. The schedule defines the town district as ‘ ‘ all that area in the Provincial District of Taranaki in the Hawera Survey District containing by measurement 640 acres, more or less, and bounded towards the north-west by Section No. 9 and Mawhitiwhiti Road and Section No. 25; towards the southwest by the Ohangai Road to the most southerly corner of Section No. 560; towards the south-east by the Ngarongo Road, and towards the north by Section No. 564, a road line and Section No. 10.”
Nine nominations were received for the first town board election—Messrs. C. H. Beresford, W. L. England, C. E. Gibson, W. L. Gibson, John Miller, Charles Quin, William Rowe, John Treeweek, jnr., and Joseph Wilson—and of this
426
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
number Messrs. Quin, Treweek, C. E. Gibson, Rowe, and Miller were elected
The board met for the first time on Saturday, April 15, 1882, when Commissioner Gibson was elected chairman. There was a great deal of spade work to be done, and there seemed some doubt as to the allocation of revenues. Mr. W. H. Wanklyn was appointed clerk and collector at a salary of £25 per annum, and Mr. John Twigg foreman of works at a salary of 6 per cent, of the expenditure on public works. It is of interest to note that the rates collected during the first year amounted to £l2O 10s lid.
No time was lost in pressing for grants to be placed on the Public Works Department estimates for the improvement of arterial roads. For forming and metalling the Boylan Road from Brett’s corner was requested, and for making approaches, constructing bridges and gravelling the Normanby-Manaia Road, £l5OO was sought.
At that time great hopes existed that Normanby would become an important trading centre, and among other agitations for the benefit of the town was one requesting that Normanby should be the junction for the proposed railway to Opunake. Mangawhero was stated to be the site favoured by the railway authorities who, many years later, when the line materialised, placed the junction at Te Roti as a compromise.
Prom 1882 until 1884, the year of the next election, there were certain changes in the personnel of the board, Commissioners Quin and Miller resigning, and Messrs. Beresford and Wilson being appointed to replace them. Commissioner Wilson was not long a member of the board, however, and following his resignation, Mr. W. L. England was appointed. The first map of the town was prepared by Mr. J. S. Lee, and the vesting of the Waihi military cemetery in the board was discussed.
It is on record that Mr. T. Robson requested the deviation of the road adjoining the site of the railway station, from Wallscourt Place to the main road north.
This road has since been something in the nature of “no man’s land,” neither the town board, the county council, nor
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the railway authorities acknowledging responsibility for its upkeep.
In 1884 the clerk resigned, and Mr. G. M. Bayly was appointed in his stead. The first ranger, Mr. S. J. Tocker, was appointed in November of 1886, following a lively meeting of the board. The subject of wandering stock was the cause of many such meetings of the board and many changes took place. A petition was received from 26 ratepayers in the same year, requesting permission to graze stock on the streets, but a poll on the issue resulted in 17 votes in favour of cancelling the ranger’s appointment, and 66 against. A movement was also started to prohibit the erection of barbed wire fences, but without much success. Later in the term of the same board, Mr. W. Rye was engaged as permanent surfaceman, and the ranger having left the district, another appointment was made.
In 1888 Mr. F. Sisley (contractor) installed wooden kerbings in the principal streets. These kerbings saw service for well over 40 years, being replaced in concrete.
The board in 1891 considered the advisability of purchasing the town hall from the Town Hall Company. An offer of £l7O was made, but in the meantime Commissioner Rowe purchased the building, although the board became the subsequent owners, as he sold it to them.
Three years later, the board planted a row of deciduous trees in the reserve along the main road, but such was the opposition of a section of the community to the scheme that the trees were destroyed. As a result of a petition, Constable Redican took up his residence in the town in the same year (1894). The Post and Telegraph Department was requested to extend the telephone service to Normanby in 1898, while it is on record in the minutes of the board in 1900 that the board farewelled the district’s contingent of “rough riders’’ en route to the Boer War.
In connection with the proposed Opunake railway line the board resolved in 1900 that in its opinion the enormous expense of taking the line through private property would be fatal to the proposal. In November of the same year, the board had the opportunity of reticulating the town area with
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS,
water from the Hawera borough mains, but as the whole system would cost about £2OOO the expense was considered to be unwarranted.
The year 1902 saw Mr. C. E. Gibson relinquish his position as town clerk after 16 years’ service, while in the same year the board signed an agreement with the Hawera County Electric Company for the supply of power. In April of the following year a movement was started to induce the Government to take over 1600 acres of land at Hirstlands for closer settlement. This object was achieved some years later when the property was subdivided by the owner and sold.
Up to 1904 the Hawera County Council collected a rate and maintanned the main roads through the township, but in December of that year a special meeting was held, when it was arranged that the board collect all the rates and attend to road maintenance independent of the county.
The question of merging with the county council has frequently been discussed, there being a growing feeling among farm land owners that the rate levied by the board was too high compared with the county rate. It was proposed in 1912 that the farm land should be merged with the county, but realising that this would throw a heavier burden on the remaining town board sections, the townspeople strenuously opposed every move in that direction. At one stage a poll was proposed, and then a commission, but neither materialised until many years later. In 1924 a petition was presented to the Minister of Internal Affairs on the merger proposal and a commission sat. The commission held that the farm land should not be excluded from the town board district. Again in 1935 a commission heard a petition that the whole of the district should be merged with the county council, but once again the commission decided against the proposal.
One of the main features of the life of Normanby during the infancy of the township was the annual show of the Horticultural Society, this being the first of its kind in the North Island, and second only to Dunedin in the whole of the Do-
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Normanhy School Rugby Team, winners of the Galloway Rose Bowl in 1938.
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
minion. To the pioneers of Normanby much credit must be given for the many useful works the society has since performed, the importation of potatoes, new varieties of plants, and grain, and their eventual release to the public after extensive trials in the society’s plots in the township. The decision to form a horticultural society was reached at a public meeting held in the town hall on January 15. 1882, there having been several meetings at which horticultural and agricultural subjects had been discussed, the chief of these being a hopgrowing project, which was launched in 1883 upon a five-acre section near the township. This continued interest in such matters finally resulted in the formation of the society, it being stated at the inaugural meeting that:—
“The promoters have taken action because they are anxious to see if something cannot be done to induce a better cultivation of the numerous sections of land lying idle in and around Normanby, and also to indicate to small bush settlers additional methods of turning their land into account. It is thought that, although the start would be in a small way, something good might eventually come of it by inducing people to grow small fruits, for which there must be an ever-increasing market, not to speak of vegetables of various kinds.”
Thus the need for a society to encourage the new settlers to widen their field of activity was shown. The early schedules indicate the trend of this encouragement, there being classes for export butter and cheese with prizes of £5 to each class; and prizes for the best-made pair of boots, leather work, beehives, and many other objects of everyday use.
One of the society’s most useful works was the importation from America and Europe in 1900 of over 100 different varieties of potatoes, which were placed on trial at Normanby. The Government experimental farms were supplied with samples of the resulting crop, and thus the best of these varieties eventually spread throughout New Zealand.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
The prime movers in the formation of the society were Messrs. T. Robson, F. H. Brett, Q. W. Epping, F. Hunger, W. Nieoll, J. Wilson, and W. A. Earle, who drafted suggestions and canvassed for subscriptions in order to commence activities At a further meeting in January, 1884, they reported that their canvassing had been successful, the sum of £25 being raised. It was decided to hold a show in February of the same year, and the following officers were elected: — President, Mr. Jos. Wilson; committee, Messrs. F. Finlayson, J. Morrison, D. McGregor, W. Nieoll, G. W. Epping, F. Hunger, F. H. Brett, T. Robson, A. 6. Brett, James Robson, W A. Earle, H Sanders, R. McDowell, and H. J. Southey; secretary, Mr. H. M. Woodward.
The annual reports of those years indicate that the shows were well attended and that there was a steady increase in the number of entries. Prize money was increased as time went on, and in the late ’eighties some very valuable trophies were offered, as well as fairly large sums in cash. There was also an increase in membership, the fee being reduced from 10s to 5s per annum.
In the year 1886 the ravages of the diamond-back moth were responsible for a very poor show of swedes, cabbages, etc. In the same year there was a keen competition among potato growers, Mr. Smith, a nurseryman from Manaia, donating a special prize for which there were 30 competitors. Potatoes prominent at that show were Circular Heads, Blue Derwent, Fidler’s Banjward, Snowflakes, Reading Hero, and Fidler’s Enterprise. Peaches were a strong class, one of the reports stating that among the winning exhibit were peaches weighing three-quarters of a pound.
In 1899 the society purchased the present grounds from Mr. W, McGregor, and erected benching and lean-to shelters to accommodate the displays, which had previously been staged in the town hall. It was not until 1898 that it was decided to erect a show building on the society’s property. In the years 1899 and 1900 special dog shows were held in conjunction with the ordinary shows, but these were not persevered with.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Displays by the Government Agricultural Department were made regularly, and many requests were made for copies of the rules and schedule and other data from places desirous of establishing a horticultural society on similar lines. Normanby was one of the first, if not the first, societies in New Zealand to affiliate with the Royal Horticultural Society of England, and some of the larger city societies have since requested information as to the method of this affiliation.
During the war period shows were held with varied success, and after numerous ups and downs in later years, ceased operations in 1937.
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HISTORY OF RAWER A AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XIX,
Hawera Country Districts Settlement of Okaiawa
’ | 'HE township of Okaiawa forms the central part of one of the most fertile farming districts in New Zealand, while in addition it is rich in historical association, situated as it is in the vicinity of the scene of one of the most important battles of Titokowaru’s war of 1868. This is Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, familiarly called the “beak of the bird,” now a picturesque domain controlled by a committee of Okaiawa residents. Here it was that the gallant Major Von Tempsky met his death in July, 1868, during an incident that will never be forgotten while history lasts in New Zealand.
Twelve years after peace came to South Taranaki the Waimate Plains was offered by the Government at auction, and included in the first sale, in 1881, was the site of the present township of Okaiawa. At the second sale, held some months later, all the land west of the Waingongoro River was included, this taking in the outlying part of the Okaiawa district, most of which was covered with tutu, fern and flax. The conditions of sale included a clause that the purchasers must enter into occupation of their properties, and accordingly, in 1881 the first settlers arrived in Okaiawa to take over their holdings and start with the erection of their homes. This part of the undertaking accomplished, an enterprising businessman named Watts opened a store on the site of the present Okaiawa Hotel. Some time later another store was opened and the present hotel was licensed, to remain as a hotel ever since.
Among the first settlers in the district were Messrs Alexander Murdoch, James Oughton, R. 0. Hendy, John Muir, Shearer, Benjamin Phillips, R. Clements, Short, and Alexander
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The late Mr, Andrew Lees.
The late Mr. Charles Quin,
The late Mr. H. G. Gibson.
The late Mr. Janies Crocker.
Constable M. Roche, responsible for order at Normanby 60 years ago.
The late Mr. R. w. Foreman.
The late Mr. C. E. Gibson, an early Normanby settler.
The Late Mr. T. Lloyd,
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
Wilson. Messrs Henry Betts and T. L. Joll came some months later.
At this particular period, Normanby was in its heyday as a thriving business centre, and the new settlers did most of their business in that township, access to and from Okaiawa being by horse-back over a mud-track. The farms in the district were subdivided by ditch-and-bank fences, on top of which was planted gorse, which gave an added shelter for the stock from the prevailing winds off the sea coast. Most of the farms were stocked with cattle of the beef type, dairying not making its beginnings until about three years after the district was first settled.
There were three markets open to the settlers for the sale of their first butter, these being Hawera, Wellington, and Australia. The latter country was a market for dairy produce through the enterprise of the late Mr. Newton King, who used to buy the butter and ship it in kegs to the Sydney market.
After the first few months of hard work on the part of the pioneers the district gradually improved, and it was not long before the first signs of the present rich pasture lands began to make their appearance. Firmly settled in their homes, the settlers began to turn their thoughts in the direction of the education of their children, and in 1882 the first school was opened with a roll number of approximately 17, among whom was the present chairman of the Hawera County Council, Mr. J. B. Murdoch.
The land was easy to handle, practically no draining being necessary, and this made the locality a perfect paradise for farmers, there being ample evidence of this to-day, for nowhere can be found better land for fattening cattle than that of the Okaiawa district. The climate, too, was particularly favourable, probably because of its proximity to the bush line, which was less than a mile from the township, where karaka and ngaio trees were planted, while peach trees grew m great profusion bearing fruit larger than that seen to-day, and also entirely free from blight. As the years passed on the bush gradually became eliminated, and with the giants
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HISTORY OP HAWERA AND THE W Alii ATE PLAINS.
of the forest passed the peach trees which were such a source of joy to the early settlers.
Wild pigs in thousands roamed through the district and played havoc with the ditch-and-bank fences, some of them being of the “Captain Cook” type, but here and there were to be found several animals with a more aristocratic bearing. There were also wild cattle to be seen in the district, these probably being animals that had been chased away from early settlers’ homes in other parts of the province by the Maoris during Titokowaru’s campaign. Pheasants, too, were very plentiful and good bags could be secured on any day a sportsman cared to go out after them.
Most of the early travelling was done on horse-back because of the difficulty of securing a passage for drays over the mud tracks. Alexander Wilson brought many of the first settlers to the district in his bullock dray, which he used in his carrying business in Okaiawa before he was able to adopt more modern methods of transport.
No reference to the Okaiawa district would be complete without mention of the part played in its development by the late Mr. T. L. Jail, the founder of the Joll Co-op. Dairy Company, which now has dairy factories situated in all parts of the district. His first efforts were directed in a small factory erected near the Inaha stream, on the Normanby Road. Prior to the erection of this factory the settlers who had gone in for dairying were in the habit of taking their milk to the factory near Manaia, at Waiokura, the factory at this locality now being a branch of the Kaupokonui Co-op. Dairy Company. When Mr. Joll commenced operations, however, the settlers made an immediate change, and he very soon found that the small factory he had erected was not large enough to meet the demand. Thus it was that he launched out in other directions and established a chain of factories in all parts of the district. Suppliers were paid according to a certain test, and at a certain rate per gallon of milk, the prices in the first years being nothing like those prevailing to-day.
As was the case in other parts of the Waimate Plains, the early operations of the farming community were directed
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W Alii ATE PLAINS.
towards cropping, and wheat, oats and barley occupied the attention of the first settlers in Okaiawa. The wheat was taken to Waiokura, where it was ground into flour, while oats and barley were disposed of in other directions. It is interesting to note that the yield of oats was in the vicinity of between 60 and 70 bushels per acre, which compares more than favourably with any other part of New Zealand to-day. The advent of dairying saw the death of the cropping industry, however, and there has never been a revival of what proved a source of revenue to the pioneers of the district. They were not without their troubles with cropping, and one early settler of the district related to the author how plagues of caterpillars used to attack the oats at certain times during the year. Crops were cut by reaper and binder at a price of about 10/- per acre, while much of the threshing was done by Mr. W. T. Wells, whose plant was one of the familiar sights on the Waimate Plains during the latter years of the last century.
Much of the bush near Okaiawa was cut by contract, the ruling rate being £1 per acre, and it is estimated that thousands of cords of rata firewood were taken out of the district, the late Mr, Ned Collins working in this direction for many years, and selling his firewood at from 8/- to 10/per cord. The principal trees in the bush were rata, matai and tawa, while there was a dense undergrowth of supplejacks and other vines. The milling of the timber for building purposes was done by a man named Palmer, after whom the Palmer Road was named, heart matai being used for this purpose. Some of the houses in the Okaiawa district were built from timber hauled from Robson’s mill near Normanby, and it is interesting to note that houses erected 50 years ago of heart matai timber are to-day as sound as a bell.
Within a comparatively short distance of Okaiawa there are the sites of three Maori pas, which in the first years of the settlement were populated by at least 100 natives each. The largest of these to-day is Weri Weri, on the Hastings Road. The home and death place of Titokowaru is also situated not far distant from Okaiawa, and to-day there are people who can remember the funeral obsequies of the famous
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fighting chief, although none know where he is buried, this being a secret closely guarded by his fellow tribesmen. At his tangi, which lasted for many weeks, each visiting party was greeted by a volley from muskets, and although Maoris came from all parts of New Zealand to pay their last respects to a great man, there were very few who were present at the actual interment of the body.
Following a line close to the present Ahipaipa Road there was, in the ’eighties, a Maori track some nine feet in width running from Okaiawa towards the sea at Inaha. This track had been worn smooth by the passage of bare feet, probably for centuries, and when the road was laid out, this formed part of the line taken by the workmen and surveyors forming
it. To-day Okaiawa is the headquarters of the Joll Co-op. Dairy Company, and as such is the centre of an important industry to the province, the Dominion, and the British Empire. This is a striking monument to the pioneers, who would wish to be remembered in no other way than that chosen by their descendants. Were they to see the results of their labours, they would be able to look upon the fruits of a job that had been well done in the first place, and in doing so, would seek no other reward for their early trials and hardships.
Matapu Settlement In The ’Eighties.
is the case with so many country districts, the history of the Matapu district is closely allied with that of the school, which, incidentally, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation in February, 1939. The first thought of the pioneers of any district was the provision of a school for the education of their children, and in this connection Matapu was no exception to any other locality. With the establishment of a school and the custom of keeping a log book, some sort of historical record began to take shape, and thus it was that there was a permanent record for future generations, although it may be said to err rather on the academic side.
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Normanby Public School, erected on modern lines.
Nonnanby’s First School, which served until 1918,
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
As far as Matapu is concerned, the present rich expanse of pasture land was originally standing bush, and where the original settlers had to clear the land in order that their homes might be established, a similar procedure had to be adopted in the case of the school. The Wanganui Education Board, the then controlling authority for the southern portion of the Taranaki province, granted the sum of £lO towards the cost of clearing the land, but this amount proved quite inadequate and the underscrubbing was done by a band of early settlers, including Messrs D. McL’Dowie, O’Sullivan, Cubbin, Heslop, Muir, Henry and Abbott, a contract being let for the heavier work at the rate of £1 per acre.
Within the school ground stood a very tall white pine tree which was inhabited by scores of native pigeons. This tree was revered by the Maoris, and among their number was a Kaumatua, Puawhato, held in such high esteem that he had the privilege of naming all new clearings. The district bore the name of Kaupokonui, and it was this old Maori who selected the name, Matapu, to give distinction to the new community. Actually the Matapu school bore the name of Kaupokonui until a change was made two years after the school was opened in December, 1888.
A search through the log book of the Matapu school gives many records of incidents that have occurred since the first settlers arrived in the district. Among the incidents recorded was the big flood of March, 1893, when the bridges between the school and the children’s homes were washed away and prevented the attendance of 17 pupils until arrangements could be made to get them across the streams affected.
Three years later, the question of a post office for the district came under the consideration of the settlers, and a meeting was held in the school to decide what steps should he taken in the matter. The outcome of this meeting was a decision that the school should be used as a post office, and steps were taken to bring this necessary institution into being. A month later further social amenities were sought, but this time on the amusement side of community life, a meeting being held for the purpose of forming a debating society. As has been pointed out in other sections of this history, debating
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formed one of the major amusements of the pioneers in the days before the advent of moving pictures, and there were few districts which did not have a society of this nature.
In May, 1897, an interesting entry was made in the logbook, as follows; “A notice board has been erected in the school, on which is written news of importance, as many of the upper class pupils never see a newspaper.” This brings to mind the transport difficulties of the last century, and it is difficult to understand to-day when modern cars travelling along tar-sealed roads deliver the daily papers night and morning with clock-work regularity.
The life of one of the first settlers in the Matapu district, the late Mr George Preece, typifies the pioneering spirit that made the district what it is to-day. Mr. Preece went to Matapu in 1884, when his section was all standing bush, and he erected his first home out of timber cut in the bush and pit-sawn by himself. In the grassing of his farm land he first had to walk to Hawera to purchase the seed, and this portion of the journey completed, he packed his seed on his back and walked home again, travelling both ways along a bush track. For 24 years he was chairman of the Matapu School Committee, and for 20 years he was a director of the Mangatoki Dairy Company, his son, Mr. Les. Preece, following him in both undertakings.
Mr. J. Phillips, another pioneer of the district, was a son of the man who taught in the native school on the Hastings Road. He built the first store at Matapu, on the opposite corner from the present building, this being erected for Mr. Walker, but owing to a confusion regarding the lease, Mr. George Preece bought the building and Mr. Phillips moved it to its present site. The storekeepers at Matapu have been Messrs Chivers, Price, Crabbe, Peatson, Jurd, Petty, and now Mr. Barclay.
Many years ago Mr. O’Sullivan donated a quarter of an acre of land on his property for a hall site, and the hall was huilt by Messrs Phillips and Bachelor. In later years additions to the hall were made by Mr. Phillips, the timber being procured from the mill of Messrs Twigg and Co., now known as the Egmont Box Company’s mill, at Hawera.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
The first dairy factory at Matapu was a creamery, the factory now being controlled by the Mangatoki Dairy Company. The first manager when this company took over the plant by Mr. C. Bayly. The Matapu church was another building in which Mr. Phillips carried out some of the work, being assisted in this building by Mr. Gilling. The first Rouse built at Matapu was erected by Mr. O’Sullivan, and this is now occupied by a sharemilker for Mr. J. O’Sullivan.
Matapu has the distinction of producing one All Black, in the person of Mr. James O’Sullivan, who was a member of the famous “Original” All Black team that went through Great Britain and Ireland in 1905 with only one defeat, this being suffered in a match that has made Rugby history. Mr. G ’Sullivan, known to many people in all parts of the Dominion as “Jimmie,” has resided in Matapu for the greater part of his life, and he has witnessed its growth from the days of standing bush to its present high state of fertility. He has played his part in Rugby administration in the province, and there are few men who have given so much time and thought to the welfare of the national game as he has done. It is men much as he who have made history in South Taranaki.
Not only has the Matapu district given men to sport, both in the province and overseas, but it has also sent its quota abroad to fight for the cause of the British Empire. From the comparatively small settlement 58 men went away as members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and 17 never returned, these figures providing a striking tribute to the people of the district. In order that the memory of these men might be perpetuated, the mother of one of the men who died while on active service, Mrs M. MeL’Dowie, donated a roll of honour on which was inscribed the names of those from the district who served their King and country during the Great War of 1914-18. This roll of honour was duly presented to the school on December 14, 1918, Mr. W. A. Guy, who with Mr. J. 0 Sullivan, had made all the necessary arrangements for procuring the memorial, presiding at the function at which it was dedicated.
On October 6, 1920, the district monument in the school [rounds was unveiled by the then Mayor of Hawera, Mr. E.
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Dixon, the function being attended by the Rev. Robert Tabupotiki Haddon and the Rev. Cassells, together with Messre Andrew Lees and H. Trimble, members of the Taranaki Education Board.
In more recent years, the children of the Matapu district have shown that they will prove worthy successors to those who laid the foundations of the present prosperous district, particularly in sporting and agricultural directions. In the winter of 1939 the football team from the school won the McLeod Shield donated by the Hon. James McLeod, M.L.C., for competition among Taranaki schools of a certain grade, after going through the season without one defeat, and winning the final by 56 points to nil. In agricultural club activities the school has also competed with more than average success, and the teachers and parents have every reason to be proud of their pupils or children, as the case may be. Matapu has a proud record in the past, and in the hands of the present and future generations, that record will not be sullied, but will be considerably enhanced.
Whakamara Reminiscences
r J’HB days when butter was sold for 4d per lb, and Taranaki “wool ” (fungus) was gathered by the settlers and exchanged for groceries are among the reminiscences of old settlers of the Whakamara district. Whakamara forms part of the hinterland of the Hawera County Council, and the trials of the early settlers were sufficient to deter any but the most hardy individuals. It is in districts with a history such as that possessed by Whakamara that the true pioneer spirit is to be found. To-day, the residents possess everything in the way of modern amenities, and they consider that they are on equal footing with any people living in what is more or less back country, but they are proud of their ancestry and the fact that the original settlers stuck to their task of carving out a home for themselves and laying the foundation of a prosperous farming district.
Some of the land taken up by the early settlers was part of the scheme of grants for military service, some of these
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HISTORY OF RAWER A AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
being acquired by members of the families of present settlers as early as 1878. Among the first settlers in the district were Mr. and Mrs W. Edwards, and it is from the reminiscences of Mr. William Edwards, a son of these pioneers that the story of the district has been written.
Mr. Edwards, Senr., purchased a piece of land from one of the members of the militia who had received it as a grant in return for war service, and the property has remained in the possession of the family since 1878 when they first entered into occupation. In that year Mr. Edwards drove the stock for his farm along the coast from Wellington, the journey taking about three weeks. Their first home in Whakamara was a house built from pit-sawn timber, and Mr. Edwards recalls that it was not so much the sawing of the timber as the task of raising the logs on to the trestle that gave the hardest work. Often it took days to get the logs into position.
The early settlers lived in constant fear of the Maoris, the women-folk even hesitating to light a fire in their kitchens in case it should attract attention.
During the period of unrest, which lasted until after the siege of Parihaka in 1881 horses were kept saddled in a paddock near the present residence of Mr. A. E. Langley for use in case of emergency. It is interesting to note that prior to the trouble at Parihaka steps were taken in the district to form a troop of mounted rifles, it being the intention of the settlers to sell their property dearly should the need arise.
Mr, Edwards recalls one occasion he paid a visit to a Maori pa which was situated almost opposite the homestead of Mr. R. Wills, and he described the incident as resulting in him getting the fright of his life. The natives showed every sign of hostility, he said, and the women and children ran out and spat at him.
The family had been in residence for only six weeks when the majority of the settlers were ordered into Hawera for safety, the remainder taking refuge in the block-house at Manutahi. Many Maoris were deported at that time, said Mr. Edwards, being handcuffed in couples and shipped to Wanganui from Patea and thence taken to Dunedin. The opinion of Mr. Edwards was that these were the most unruly of the
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natives in the district, and in this respect he is partly correct in that it was the leaders of the passive resistance movement who were taken prisoner.
While referring to the state of unrest that existed, Mr. Edwards mentioned the remains of the tall pai-marire pole at Whakamara. According to the records this mast was of rimu, four or five feet through the butt, the Maoris having felled it in the bush about a mile away from its later location, and after squaring it, had hauled it to its vantage point. It seemed that the members of the tribe at one time had come in contact with a whaling vessel, for a “go-ashore,” a threelegged iron pot used by sailors on a hunting trip ashore, was discovered some years ago on the farm of Mr. Buekerell.
Some of the early settlers in the district remembered by Mr. Edwards were the Scotts, Buckerells, and Milhams, and Messrs Wallace, Gane, Duirs, Thomas, Allan and Williams, the latter being land-owners on a large scale across the Pokomoko Gorge in the Meremere district.
Access to Whakamara in the earty days was by a track past Mr. Travers’ place and from Manutahi through Mr. Taylor’s property. The mention of this phase of the life of the pioneers brought to Mr. Edwards’ memory the difficulties experienced in obtaining regular supplies. One man he knew often walked into Manutahi and carried home a 501b bag of flour on his back. Gradually, however, road conditions improved and the store carts came out from Meremere on the Pokomoko Gorge Road.
In 1880, the settlers request for a school in the district was agreed to and the building provided by the Wanganui Education Board, but four years later the school was closed and the pupils in the district had to attend at Manutahi until it was reopened in 1888.
“There was any amount of shooting in those days,” said Mr. Edwards, “and Marsh’s place at Mokoia used to be overrun with wild pigs and native birds. I have seen the trees in the bush almost black with tuis. Peaches planted by the Maoris grew prolifically where Mr. Hughes lives now and also in the Pokomoko Gorge, but one year they were caught by a blight and the trees died out.”
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
Comparing modern social life with that of the early days, Mr. Edwards said that the settlers looked forward to their bush picnic with rounders and other games, and to the dances held occasionally in their own home. Mr. and Mrs J. W. Scott had a piano, and to possess such an instrument was the stamp of quality. On rare occasions whole families would make an excursion to Hawera in their block drays, taking meals by the roadside on cushions and boxes brought for the purpose. It took a whole day to make the journey, said Mr. Edwards, and it was not a case of travelling along macadam roads at a fast rate of speed.
When the railway line was in course of construction between Mauutahi and Hawera there were between 200 and 300 men encamped in the vicinity of Whakamara for nearly three years. Mr. Edwards recalled that the contractor paid his men one shilling an hour and that three shifts were worked, some of the men anxious to make big money working a shift and a half —12 hours. They paid 12/- per week for their board.
Many settlers in the district grew their own wheat and a threshing machine travelled through the district each year. Very often the grain was sent to the flour mill at Tawhiti, near Hawera, there to be ground into flour. Very little money changed hands during the early years, the barter system being in vogue for the greater part of the time. A farmer took his produce to the stores and there made an exchange for goods. Any money that was earned was by sheer hard work for someone else, but the farmers generally found that they had enough to do to keep themselves busy on their own properties. Bush-felling was paid for at the rate of £1 an acre, and a man who could cut three acres a week was a good bushman and much sought after by those having bush to be felled.
Lysaght Family And Mokoia.
allied to the history of Mokoia is the history of the Lysaght and Bayly families, for it was Messrs J. R. Lysaght and G. T. Bayly who were the first occupiers of the area. In fact, they farmed a huge area of land for several years before there was a subdivision of the two properties.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Mokoia lay in the direct path of Turi, the ancestor of Taranaki Maoridom, in his famous march from Kawhia to Patea in the 14th century, but although neighbouring localities received their names as the result of incidents that occurred on this now famous march, there is nothing to say that Mokoia was similarly treated. The name, Mokoia, means “to tattoo,” “moko” being the Maori word used in that sense. Tangahoe, which might be said to be part of the outskirts of Mokoia, was the name of Turi’s paddle in the Aotea canoe, while the naming of Manawapou is referred to in the Maori section of this history.
Somewhere about the year 1880 the late Mr. J. R. Lysaght arrived in Mokoia, and in that period began the romantic story of his development of the fertile district. To begin with, Mr. Lysaght brought most of his farm equipment and furniture from England, chartering a vessel to transport his goods from the Motherland to the new colony, this being an incident worthy of recording even in those days. How he came to acquire land in the Mokoia district is not now known, but it is on record that much of it was property under lease from the Native Department, being part of the confiscated area. Mr. Lysaght farmed an area of between 4,000 and 5,000 acres on the leeward side of the present Main South Road, while the whole of the area on the opposite side of the road was farmed by Mr. G. T. Bayly, this property now being owned by Mr. C. J. Hawken.
Mr. Lysaght farmed his land on a very extensive scale, and employed a large number of men to carry out the various seasonal operations. In his work may be found the beginnings of at least one important primary industry of to-day, and while he might not be described as the founder of this industry, he can justly be called one of the pioneers of it. Much of his land was used for grazing and fattening Shorthorn cattle, and these beasts were slaughtered on the property, the site of the slaughter-house being between the present railway crossing and the store. He employed his own butchers, and railed the carcases to Wellington where they were frozen and prepared for the journey to the English market. He even
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The late Mr. J. R. Lysaght.
The late Mr. John Hicks.
The late Mr. R. Hicks,
The late Mr. G. T. Bayly.
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
went to the length of providing a railway siding so as to facilitate the loading of the meat on to the trucks. Another important phase of farming in Taranaki that Mr. Lysaght might be said to have pioneered was that of ensilage making, and in conversation with the author recently, one of his former employees, Mr. Thomas Walsh, now living in retirement in Hawera, recalled how it used to take him all day to feed the ensilage out to the bullocks. “I could almost see the bullocks fattening on it,” he said, adding that there was always a supply of other animals coming on to take their places when the bullocks had gone through the works.
Sheep were not overlooked in this comprehensive scheme of farming at Mokoia, and Mr. Walsh recalled how the Maoris were engaged in shearing operations, being paid £1 per 100, and how a Maori would shear about 100 each day. To further modernise his shearing shed, Mr. Lysaght installed a turbine for machines, this being driven from a dam constructed in a nearby creek. At shearing time it was a common sight to see 20 horsemen leaving the homestead in the early morning for mustering operations.
Mr. Lysaght fully appreciated the value of shelter for his stock, and he planted the present fine belt of pine trees along the road line near the hall. The trees were at first grown in a nursery in his own garden and were transported in their own soil to the spots where it was intended to transplant
The property behind this belt of trees was originally a race-course reserve, but in later year it was transferred to the Department of Agriculture, and as far as can be ascertained no race meetings were ever held there.
At the junction of the present Ohangai and Main South Roads there was situated in the early ’eighties a large Maori pa, among the residents being Te Aka, who died at Ohangai during 1939. This communal property was inhabited for many years until another site was chosen at Ohangai, where a large number of Maoris live to-day. Old residents of Mokoia well remember some of the natives, including Matahau, the blind Maori who was able to recognise everyone from the sound of their voices. This Maori was in the habit of riding on horse-
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back around the country-side, and was very popular with all sections of the community.
Mr Bayly was noted for the thoroughbred horses he used to produce on his farm at one time, his stud farm being noted in all parts of Taranaki and even further afield. Sheep and cattle were other stock that kept him and his men busy all the year round.
On the Hawera side of the Tangahoe River Mr. Robert Hicks and a Mr. Peterson, who later moved to Australia, had farm properties, while up the Ohangai Road lived the Malone family, of which Mr. Dan. Malone, of Stratford, is a member.
The original Lysaght homestead at Mokoia still remains, being occupied at the present time by Messrs H. 6. and C. D. Dickie. With the death of Mr. J. R. Lysaght in the early part of the present century, the property was cut up into smaller sections and sold, while somewhere about the same time the Bayly property was similarly treated, although Mr. Bayly did not die until 1938. The Lysaght family leave behind them as a permanent monument to their memory, the fine old English church, this being erected shortly after the property was cut up and sold. A large portion of the property, including the homestead section, was retained until his death a few years ago, by Mr. B. C. Lysaght, a son of the original settler.
With the cutting up of the property came the advent of dairying on a more comprehensive scale than had hitherto existed, and to-day the district supplies a large dairy factory. The land is considered among the most fertile in South Taranaki and having been well farmed for many years, should continue to provide the farmers with a good living for many more years to come. There was no standing bush in the settlement as far as living memory serves, and there was not much of an original handicap as far as fern and tutu and other similar plants are concerned. The early settlers had to contend with mud roads to and from Hawera, but as Mr. Walsh pointed out, they did not leave their jobs unless it was absolutely necessary. Peaches and apples were to be had in abundant profusion during the season as was the case in other localities, as has been pointed out elsewhere.
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To-day the district possesses a fine school with all modern amenities to be found in a country district, and the settlers can look back with pride on the fact that they are following in the footsteps of a man who was a real pioneer of one of the prized possessions of the Empire.
Early Development of Ararata
QNE of the last of the country districts in South Taranaki to be opened up for settlement, Ararata has made rapid strides in development, mainly during the past 40 years. It is a district particularly well suited for sheep and cattle raising, and it includes several large holdings devoted to this purpose. Ararata was opened up in two sections, one under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, and the other under the freehold system of tenure, the reason for the development under the former scheme being due to the fact that the Confiscation Line passed near the present Makino Road prior to branching off in the direction of Eltham. One section of the district was settled in the ’eighties, and the other in the closing years of the last century.
Among the first settlers in the district were Messrs J. H. Baker, now a resident of Whenuakura, Bischoffi Brothers, Cocker, Wallace, Hurrell, Beard, McDonald, John Winks, Harry and Fred. Fantham, Ogle, James Smith, Pawson, E. Riddiford, Jones, Thomas and James Winks, and A. G. Larcom. These settlers arrived at various periods, and practically all were settled in the years before 1900. Messrs Sam and Dave Beard purchased a large tract of land in the Morea Valley immediately after this locality was surveyed and placed on the market at an upset price for purchase, these brothers being probably the first to take up land in that area. This property is still in the hands of the Beard Estate, the present manager being Mr. W. Doole, who has been there for several years.
The original settlers in the district were faced with many problems, not the least among them being the securing of provisions, for which they were dependent on the tradespeople of Hawera. Access to the locality was by means of a track
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only, and it was along such a route that Mr. W. Adamson used to travel, leading a pack horse laden with meat right into the Morea Valley. Similarly Mr. James Davidson used to visit the district with stores once a week, mails being delivered by the same means.
Among the first tasks of the pioneer settlers was to clear the land of the heavy standing bush, this consisting mainly of puketea, mahoe, tawa and rata, none of which were of much use for building purposes. However, a lot of firewood was carted out of the district into Hawera, usually by bullock drivers requiring a back load after the transport of fencing wire and other goods into the district. As soon as the bush was felled and the late autumn months arrived, burning operations began, and the success of the latter part of the clearing activities depended on the nature of the season. If it had been dry, a good burn was secured, but if not, many of the logs would have to wait until a more favourable opportunity. Many of the settlers worked together in a sort of community effort in clearing operations, while in some cases the services of Maoris were secured as bushmen, the rate of pay being the same as in other districts, from 18s to £1 per acre.
As soon as sufficient land was cleared, a start was made with stocking the land, fat wethers and fat ewes being the class of animals used in the first place, while Hereford and Polled Angus cattle were also brought in. To-day it is estimated that parts of the district will carry two sheep to the acre, while in other parts, mainly in the valleys, an average of 1| dry sheep are used. Cattle vary, the average being about one to every five acres. Romneys and Romney-cross sheep do very well in all parts of the district. Lincolns were tried at one period, but as the district grew older they did not do so well, and they finally disappeared altogether.
Shearing operations in the early days presented difficulties at present either unknown or difficult to understand. Chief among these were the transport problems facing the grower, and onee more he looked to the bullock drays to help him out of his difficulty. Among those with teams plying in the district were Messrs Sara Dale, R. Lloyd and T. Dee, who carted from 15 to 18 bales of wool at a time to the Hawera
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Officials at the Caledonian Soc iety’s snorts at Manaia in 1935,
Manaia’s Champion Cricket Team,
Manaia Hockey Team—Taranaki Champions.
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
railway station at a price which varied from 2s 6d to 5s per bale. The grower’s average return in the initial stages of the operations was 41d per pound, which, all things considered, was a satisfactory price at the time. Maoris were employed in the shearing sheds at a wage from 18s to £1 per 100 sheep, a good man earning about that much per day.
When the land was well opened up, dairying operations were commenced, but there were parts of the district where sheep and cattle were the sole industry, this state of affairs existing to-day. The Tangahoe Valley is one such area, and here the McDonnells, Camerons, Lysaghts, Pipers and Hunters carried on with sheep and cattle to the exclusion of everything else. Some of these families are in the valley to-day, and even within the last few years have had to endure much in the way of trials, floods being one of their major problems.
With the increase of population in the Ararata district the settlers began to look towards the provision of certain necessary amenities such as a school and a hall for social purposes, the latter being a very important requirement in the district. In the early days dancing formed one of the principal amusements of the people, but instead of these being held in a hall erected for such a purpose, the wool sheds of Messrs Tom and Jim Winks were used. Here the residents used to assemble, not only for dances, but also for send-offs and other social functions, dance music being supplied by a piano, with a violin and an accordeon to provide variety. When the school was first erected it was under the control of the Wanganui Education Board on a subsidy basis as far as the wages of the teacher were concerned. The board found so much of the money, and the settlers supplied the balance. The dairy factory was established on a similar basis, the suppliers signing a joint-and-several guarantee to provide the money with which to commence operations. At first the factory was a branch of the Normanby Co-op. Dairy Company, but in later years it was turned into a co-operative concern, under which it is conducted to-day.
Within comparatively recent years, the South Taranaki Power Board has supplied electricity to the Ararata district, the ceremony of turning on the power being a red-letter day
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in its history, and an event that was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies. Prior to this installation the settlers depended on candles and kerosense lamps for their lighting purposes.
The Ararata district at one time abounded in wild pigs, pigeons, quail and pheasants, but to-day none of this game is to be found in any quantity. One old resident of the district pointed out recently that since the influenza epidemic of 1918 quail have completely disappeared. Up till that time these birds had been as numerous as the domestic fowl, but nowadays it was almost impossible to find any of these ground birds. Offering a suggestion as to the cause, he said he did not know whether the food supply ran out or whether the disease had eliminated the birds, but the fact remained that none were now to be seen. He referred to the fact that pigeons disappeared with the increase in the number of guns in the district, and also that these birds made excellent eating at the season of the year when they were feeding on miro berries.
“We never thought we would ever see a metalled road' in the district,” said Mr. Jim Winks, in talking to the author recently. “A tarred road such as there is to-day was something quite out of the question as far as our early ideas went, but we have gone from bullock dray to buggy, from buggy to gig, and from gig to motor oar,” he added. “We had our early difficulties, but we got over them, although there was a certain amount of inconvenience in having to make our own bread, and to have to rely on storekeepers to bring out goods at their own convenience. We worked from daylight until dark logging and burning, while there were times when it was necessary to go on until midnight in order to complete certain work. The women worked as hard as the men, but they met every difficulty cheerfully, and were of material assistance in advancing the development of the district. It was a day’s journey to go to Hawera and back, a trip that now takes less than an hour, and I can remember times when we had to go without meat and bread.”
That is how the pioneers of the Ararata district met and overcome the difficulties that beset them. The story of their
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district is the story of the pioneering spirit that has helped to make Taranaki the “garden of New Zealand.” The men, and the women, too, had to work, and to work hard, but the result of their efforts is what has made the lives and the paths of the present generation run on smooth wheels.
Early Days in Ohangai-Meremere
pTIFTY-PIVE years ago the Ohangai-Meremere district was covered with dense forest from the Pokomoko Gorge to the spot where the Meremere Pa is now situated, up to the Ohangai Road towards Hawera, down to the Ketewhito Stream and on in towards Ararata. The area between Ohangai Road and Mokoia and Hawera was covered with fern, tutu and light forest, the latter being mainly in the gullies. To-day, the same district is considered to be among the most fertile in South Taranaki, and runs thousands of sheep and dairy cattle, all of which contribute to the wealth of the Dominion’s primary industry. Access to this area was first made by a road across the Pokomoko Gorge from Whakamara, as at the time of the arrival of the first settlers the railway had not been completed farther than Patea. Settlement was then in the process of extending from Patea in the bush areas In the vicinity of Alton, Mauutahi, Whakamara, and Meremere. This road across the Gorge was only 10 feet in width at first, and being all papa formation, used to slip very badly, making it unsafe for drays in the winter time and other seasons when there was heavy rain. This compelled most of the settlers to use horse back as a means of transit to and from the district, and they left their homes on very rare occasions. The bridges were often swept away by floods in the rainy months, and the settlers had to then depend on the fords, these invariably being where boggy papa mud was to be found and thus prove the creation of further transport difficulties. There were times when the whole roadway would slip away, and this provided further treachery for both man and horse to negotiate. Among the first settlers were Messrs Richard Foreman and Thomas Allan, these men taking up sections of land in
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
the vicinity of the new Gorge Road. They were followed by the late Mr. William Williams and his family, who moved up from Patea, where Mr. Williams had been engaged in the blacksmith’s trade. He carted his first house into the district on a bullock dray, the track in some places being barely wide enough to permit the passage of the timber. At this time Messrs Foreman and Allan had felled a portion of their section about a mile from the Pokomoko Gorge, and this was where Mr. Williams’ home was built.
The road was then in process of being surveyed, and with the cutting out of sections in the bush, more settlers began to arrive and take up holdings along the Ohangai Road. Among the first were Messrs Jack Adams, Meyrick, J. Mowatt, and Eastwood, but others followed soon afterwards, these including Messrs Hendy and Pease, Geary Brothers, William Wallace and family, Stretton Brothers, Alex. Bissett, Jobsou and Lovell, and a little later the Peterson family, D. J. Williams, Pat Murphy and family and the Carmichaels.
A large portion of the bush was felled by this time, and nearly every farm had some grass seed sown on it following a successful burn. In the following year thistles grew so dense that it was almost impossible to secure a passage through them. Then buli buli and wine-berry took possession of the clearings, and this second growth retarded progress very greatly by shading the newly sown grass. The settlers had to set to woi’k and cut it, as it grew to a height of from 10 feet to 30 feet, and finally smothered the grass altogether. Fungus grew thickly on the decaying logs that had escaped burning operations, but this proved a blessing rather than otherwise, for it provided a source of revenue for the settlers who were up against it financially.
Old settlers of the district recall the fact that thejjirdlife in the district was something wonderful, pigeons, kakas, tuis and quail being found in their thousands. Tuis fed on the fruit of the buli buli, on which they fattened in fine style to provide a staple article of diet for the Maori people of the district. Wild pigs were also plentiful, and these animals provided many a stern chase for Maori and pakeha alike.
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The school at Whakamara
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
About 40 years ago, the first dairy factory in the district was established, the first directors being Messrs Allan, D. J. Williams, W. Williams, W. Wallace, James Geary, and Alex. Bissett, who were also the guarantors to the bank. This was one of the first dairy factories to be started in this portion of the province, and it made a vast difference to the earnings of the settlers of that period. Milk was carted from as far as the farm now occupied by Mr. William Russell at Ohangai, while Mr. John Lander used to cart milk from near Mokoia, the latter having to contend with a road that can be described only as awful. The butter and cheese produced at the factory was carted to the Mokoia railway station, the settlers taking it in turns to perform this transport duty.
A few years later further development was evident in the fact that a branch of the factory was established at the locality now known as Ohangai. Later, however, the original factory was closed in favour of an opposition company (Melrose), and the Ohangai branch of the factory became known as the Meremere Dairy Company.
Just 46 years ago the Meremere School was opened, the first teacher being Miss Mclntyre, who had a fairly strenuous time in breaking-in some of the older pupils, a number of whom were young men and women who had never been to school before. Prior to the erection of the school, some of the children from the Meremere district went across the Pokomoko Gorge to the Whakamara School. Shortly after this time school facilities were provided in the Ohangai district, and this completed the circle as far as the provision of educational requirements were concerned. In the early days of the district, bush fires were not uncommon, owing to sparks spreading in the wind from one log to another. These occasions were very trying for the settlers who were called out to throw buckets of water on to their homes in order tov preserve them from the flames that might otherwise have enveloped them.
As was the case with the Ararata district, the settlers in Ohangai and Meremere were dependent on Mr. James
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HISTORY OF HA WEE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Davidson, of Hawera, for their supplies of groceries and other provisions. He used to make weekly trips, and at intervals sent in goods on pack horses, exchanging his wares for fungus, butter and eggs, more or less on the barter system. Later a store was opened by a Mr. Sach, and this ultimately became the Meremere post office. The demand for a post office at the other end of the Meremere Road was also agreed to, and the district was named Ohangai after the road which runs from Meremere to Normanby.
To-day there is a definite community of interest between the Ohangai-Meremere district and the town of Hawera, and each depends on the other for a certain amount of support in the daily business life. The rural section is part of a district of which the townspeople are very proud, recognising as they do the value of the work carried out by the pioneers of the present fertile area.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XX.
The Beginnings of Manaia
■"pHE towns of Manaia and Hawera have much in common; the towns have a common ancestry, both having their origin in a military outpost, Hawera growing up round the famous block-house, and the settlement of Manaia centring upon the fortress erected as a protection against the threat of Maori aggression. Hawera had the advantage of 10 years seniority and was able to render a good deal of assistance to the Plains settlers in their agitation for the recognition of the potentialities and claims of their promising, but undeveloped area.
In other respects, however, the history of the two towns is dissimilar. Hawera developed gradually; Manaia, on the other hand, was invaded by an eager band of settlers and land speculators who had heard from afar of the potentialities of the famed Waimate Plains and who were anxious to acquire holdings. Their desires were kept in check for some time by the native troubles and it was not until the first two land sales of 1880, followed by a third sale in February, 1881, that the would-be settlers were able to stake their claims. The story of the early settlement of Manaia is reminiscent of the tale of a gold-rush. Hawera, the nearest centre of civilisation to the Plains, was crowded by eager settlers prior to the sales; the town presented a scene of bustling activity; the air was full of talk of land and land values and the menace of attack by the Maoris; accommodation was at a premium, many a weary traveller being glad to accept a shake-down on, or under, a hotel billiard table on the night before a sale.
Then came the task of breaking in the wilderness. Those who had not selected sections amidst the fern and scrub on the Plains had to find in the dense bush the pegs planted by the surveyors in 1879; those survey pegs were the only indications of the route of the future roads, which were to
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HISTORY OF HAWEKA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
serve the settlers’ properties. Where to-day farmers can see for miles around, in those days the ring of the bushfeller’s axe could not be heard through the forest more than a few chains away.
The demand for some form of local government and the provision of facilities for fuller development was not slow in following the first settlement of farm lands by the pioneers. In the beginning of the Plains settlement, the Patea County Council was responsible for the whole of the wide area extending from Patea to the Taungatara River, a few miles south of Opunake. Then, as the result of a hard-fought agitation, the Waimate Road Board was constituted in July, 1881, with jurisdiction over the roads within an area bounded on the south by the Waingongoro River, on the north-west by the Taungatara, and running right up to the forest reserve to the foot of Mt. Egmont. In May, 1882, the little settlement of Manaia had grown sufficiently to warrant the formation of a town board to look after the needs of its residents, but the Road Board continued to administer the larger area for 26 years until, in 1908, it was replaced by the Waimate West County Council. The latter body, however, had then a more restricted field for its energies, as parts of the old Road Board area had previously been taken into neighbouring counties which had come into existence in the meantime.
The town of Manaia itself has not attained the growth expected by the early settlers. The census on March 31, 1881, showed that there were 120 persons then actually living on the Plains, including some who were temporarily domiciled as roadmakers; a few cottages were erected, but none was tenanted. The township had a population of 50, exclusive of members of the Armed Constabulary, who were stationed at the fort. Four months afterwards the Waimate Road Board held its first meeting in Manaia. In June the residents had petitioned for a school, and in August a canvass showed that there were 201 children resident within a 10-mile radius of Manaia.
This rapid growth, following upon the land sales, naturally led to great expectations for the future of the township as a centre of rural population, but conditions, mainly those
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
arising from the development of a mode of transport which was undreamed of in those early days, have restricted its growth. The census of 1896 showed the population of the town of Manaia as 471; the latest figures are in excess of 700. In 1896 the rural population was included in that of the Hawera County (6,934). To-day the latest figures show the Waimate West County—one of the smallest areas in the Dominion—as having a population of just over 3,000 (exclusive of the town), revealing that, though good roads and fast transport have operated against the growth of the township, the richly fertile lands of the Waimate Plains carry a large population of primary producers in relation to their area.
The town of Manaia is not singular in its experience ; many other small centres for which great hopes were entertained in the early days, have likewise suffered through the march of progress. Such towns as Manaia, however, perform a service of greater national value than is generally recognised, for they bring a reasonable measure of the comforts and amenities of modern civilisation to the very doors of a vast number of primary producers who would otherwise live in comparative isolation.
Prior to the constitution of the Waimate Road Board, the Patea County Council was the governing local body of the Waimate Plains area. The first request to the Patea County Council in reference to constituting a new road district on the Waimate Plains came from Hawera, Mr. G. V. Bate writing on behalf of those interested for information.
At the council meeting held on January 5, 1881, this request was considered, Cr. Milne, who had purchased land on the plains itself, expressing the view that this movement “on the part of a few settlers in Hawera was a little too premature.” A meeting had been held in Hawera but he had not received any notice and was not aware that a meeting was to be held until he saw it advertised in the “Star.” He was of the opinion that the Waimate Plains could be worked more economically as an outlying district under the council than it could be under a road board. He believed that the deferred payment money accruing from the land would make the greater portion of the roads, and he considered that some
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
of the purchasers who were living in Auckland and other places should have a say in the matter and he hoped that the council would not accede to the request of a few people in Hawera.
The chairman, having pointed out the proper course for the settlers to pursue, stated that no harm would result from a little delay. He had received a request that the council should not adjourn till after 5 p.m. to give opportunity for the result of a meeting being held that day in Hawera to be telegraphed and placed before the council.
Cr. Gane, who all through championed the cause for a new road board, said that he considered it very unfair to ask those who were about to settle immediately to wait until others made up their minds as to whether they would go on the land or not. The former should receive more consideration than the absentees. He would support the constitution of a road district as soon as it could possibly be done.
Cr. J. Winks considered it a great mistake to have so many road boards. He advocated a division of the county and the money paid to the secretaries of road boards could be spent on the roads.
The subject was then dropped without any resolution being passed.
The meeting held at Hawera on the same day, and referred to at the council table, was held at the Egmont Hotel. About half a dozen settlers attended, but others who could not attend were represented. Mr. J. C. Yorke was voted to the chair. It was resolved on the motion of Mr. D. McLean, seconded by Mr. Bate, to request the county council to constitute all that part of the Patea County to the north of the Waingongoro River a road district under the name of the Waimate Road District. On the motion of Messrs Shearer and McCutchan it was resolved to forward the resolution passed to the council.
The following names were suggested to the council for appointment as a provisional road board to act for the next four or five months: Messrs Shearer, D. McLean, D. Wilkie, A. Sutherland, A. Hastie, W. Borrie, and J. C. Yorke.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
A telegram was dispatched to the council before 5 o’clock that afternoon, but this was delivered at the office of the chairman and not at the count}' office, though the council did not adjourn until after 5 p.m. as requested. This information was not known until the next meeting of the council on February 13. At this meeting the subject caused a long discussion. Crs. Bridge and Gane proposed that the boundaries be approved and that the council should call a meeting for the purpose of nominating commissioners.
Cr. Winks and Cr. Dale (chairman) proposed as an amendment “that necessary action be taken to expend deferred payment monies on the Waimate Plains, the engineer to report to the next meeting as to the most urgent works required.
The amendment was carried, those in favour being the chairman and Crs. Winks, Milne and Horner. Those opposing the amendment were Crs. Bridge, Hunter and Gane. The defeated councillors endeavoured to keep the matter open by further amendments, but these were not accepted by the chairman. Cr. Gane then called for another division on the amendment which had been declared carried. On this being taken Cr. Gane amidst laughter voted in the wrong direction and the resolution was declared confirmed by five votes to two.
The next movement was the decision of the county chairman to accompany the county engineer on his visit to the plains so as to be prepared for the apportionment of deferred payment money on the roads.
In an editorial the “Hawera Star*' commented very severely on the attitude of some of the councillors opposed to the constitution of a road board and pointed out that no rates nor Government subsidy were available for expenditure, but simply deferred payment monies, not a penny of which could be spent without the sanction of the Commissioner of Crown Lands being obtained, first of the proposed works, and then of the amount to be spent on them. The article concluded by stating that the Commissioner of Crown Lands had already told the settlers who appealed to him on the subject that he would leave the settlers themselves to decide upon the expenditure of these monies; but, added the “Star,'”
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HISTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
a majority of the county council has a more lofty conception of its functions and with the assistance of its engineer, thinks it can spend the deferred payment settlers’ money to the best advantage. The decision arrived at would help onward the separation movement as much as the most ardent separationist could desire.
At the following meeting of the council held on March 8, a good deal of time was devoted to matters in connection with the Waimate Plains.
The Chief Surveyor, in reply to a request that a Government surveyor should accompany the county engineer through the plains stated that he was not able to comply, but all lines had been cut recently, and the maps in the survey office would show whether they were centre or side lines. Access to the maps would be granted the council free. The chief surveyor of the West Coast Commission replied to a similar request that it was not in his province to comply. The engineer in his report of the day estimated that £999 was required for the present expenditure on roads in the plains, distributed over blocks 1 to 8 inclusive.
A return was given showing that £1946 18s 8d had been received by the Government as instalments from first payments on deferred payment lands in blocks 1 to 8 inclusive. One-third of this sum was placed to the credit of the council for road works.
It was then decided that the engineer should prepare plans and specifications for the most urgent works on the plains and call for tenders, Crs. Hunter, Winks, Partridge and Milne to receive and accept tenders.
After the luncheon adjournment the matter was again brought up and Or. Bridge moved as an amendment to the foregoing resolution “that application be made to the Commissioner of the West Coast Land District for permission to expend £650 upon roads in blocks 1 to 8 inclusive.”
A discussion followed, in the course of which the engineer stated that he had not time to go over all the roads and did not know exactly what was required. He had based his calculations to some extent upon what he believed to be reliable information.
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Manaia in the old coaching day
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Cr. Bridge used this statement as an argument in favour of a local road board as the members of the same would know exactly what was required.
Finally, Cr. Bridge’s amendment was carried with the addition that the council appointed should before accepting tenders, submit them for approval to the Commissioner of Crown Lands.
In the course of the discussion the chairman informed Cr. Gane that the amount of deferred payment monies (thirds) in hand was £648 and they would be entitled to the same amount every six months for 10 years.
It was resolved on the motion of Crs. Gane and Brewer that tenders be invited for valuing the Waimate district according to the Rating Act, 1876. An amendment by Crs. Milne and Horner that the valuation be made for the purpose of preparing a voters’ list, thus excluding rating, was lost.
The chairman refused to put a motion by Crs. Bridge and Gane defining the boundaries of the Waimate Road District and appointing the commissioners named at the Hawera meeting. The chairman said that it was a question whether the money should be spent by the County Council or by a road board. The motion was similar to that rejected at the previous meeting and he refused to accept it. The County Council called tenders for seven contracts on the plains to close on March 30 and the engineer advertised that he would be in attendance at Hawera that day to show intending contractors over the roads in connection therewith.
On April 1 a meeting of settlers was held at Manaia “to take into consideration the best method of making roads on the plains and to protest against the appropriation of public money as proposed by the council engineer. Those signing the advertisement calling the meeting were Messrs J. Short, D. Rainie, D. McLean, Q. McLean, T. Scott, J. Murphy, G. Y. Bate, C. Newsham, A. Sutherland, W. Sutton, J. C. Yorke, C. W. Broadbent, H. Bayly, R. Dingle, and E. Speckman. About 30 settlers attended the meeting and Mr. Yorke was voted to the chair.
The chairman having explained the position, Mr. Duncan McLean moved that the meeting viewed with alarm the man-
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HISTORY OP HAWBBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ner in which the county engineer proposed to expend the portion of the money applicable for road-making on the Waimate Plains from deferred payment settlers’ funds.
Messrs G. McLean, James Livingston, Gideon Inkster, Felix McGuire, A. C. Milne, Isaac Bayly, and W. L. Martyn spoke to the motion which was carried almost unanimously.
Mr. J. Murphy moved that the meeting “respectfully urge on the County Council the necessity of allowing a road board to be formed for this new district, as men having local knowledge of its requirements can expend their own funds with greater benefit to the district than can possibly be expected from men living at a distance.”
Mr, Glenn moved as an amendment, and Mr. Milne seconded, “that no road board be formed, but that it be left to the county to undertake all road works.” Messrs G. McLean and Livingston pointed out that it was proposed to work the whole district north of the Manawapou as a new county and the present movement was a temporary refuge from a difficulty which might soon be removed by a division of the county.
Mr. Inkster made a fighting speech in favour of the motion and the amendment found only three supporters on a vote. The original motion was then carried almost unanimously.
On the motion of Mr. Rainie it was decided to submit the names of seven settlers to the county council for approval as members of a road board. After some discussion the following were chosen, due regard being taken to their distribution over the proposed district: Messrs A. Sutherland, D. Wilkie, G. Inkster, G. Glenn, W. S. Young, James Crawford and J. C. Yorke. Messrs Rainie and McGuire were approved as auditors.
Messrs Sutherland and Yorke were appointed as a deputation to wait upon the County Council to lodge the petition presented to the meeting, and urge the necessity for complying with the resolutions passed at the meeting. On the motion of Mr. I. Bayly, seconded by Mr. Mitchell, it was resolved that the meeting was of the opinion that before a county rate was levied on the settlers north of the Waingon-
481
history op haweea and the waimate plains.
goro River, they were entitled to representatives and voting power on the council. This was carried unanimously.
At the next meeting of the County Council held on April 7, Cr. Hunter reported on behalf of the committee appointed to deal with tenders for works on the plains that one tender only was accepted. He explained that the bulk of the settlers objected to the formation of roads until the pigs had been destroyed. They had seen the results already on the Manaia Road. The only work accepted was chiefly cuttings and culverts. It was decided to hold the reports over.
The tender of G. V. Bate at £25 was accepted for valuing the Waimate district. Another attempt on behalf of th> plains settlers’ request for a road board was frustrated and no steps were taken to proceed with the contracts held over, and as far as the County Council was concerned nothing further was done till the meeting on May 4.
At this meeting Crs. Gane and Hunter moved that the petition be complied with and the settlers named be appointed commissioners.
This motion was declared lost on the voices, whereupon Cr. Gane called for a division with the result: Ayes, Crs. Bridge, Hunter and Gane; Noes, the chairman (Cr. Dale) and Crs. Horner and Milne. The chairman gave his easting vote with the uoes and the motion was declared lost.
After seven mouths of striving for the formation of the road board, success was achieved at the County Council meeting of June 1. Cr. Gane again moved that the Waimate road district be formed. Crs. Partridge, Gane and Bridge voted for the motion, and the chairman and Cr. Horner opposed it. Cr. Milne refrained from voting.
It was further resolved on the motion of Cr. Gane that a public meeting of land holders in the Waimate road district be held on June 18 to nominate seven commissioners and two auditors. The chairman duly advertised the meeting to be held in Lloyd’s Manaia Hotel at 2.30 p.m.
At the meeting on June 18 there were over 30 settlers present, heavy rain and stormy conditions in the forenoon militating against a larger attendance. Mr. Yorke was appointed to the chair. Mr. Yorke explained that it was not
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possible to have an election owing to non-completion of a ratepayers’ roll, and nomination as proposed was the only course open.
On the motion of Messrs A. Sutherland and Hastie it was resolved to nominate the same gentlemen as chosen at the public meeting on April 1, these being considered to be thoroughly representative of all parts of the district. An informal discussion followed upon the advisability of the plains settlers supporting the movement for separation from the Patea County by constituting a Hawera County, and also on the question of whether it would be necessary to strike a rate for road board purposes.
Some considered that a rate would be superfluous as the deferred payment system of monies would provide access to the lands of both cash and deferred payment settlers. Others took the view that all deferred monies were by statute available only for construction of roads within or to open up a block for the selectors therein. No action was taken in regard to either matter.
On July 9 the statutory proclamation constituting the new district, defining the boundaries, and appointing the commissioners and auditors as recommended, was advertised by the Patea County Council, which body fixed the first meeting of the new board for Wednesday, July 13, at 2 p.m. in the Manaia Hotel.
The boundaries prescribed were on the east following the Waingongoro River from its mouth to the forest reserve; on the north by the line of the forest reserve to the Taungatara River; on the west by the Taungatara River from this point to the sea; on the south by the coast-line from the Taungatara River to the Waingongoro River.
At the first meeting of the board held in the Government offices, Manaia, all the members but Mr. Wilkie were present, and Mr. Yorke was appointed chairman. He had been chairman of a road board elsewhere for nearly six years.
The chairman had written earlier to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for information regarding the expenditure of deferred payment monies and the commissioner in a reply read to the board laid it down definitely that these monies
483
The original look-out tower at Manaia, erected by the Armed Constabulary, and in later years replaced in concrete.
Preparing for winter feed for stock on the Waimate Plains,
The Cattanach threshing plant at work on the Waimate Plains in the closing years of the last century.
HISTOBY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
should be disbursed entirely in the interests of deferred payment selectors and exclusively in the construction of roads to give access to the lands they occupied. All salaries should come out of rates, deferred payment monies not being available for these or any other incidental expenses excepting perhaps for a share of advertising contracts on deferred payment roads constructed or repaired out of deferred payment funds. The members admitted that the letter from the commissioner left no course open but to strike a rate.
The Patea County Council advised that of £502 deferred payment monies received, about £l5O had been spent and about £lB was still due for extras. Necessary steps were taken to call for applications for officers for the board, and also for tenders for preparation of a valuation list according to the Rating Act.
In order to get on to an effective working basis at the outset, it was agreed to divide the road districts into wards, every member being primarily responsible to the board for the work done in his own ward.
The allocation made was: Ward 1 (Blocks 1 and 5, Waimate), J. Crawford; Ward 2 (Blocks 2 and 6 Waimate), G. Glenn and W. S. Young; Ward 3 (Blocks 3 and 7, Waimate), A. Sutherland; Ward 4 (Block 8, Waimate), J. C. Yorke; Ward 5 (Block 4, Waimate), G. Inkster; Ward 6 (Blocks 15, 16 and 13, Kaupokonui and Ngaere), D. Wilkie and W. S. Young. Each member was required to report at the next meeting of the board upon the works most urgently required in the ward allotted to him. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to Mr. Gane and the other members of the Patea County Council who assisted him for their untiring efforts to secure the constitution of the road board.
The next meeting of the board was held on July 27, when the tender of 6. V. Bate at £2O was accepted for preparing the valuation roll, and Mr. F. Paneti was appointed clerk and foreman (combined) for two months on trial at the rate of £2OO per annum.
Members reported on works required on the various wards and it was resolved to proceed with the same, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Crown Lands.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AMD THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
It was resolved that all deferred payment monies received in respect of sections on the main roads should as a general principle be expended on roads leading to the bush. The chairman stated that every main road settler affected by this decision who had been spoken to agreed that the procedure would be for the benefit of all.
It was decided to call for tenders for the works approved and it was made an instruction to the foreman to give at least two days’ notice to the warden before passing any larger contract, the warden’s duty being to inspect all works within his ward before payment for the same would be made, unless there were very special circumstances to prevent this inspection being carried out.
At the meeting of the board on August 13 it was reported by the chairman that arrangements had been made for financial accommodation with the Bank of New Zealand and that he had written both to the Treasury and to the County Council in regard to payment of deferred monies due, but had not received any funds from either.
The engineer reported that work was proceeding on most of the contracts let and arrangements were being made for progress payments.
The chairman advocated some expenditure upon the Normanby-Manaia Road, upon a portion that was within the Hawera Road District, the work being greatly needed. It was finally resolved to make a grant of £7O towards opening the road, to be expended within the Hawera Road District on the understanding that no grade steeper than 1 in 14 be allowed on the new works. It was also resolved to make application to the Government for a site for board offices, and in November the board was advised that Section 9, Block 19, Manaia, had been granted for the purpose.
Mr. Crawford resigned his seat in November, and no nomination being received to fill the vacancy the board appointed Mr. R. Dingle.
In December the board decided to call for tenders for gravelling two miles of the Manaia Road leading to the bush. A grant of £2OO was also authorised for gravelling on the Normanby-Manaia Road.
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history of haweea and the waimate plains
At a meeting of the board in April. 1882, a return was presented showing that the Armed Constabulary, at a cost (including horse hire, etc.) of £7B, had done work valued by the engineer at £ll2 if done by contract. The board expressed itself as well satisfied with the work done.
On June 10, 1882, a general meeting of ratepayers was held at Nichol’s store to elect the new board. Fully 30 ratepayers were present.
Mr. Yorke, chairman of the late board, made a report of what had been accomplished since the board became operative in July, 1881. In round numbers £2700 had been passed through the books of the board; nearly seven miles of sidecuttings and embankments and 20 miles of formation of new roads had been either completed and paid for or were in hand; the board had met 15 times in ordinary meetings in 11 months, and members had endeavoured to fulfil their duties faithfully. The following were nominated for the seven seats: Messrs Dingle, Broadbent, Young, Adam Wilkie, Hastie, Martyn, Yorke, C. Casey and W. Pearce. Messrs Young and Broadbent retired in favour of Mr. Dingle. The chairman and others spoke very highly of Mr Young’s services and requested him not to withdraw, but Mr. Young adhered to his decision. Messrs Chadwick and Hurley were appointed auditors. The board met subsequently and Mr. Yorke was elected chairman.
The late board had been required to deal with a bewildering succession of requests, largely for access to properties, md the position of members was no sinecure. The work in the following year increased in this respect and for years afterwards succeeding boards rendered yeoman service to their fellow-settlers.
At the annual meeting of ratepayers held on June 23, 1883, a good deal of discussion took place regarding the suggestion of the chairman that the meeting should arrange for a different representation of the district, with an increased board of nine members. Eventually it was decided on the motion of Messrs I. Bayly and W. Martyn, that the district should be represented by four members on the east and five members on the west of the Manaia Road.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
There were 13 nominations and the at poll taken on June 29 the result was; Thos. Parsons, 110; J. C. Yorke, 99; I. Bayly, 87; W. W. Mitchell, 78; W. Pearce, 74; W. Read, 73; Robert Coxhead, 60; John W. Stoddart, 57; Harry Home, 54 (all elected); Joseph Scott, 51; J. L. Perry, 47; Alex Sutherland, 36; Chas. Days, 25.
Comment was made after the election that there were only three members who were not largely interested in bush lands, consequently there could not be any further question of the bush settlers not being sufficiently represented.
At the first meeting of the new board Mr. Yorke was again elected chairman. It was felt that the positions of clerk and engineer should be separated, Mr. Paneti to devote his service to the latter branch, and it was decided to advertise for a clerk. At the next meeting Mr. G. R. Horner was appointed clerk, the only other tender being Mr. G. Hurley. Later in the year Mr. J. R. Stewart was appointed engineer to the board.
Manaia Town Board, 1939. —From left to right: Commissioners G. R. Watts, J. A. G. Cosgrove, A. J. Christie, R. S. F. Craig, L. A. Walters (chairman), Mr. J. Rodie (clerk), and Crs. T. W. Armitage and A. J. Clare.
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTEE XXI.
Constitution of Manaia Town Board
A BATTERED and well-worn volume is the first minute book of the Manaia Town Board which is marked as from July 1, 1882, to March, 1903.
The Gazette notice of the formation of the Town Board is preserved and it shows that the proclamation by the then Governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, was dated May 23, 1882. It records that a petition of residents, acting under the Town Districts Act of 1881, asked that the locality be constituted a town district, the locality “having not less than 50 householders, being not more than two square miles in area, and no one point being more than four miles from any other point, except in the ease of military townships.” The petition had to be signed by ‘ ‘ not less than two-thirds of the resident householders, attested by some respectable witness, and set forth accurately the boundaries of the district.” The Governor therefore declared that the district “shall be known as the Manaia Town District,” and appointed five men as the first Board of Commissioners.
A valued document in this book is the Gazette notice of February 26, 1885, under the hand of William F. Drummond Jervois, which brought Manaia recreation ground under the Public Domains Act, 1881, a block of 34 acres bounded by the Waiokura Stream and Karaka Street. The Manaia Domain Board was also therein constituted.
On May 23, 1882, arrangements were gazetted for the first election of the Manaia Town Board to be held on July 1, 1882. The first meeting was held at Mr. Hurley’s office, on July 1, 1882, there being present Messrs. A. E. Langley, J. Jackson’ P. McCarthy, A. O’Brien, C. Day, the first- mentioned being elected chairman. Mr. G. A. Hurley was appointed secretary pro tern at a salary to be fixed later.
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HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
It was decided that the chairman, Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Jackson should interview the chairman of the Hawera County Council and Road Board with a view to apportionment of the assets and liabilities of the board. It was also decided to hold monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month in the evening at 7 o’clock. The chairman was authorised to purchase a minute book and necessary stationery—this book is the one now recording the board events of 22 years. The meeting was adjourned and then held on July 5, 1882, when there were present the same members. Mr. Hurley’s salary was fixed at 10/- per week, to include “office accommodation, but not lighting.”
A quaint notice appears in the form of a suggestion to ask the Banks of New Zealand and Australasia “to state what they would be prepared to allow the board as overdraft as against the security of uncollected rates from time to time, and the rate per cent, they would charge and if interest would be allowed on deposits.” But this was an amendment and a resolution appointing the Bank of Australasia the board’s bankers was carried by three votes to two.
At the meeting held on July 5, 1882, it was decided to procure “a lamp and a tin of oil for the use of the board”— they apparently were sticklers for correct procedure down to the last detail. It is of interest to note here that Mr. J. C. Yorke was chairman of the Hawera County Council and of the Waimate Road Board.
At the next meeting it was resolved “to ask permission from the Road Board to levy a rate on all town property of one shilling per annum from March 31 to June 24.” The rate struck by the board was continued at one shilling in the pound on January 10, 1883, and at the same meeting the clerk requested that two members be appointed to make an audit of the accounts, and Messrs. Jackson and Langley were appointed. On August 7, 1882, the Road Board was asked to give £4O towards making a road from Manaia Road to the school property. In connection with the proposed road to the school the board in 1882 resolved to ask Opt. Gudgeon for free labour from the Armed Constabulary, and in the event of this
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HISTORY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
not being allowed, that tenders be called for the work. Members were made a works committee to inspect the town and see what were the most urgent works to be done.
At the next meeting advice was received granting the use of Armed Constabulary for labour on the school road, but it was noted later that “as the Armed Constabulary were employed on the wrong road they be immediately transferred from the South to the Manaia Road.'’ This was later withdrawn, as they were “required elsewhere for an indefinite period.”
Arrangements were made by the board on October 13 for forming the main road full width as far as the Bank of New Zealand. Formation of the footpaths by private efforts in the main street was pushed forward by a suggestion that anyone doing such work could have the use of Armed Constabulary labour free.
A notice of interest is made on June 6, 1884, when a tender was accepted for the formation of the worst parts of the South Road, the material being obtained at 2/6 per yard, and Mr. Thomas Twigg being appointed foreman of works.
On May 2, 1883, Mr. Langley resigned his position as chairman and Mr. Phillip McCarthy was appointed in his place. Mr. Fred Paneti was appointed first engineer at a salary of £45 per annum. On July 4 Mr. A. W. Budge was appointed auditor at a fee of one guinea. This was increased by one guinea in view of the work being greater than was anticipated. Mr. Thomas Twigg was appointed foreman of works at a salary of 10/- per week. Mr. Twigg was later engineer to the Hawera County Council.
Messrs. A. W. Budge, H. M. Bayly, J. M. Byrne, P. McCarthy and G. A. Hurley were appointed the Domain Board for the coming year in 1883. In 1886 Mr. J. E. Stewart was elected chairman, the commissioners being Messrs. J. Gilmour, McCarthy, J. McCutcheon, C. Lewis and Thomas Bayly.
In 1893 Messrs. J. Meuli, H. Banporath, Pairman and Green were elected to the board, and in 1894 Messrs. A. W. Budge, Franklin and T. E. Crowhurst were elected. In April, 1898, Mr. John Hunt was appointed a fire inspector, and Mr!
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
J. C. Datson was appointed town clerk, Mr. Hurley having removed to Wellington. Further members elected up to 1903 were Messrs. S. B. Corrigan, C. Hunger, E. Godfrey, R. Donald, F. McVicar, Messana, W. A. Limbrick, Nilson, Craig, and Young.
In 1903 the board consisted of Messrs. John Hunt (chairman), Limbrick, Young and A. Wilson. The by-laws of the town were brought into operation in 1904 and were then adopted. Mr. W. A. Limbrick was chairman in 1904, and Messrs. G. C. Glenn, A. 6. Bennett, J. J. Meldon and Hunger were elected. In 1905 Messrs. R. W. Hornby, J. Meuli, C. Davis and M. Bolger were elected
At the meeting on March 2, 1905, it was resolved that ‘ ‘ all books saved from the fire be laid on the table for the next meeting” There were a number of minute books destroyed. In 1904-05 the rates were: General l^d; sanitary fd; hall id. On May 22, 1905, a special rate was levied of fd in the £ for sanitation purposes. An amount of £l,OOO was borrowed to erect a new hall, the rate for which was Jd in the £.
The town hall was erected in 1916 to seat 600, and cost £1,500. The town hall was made clear of debt in 1931 and is now unencumbered. In 1916-17 the rates had increased to: General sanitary 15/64 d; hall 13/32 d; Main South Road 17/64 d. By 1923 the general rate had increased to 2d in the £ and the water and sewerage rate was the same amount. The water and sewerage system was installed in 1923. The capital value of all rateable property in 1932 was £103,343.
The water and drainage scheme was instituted in 1924, the supply coming from the Kapuni River at the Sheet Road, and costing £17,000 and drainage £13,000.
The problem of the Maoris’ pigs was something which gave cause for considerable concern to the early settlers of Manaia, and steps were taken to stop the menace. These animals were allowed to run more or less wild on the plains, and it was not an infrequent occurrence to note in the minutes of local bodies some reference to this animal. In January, 1881, the Maoris themselves raised a protest, this being made against the pakehas who were capturing the animals and
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
selling them, the natives describing this as “a sort of thieving.” A list of Maori owners was given, this list covering the greater part of the open country. Finally, the Maoris expressed themselves as willing to have pigs destroyed when found to be destroying fences.
In this month several new streets were formed in Manaia, and it was at the same time that Langley’s new store was completed. Cottages were erected by Messrs. Exley, Rainie, Muir and Mcßae, while the residence erected by Mr. Yorke was also in the stages of completion.
Cheaper timber for the erection of houses in the newly formed township was an instrumental factor in pushing the building trade ahead, and in February, 1881, drays plying between the Plains and Inglewood carting timber was another stage in the advancement of the district. The owners of this building material offered lower rates for it than had hitherto ruled, and this was a further encouragement.
With one exception the rural land in the Waimate Plains area and sections in the Manaia town district offered at the Government sale of land held in Hawera on February 25, 1881, were sold. Other sales were held at about this time, but the details are not now available. The total amount realised was £6,675, 21 sections of rural land contributing £4,410, at the average rate of £5/2/6 an acre. Fifteen sections in the Manaia township brought £l9O, and the suburban sections £BO7, an average of £lO per acre. Purchasers of rural land at this sale included Messrs. D. Wilkie, George Glenn, J. S. Oughton, J. Prosser, R. Dingle, H. F. Christie, W. S. Young, W. L. Martyn, and J. Livingston, and Colonel Roberts. Purchasers of township and suburban sections included Messrs. E. L. Hunt, E. Fake, J. Lawton, J. R, Blackett, P. O’Connor, P. McCarthy, A. P. 1\ illiams, George Glenn, P. Kelly, J. Parkin, James Frater and A. Peterson, and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Redwood, the Rev. J. P. Kempthome, and Captain Gudgeon.
It was expected that the Lands Office at Manaia would he completed in March, 1881, and so it proved. Mr. Robinson, Crown Lands Ranger, was placed in charge, and he kept the office open until 10 o’clock each night to suit the convenience of settlers.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Further reference to the progress of the settlement is contained in a letter to the “Hawera Star” published in April, 1881. “During the last few days a number of Plains settlers have come to the district to reside permanently,” stated the letter. “The land sales attracted some, but most of them say that they moved because they were anxious to burn off their sections and to get a roof over their heads before the cold weather comes on. The Maoris at Otakeho object to the white men burning off their land near the village, but they will probably recognise the futility of opposing the progress of settlement when they see how many more settlers continue to come and how many there are to resist any obstruction.”
April in this year was a busy month in the Manaia district, and a search of the old records reveals that the pig menace was still very much with the settlers. One settler was reported to have killed 303 pigs in a fortnight, while a party of Hawera sportsmen at the same time shot over 100 in a oneday expedition.
The population of the Manaia township at this period was estimated at 50, exclusive of members of the Armed Constabulary. The latter organisation possessed a fairly good cricket team and on one day during this month inflicted a defeat on a Hawera eleven by an innings and 79 runs.
A census of the people on the Plains was taken later in the month and the enumerator reported 120 actual residents, although some of these were considered to be men attached to road-making parties. The enumerator reported, too, that he found a number of new cottages in the course of erection, but none were tenanted. Many of the settlers, however, were busily engaged in harrowing land preparatory to the sowing of English grasses, the seed for which had doubled in price compared with what it had been during the previous month.
“The casual visitor to the Plains cannot help expressing a feeling of astonishment at the wonderful progress going on in all directions,” wrote a subscriber to the “Hawera Star” at this time. “Houses are going up all over the Plains and the land is being cleared rapidly and laid down in grass. Manaia presents a much better appearance than almost any new town-
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ship I have seen, and I have witnessed hundreds of them springing up in different parts of the colony. Of course, it has not grown as if called into existence by the magician’s wand as is the ease with goldfield townships. The few buildings that have been erected are. of a very substantial character and are an evidence of the owner’s faith in the ultimate progress and permanent prosperity of the place.” The writer went on to describe Lloyd’s new hotel and the fact that the proprietor would be able to attend to the wants of his thirsty guests after May 1. Sleeping aceommodaion was provided for 20 boarders, but the building had been designed in such a manner as to admit of its enlargement to meet the requirements of a growing township. The extent of Nicoll’s general grocery and ironmongery store of two storeys was also mentioned, as well as was the fact that Mr. A. E. Langley had commenced brickmaking at the rear of the town in addition to his commission agency business. Considerable business was done at about this time in the sale of town sections, those on the main street selling at twice the price at auction. In many instances the purchasers would not sell on any account.
A month later the same writer referred to the fact that Mr. Coekburn had opened a blacksmith’s shop, while a little back from the main street there was another smithy owned by Mr. Cameron. Mr. Way, a painter and formerly resident in Hawera, had opened in business, while on the outskirts of the settlement one of the best cottages had been erected for Mr. John Twigg, road overseer and contractor. Looking out of the windows of the Manaia Hotel, within a few minutes’ walk of the centre of the township, could be seen some 20 cottages, including those owned by Messrs. Vine, Patterson, Sinclair, Power, Collins and Goldup, O’Brien, McGovern, Kelly, Murphy, H. Bayly, J. Morrin, H. Boyle, W. Martin, C. Tail and W. Dingle. By the end of April the better situated sections had increased rapidly in value and were selling at three times the price given at auction.
The first reference to an agitation in favour of the establishment of a Government Post and Telegraph Department office in Manaia appeared in the “Hawera Star” on May 25,
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HISTORY OP HAWEHA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
1881, when it was estimated that the population on the Plains at that date was fully 500 persons. Ample reserves suitable for the purpose had been retained by the Government. “The public dislikes being put to the trouble and is not properly grateful for concessions for which they have first had to beg and pray, especially if they are satisfied, as in the present case, that they are asking for no more than they have a perfect right to expect,” stated the newspaper article in supporting the agitation.
It was discovered later that there was another Manaia some 47 miles distant from Auckland, and it was suggested by the Department that the name of the Plains township should be changed. Objection was made to this and the difficulty was got over by changing the name of the northern office to “Dunbars.”
In June, 1881, the new barrack room at Fort Manaia was opened with a ball, this function being attended by visitors from Hawera and Normanby in large numbers. Farm lands were changing hands on the Plains almost daily, and there was something of a boom in this respect during June. One settler reported that he had made a profit of £2 15s per acre on a transaction.
The branch of the Bank of New Zealand was opened in July, 1881, Mr. A. W. Budge being in charge. Manaia business people were very anxious to have the railway opened to Hawera, as there was a good metalled road from the latter town to Manaia. As a result of this the Manaia people expected to get their goods quicker and in better order than that which existed in July, 1881. Some people went as far as to say that Hawera was half a mile nearer to Manaia than Normanby. “But whether this is correct or not,” stated the “Hawera Star’s” Manaia correspondent, in writing on the subject, “there is no doubt that the metalled road will tell much in favour of Hawera during the winter, if such be the case. It is to be hoped that the county authorities will take the hint and repair the road before it gets worse than it is at present.” Owing to the delay in the formation of road works on the Waimate Plains, complaints of roads being fenced off were of
501
Cfficals of the Manala Racing Chib when the club was flourishing over 30 years ago.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
almost daily occurrence. Some settlers found it almost impossible to get to their farms in consequence of fences being erected across the only practicable routes. The county councillors had hitherto been blamed for the inconvenience caused by a “do-nothing” policy, and the suggestion was offered at this time that henceforth the road board members would be held responsible.
The greater part of the road across the Plains between Hawera and Manaia was fenced off by August, 1881, and the trouble appeared to have been settled.
A petition to the Minister of Lands for a reserve for recreation purposes and a racecourse was signed by fully 100 settlers within a few days during August, 1881. The petition asked for a section of land containing 90 acres, a section that was situated within a mile and a-half of Manaia in the direction of Normanby.
At the land sale in Hawera in August, 1881, a total of 128 town and rural sections were disposed of in the Manaia block, the price received being £2,038. The only excitement at the sale was when a five-acre rural allotment was purchased by Mr. D. McGregor, of Normanby, for £25 17s 6d. Among purchasers of land within the township area were Messrs. Morey, O’Brien, H. L. Sheet, Gilmore, E. Laishley, Richards, Coulter, Dwyer, Williamson, Holgerson, T. Eyton, Mourie, Tennent, Gray Gentles, Middleton, J. Stevenson, Beamish, G. V. Bate, R. Caspar. G. Pitt, Reid, Paeey, Vickery, Adamson, Nolan, Magon, Lash, Bank of New South Wales, Galvin, Payne, Hardcastle, Thompson, Taylor, Young, Todd, McCarthy, Wilson, Siggs, Shearer, Heaton, T. Lloyd, T. Bayly, and purchasers within the Waimate Plains rural district were Messrs. P. J. and C. Campbell, W. M. Mitchell, T. Bayly, W. Todd, C. Tait, E. Kempthorne, W. Cowern, Williamson, R. C. Tennent, E. Hendy, James Nicoll, A. Hunter, and Captain Gudgeon. Three sections in Block XV, Kaupokonui Survey District, were offered, but subsequently withdrawn from sale. New Plymouth excursionists who attended the sale were very well pleased with their visit, but many expressed surprise at the high prices given for the land. They failed to see its value at
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mSTOEY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
such extraordinary high prices and said that when the land mania was over many would live to repent of their purchases. One cannot help thinking what these people would have thought of the prices that ruled during the boom period immediately following the Great War of 1914-18. Even to-day the price of one farm would have bought more than half of the Waimate Plains half a century ago.
— “ VVUV—.J “O'-" In September, 1881, there was some agitation for the construction of a lock-up at Manaia, it being reported that bushmen who threatened to fight with axes or who went outside the hotel on Saturday nights challenging all or any of the bystanders to fight were not the sort of rowdies which one policeman could safely conduct a mile or more to a lock-up against their will. “Broken shins or worse to the representatives of law and order must necessarily result,” stated a letter to the “Hawera Star.” “While one drunken man is en route, half a dozen of his mates might possibly take a mean advantage of the bobby’s absence.”
Militant speeches of an alarming nature made by Te Whiti and Tohu at Parihaka in September, 1881, and referred to in the Maori war section of this book, evidently had no effect on the price of land in and near Manaia, which continued to rise. A few feet of frontage were sold by Mr. McGovern to one of the Manaia businessmen at the rate of £5 per foot; the Union Bank bought a section near the Octagon, but on the ManaiaNormanby Road, at a price estimated at £l5O, while rumour was rife that Messrs. Cockburn and Hood bought a section for something over £3OO and paid a large portion down in cash. Another instance of the increasing price was the fact that a settler in the district had offered £2O per acre for a 40-acre section within half a mile of the township, but the offer was not accepted. Later in the month very satisfactory prices were realised for two other town sections, one of which was sold to the Department of Justice and the other to the Bank of New South Wales.
The wet weather of September in the same year brought all building operations to a standstill. The new offices for the Bank of New Zealand were nearing completion, but very
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
little was thought of the style of architecture, and several people were heard to remark that when finished the building would not be a very sightly edifice. At this period, too, every effort was being made to secure a school for the township, while the Wesleyan Church supporters were actively pursuing the idea of erecting a Schoolhouse in which to hold services. The weather also had its effect on the main road to Hawera, and the opinion was expressed that it behoved the people of Hawera to see that it was kep.t in good condition if they wanted to do business with the people on the Plains.
In view of the alarming character of the speeches made by Te Whiti and Tohu a number of settlers met at Manaia and forwarded in September, 1881, a request to the Government that arms should be supplied to the district. Those who assembled were in favour of enrolling volunteers, and believed that they could readily enlist at least 50 or 60 wellmounted men and from 150 to 160 infantry. Many of the settlers seemed to think that they had been used hardly by the Government, which, they said, first sold the land to deferred payment settlers, making residence compulsory, and after building a redoubt almost entirely abandoned the settlers to their own resources. The redoubt was primarily to accommodate about 100 A.C.’s to defend the settlers as soon as there was any sign of disturbance. With the exception of a score of men, however, the troops had been withdrawn. The new settlers seemed quite determined not to quit their farms without a struggle, and even if orders were issued for them to come in under cover of the redoubt, it was doubtful whether such orders woidd be generally obeyed. A further step was taken at this stage to ensure adequate defence, this being in the enrolment of the Waimate Mounted Rifles Corps, the inaugural meeting being held on September 23.
On September 28 a deputation of settlers had a long interview with the Hon. Rolleston, the Native Minister at that time. The meeting took place at the fort and the members of the deputation discussed with him the matter of adequate defence being provided for the protection of the settlers and their families. Mr. Rolleston’s replies were of a reassuring nature.
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He said he believed that Te Whiti was trying it on to see what concessions he could secure, but the Minister was sure that the Government were masters of the situation. Advantage was taken during the visit to ask for a site for a drill hall.
“The redoubt at Manaia is being improved by the addition of a look-out tower at the entrance,” stated an article in the “Hawera Star” of October 3, 1881. “It will be from 20 to 30 feet high and constructed of really stout frame wood, which will probably increase the strength of the redoubt against an attacking force. Great effort has been made to render the ground round about really handsome by the planting of trees. Most of these seem to have thriven well, and in the course of a year or two there will be few prettier places on the Waimate Plains than the Manaia Redoubt.” (In later years this work has become an important part of local body activities in Manaia, and the people have every reason to be proud of their domain, which is one of the show places of the district. The foundation was well and truly laid by the pioneers, and Manaia’s playground is now comparable with that of any town in New Zealand similar in size.)
The defence measures taken were advanced a stage further in October when three dray-loads of ammunition were brought to Manaia from Opunake under the care of 45 A.C.’s, this being for supply to the volunteers recently enrolled. The Waimate Rifles infantry corps, under Captain O’Brien, were drilling several nights per week, and on October 7 fully 70 members were enrolled. Captain Martyn, officer in charge of the Mounted Rifles, received word that the Government would grant £2OO for a drill shed if the settlers would find £lOO.
On October 19 it was reported that when reinforcements arrived from Wellington and the south there would be fully 1,000 A.C. ’s stationed on the coast. A number of Taranaki men had enrolled in this force and recruiting was being actively carried on at Pungarehu.
Two days later a public meeting was held in Manaia to discuss the native policy of the Government, about 60 persons being present. A resolution was carried approving of the
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A section of the factory of th o Kaupokonul Co-op. Dairy Co.
HISTORY OF HAWES A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
policy and promising every assistance to carry it through. The meeting was obviously satisfied by the voluntary retirement of Mr. Rolleston as Native Minister, and the reappointment of Mr. Bryce to the position.
Before the end of the month storekeepers supplying survey and road-making camps in the bush received orders that it would be their duty to be in readiness to warn all such parties to come in at once if required. As the parties frequently shifted camp those who supplied stores were the only persons who knew the situation of the camps.
On October 29 a troop of the Alexandra Cavalry, 52 strong, under Captain Sommerville, arrived to garrison Fort Manaia, it being understood that the greater part of the A.C. ’s under Captain Gudgeon would proceed to Pungarehu. The Alexandras were received with cheers, and fully 100 mounted men, including 40 of the Mounted Rifles, met them on the road.
On November 1 there was a large influx of Maoris to the township, most of them coming from Parihaka. They appeared to have plenty of money and they kept the storekeepers fairly busy. Building and other improvement works were at a standstill owing to the native crisis.
A few days after the arrest of Te Whiti and Tohu and others on November 5, the Alexandra Cavalry had the task of searching the pas on the Plains, and altogether 84 stands of arms and 551bs. of powder and a large quantity of caps were taken. Major Atkinson accompanied the troop and was the first-to enter the whares at Taikatu, formerly a stronghold of Titokowaru. An amusing incident occurred during the search of Manaia’s pa. In most instances the arms found were put away in boxes. Manaia had a box, but he protested that it did not contain arms, but money. Asked for the key he said that it was missing, but when one of the troop was ordered to break open the box with an axe, he recollected where the keys were and produced them. He declared that the soldiers had take some of his money, and when asked how much there was he replied that the amount was £370. Captain Wilson counted the money to him and assured him that none was missing, the old chief then being satisfied. Later in the month
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several days were occupied in repairing boxes and replacing locks on them, this damage having been done during the search of the pas.
On November 10, a meeting was held in connection with the Presbyterian Church cause when a deputation appointed by the Presbytery of Wellington, the Bevs. James Torry, James Treadwell and K. J. Allsworth, was present, together with Messrs. A. Sutherland, J. Mitchell, A. Milne and G. Glenn. These settlers, together with Messrs. W. Borrie, McCracken and W. Cameron, were appointed a provisional committee to further the organisation of a congregation in Manaia. Messrs. Mitchell and Milne were deputed to arrange with Mr. Livingston for a site for a church.
On November 25, Titokowaru, at New Plymouth, was bound over in two sureties of £250 each to keep the peace, default being fixed at 12 months’ imprisonment. Mr. A. W. Budge and Mr. T. Lloyd supported the charge. Titokowaru said he would burn Manaia and murder the women and children, and when leaving the court he shook hands with Mr. Lloyd and told him to look sharp and get home.
Between 400 and 500 Maoris returned to the Kaupokonui kainga from Parihaka during the latter end of November, and the chief, Manaia, had a busy time in feeding them, killing eignt bullocks in a couple of days. The natives generally appeared friendly, but expressed their belief that Te Whiti would win eventually.
The main incidents during the last few days of November included the shearing of the first sheep by European settlers on the Plains, the opening of the Wesleyan Church at Manaia, and the return of a party of 108 A.C.’s under Captain Gudgeon from Parihaka to take up residence at Port Manaia.
The third hotel in Manaia, the Commercial, was opened by Mr. P. McCarthy in December, 1881, and during the same month a meeting was held to further the formation of a town district, but only a dozen ratepayers turned up and the meeting was adjourned until January 4, At the meeting it was resolved to canvass for promises of subscriptions towards a guarantee fund to secure a resident medical man.
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HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Mention was made by the Manaia correspondent of the “Hawera Star” in several issues prior to 1882 of attempts to cultivate intensively parts of the Waimate Plains, particularly the fact that “Mr. Hastie ploughed up a paddock of 60 or 70 acres close to the road and intended to do the same with the remainder of the land, believing that it would pay best, and Mr. Martyn intended following suit.” The writer went on to say that he had heard at the time of the Government sale of land that Messrs. Hastie and Martyn were what is called “thorough farmers,” that was, that they did not intend to do anything by halves. All the settlers were busily at work, but some of the absentees were getting nothing whatever done to their land. Consequently, the pigs, a trouble and a nuisance to the resident settler because of the loss of time in their extermination, retired to hiding places on the absentees’ land. The writer said he would like very much to have an opportunity of showing some members of the County Council over the Plains—he would change their views or he was much mistaken.
There was talk in January, 1882, of a flax mill being started on the Plains, but it got no further than that. A branch of the Bank of Australasia was opened during the same month, Mr. W. L. Carpenter being appointed manager. The attempt to have Manaia constituted a town district, which was to have been taken a step further during this month, was again delayed, and it was agreed to make a renewed attempt at a later date.
The township was visited by the Premier, Mr. Hall, on January 25, and a deputation waited on him with a request for a post office. Mr. Hall promised that if the business warranted it the office would be provided, but this reply did not satisfy the deputation.
The petition requesting the declaration of Manaia as a town district was finally completed in February, 1882, when 43 out of a possible 51 householders signed in favour of the change. In the same month the Waimate Building Society was formed, nearly 100 shares, representing close on £2,000, being subscribed at the inaugural meeting. Messrs. W. L.
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Martyn, A. Hastie, C. W. Broadbent, D. Hughes and R. E. Mcßae were elected as the licensing committee in February, the highest successful candidate receiving 10 votes, and the lowest seven votes.
In March the Government removed the maintenance roadmen off the Main South Road, throwing 20 miles of this important and expensive road on to the Road Board and the County Council. Sixty of the A.C. force were removed from Manaia to Oeo to open the road between the Main Road and Skeet Road.
A local option poll was held in Manaia on April 4, the voting being as follows: In favour of increasing publican’s licenses, 14; against 4. In favour of increasing N.Z. wine licenses 11; against 4. For increase of accommodation licenses 10; against 4. At this time the only Justice of the Peace in Manaia was Captain Gudgeon, and during his absence there was none nearer than Hawera. As a result of this condition of affairs, Mr. J. C. Yorke was made a J.P.
The newly formed Waimate Building Society did not last very long, its demise coming three months after its formation. Delay in registering the society due to there being no registrar had led most of the intending supporters to raise money elsewhere. The committee agreed to pay all liabilities and to return all subscriptions paid except to members of the committee.
In August of this year (1882) it was reported by the Manaia correspondent of the “Hawera Star” that the Maori were returning to habits of industry, and that more cultivating was being done by the natives than had been the case for seasons past. In the early days of Manaia, when moving pictures were unheard of, the pioneers used to look to themselves, or to the more talented among them, to provide the entertainment side of the social life of the community. This led to the formation of various societies, musical and otherwise. The first public amateur entertainment given in Manaia was held on September 4, 1882, the proceeds being in aid of the drill hall building fund. The Hawera Choral Society, which possessed members of considerable talent, also used to
332
Laying the foundation of the Manaia Post Office hy the Hon. T. McKenzie.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
visit Manaia for the purpose of giving programmes, and the people of the Plains were treated to Gilbert and Sullivan operas at intervals during the early years.
Parliament voted the sum of £3,000 for the completion of the Main South Road between Manaia and Opunake during September, and also passed a vote for the Manaia Post and Telegraph office. The Commissioner of Crown Lands also reported that 20,000 acres of available land remained to be surveyed between the Waingongoro and Taungatara Rivers, and he hoped to complete this within 12 months.
The daily two-way coach sendee between Hawera and Opunake commenced on September 11, and thus was provided a means of contact with the outside world. This service was expedited by the Government grant of £3,000 referred to.
A public meeting was held in Manaia in November to consider the leasing of native reserves, and it was resolved to request the Government to immediately place the land known as Manaia’s reserves on the market. A resolution was also passed again urging for a Resident Magistrate’s Court to be held at Manaia. At the same meeting it was decided to ask the Town Board to recommend the changing of the names of a number of streets in the town. “Riemenschneider” and native names were the stumbling blocks responsible for the resolution.
In December, 1882, the chief, Manaia, who became one of the sureties for Titokowaru on his release, received back the sum of £253 6s Bd, his money having been place in the Post Office Savings Bank by the Government, thus earning a little interest.
Thus concluded two of the most troublous years in the history of Manaia and the Waimate Plains. The pioneers had passed through the difficult and dangerous years leading up to the incident of Parihaka, when fears for the safety of themselves and their families were more or less general. The members of the farming community were able to go about the cultivation and farming of their properties with more security than had ever been the case previously, and the indications were that a period of prosperity was ahead. The people of
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the township began to look round for the bringing into being of social amenities such as possessed by other towns in the colony, and these, together with the fact that local body work was firmly established, were among the factors that attracted outside settlers to the Waimate Plains, which has since been described as some of the most fertile land in the Dominion.
For some years in the ’eighties there was a flourishing racing club on the Waimate Plains, and old residents recall that for some years there were nearly as many horses trained there as there are now in Hawera. The club was duly constituted and registered and for some years held successful meetings. Horses bred and trained at Manaia went out into the wider field of competition in the centres and won numbers of the classic events and champion cups of the metropolitan clubs.
The first course was on the southern side of Manaia on Mr. Mcßae’s property towards the Sutherland Road. The meetings held here were officially recognised, and the club supported a totalisator as well as bookmakers. The tote was taken to the course in a cart and then set up. The second course was in Hair’s paddock on the South Road, and then meetings were held on Mr. M. Bolger’s paddock behind the domain and at a paddock where Mr. R. Donald’s house now stands.
The flax was so thick, said one early settler, that the course had to be cut out, and in some places there was little room for the horses to get through. At one meeting, believed to be the first, a horse, W. Lewis’ No Name, with a jockey named Lovejoy, had a bad spill. Horses that won at those early meetings were a grey mare, Victoria (Manaia Cup), and Lord of the Hills. Two other meetings were held in Mcßae’s paddock. a horse named Puisaka winning the hurdles, with Ernie Vine in the saddle.
Among the early officials were Mr. F. McGovern, Captain Martyn, and Messrs. R. E. Mcßae, A. W. Budge and H. E. Good.
When the course was located at Mitchell’s farm at Bumbank there was no totalisator, all the business being done by
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bookmakers. An amusing story is told of one of them who got into difficulties at the meeting and could not pay out, his endeavours to get away from the disappointed bettors being not very hard to imagine.
Despise, a horse with one eye, won a hurdle race at Manaia, and then went on to win the Great Northern Steeplechase. Mr. C. E. Major’s Immolation, a dapple grey, won the cup at one of those early meetings, and other fine horses that were successful were Egmont, a great hurdler, and Mr. George H. Gibson’s Australian Peer. Other horses recalled recently by an old settler included Secrecy, Weka, Cyrus, Torpedo, Bonawarei, Ulysses, Booties, Whatitona, Rambler, St. Bell, Docility, Nukanu, and St. Claimer.
At the first meeting in 1882, the takings were more than £lOO, and the crowd was estimated at from 800 to 1,000. Mr. Jackson, who bought the gate, was well satisfied with his investment. It was the custom for many years after racing clubs were formed in Taranaki, for all the privileges to be sold by public auction, among these privileges being the gate, which was always sold to the highest bidder. The club had no further trouble over gate takings, these going to the successful person at the sale.
The results at this meeting were as follows;
Hurdles, 25 sovs., two miles.—Mr. Watts’ Orange Light ning 1.
Hack Hurdles, 10 sovs., one mile.—Mr. Gibson’s Diamilius 1. Mr. Collins’ Native2.
Maiden Plate, 20 sovs., one mile and a-half.—Owen’s Satoria 1, Standish’s Okato 2.
Handicap Trot, 15 soys., three miles.—Russell’s Comet .75 on the totalisator, and £29 on the winner.
Manaia Handicap, 50 sovs., one and three-quarter miles < vrir- ‘o T „ C xL _ TT'ii /m
Crocker s Lord of the Hills 1, Crocker’s St. Clair 2, Karoro’s Trixie 3. £l9O on totalisator, and £4B on winner.
i A T H v k ™ S ° VS -’ ° De m^e - —Martytn’s Ourangoutang 1, Minhmiuck s Weraroa 2.
P...k‘".“j„ C 2 P ' 10 • ,W ° 1
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HISTOEY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Forced Handicap, 15 sovs., one mile.—Standish’s Okato l r Owen’s Satoria 2.
It is interesting to note that at the 1883 meeting one of the successful horses was Denbigh, this horse winning the hurdles. Denbigh was later the dam of Moifa, the New Zealand-bred horse that won a Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree. The horses in those days were definite stayers, and there were few races under one mile, while two and three-mile races were frequently on the programme.
The first hunting on this portion of the West Coast of the North Island was at Manaia, the pioneers of this form of of sport being Messrs. J. D. Mitchell, R. E. Mcßae and E. Shove, who formed the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club. It started as a drag-hunt, and the origin of the pack of hounds was the presentation of half a dozen to Mr. Mcßae by a friend in the South Island.
The first master was Mr. 6. T. Bayly, and he was followed by Messrs. 0. Symes, I. Higgle and Dr. W. T. Simmons, the latter being the present master.
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HISTORY OF HAWHRA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
CHAPTER XXil
“The Battle of Hashes Farm ”
gEFORE peace finally came there was to be one more incident in the history of the Waimate Plains, and that was what has come to be known as the ‘ ‘ Battle of Hastie’s Farm, ’ ’ this taking place on Sunday, July 18, 1886. Mention has been made in the first portion of this history of the facts leading up to the ploughing incidents in various parts of South Taranaki, the Maoris adopting a policy of passive, rather than active, resistance to pakeha settlement. However, with the arrest of Te Whiti at Parihaka on November 5, 1881, it was thought that these incidents were finally disposed of—but there was one more, and one that, as far as the ploughing was concerned, was more serious than anything that had previously taken place, because it resulted in a pitched battle between pakeha and Maori—not a battle with rifles, but a battle with fists, and any missiles that happened to be handy at the time of the fracas.
The news that the Maoris were likely to enter land near Manaia was received in Hawera early on the Sunday morning, and three constables under Sergeant Anderson went out to the Plains. The police first went to the homestead of Mr, T. Bayly, but after they had been there a few minutes they noticed that the natives were assembling at the gateway to Mr. A. Hastie’s property, about two miles on the Hawera side of Manaia. The police at once rode up and were given the key of the gate by one of Mr. Hastie’s sons. At this time, about 10 a.m., two of the Maoris had already asked young Hastie for the key of the gate, but he refused to give it, and several natives got over the gate and entered the paddock.
The police opened the gate with the object of turning out the intruders, and they anticipated no resistance. But on taking hold of Rangiaeta, the native who had been on of the
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS,
leaders in a similar movement on Mr. Lysaght’s property, south of Hawera, the other Maoris, who were collecting in considerable numbers, flocked round the constables, and closed the gate in spite of a smart attempt by the police to get through. Here the natives resisted and obstructed the police, and after some rough tussling the prisoners were torn from the hands of the police, Constable Molvor being injured by being squeezed in the gateway. The pakehas who were present, some half a dozen in all, assisted the police, but as the numbers of Maoris increased, they saw that resistance was useless and allowed the gate to be forced open, warning the Maoris that the intruders, or at least the leaders, would be arrested.
Resistance then ceased, except that an attempt was made to prevent one Maori from breaking ground with a spade. However, in five minutes there were half a dozen natives with spades and shovels at work. At about 10.30 a.m. there were no horsemen in the paddock, which was alongside the Main South Road, but a mounted native then forced his way in after another sharp encounter. Two hundred Maoris or more were now on the ground, and they could be seen approaching from all directions with carts laden with potatoes, food and timber of all kinds. A number of Maori women and children began to enter the ground and drays also were allowed through the gate. At about 11 o’clock Titokowaru arrived, and by this time a number of tents had been erected, and on the site where digging had first commenced a large whare had been marked off, the ground pared and levelled, and the fern tree slabs of the walls of a house—measuring 20 feet by 40 feet—were already standing. Poles and timber were driven in, and when obstruction was offered at the gate, the poles, supplejacks, etc., were handed over the gate. By 11 a.m. there were believed to be fully 500 natives from all parts of the coast present, -some from “Wanganui, Hawera, Waitotara, Otakeho, Parihaka, and elsewhere. Many were recognised as natives who had been in gaol. Ngahine, Titokowaru, and other local chiefs came somewhat late. Rangiaeta seemed to be the chief man up until 11 o ’clock, and he presided at the gate.
There was no serious rioting after the commencement, and by 11.30 a.m. the Maori women were preparing the food for a
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIiIATE PLAINS.
meal, and the Maori working bullocks, hacks, dray horses, buggies and drays were scattered all over the 10-aere paddock. By this hour the Maoris ceased to stream in, and the pakehas present began to talk of impounding the horses and cattle, or to have a try at arresting the ringleaders and turning the others off. By a careful count made there were fully 150 horses belonging to the Maoris on the ground, and as probably there were at least three times as many natives who came in on foot, in drays or in buggies, the estimate of 500 is probably correct. The frame-work of the whare was nearly up by 11.45 a.m., only the roof being unfinished.
At about this time the Maoris were told that the horses would be impounded if they were left in the paddock, and some of them removed their animals. More pakehas began to arrive and there was more talk of turning the natives off the property, but the more cool-headed pointed out that if any kind of a brawl took place and the Maoris became excited, with their spades, axes, adzes, etc., they could make very awkward resistance. There were 18 tents on the ground, and the women and children carried in firewood on their backs, lit fires, and set to work to prepare the dinner. Many of the Maoris appeared friendly and some shook hands with pakehas they knew.
At about 12.30 p.m. the police received news from Mr. Dawson, the telegraphist at Manaia, that Inspector Pardy had received word of forcible resistance being offered, he then being at Pungarehu. Things were then comparatively quiet, and many pakehas went away to dinner. The Justices of the Peace on the ground were Messrs. J. Livingston, J. C. Yorke and A. W. Budge, and whenever any resistance was suggested they counselled moderation. The natives altogether outnumbered the pakehas, and seemed likely to do so during the day. Inspector Pardy was expected to arrive during the afternoon, and Colonel Roberts was also expected.
At 1 p.m. a slight disturbance took place at the gate. A number of pakehas were congregated there, when a Maori dray laden with fire wood came up. Messrs. Hastie, junr., and J. D. Mitchell were on horseback in the gateway, which con-
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HISTORY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
stituted the only entrance to the paddock. A Maori who was then going in with a bundle of thatch, found a horseman in his way, and he hit the animal on the hind-quarters; Mr. John Muir, with a light switch, hit the Maori, and Mr. Mitchell at once rode in and made a blow with his riding whip at the Maori. When there seemed every prospect of a row, the Europeans were persuaded to draw back and the dray entered without opposition. Many of the Maoris then sat down to dinner, leaving the roof of the new meeting-house open. They invited the pakehas to dinner and pressed Constable M. Franklin to join them, but he and most of the men declined. At 2 o’clock they resumed work on-the roof of the whare, and at this time the pakehas from Hawera began to roll up in force, and the Europeans seemed soon likely to equal the Maoris in numbers. It was generally hoped that there would be no disturbance on the ground until either Inspector Pardy or Colonel Eoberts arrived. The Maoris who were asked what they came for said that it was a dispute about the land. It was noted that many natives who were never previously mixed up in such matters were now among the most active—Ngahina, Nga-tai and other local chiefs.
Between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon plans began to be laid for the clearing off of the horses, and many of the settlers said they would not wait any longer for the arrival of Inspector Pardy. Many of the mounted men armed themselves with waddies and whips, and at about 3 o’clock a number of young men, among whom Messrs. J. D. Mitchell and E. 0. Hendy, agreed that they could no longer submit to the trespass being continued. They therefore arranged a party of some 20 white horsemen to drive the Maoris’ horses and cattle to the nearest pound. They proceeded to do this against the wishes of some of the more cool-headed present; the gate was taken off its hinges and carried a short distance down the road; and in the meantime the mounted men were collecting the horses and cattle, over 100 head altogether.
As soon as the Maoris understood the object of the pakehas they left the whare and massed in a body at the gate most of them having picked up long poles brought for thatch-
525
On Manaia’s Bowling Green.
Members of the Manaia Tennis Club.
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
ing. A number also ran out and seized the gate, which they dragged up to the gate-way despite the efforts of a large body of pakehas to prevent them.
A most exciting scene was now being enacted. The waddies were being freely used, and a great tug-of-war for the gate was going on; the Maori women were yelling; 100 head of cattle were crushing at the gate, and disturbing the mob of men. Some of the Maoris ran to the heaps of firewood and armed themselves with axes, which they poised ready for a “war to the knife,” the cry of the women raising the alarm apparently exciting them beyond measure. Mr. Livingston and others succeeded in restraining John Eoberts and one or two others from using their sticks too freely, and at about this time the Maoris gained their point in turning the cattle away from the gate.
But the impounding army was not to be baulked, and forthwith they drove the mob to the back gate. Only a few natives with poles followed them there, but they used their poles freely and hit one or two of the pakehas, whether intentionally or not, no one could say.
After a really hot melee at the gate near Hastie’s, nearly all the cattle and horses were seen to be galloping off down the lower paddock and several natives on foot were being chased by pakehas on horseback. Fred Bayly put one native to flight by the dexterous use of a stock-whip; J. D. Mitchell charged another, striking at him with a whip handle; another native, seeing the fight, made a sharp blow at Mr. Mitchell with a pole, and hit the latter a heavy blow on the head, making him fall from the saddle; Mr. Hendy was also very active, and he also received a severe blow. He was seen riding down a native whose head was bleeding; and the other natives were beginning to collect in an excited manner round the whare.
Sergeant Anderson and others feared bloodshed, as there was every appearance of a really good row. The Justices present again intervened and pointed out that there were many defenceless women and children in the district whose homes might be fired and families butchered for “utu” if the
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HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
savage blood was once heated by the loss of life. The intervention was successful, and the natives all sat down in a cluster at their whare, which now proceeded very slowly. Messrs. Livingston and Yorke examined the natives whose heads were bleeding, and came to the conclusion that their skulls were none the worse for the blows; in fact, it seemed as if the wounded on each side were equal in numbers.
One of Titokowarm’s natives named Iki then made a speech in which he appeared to treat the whole matter as a joke, Mr. J. Muir having explained to them that their horses were only to be impounded. The purport of the speech was not translated, as there was no competent interpreter on the ground, but after the speech no more active measures were taken by the Maoris. At 3 o’clock some 20 cattle and 65 horses were driven past the ground to the pound under a strong guard of pakeha horsemen, some few of the horses escaping and travelling past Hawera. At about 3.30 it was clear that the able-bodied Europeans on the ground greatly outnumbered the natives and it was decided to swear in some 20 or 30 special constables who should go in and arrest those who in the morning had taken the most active part in the incident. Volunteers were called for and the names of the volunteer constables were Messrs. D. Hughes, T. Cox, Alfred Eeed, J. J. Patterson, Coad, Briggs, Walter Young, John Roberts, F. McGovern, Knox, Fred Bayly, Deacon. Boyle, R. O. Hendy, G. and F. Horner, Johnson, Duncan, Sutherland, R. Campbell and one or two others.
Under the leadership of the police sergeant and Mr. Janies Livingston, of Waipapa, and three constables, these men, who formed a fine lot of powerful athletes, marched in a compact body up to where some 200 natives were sitting or standing round the whare. All the constables had been ordered to leave their clubs behind, and they went straight for the natives pointed out by the police. The Maoris at once rose to their feet, and even eye-witnesses declared afterwards that it was impossible to see what took place, as the mixed crowd of brown and white men surged to and fro. Messrs. McGovern and Bayly appeared to be enjoying the fight, and one or two
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
straight from the shoulder blows were given. The crowd surged from left to right and Mr. Livingston and others had difficulty in preventing those outside the crush from using their clubs in aid of their friends.
Suddenly, three or four special constables and a policeman emerged from the ruck with one prisoner, struggling hard. A minute or two later, another native was forced out, one pakeha calling out, “Don’t choke the beggar.” There had been a little rough work, and Sergeant Anderson and others had as much as they could do to steady the more excitable specials, now under police control. One of them remarked; “I am warm now and willing to go and take the lot.”
As each Maori who was wanted was dragged out, the ring of pakeha horsemen opened to let him and his guard through, immediately closing the ranks after they had passed. In 10 minutes all the Maoris who had taken an active part during the morning were arrested, their names being Titokowaru, Ngahina, Kuku, Iti-iki, Ake Ake, Eangiaeta, and Kotakahu. Sergeant Anderson having called witnesses to make sure they were the right men, told his specials that he wanted no more, and as the pakehas’ spirits rose, so the dejection of the Maoris increased. The gateway was blocked by pakehas and none were allowed to get over the fence.
Sergeant Anderson then went round, and with Mr. Muir as interpreter and Messrs. A. \V. Budge and J. C. Yorke as Justices, and told the natives that if they would pack up their belongings and go home peaceably no more arrests would be made, and this the women were already doing.
Meanwhile, a buggy had been got for Titokowaru, who was too weak to walk, and the other natives were marched off to the Domain under a strong escort.
A new difficulty then arose. The pakehas felt that they had the upper hand; many of them resented the bold intrusion of the natives and seemed inclined to give them a lesson. Some proposed to destroy the tents, food, buggies and traps; others to impound them; others to drive them off like cattle in a mob. The Justices who told the Maoris that if they went home peaceably they would not be molested further, naturally en-
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
deavoured to have their words made good, and after a little altercation this spirit of moderation prevailed, Mr. John Hastie allowing the things to be removed. Had Mr. Hastie said he would have let nothing go, there is no doubt that the pakehas would have upheld his decision.
The Maoris then gathered their property together, the men harnessed themselves to buggies and carts, and after some delay a lane was opened for them through the Europeans, and a regular Roman subjurgation march began. A few horses had been left in the paddock, and they had heavy loads assigned to them and were allowed to go free. There were many who objected to this being done, but as many of the women and children and aged natives would have been exposed on Sunday night with little food, shelter or covering, a more merciful spirit was allowed to prevail.
High praise was afterwards accorded to the special constables for the manner in which they discharged their duties, and also exercised self-control under very trying circumstances. The fact that none of the pakehas was injured showed that the Maoris were desirous not to shed blood. It was reported that Kereopa, a Waitotara native, had made a most vicious blow at a pakeha, but the police were not made aware of this.
When taking the prisoners to Manaia, Sergeant Anderson met Inspector Pardy and Constable Twomey and a sergeant and nine men of the reserve A.C., at Opunake. They took charge of the prisoners, where they were charged in the Resident Magistrate’s Court. After the hearing they were sent to Wellington for trial in the Supreme Court, Te Whiti, the Maori prophet, who was arrested a couple of days after the Hastie’s farm incident, being a fellow prisoner at the trial.
Te Whiti was the first to be tried, the charges against all of them being forcible entry and riot, and secondly, malicious injury to property. Mr. W. L. Eees explained to the Court that he had gone to Wellington to defend the prisoners, hut that Te Whiti had refused to have anything done, and consequently he had no option but to withdraw. Some difficulty •was experienced in getting Te Whiti to answer the indictment,
344
Manaia’s first public school.
Viscount Jellicoe, of Scapa, unveils the war memorial at Manaia
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
but finally he pleaded guilty, and one after another Titokowaru and the others followed his example.
All of them used very nearly the same words: “Te Whiti is my lord and master, and he has said all there is to say.” Te Whiti made a statement before the sentence was pronounced, to the effect that he was the original owner of the land and had merely put forth his hand to regain it. Alluding to the wording of the indictment, he said he had not been turned off peaceably, but with guns.
In answer to the Judge, the Crown Prosecutor said he had no instructions from the Attorney-General as to proceeding with the second indictment. The Judge then left the Bench for a time, and on returning said he found great difficulty in allotting proper sentence. They must have known that their acts were little short of levying war against the Crown. He felt bound to say that if a future charge of a similar nature were proved against them, the court would probably feel called upon to inflict a much heavier sentence.
Te Whiti was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, And fined £lOO. The rest were sentenced to imprisonment for one month and were fined £2O on each count, the sentences to run concurrently.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XXIII
Opening of the Manaia School
pT ARLY in June, 1882, a movement was made towards the establishment of a school in Manaia. The initial step was taken to ascertain the number of children within a two-mile radius of the township, it being expected there would be from 80 to 100 within that area. Towards the end of the month a petition was drawn up to be forwarded to the Government, a point being made that many parents declined to shift their families to the Waimate Plains until a school was built. Surprise was expressed in some quarters that the petition was addressed to the Government instead of to the Wanganui Education Board, and the explanation given was that the case of Opunake was kept in mind, it being alleged that the appeal of the Opunake people to the Taranaki Education Board had met with the reply that there were no funds. On appeal direct to the Government the Education Department pressed the board to proceed with the erection of a school, offering to provide £240 out of the next year’s building grant for the purpose. This did not suit the board, which expected a special grant, and the matter was held up for some time. In view of this experience of the settlers of Opunake, the Manaia people preferred to approach the Education Department direct. The Department referred the matter to the Wanganui Education Board, and at the end of August the board forwarded the rules and regulations applicable to the case and a public meeting was called to make arrangements for obtaining the information required without delay.
The public meeting was held on August 29, 1882, Mr. Arthur E. Langley being voted to the chair. It was resolved that the boundaries of the new school district be the boundaries of Blooeks 1 to 8 inclusive, of the Waimate Survey District. A list was prepared, showing that there were no less
537
HISTOBY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
than 201 children living within five miles of Manaia. Of these, 129 were believed to be over five and under 15 years of age. It was believed also that a careful canvass of the district would add to the number of children stated.
It was decided to inform the board that at least fourfifths of the children of school age were likely to be regular attendants.
It was then decided that, subject to the approval of the Education Board, the meeting of householders to elect a school committee would be held on September 10 or 17, according to the length of notice required.
A discussion then ensued upon the question of the site, natter of controversial nature for a considerable period jsequently. It was stated that the site reserved for school rposes, on the seaward side of the township, was not suitable d that sections on the inland site were still available, or perps the hospital site could be secured. Eventually it was :ided to leave the matter of site for the school committee
The education board met two days later and a telegram was sent stating that the schedule of information was being posted, so no delay was experienced in getting the matter dealt with by the board. The board fixed September 17 as the date for the householders’ meeting to elect the committee and instructed its architect to prepare plans for a school to accommodate 200 children, making the cost of the school the first charge on the additional building grant expected from the Education Department. Satisfaction was expressed at the manner in which the information required had been supplied.
The meeting of householders held on September 17 was attended by 20 settlers, though others were represented. Mr. J. C. Yorke was voted to the chair. For a committee of seven the following were nominated: Messrs. W. L. Martyn, J. C. Yorke, D. Hughes, W. O’Brien, R. Dingle, G. Glenn, J. D. Mitchell, T. Lloyd, and T. Twigg. Messrs. Lloyd and Twigg withdrew and the first seven named formed the first school committee. At the subsequent meeting of the committee Mr, Yorke was elected chairman.
538
HISTOEY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
The question of site was considered and it was decided to apply to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Section 91, which was shown as a hospital reserve. This area, on the inland side, was considered more suitable as being within easy reach of the smaller sections, the larger farm areas being on the seaward side.
The next development of the site question was to acquaint the Minister of Native Affairs (Mr. Roileston), who was in Manaia at the end of the month, that the Commissioner of Crown Lands recommended 14 unsold town sections adjoining the hospital reserve as the school site. Mr. Rolleston considered that the recommendation of the Commissioner would be granted.
On October 21 the chairman received word that sections 1 to 8 and 12 to 18 would be reserved as a second school site And that building could be proceeded with. At the next meeting of the committee it was decided that as soon as the new site was conveyed to the board, the committee should -organise a working bee to clean and plough and harrow the land at least twice.
While other matters in connection with the school were being proceeded with, the question of the site remained a subject of contention. On January 27, 1882, at a meeting of the committee the subject was discussed, and the next day all the members, with the exception of Mr. Martyn, inspected the several sites that had been discussed, being accompanied by a number of settlers interested. Meeting later in the day, the committee was divided, Messrs. Yorke, Dingle and Mitchell favouring the inland site, and Messrs. Glenn, Hughes and O’Brien the reserve on the seaward side. The chairman declined in the absence of Mr. Martyn to give a casting vote, and it was decided to submit the matter to a meeting of householders.
The meeting was held on February 1, Mr. R, E. Mcßae presiding, and by 22 to 14 the site on the seaward site was decided on.
Following on the decision of the public meeting, the committee met and decided to build upon sections 1 and 2, part
539
The late Mr. Phillip McCarthy.
The late Mr. J. J. Patterson.
Mr. W. T. Wells.
The late Mr. T. L. Joll,
HISTOKY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
of the education reserve, and the committee flagged out three acres and marked the site for the building. It was decided to request Captain Gudgeon to allow a detachment of the A.C.’s to clear the site last chosen and this request was granted.
But the matter was not yet settled. Correspondence with the authorities concerned showed that the site last chosen could not be obtained without a long delay, impossible in the circumstances, a tender for the erection of the school having, been accepted. The sections, though marked education reserve, belonged to the Taranaki School Commissioners, and could be obtained from them only for building upon by the Education Board. The board furthermore was of the opinion that the block of three acres obtained from the Government, on Block 2, was more convenient and quite suitable, and declined to authorise any change. Thus ended the battle of the sites and the contractor was instructed to commence building at once on the inland site.
The plans of the proposed building were submitted to the committee at a meeting held on October 19, 1881. These showed a building 87 feet in length, with 14 feet inch walls to be divided into three large rooms. The plans were approved with the recommendation that, as the country was flat, the building should be raised one foot higher off the ground than proposed. To this request the board replied that, as the plans provided for the building being two feet off the ground, that was considered sufficient. The board called for tenders a week later, and on November 29 accepted the tender of Mr. W. Gifford for £695. The contract was not completed, and on December 14 the tender of Mr. George Syme, of Hawera, at £i2o was accepted, the work to be completed in four months* from December 9.
The Parihaka disturbances in November, 1881, were the cause of dislocating many projects on this part of the coast, both before and subsequent to the arrest of the leaders, and school matters were not exempt.
On January 20, 1882, Mr. Syme complained that, owing to* specifications and a working plan not having been forwarded
349
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
to him, he was not able to push on with the work, especially the joinery, as he would wish. By the middle of April work was so far advanced that the committee was ordering seats, and expected the building to be completed within four weeks. It was mid-June, however, before the building was completed and the desks and furniture which had been shipped to Opunake from Wanganui had not then come to hand. A full year had elapsed since the first steps were taken to have a school established. However, the school when completed was a source of great pride to the settlers, and it was the most imposing structure in the township.
Much more expedition was displayed in providing a residence for the teacher. Tenders were invited on June 19 and on July 12 the tender of Messrs. Scott and Baker was accepted, the price being £284.
At the end of November, 1881, the Wesleyan chapel was completed and a request was made by the committee that the board should appoint a master and open a temporary school in this building. The board replied that as the chapel would accommodate 40 children only, and the number of children had been given as 120, it would be making an invidious distinction to find room for 40 only. The committee made further representations on the subject, but the board would not alter its previous decision, and the matter ended at that.
As early as October, 1881, applications were received by the committee for the position of teacher, although applications had not been invited. These were ordered to lie on the table and the chairman was authorised to invite applications.
Evidently this action led to some misunderstanding, for early in February, 1882, a teacher in the employ of the Wanganui Education Board was taken to task for making application to the committee, “being a servant of the board, which alone could remove a teacher from the position occupied.” This incident gave rise to some public comment, but no further action was taken as all applications received had been sent to the board, which body later invited applications. On May 12 the Manaia School Commissioners received from the board 16 applications, and next day unanimously
543
HISTORY or HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
resolved to endorse the appointment of the Eev. George Wilks, late headmaster of the Heathcote School, Canterbury, as suggested by the board.
The school was opened on Monday, July 31, when 63 children attended. The work thrown on the master was more than he could cope with and he had to call in the assistance of Mrs. Wilks, who had had experience in teaching. It is recorded that very little preparation had been made for Mr. W ilks owing to the fact that notice of the date of his arrival was not received until after he reached Manaia. He had sent a telegram from Christchurch, but it was not delivered until eight days later, the day after his arrival in Manaia.
In reply to the inquiry of the master as to the attitude of the commissioners in regard to the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, it was resolved that the commissioners were prepared to enforce the compulsory clauses in respect of eases of neglect where the parents resided in the town district or within three miles of the school, if served by metal roads. Application was made to have Mrs. Wilks appointed assistant teacher, and this was subsequently granted by the board.
In 1883, a Gazette notice appeared to the effect that “the Education Board, having erected school buildings on Sections Nos. 8 and 19, Block 2, Manaia Township, which had been reserved for municipal offices, it is proposed to change these reserves to a school site, and the Manaia Town Board has duly given consent and concurrence.’’ The school site in 1882 in Patua Kakapa Street cost £450.
In October, 1910, additions, consisting of two new rooms in front, with verandah and pantry at back, were erected at the residence. A gallery in the infant room, another new room and the technical section of the school were all erected prior to 1912.
The school was Gazetted a district high school in 1910, and continued as such until 1938, since when the children of the district have been transported to the Hawera Technical High School.
A disastrous fire occurred on the morning of January 27, 1920, and the school and its contents, including all the records,
544
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATB PLAINS.
were completely destroyed. The building had been reported as old and out of date and too small for the requirements of the district. In 1918 it comprised three class-rooms, 198 pupils being taught by a headmaster, three adult teachers and a pupil teacher. One assistant took 68 pupils in the detached technical school building.
The first three attendance registers have been preserved as kept by Mrs. Wilks. In July, 1882, the pupils on the list were: L. O’Brien, G. Tait, E. J. Kells, G. Vickery, Wm. McKay, Dan Kelly, Jas. McKay, Jas. Tait, Dan Mourie, Bernard McCarthy, Jas. Vickery, P. Cawdon, H. Mourie, Jas. McGovern, C. O’Brien, Florence McCarthy, Ed. Rippengale, Jas. Mitchell, John Boyle, Joe Mourie, Jas. lire, Wm. lire, A Cockburn, Thos. Butler, M. Wilks, Ellen Hall, Johanna Hughes, Charlotte Johnston, L. Cawdron, I. O’Brien, Mary McGovern, Annie Mitchell, Kate Cockburn, Marion Edwards, Cath. Kelly, Lizzie Tait, N. Hall, Ellen Butler, Kate Hughes, N. Vickery, Elizabeth Vickery, Bertha Vine, Julia Mourie, Alice Mourie, Joana Day, Ada Lloyd, Alice Laughton, Rosehanna Dalton, Lucy Bourke, Adam Martyn, Kate Martyn, L. Henderson Florence Bayley, Hannah Bayley.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Pages From Manaia’s Past
QNB of the most colourful figures of the 19th Century passed to his eternal rest just as the century was drawing to its close, and the people of the 20th century well remembered him and his quiet, kindly nature. This was Hukanui Manaia, after whom the township was named. He had his pa at Waiokura, just east of the town boundary and on the banks of the Kapuni River. He was the paramount chief of the district and held suzerainty over a large tract of land running down towards the coast. Those who remember him speak of him as a splendid, straightforward man, with a quiet nature, very friendly with Europeans, and at the same time wielding a big influence over his own people.
He was wise in his day and it was said that his capabilities exceeded those of any other chief of the district. He was given a title by the Government, and classed as a loyal native for the honourable life he had led. In 1885 he gave his followers the right to build a pa in remembrance of him, and this was completed in 1887, the whare, called Paraukau, being at Waiokura, and this pa is now the home of relatives of Manaia. Manaia left no direct descendants, but the Rei and Kato families are closely related, while Nganeko, the aged chief who lived on the Waimate Plains until this year (1939), was a cousin. The Bpiha family were also related to the Rangatira, and to-day there are residents in the district who remember the father of this family, Nga-Tai-rakau-nui, generally known as George Ngatai, a man of great physique. When in the prime of his life Ngatai was stricken with paralysis, which made him a cripple for the rest of his days, and during the times of the monthly pilgrimage to Parihaka, his turn-out of five splendid horses drawing a well-built and gaudily paint-
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Ed brake was one of the sights as the team was driven at a rapid pace throught the streets of Manaia.
The chief, Manaia, was of very aristocratic rank, and it was stated that the blood of all the great chieftains of the North Island flowed in his veins. He was a spare, tall man of stately carriage, and his face had been magnificently tattooed in his youth. As a young man he had helped in the defence of Ngateko and Orangi-tua-peka pas, situated at the mouth of the Kapuni River, against the last Waikato invasion. The celebrated fighting chief of the ’sixties, Titokowaru, was also present as a young man at this engagement.
In 1892, at a very great age, Manaia passed to his final resting place, mourned by a host of pakehas and natives alike. For many years in the ’eighties and ’nineties of the last century there was a mystery associated with Mount Egmont that was never solved. On a certain spot on the slopes of the mountain, situated between Manaia and Otakeho, could be seen a thin column of smoke, which on calm days ascended into the blue vault of the skies.
Many people ventured a solution, some declaring that it was smoke from the camp of bushfellers, while others thought a charcoal burner must be at work. But the smoke was always at the same spot, and it was held that no camps would remain in the one place for so extended a period. Then a story went round that a hermit had gone up there to end his days in meditation, but this idea did not last for long as the winters were too cold at such an altitude.
It was at this time that some wag suggested that there must be hot springs on the mountain, and this idea gained credence to such an extent that several parties made explorations to the locality. Nothing was discovered, however, and although curiosity began to wane, for many years afterwards smoke was in evidence in the same locality.
Then came a summer when there was no trace whatever of the smoke, and as the older people died or left the district, the mystery disappeared into oblivion. Many years ago, the matter was referred to an old resident of the Plains, and he recalled the incident very well indeed. He made veiled refer-
547
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
euce to a whisky still that for many years supplied certain localities with a fiery fluid—“a liquid that had a kick in it not to be met with in the present degenerate days,” he said; a glorious poteen, me bhoy, that smacked of the flavour of the days when I was a lad in ould Ireland visiting the county fair.
Further than this the old identity would not commit himself. Since that time the matter was referred at various intervals to other old residents, but with no very satisfactory results. Occasionally a hint would be whispered to the effect that to those in the know there were places where a “drop of the best was available to the favoured ones who could be depended on to retain the secret committed to their keeping.
A few years ago there were said to be a couple of hogsheads of this wonderful liquor lying buried in a certain spot not far from the Manaia township, and after being planted for 50 years it should be wonderfully matured. However, it is very doubtful whether there are any living who know of its place of concealment.
Manaia being a military outpost in the early days, it was only natural that social activities should centre around the drill hall, and when this was burned down in 1905, progressive citizens resolved to erect a building that would reflect the progress of the district. The new building provided for a large auditorium, extensive stage and scenery, supper room, kitchen, cloak rooms and town board and municipal offices. The architect was Mr J. B. Roe, and the builder Mr John Ryan. The cost was £1,275, and this has long since been paid off by means of a loan and sinking fund. The Manaia town hall has become known as a place where many large and successful social functions have been held.
For many years Manaia has been popular as a sports centre, and the town is fortunate indeed in possessing ample facilities for all kinds of sports. The domain, recreation ground and gardens are indeed beautiful, and although perhaps not visited by a great many people from outside the district, they are very popular with visiting teams and the local residents.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Well sheltered from the westerly winds owing to the fine belt of pine trees planted by the Armed Constabulary, the domain provides excellent facilities for football, hookey, cricket, golf and athletics, and many an interesting contest has taken place on these grounds, and here it was that the Waimate Football Club’s senior team received their early training that made them famous 30 years ago.
The old watch tower forms a link with the early days when the Europeans had to be on their guard against raids by the natives. The old tower was in wood, and was enclosed in heavy earthworks with a blockhouse on either side. This structure fell into decay, and some years ago a replica was erected in concrete. The blockhouses, or bastions, as they are known in some quarters, are still in an excellent state of preservation, and are always the centre of much interest.
Bowling greens, tennis and croquet lawns provide ample facilities for those who follow those forms of sport in the summer months. The Waimate Plains public library, recently moved to the town board office, gives literary and cultural facilities to the people of the surrounding district.
The streams adjacent to the town are liberally stocked with trout, thanks to the work of the Acclimatisation Society, and in the summer mouths anglers find ample scope for their ability. The Kaupokonui beach, about four miles away, is one of the most popular beach resorts in South Taranaki, and during the hot weather many hundreds of people find their way there for the week-end, while some Manaia residents have week-end cottages near the beach. Cars can be taken practically to the water’s edge, and dressing sheds, shelter pavilion and water supply have been provided by the seaside society, while camp sites are also available. Those who took a keen interest in the resort in the first instance were Messrs A. Gamlin, P. Mourie and the late Mr E. Long. Unfortunately much of their work was undone by the flood which occurred in February, 1936, but this did not detract in any way from the popularity of the resort.
The early residents of Manaia were genuine lovers of sport, and football and athletics were very popular in all parts
549
The official opening of the Plunket Rooms at Manaia.
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
of the district. Owing to the pioneering work of bush-felling, bridge building and road making the district produced a strong virile type of young man who wanted some outlet for his energy, and this was found in the many athletic societies which flourished in those days. Clubs were formed and athletic meetings held two or three times a year, there being no difficulty in obtaining good nominatons for the good prizes that were offered. The sports meetings at Manaia were the centre of attraction for people from all parts of Taranaki, and very soon the clubs became wealthy institutions, it being stated that at one time the old Manaia Caledonian Society had assets and cash worth £BOO.
On the football fields the Waimate club was famous throughout the province, and for several years in succession Waimate was the champion team and also supplied the Taranaki representative team with many members. In international matches such men as Hugh and Allan Good, Jim and “Billy” Lambie, Dan Hughes, Charlie Young, Jim Glenn, Jos. McCarthy, Phil Jacobs and a number of others added much weight to the numerous honours that the Waimate Club gained during a period of 10 years in the ’eighties and ’nineties.
The first football matches were played in a paddock near the centre of the town, at the back of where the Commercial Hotel now stands, this house being erected and owned by the late Mr P. J. McCarthy, one of the pioneers of the Plains. Later, the venue was removed to the domain, where the fine football field is now situated among picturesque surroundings.
The early footballers of Taranaki took the game very seriously, and they used to travel all round the province playing the various matches. Many used to ride to the matches on horse-baek, a return journey of 50 miles being not at all uncommon. Some of the more distant matches involved a threeday journey, one day to go, one day for the match, and the third day for the trip home. In the course of one season’s play one footballer is said to have travelled a total of 800 miles to his matches.
57
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HISTORY OF HA WEE A AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Following success in the ’nineties, the Waimate team experienced several lean years until it again came into the limelight as the provincial champion team in 1908. This honour the team won successively until 1914, with the exception of 1911. This was the result of a policy of training promoted by the late Mr A. G. Bennett, who was secretary of the club for several years. He laid the foundations of the senior team by a careful training of the younger players, among whom were men who were to shine in provincial and All Black football, such as W. S. Glenn (1905 All Blacks), J. S. McKay and R. Carroll (Taranaki), B. McCarthy and H. L. Vine. Other players who helped to make the club’s history were W. W. Christie, Jack Colman, Edwin Burke, Major Burke, Dave Bourke, Bert Birchall, Jack McLeod, Joe Young, G. H. Meuli, Hugh Prince, George Ryan, “Blazer” Wilson, Dennis Ryan, Jack Christie, Mick Ryan, Tamu and Pini.
For five of the years of its greatest successes the Waimate team was captained by J. S. McKay, and old residents will remember that during that period the Waimate team produced a famous five-eighths in the person of Peter Ward, who was one of the best inside backs in New Zealand, He afterwards went to New South Wales and made a name for himself in Australian football.
Some of the best athletes of the country used to compete at athletic meetings at Manaia, for not only did the best of the local talent foregather, but famous men from all parts of New Zealand would make it their business to attend. One of these was A. W. Watts, the 220-yards hurdler, from Manawatu; Cameron, another good man over hurdles would also be present; Steve and Jim Minhinnick were two splendid athletes who never failed to carry off prizes; W. Good, who held the New Zealand hop, step and jump record for many years was nearly always a competitor, while J. S. McKay could be depended on to win many events and to sometimes scoop the pool. W. Bigham will be remembered as one of the best longdistance men, and Lionel Broad, who was in Manaia for a time, was the leading mile runner (amateur) in New Zealand. Hugh Good could always be depended on for a good contest in the
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
100 or 120 yards hurdles, being one of the best men in the Dominion at that form of athletics. H. D. Forsyth was another good 120 yards hurdler.
In cycling, Dick Arnst and other of the champion riders would be seen on the track, which was nicely banked and was the best on the coast. Barker, the South Island crack rider, Hunt, and Phil O’Shea were also among the competitors in the wheel events.
Wrestling had a big following and many a fine exhibition was given by Donald Denny, one of Scotland’s best athletes. Sutherland, an Australian champion, and Pou Whareumutoi were two other top-notch men at this form of sport, both being strongly built and very hard to throw. Dan Hughes and Te Aro, an Otakeho Maori, could also give a good account of themselves. Donald Dinny was also a champion at putting the shot and tossing the caber, and there were few who could equal his performances. With the presence of so many bushmen in the surrounding districts it was only natural that axemen’s competitions formed a big feature at the Manaia Caledonian sports for some years. One of the most prominent district axemen was Dave Briggs, who was always placed in these events. It has been said that the axemen’s competitions in Taranaki originated from an argument between the late Mr J. C. Dawbin and another as to who was the better axeman. A match was arranged for £5, and this took place at Kaponga, being the forerunner of the competitions which proved so very popular at the various sports meetings.
Following the disastrous fire of 1903, the citizens of Manaia came to the conclusion that there was some need to tackle and make provision for fire-fighting should the occasion arise again. The first to come forward was Mr J. Gilmour, who presented the town with a fire-bell, which was hung on a wooden frame between the post office and the courthouse. The Fire Board added to the equipment a hand fire engine and a few hundred feet of hose, and also a building which was originally a church, the latter being removed to the present site of the station to house the gear.
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
A brigade was formed, and at the first meeting held on February 23, 1903, Mr T. Armitage was elected captain and Mr A. Franklin lieutenant. Apart from the officers, those present were Messrs J. Hunt (chairman), Garrigan, J. J. Meldon, G. White, Tarrant, J. Hodgson and W. Wallace. At this meeting the following news members were enrolled; Messrs A. Colthart, C. Jones, H. Proudfoot, J. Bye, and L. Butler.
The next meeting that is recorded took place on April 23, 1903, when Mr T. H. Lowe was enrolled, and from that time until his death in October, 1926, was an active member. After this meeting the brigade seems to have died a natural death, with the exception of Mr Lowe, who carried on as station keeper.
A revival took place in March, 1905, when a public meeting was held and a community fire brigade was formed, the chief officers being again Messrs Armitage and Franklin. A corps of fire police was also formed, with Mr M. Franklin as chief. As far as the records show the community brigade went out of existence in the latter end of 1906. Following a fire in a private house in November, 1908, still another effort was made to equipment the town with a fire brigade and more up-to-date gear. At that time, Mr C. H. Taylor, recently from a city fire brigade, was in business in Manaia, and he got to work with such success that a meeting was held on November 20, 1908 and a brigade formed of which he was elected captain and Mr Armitage lieutenant. During Captain Taylor’s term of office the brigade was equipped for the first time with uniforms, and then in July, 1909, the Town Board procured from Christchurch a large manual engine, which did useful service for many years.
On February 10, 1910, a tender was accepted for additions to the station, the price being £llB. The result of a successful bazaar enabled the brigade to carry out these improvements. A large fire bell was procured in May, 1910, and a reel donated in July of the same year.
The roll book at this time records good average attendances at meetings. Captain Taylor earned the thanks of the citizens of Manaia for the manner in which he laid the foun-
555
The late Mr. J. J. Campbell,
The late Mr. Henry Betts.
The Hon. Peter Fraser, Minister of Education, opens Otakelio' s new school.
HISTORY OF HA WE BA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
dation of a most useful organisation. He resigned in 1912 to start a business in Auckland and Superintendent G. White was elected to faithfully carry out the duty for well over 20 years. The Manaia Fire Brigade is now a credit to the town, and would well serve a much large centre. It has been well equipped with all fire fighting appliances, and the town has also a first-class water scheme. Meetings of the brigade are held fortnightly, and the membership is well maintained.
The Manaia township now possesses a water and sewerage scheme that will meet the requirements of the people for many years to come, and although not actually completed until 1924 the project received consideration long before that year. The matter was first considered in 1896, when a scheme to supply water from the Kaupokonui River was prepared by Mr J. R. Stewart, then consulting engineer to the Manaia Town Board.
This provided for 240 chains of seven-inch wooden fluming from the intake to the Normanby Road, and 120 chains of six-inch piping from there to the town. The proposal, however, never matured, and in 1903 the authorities undertook the provision of a series of wells in the streets for fire-fighting purposes. Some of these may still be seen in the streets to-day.., It was another 21 years before a proper gravitation system was installed. ' This was completed in 1924 at a cost of £17,000, and even in the driest year there is always a plentiful supply of pure water at a good pressure.
A modern sewerage system has also been established, but at present this does not extend much beyond the chief business and residential areas. Owing to the scattered nature of the town it has not been considered expedient to raise the additional money required to complete the works, which to date have cost over £13,000. The most recent addition to the town’s water supply is the modern baths erected near the town hall. This was a wonderful effort, made possible by the generous nature of the people of the district to an appeal for funds, and also by a legacy provided out of the will of the late Mr J. J. Patterson, one of the pioneers of the Waimate Plains. The swimming baths are now almost completed, and what is more important, will be opened free of cost as a ceu-
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HISTORY OP HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
tennial memorial—a memorial to the pioneers who made history on the Waimate Plains.
Manaia Town Board.
Chairmen
A. B. Langley
P. J. McCarthy
Jas. Stewart
J. Milroy
A. W. Budge
J. Hunt
A. H. Christie
W. Borrie
J. 6. Craig
J. J. Meldon
L. G. Nielson
N. C. Innes
H. Mead
A. H. Yarrow
L. C. Harrison
L. A. Walters (present chairman)
Town Clerks
G. A. Hurley 1882-98
J. C. Datson 1898-1905
F. Archer 1905-08
Geo. Dawson 1908-10
V. 11. Hobday 1910-19
D. Duncan 1919-20
W. J. Bradley 1920-28
J. A. Ross 1929-30
J. Rodie 1930-to date
Commissioners
A. E. Langley C. Days W. O’Brien
J. Jackson P. J. McCarthy H. Sinclair
J. MoCutcheon Thos. Bayly J. M. Byrne
J. Stewart J. Hall J. P. Aldridge
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
J. Gilmour Chas. Lewis W. J. Hird
D. Proudfoot Chas. McCarthy J. Milroy
A. W. Budge A. Sutherland J. Meul
J. Hunt Thos. Green Dr. Robert Pairman
A. N. L. Benporath M. Franklin T. E. Crowhurst
C. Hunger S. B. Corrigan E. Godfrey
E. Cave R. H. Donald W. Messana
H. B. McVicar W. A. Limbrick A. J. Jury
A. L. Young D. Craig P. Wilson
T. Smellie A. H. Christie A. G. Bennett
J. J. Meldon Geo. Glenn T. A. Bridge
C. C. Davis M. Bolger E. Long
Hill G. 0. McKenzie *J. A. G. Cosgrove
W. Borrie W. Bigham J. G. Craig
W. S. Glenn R, W. Hornby H. B. Candy
W. R. Butler E. J. Kendall J. Bussell
T. W. Armitage G. H. Meuli C. H. Tayloi
J. B. Dunn J. A. Hansen J. Christie
W. Taylor L. G. Nielson A. R. Eleock
B. Howell P. T. McCarthy 6. H. Edwards
i>. xxuwcn r. x. ivicvxarLiiy \x. xi. jLuwarus J. Hickey N. C. Innes *R. S. F. Craig
H. Holmes C. T. W. Jones S. H. Greaves
V. H. Hobday H. Mead B. J. Massey
A. M. Hannah E. C. Hansen *A. J. Christo
L. C. Harrison *L. A. Walters W. H. Robinson
H. Symmans Y. P. Winter A. H. Yarrow
•A. J. Clare *T. W. Armitage *G. R. Watts
N. D. Jones L. Bell
Those marked with an asterisk are members of the present Town Board.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XXV
Waimate West County Council
A PTBR serving a useful purpose for over a quarter of a century, the Waimate West Road Board went out of existence with the formation of the Waimate West County Council in October, 1908. This was the second county to be constituted since the Hawera County Council broke away from the Patea body in 1881, and to date it is the last local body to be constituted in South Taranaki. One of the smallest county areas in the Dominion, it serves a very useful purpose in its own district and the ratepayers have had an excellent service from the councillors since its constitution.
The Waimate West County Council is in the fortunate position that it has no rugged back country as is the case with several of its immediate neighbours, but excellent progress has been made with the area under control, and to-day there are no better country roads to be found in the Dominion than those in the Waimate area. One of the first councils to adopt a tar-sealing policy, practically all of its roads are now in the condition where maintenance is reduced to a minimum.
After the long battle with the Patea County Council regarding the formation of the Waimate Road Board, the present area of the Waimate West County Council was controlled by the Hawera County Council from 1881 until 1908, but particularly in the latter years of that period there was a feeling among the people of the Waimate Plains that they should have sole control of their local body affairs. This feeling grew gradually until the petition was prepared praying for the constitution of a separate county council. During the years immediately preceding the constitution of the new council there were many controversial subjects occupying the attention of the ratepayers of the Hawera and Manaia districts, although there is no suggestion that they formed the principal reason
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Waimate West County Council.—Sitting: Crs. J. E. Wells, J. Leslie, F. Mouric (chairman), G. E. Smith, H. H. Buxton. Standing: Crs. S. H. le Fleming, L. C. Harrison, Mr. V. H. Hobday (clerk), and Mr. J. A. Hansen (engineer).
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
why a petition was framed for the constitution of the county. But whatever the reason, there is no doubt now that certain of these proposals met with strong opposition from the Waimate West ratepayers. Among these was the decision of the Hawera and Eltham County Councils to erect toll-gates between them and the new county area, and naturally this decision resulted in a minor storm of protest from the people of the Plains. As a matter of fact, the toll gate erected by the Hawera County Council was the subject of a Royal Commission between the two councils, but after four days’ deliberations the decision was allowed to stand, and for 17 years the ratepayers on the Waimate Plains had to pay to go through the gate situated near the boundary of their area.
As related elsewhere, the toll gates went out of existence with the formation of the Main Highways Board in 1925, and the main source of grievance between the two local bodies disappeared also. Since that time nothing has been allowed to disturb the harmonious relationship that exists between the two counties, and a real spirit of co-operation prevails. It should be pointed out, however, that the residents of the Waimate Plains were not the only ones who objected to the toll-gates on the main road, because they were a source of annoyance to all who had to pay for their use.
The boundaries of the Waimate West County Council according to the proclamation Gazetted at the time of its constitution were “Prom the south-west corner of Section 1, Block V, Waimate S.D., along Blocks V and I to the south boundary of Section XX, Block I; due west along the middle of the Oeo Road to Block IX, Kaupokonui, and due east along Blocks IX and XI, Kaupokonui, to the middle of Palmer Road; south by a line along the Palmer Road to the north boundary of Section 147, Block IV, Waimate, and due west to the northeast corner of Section 75, Block 111, Waimate, to the Inaha Road, and down to the sea and west to the place of commencement.
The county is bounded on the south by the Hawera County; on the east by the Eltham County; and on the north by the Egmont County. It has no town hoards or boroughs
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
within its area, with the exception of the Manain Town Board. One of the early records of the county states that “So long as the township of Opunake remains unconnected with the present railway, the council shall pay £lOO to the Eltham County Council annually, to be expended in repairs to that part of the Eltham Road within the Kaponga Riding of the Eltham County.” The council had to pay this amount until not so very many years ago.
The reason for this seems to be somewhat obscure at present, but it can hardly be imagined that the council would agree to such a resolution unless there was solid reasoning behind the proposal. The railway line from Opunake to the junction at Te Roti passes through portion of the area of the Waimate West County Council, the area being affected being mainly that lying between Palmer Road and Oeo, and the line is used fairly extensively by farmers in that particular district. This railway line was strongly favoured by the people of Waimate, and at varying intervals there was a strong agitation on the part of the council to have the work completed, it being felt that such a move would off-set the problem of the tollgates. There was also a suggestion at one time that a feeder service would be established to Manaia, presumably between that town and Kapuni, but this never materialised, despite a certain amount of agitation on the part of certain people. They advanced the reason that construction would be comparatively easy because of the flat nature of the land in the vicinity, while they also stressed the fact that the town was too far from a railway centre to secure an economic transport of dairy and farm produce. These arguments, however, were brought forward after the toll gates had been erected and the proposal to construct an electric tramway line from Hawera to Kaupokonui had been rejected. One of the factors used against the proposal was the fact that a loan of £60,000 would be necessary to provide for it, and it was held that the district could not afford to pay the interest on such a sum of money.
At the first meeting of the council there were present Crs. A. J. Hastie, T. McPhillips, W. Mudford, E. Long, J. Cassidy,
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HISTOEY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
T. A. Bridge and G. C. Glenn. There were two nominations for the position of chairman, Crs Hastie and McPhillips, the former being elected by four votes to three.
At this meeting the Treasury made a demand for the payment of overdue interest amounting to £534, and this was paid on the personal guarantee of Cr. Bridge, whose action was warmly commended by the council. At the same time Cr. Long, who was chairman for several years in later years, paid a tribute to Cr. Bridge for the long services he had given to the Waimate Plains district as a member of the Road Board and as a Waimate Riding member of the Hawera County Council.
One of the first actions of the County Council was to arrange a programme of metalling for the various roads in the county. Among the first of these to receive attention was the Auroa Road, which runs from the Main South Road at Otakeho right to the Eltham—Opunake Road, a loan being arranged for the purpose, the amount being £1,360. The metalling of the Taikatu Road was done by the levying of a special rate of 17/64 d in the £, while the sum of £350 was provided for Kearin Road and £370 for the lower Normanby Road. The general rate was fixed at id in the £. In 1912 there was a change of chairman, Cr. McPhillips being elected in that year to hold office until 1926. His first council consisted of Crs. Bridge, Long, W. Le Fleming, Morton, Hughes and Scott.
The council in 1913 made a strong plea for the completion of the Opunake railway and also the feeder service to Manaia as mentioned earlier, and it was at this stage that the council expressed concern regarding the interest on the loan of £60,000.
Crs. J. S. McKay, J. Stevenson and P. Gamlin joined the council in 1915, Cr. McKay remaining a member of the council until his death in 1936. During the same year the engineer, Mr J. C. Cameron, resigned, and the present engineer, Mr J. A. Hansen, was appointed. The rates in that year were IJd in the £ in the Waimate Riding and Ifd in the Kaupokonui Biding.
The next change in the office of chairman came in 1924
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
with the election of Cr. E. Long, and he held office until his death in 1935. The members of the council at the time of his election were Crs. F. Mourie, J. S. McKay, H. H. Buxton, S. H. le Fleming, J. Leslie and T. A. Bridge. All except Cr. McKay and Cr. Bridge are members of the council to-day. Upon the death of Cr. Long, Cr. McKay was elected chairman, but he died within a few months of his election and the present chairman, Cr. Mourie, was elected. The other members of the present council are Crs L. C. Harrison, G. R. Smith and J. B. Wells.
The Waimate West County Council is represented on the Hawera Hospital Board, and one of its members, Cr. McKay, filled the office of chairman of the board at the time of his death. The council is also represented on the South Taranaki Electric Power Board, and as was the case with the Hospital Board, Cr. McKay was succeeded on this body by Cr. Mourie, who remain., a member of both organisations to-day.
One of the subsidiary organisations more or less under the control of the Waimate West Council is in the Demonstration Farm situated on the Normanby Road near to the Waiokura branch of the Kaupokonui Co-op. Dairy Company. The farm is controlled by a committee presided over by the instructor of the Department of Agriculture at Hawera, the committee consisting, in the main, of members of the County Council. The purpose of this farm is to study the problems confronting the farmers of the district, and it serves a very useful purpose in every way, and what is equally important, the farm is managed in a manner that enables it to pay its way and not become a liability.
The splendid roads in the Waimate West County have been for many years the admiration of visitors from all parts of the Dominion, for not only are the main roads well laid down with tar, but the subsidiary highways have also received a coating of this preparation, which has not only reduced maintenance costs, but has also eliminated the dust menace.
As stated earlier, several suggestions were made to solve the reading problem in South Taranaki for several years prior
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HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
to the constitution of the Waimate West County Council, among these being the tramway suggestion and the agitation to have the Opunake railway line completed. However, all of these failed to come to fruition when it was considered that the need was most pressing, and in 1914 the council decided to raise a loan of £45,000 for the purpose of putting down permanent roads. Tarring the surface had not been seriously considered up until this time, but after experiments had been carried out in the Hawera and Eltham Counties, the Waimate West body was satisfied that the tar-sealing suggestion had very definite possibilities of being successful, and it was decided to embark on a progressive scheme of this nature. Mr J. A. Hansen, the present engineer to the council, who had been successful with experiments in the Eltham district, was engaged to supervise the work.
Ihe first stretch of tarred road m the county was laid down in 1916, on the Main South Road from Inaha to the Manaia town boundary. In the following year Manaia Road, Sheet Road, and the balance of the Main South Road west of the Manaia town boundary were commenced, and this programme was continued until all the roads in the county’s area had been treated. Even after the work had been commenced, there was a diversity of opinion among the members of the council regarding the likelihood of success as far as the ability of the roads to carry motor traffic was concerned. The chairman of the council at that time, Or. T. MePhillips, was a strong advocate of the proposal, and time has since proved that his beliefs were well founded, and the district has reason to be grateful for his efforts on behalf of better roads.
It may be mentioned here that with the old type of metal roads the county finances were continually strained to meet the expenditure on repairs, a rate of IJd in the £ on the capital value being required.
Several years ago the Waimate West County Council decided to complete its progressive policy and to replace all wooden bridges with concrete structures. The sum of £12,000 was borrowed for this purpose and eight large concrete
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
bridges on the main roads were built over the principal rivers, Each structure is 18 feet wide and of such a permanent character that it will last for an indefinite period.
Waimate Eoad Board Chairmen.
J. C. Yorke
Phillip McCarthy
W. Blair T. A. Bridge (1901-08;
Waimate Road Board Clerks
6. R. Horner
G. Dawson
J. C. Datson
P. Archer (1902-08;
Waimate Road Board Engineers
P. Paneti
P. Archer.
Waimate Road Board Members
W. Read J. W. Stoddart I. Bayly
H. Horne T. Parsons W. W. Mitchell
W. Pearce R. Coxhead W. W. Mitchell
W. D. Powdrell T. Hurley A. Stevenson
W. Borrie A. Mortleman W. Swadling
J. C. Datson W. T. Wells R. Gibson
T. McPhillips E. Long M. Fitzgerald
G. 6. Harcourt
Waimate West County Council Chairmen
A. J. Hastie 1908-11
T. McPhillips 1911-24
E. Long 1924-35
J. S. McKay 1935-37
P, Mourie 1937-to date
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Clerks
G. Dawson 1908-19
H. Hobday 1919-to date
Engineers
P. Archer 1908-12
W. J. Lopdell 1912-14
M. J. Scally 1914 (4 months)
J. C. Cameron 1915 (9 months;
J. A. Hausen 1915-to date
Councillors
A. J. Hastie J. Cassidy G. C. Glenn
W. Mudford T. A. Bridge 6. G. Hareourt
D. J. Hughes E. Long W. H. le Fleming
T. McPhillips D. McD. Scott W. A. Morton
J. S. McKay J. F. Stevenson A. Gamlin
J. Leslie P. Mourie H. H. Buxton
S. H. le Fleming L. C. Harrison J. E. Wells. G. E. Smith
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
CHAPTER XXVI
Settlement Begins at Auroa
'pHE land around Auroa, originally called “Ratanui,” owing to the enormous quantity of gigantic rata trees in the bush, was first sold at Manaia by public auction about the year 1884. It was then in exceptionally heavy bush; some old residents say it was the most heavily timbered land in New Zealand. The bush was composed mainly of enormous rata, rimu, pukatea, tawa and many other valuable timber trees, including totara. When the land was first sold, the Government felled sufficient for a roadway through the bush and made bridle tracks to enable pack horses to traverse through it.
These tracks, owing to the soft nature of the ground and the numerous swampy places, became impassable for horses in the winter time, and it was quite a common occurrence for horses to get bogged in these treacherous morasses, many tales being told of these incidents. One story has been often related concerning a pipe which was seen smoking in the mud, a discovery which led to the mud being sounded and a man and a horse being recovered. These semi-canals of mud were a great handicap in the Auroa district and the pioneers found it very difficult to gain access to their properties. To-day, with splendid macadam roads running through the district, it is difficult to imagine that such a state of affairs ever existed.
The mention of these conditions led one old resident of the Auroa district to recall the excitement that attended the appearance of the first motor-ear in the district. “Yon could hear it coming up the Auroa Road making a noise like the roar of an aeroplane,” she said, “and everyone rushed out to see what it was. This proided the subject of exciting conversation for several days.” Contrast such a scene with the first trip up the same road made by the original settlers over
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Officials of the Cattle Show at Auroa
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
half a century ago—just a muddy track through the standing bush, a journey probably made on foot, while a pack horse carrying the owner’s worldly possessions was led laboriously behind.
Among the first of these early pioneers, who were almost without exception bachelors —young men out to “bullock” a home for themselves out of the virgin forest—were Messrs. Duncan and William Robertson, W. Ludlow, Dudee, E. Green, R. Henson, E. Foden, W. Henson, W. Sutton, Bateman, A. McLean, D. Gibson, S. Dawson, M. Calvey, J. Rowell, Blennerhassett, J. Deacon and others. Those who purchased land, but did not reside on it, included Messrs. Moore Hunter, Parsons, and Hislop.
When the bush was first felled, owing to the moist climate due to the heavy forest and the considerable altitude, there was much misty damp weather and rain and it was very difficult to get a “burn.” The flatness of the laud also contributed to the difficulty of burning the newly felled bush. Hence, the land at first was almost covered with heavy logs. Then came an enormous crop of thistle, many of them being six feet in height, which caused a considerable amount of concern. As small clearings were grassed, a few cows made their appearance, and butter, made and salted in kegs, was taken to the various stores and exchanged for goods in small quantities.
The dampness proved a blessing in many respects, for it favoured the growth of fungus on the timber and the gathering and drying of this “Taranaki wool” soon became quite an industry in the district. Fungus was sold in large quantities to Chew Chong, the Chinese gentleman who was later responsible for the introduction of the dairying industry on a large scale.
Cocksfoot grass suited the conditions of the district and this soon predominated on the various clearings. When this grass ran to seed it provided another industry of value, being gathered by hand among the logs. These were some of the means whereby the early pioneers were able to keep body and soul together in their first years in this locality. These “industries” were not peculiar to the Auroa district, but were more or less general in several parts of South Taranaki.
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Later, of course, when the dairying industry began to flourish, all of these tasks became only “side issues,” and finally disappeared altogether. With very few markets for what the early farmers had to sell, and there being a necessity for the seller to take goods in exchange on the barter system, the pioneers had to seek other avenues of employment in order to obtain ready money with which they intended to improve their properties. They found a market for their labours with the Government, and many of them were soon engaged on making roads throughout the district. This served the dual purpose of giving them ready cash and giving them a better access to their properties. The Auroa district, unlike so many others, failed to benefit from a sawmilling industry in the early days.
Before dairying started on the factory system, cattle grazing was the main farming industry, and some wonderful cattle, mainly Shorthorns, were fattened on this rich pastoral land.
About 40 years ago, dairying was becoming more general and a factory was started in the Auroa district. The land for the first dairy factory was donated by the late Mr. W. Blair, the site being at the junction of the Auroa and Sheet Roads, the first manager being Mr. J. Eae, the factory being run by the Crown Dairy Company. The night of the first day of the factory’s operations was a memorable one for the settlers, a dance being held and continued until daylight in order that the settlers might find their way home. During the night those present at the dance regaled themselves with three suppers! When the early settlers arrived their first homes were in tents, punga whares, or slab shanties; as the settlers got married these primitive dwellings were replaced by houses built of sawn timber and corrugated iron. As children arrived in the district and reached school age another problem arose—the provision of a school building. A working bee was engaged to fell the bush on the site selected for the school, and soon a whare 10 feet by 12 feet made its appearance in the little bush settlement. The first school teacher was Mr. Sergeant, and one of the first pupils to enter the school was Mr. Sylvanus Davies, now a resident on the Auroa Road, near Otakeho.
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAXMATE PLAINS.
In 1891 a new building was erected, this being part of the present school, while in 1898 the name of the school was changed from Eatanui to that of Auroa. Members of the first school committee were Messrs. W. Blennerhassett, H. Mellor, D. Gibson, and G. Hunter. One of the early teachers was Mr. Barratt, who is remembered by old settlers as a very fine pianist.
As the population increased, and more families arrived in the district, consequently increasing the attendance roll at the school, the need for a public hall arose. Accordingly, in 1900 the present hall was erected, Mr. J. Proffitt, who was then the storekeeper, being one of the first secretaries of the hall society. The hall was officially opened with a carnival and sale of work, about which an interesting tale is still remembered.
It fell to the duty of Mr. Jack Blair to sleep in the hall in order to protect the articles on the various stalls and also to look after the money that had been collected during the day and night. During the progress of an auction sale of certain articles, Jack was horrified to see his pyjamas being held up by the auctioneer for sale. He rushed forward to the rescue with the pertinent remark, “I cannot sleep in the hall in you sell those.”
The district soon assumed importance as a stock centre, and this introduced the question of sale-yards, this structure being provided about 1900.
In the early days the Auroa district was noted for pheasant and pigeon shooting, the only limit being the number of birds the gunman could carry. Some of the early settlers were very good shots, and a match between two of these was recently recalled by an old resident of the district. The match was between Mr. D. Gibson, now of Marton, and in his ’nineties, and the late Mr. W. Blair, then county chairman and a man very prominent in public affairs. These two were first-class shots, and it was arranged that they should travel abreast with 12 cartridges each and one dog apiece. Mr. Gibson shot 12 birds and his companion 11! Dncks were also numerous, and these, together with the wild pigeons, were slaughtered in hundreds, the great majority
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HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WATMATE PLAINS.
providing delicacies for the table. The pigeons were easily shot and provided great sport for the youth of the district. The late Mrs. Davies was in the habit of shooting pigeons from her back door, and cooking them for the next meal. Pigeons were so tame that they could be knocked down with sticks, and many of them were killed in that manner. They formed an important article of food among the Maoris for many years and, as might be presumed, they were killed by the natives for that purpose only. With the introduction of the firearms their slaughter and ultimate extinction altogether became only a matter of time, and legislation was ultimately passed making it illegal for any of these birds to be shot. To-day, the only locality in Taranaki where these birds may be found is in the Mount Egmont reserve, or far out in the more sparsely settled areas of the hinterland. It is one of the things standing to the discredit of the pakeha that these native birds were slaughtered in such numbers only for sport, when the Maori killed pigeons and other native birds only as required for food.
The Otakeho River, which runs through Auroa on its way from Mt. Egmont’s slopes to the sea, was stocked with trout, which did remarkably well at about this time, and the fish caught in this locality provided another welcome change in the diet of the pioneers for many years.
In a district such as Auroa, where the pioneers devoted their time to the attendance of their own immediate needs on the farms, incidents were more or less rare and, as is the case of so many rural districts, it might be said to have grown up almost without a history. Its history was associated with the trials and tribulations of the pioneers, and there it ceased; the coming of tar-sealed roads and motor ears and other forms of modern transport, were matters dreamed of by the pioneers, but they did not directly affect their early lives in the district. To-day, the Auroa district is more or less thickly populated, and its residents have at their disposal every modern facility, such as tennis, bowls, hockey and music,, to occupy their leisure moments. All of these facilities were provided with a definite purpose in view, that of giving to the young people of the district those advantages not enjoyed by their forefathers, but the fact must be remembered that the history of
579
Spectators at the Auroa Show.
Auroa cattle paraded for the judge.
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
the district began with the pioneers, and once their early plans were brought to fruition the history to all practical purposes ended.
Throughout the years many incidents have been recalled, some of them having attached to them a spice of humour, while others, unfortunately, were attended by tragedy. It is by the relation of such incidents that history as far as this portion of New Zealand is concerned, has been written in recent years. Old friends get together, perhaps after an absence of years, and they invariably start with the phrase, “Do you remember . . .?” Listening to such stories the younger generation is suddenly brought to the realisation that they have missed something, and that these stories should be handed down to posterity, but who is to do it when the pioneers have all passed into “the Great Beyond”? During the collection of the material for this history, the author came in contact with many people who were able to relate many incidents that were attended by more than a touch of humour, and some of these have been recounted here. They serve to indicate how the pioneers took their pleasures in the days when the picture theatre and the radio were matters far outside the ken of the average person, and existed only in the imagination of highly-educated scientists.
The time-honoured custom of “tin-canning” a newlymarried couple on their return from their honeymoon has more or less been allowed to pass into the background during recent years, but half a century {and even less) ago it was almost a religious rite in practically every place in New Zealand. It was the district’s particular way of showing the bride that she was a welcome addition to the population of the district, and was also the occasion for expressing good wishes to the newlymarried couple.
An old Auroa resident recently recalled several tricks that were played on certainly newly-weds, and made reference to one person whom we shall call “Bill”—a well-known resident who was the victim of a practical joke. Bill duly arrived at his home with his bride, but unknown to him some of his frends had been there earlier in the day and prepared what is
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HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
commonly known as a “Booby-trap.” When Bill opened the door of his whare, he and his bride were deluged with sour milk that filled a bucket carefully propped up on the inside of the door. Apparently Bill was not too pleased, and no wonder.
The tin-canning celebrations in connection with “Bill” Ludlow’s wedding are among the reminiscences of the same resident. Duncan Robertson and some of his friends broadcast the information that the Ludlows were to return to Auroa from their honeymoon on a certain day and preparations were made for the usual tin-canning celebrations. Duncan had the key in this keeping, and he slipped across to the house in the evening and lit the lamps, went out again, locked the door, and hid to await developments. Presently the crowd rolled up and rattled their cans for some time, but there was no response whatever from the interior, despite the bangings of the cans on the walls and doors of the house. Finally, the party went home in disgust, Duncan being among the loudest in his condemnation of Bill’s mean-ness. What happened when the bride and groom did put in an appearance was not among the incidents related to the author, but not many guesses are necessary. Mr. John Ludlow, a son of the marriage, lives on the same farm to-day, while Duncan Robertson lived opposite the property.
Another humourous incident was humourous for only 50 per cent, of the parties concerned—for the other half it was painful in the extreme. A certain young man of the district was courting a certain young woman, on one of his frequent visits to the home of his beloved he stayed so late that the young lady’s beauty sleep was endangered. She yawned, at first politely, but as the hour became later and the young man showed no signs of going home, she threw politeness to the winds, and yawned openly—so openly that she ultimately dislocated her jaw. Here was a predicament for the young man to be in, but without waste of time he at once set out for Manaia, 10 miles away, to get the doctor, the young lady in the meantime sitting with her mouth wide open. Dr. Pairman ultimately arrived, and even to-day there are people in Auroa
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HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
who can remember his first remark when he saw the young woman. “This is the first time I have ever known a woman to have lock-jaw,” he said.
Then there was the tragic occasion when three men were killed, and the whole district turned out and conducted a week’s search for a missing man, his skeleton finally being located in a clearing.
Accidents in the early days of the settlement were, unfortunately, fairly numerous and medical attention was difficult to obtain, but despite every obstacle, industry and perseverance prevailed. Looking back over it all, the most pleasing feature was the wonderful spirit of friendly hospitality and good-will, probably engendered through loneliness, which permeated the district. Many of the early settlers have crossed the “Great Divide,” but there are others who have left to reside in other parts of New Zealand. Some are station owners in Poverty Bay; some are noted stud masters in various districts, and some still remain in the district they helped to open up, prosperous and contented in the security of their own properties.
One final tale of the days of long ago before closing the chapter on the Auroa district. The tale concerns Jack Blair, and the manner in which he “cleaned up” a double at a certain race meeting. Jack had a horse, which in auctioneering parlance to-day would be known as a horse for “general purposes.” With this horse he used to transport his milk to the factory in the morning, and later in the day he would put the same animal into a dray and perform odd jobs about the farm. In no one’s mind did the horse exist as a potential racehorse, but that is what it turned out to be. On the one historic occasion in the animal’s life, Jack took it to a race meeting, entered it for certain events, won a “double” and received the dividend of a rank outsider, to the extreme satisfaction of himself and his many friends in the Auroa district.
And so we come to modern times, and the part the settlers of the district play in the development of New Zealand’s main industry—farming. Auroa is able to maintain contact with the outside world on roads that are looked upon as the best country roads in the Dominion—tar-sealed in every
379
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HISTORY OF HA WE BA AND THE WAJMATE PLAINS.
direction. Electricity has come to the district and become part and parcel of the home life of the people, as well as being an important factor in the milking shed and in other phases of farm life. By radio they are kept in touch with what is going on in the outside world; they listen in to Parliament per the same medium, and the day when news took the better part of a week to reach the district is now a thing of the past. Community efforts in many directions form another integral part of their existence, splendid examples of this being found in the Pipe Band, and in the annual cattle show, which is a feature of the farming community. Then there is the branch of the Plunket Society which has been formed in the district and which is doing yeoman service in fostering the needs of the young people and educating young mothers in the direction of bringing into the world a healthy race of people who will carry on the good work of the pioneers.
All of these things have not developed without years of sacrifice and hard labours, but the present generation will readily recognise that at the back of it all there is that eternal debt of gratitude to be paid to those pioneers who made the district possible. They laid the foundation of the present fertile settlement, and to them the people of Auroa to-day pay their tribute.
I ~~1
With the Plunket Society at Auroa. This society’s Opunake branch has supervision over the Auroa sub-bianch, and regular visits are made by the Plunket nurse.
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Story of Otakeho
to the history of the Otakeho district is the romantic story of the pioneers, which is the ease with so many other country districts in South Taranaki. Land which the passing motorist sees in all its glory of fertility was brought to its present state only by the sweat of the brows of the pioneers—men who met vicissitudes with a cheerful countenance, worked hard from daylight to dark, and who were assisted by their women-folk, who were fully imbued with the pioneer spirit.
Otakeho to-day is the centre of a fine dairying district, the land being among some of the best in Taranaki for that purpose; originally the area was covered with flax, toi toi, fern and toot, in contrast with the heavily bushed area of Auroa, which is situated some four miles nearer the mountain reserve. Where the people of Auroa and other immediate localities were forced to carve their homes out of the virgin forest, the pioneers of Otakeho were faced with another problem, one which did not call for so much manual labour as bush-felling perhaps, but one which called for some ingenuity in draining the land, and ridding it of the roots of the plants referred to. That the pioneers succeeded is very evident in a drive through the district.
The name “Otakeho” is probably derived from the fact that the locality was at one time the residence of a well-known Maori chief named Takeho; the name therefore suggests “the place of Takeho.” At one period the district supported a fairly large native population, and, as referred to elsewhere in this book, it was the scene of ploughing operations on the part of the Maoris in the closing years of the last century, although the most famous occasion, that on which Captain Gudgeon was called in as arbitrator, the incident was only an
590
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
"incident” and nothing more, as it arose owing to a misunderstanding due to a change of ownership of a farm property.
One of the first settlers to arrive in the Otakeho district was the late Mr. Borrie, who was followed by the following settlers at varying intervals: Messrs. G. Campbell, Broadbent, Owen, Leslie, Symmons, Bartlett, W. S. Young, D. Carroll, Balneaves, Nicolson, Gildroy, Murray, D. Gibson, Schinkel, A. McLean Murphy, Barrow, W. Bair, Milne, Parsons, Davies, Yandle Kelland, Godsall, Dingle, Ryan, W. Sutton, Buckingham Smith, Alexander, Sir William le Fleming, Ogden, J. J. Campbell, Coxhead, Robertson, Spence, A. Young, S. Norris, G. Norris, Gamlin, Knight, and Dustow. Well-known Maoris who lived in the district in the early days were Rama, Raha, and Ahau; the latter is remembered by district residents today as always wearing long greenstone ear-rings fastened to his ears with black ribbon. Rama’s name is perpetuated in the naming of Rama Road, which is situated between the Kaupokonui Dairy Factory Company’s factory and Otakeho. Mr. Borrie had his farm on the bank of the Otakeho River, on the opposite side of which was a very ancient pa.
Prior to the provision of a school in the district, Mr. Borrie taught his children himself; the school was not opened until August, 1884, under the jurisdiction of the Wanganui Education Board. The first teacher was Mr. Coventry, who was succeeded in turn by Mr. Stewart and Mr. Honore. On the day the school opened there were five Borrie children in attendance, these being portion of a family of 16 which Mr. and Mrs. Borrie raised. It is of interest to note that one member of the family, a child who died of croup, was the first person to be interred in the Otakeho cemetery, which had to be surveyed before the burial could take place. Mrs. Borrie at first made all her bread in a camp oven, then a colonial oven, and finally the then peak of luxury—a range.
In mentioning the names of the pioneer families of the district, the names of two pioneer women who did a great deal of home nursing for the pioneer families should not be omitted. These were Mrs. Symmons and Mrs. McKay, the latter being from the Manaia township. To-day, when medical practitioners
591
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
are to oe tound at almost every hamlet and village in the country, and when transport to a hospital is only a matter of a short journey, it is hard to realise the hardships the pioneers had to undergo in cases of sickness or accident. But in the early days the responsibility fell upon the shoulders of pioneer women who accepted the mantle of Florence Nightingale in a manner which reflected on them the highest order of praise. Invariably their services were called upon until a doctor could he brought, perhaps a journey of some hours over very rough roads, and their knowledge and skill was instrumental in saving many lives. Such women as these were Mrs. McKay and Mrs. Symmons, whose names will always be remembered by the older families of Otakeho.
At first the pioneer farmers turned their attention to cropping, and wheat and barley fields were common sights in the district. Oats also had to be provided, the obvious reason being for fodder purposes, and for several years these crops kept farm hands busy throughout the year, from the ploughing to the harvest period. The threshing machines of Mr. W. T. Wells, of Manaia, and that of Mr. D. Cattanaeh were familiar sights on the roadside during the autumn months. The wheat was transported to Manaia, where it was ground into flour by Mr. McVicar.
Being situated on the Main South Koad, Otakeho was directly on the route for the coach service from Opunake to Hawera, and to-day it is not difficult to imagine the interest the arrival of the coach would create each day. When it is pointed out that Otakeho was a scheduled stopping place for a change of horses, this fact also arouses memories of the romantic age of the pioneer. To-day, motor cars pass through the settlement with scarcely a passing thought; in the days of yesterday, the arrival at Otakeho, in common with the other stopping places en route, provided an item of interest for the passengers, and probably for the settlers also, who recognised the coach as the only means of communication with the world outside. In the mails and newspapers that were transported by this medium, it filled another niche of importance in their lives. The coach was definitely a matter of great importance,
383
HISTORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
and one cannot help feeling a twinge of regret that its daysare long past, and rapidly being forgotten.
At one period of the coaching days, Mr. Bartlett had the service, and he had the use of stables at the rear of the Otakeho Hotel for a considerable time. Here he kept his spare horses, which he changed en route to either Opunake or Hawera, as the case may be.
With the advent of more settlers, the opportunity came for the setting up of a general store, the first man to take advantage of this opportunity being Mr. Alexander. Later Mr. Blennerhassett took over the business. The store provided the general meeting place for everybody, particularly as the post office was attached to it, and as it was the stopping place for the daily coach.
The first blacksmith in the district was Mr. McCall, and the first saddler was Mr. Coady. Many of the present day residents can recall how they used to provide a working bee and put a floor into the blacksmith’s shop in order that it might be used for either dancing or skating. After a time the settlers made a combined effort and raised sufficient money to build the present hall. In the first place each made a contribution of as much cash as he could afford, and later a huge bazaar was held, and this proved sufficient for the settlers purpose. Dances were among the principal pleasures of the pioneers, and proved a pleasure they took very seriously indeed, as evident in the fact that they were willing to put a temporary floor down in the only available building for this purpose. On the following morning, apparently, it had to be removed to make way for the blacksmith to carry on his normal trade. The music for the dances in the old blacksmith’s shop was provided by Mr. Conaglen (accordeon) and Mr. Herlihy (violin) from Pihama. Later when dances were held in the hall, the music was supplied by Messrs. J. Datson and F. Stevenson, of Manaia, and Messrs. G. Smith and C. Davies and Miss L. Espagne, of Hawera, the latter being a member of a very well-known family in the early days of South Taranaki. The Otakeho residents were not parochial in seeking their pleasures in dancing, for functions in other localities were
593
HISTOKY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
freely patronised. The journeys were made to and fro in drays, the trips being enlivened en route by the music of an aecordeon, the latter instrument being another associate of the pioneers that is rapidly passing into the background of oblivion. The rare occasions the instrument is heard nowadays is at functions arranged by the Swiss nationals in this portion of the province.
In addition to meeting the needs of the children as far as their education was concerned, the school provided the accommodation for adults on Sundays for church services. The Anglican and Presbyterian ministers were among the first to include Otakeho in their respective parishes, the first Anglican minister being the Rev. Kay, and the first Presbyterian the Rev. Allsworth. Miss Annie Hair was the first organist for the church services.
One of the most popular diversions in the early days was debating and in Otakeho a strong society was formed, music and elocutionary items being presented to give variety to the evenings. Keen members of the debating section of the society were Messrs. W. Blair, W. Hill, Blennerhassett and Milne, while Mr. Dave Chalmers, who was a good vocalist, provided a large portion of the musical section of the programmes.
The advent of a baker’s shop in Otakeho proved a great boon to the housewife, who did not have to worry over the procuring of yeast and the other little jobs which were part and parcel of the task of making her own bread. Some of the older people continued to make their own bread, perhaps, but many of them patronised the baker, Mr. Hickey, and subsequently Mr. W. R. Surgenor, who only recently left the district. When the farmers of the district turned their thoughts to dairying a dairy factory became one of the first essentials, this being established a little north of the township. The first manager was Mr. Mead, and the first chairman of directors was Mr. Milne, he being succeeded by Mr. Borrie in later years. The first storekeeper in the district, Mr. Alexander, met his death while returning from a ball in Manaia. His horse
594
HISTOEY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
took fright when approaching the Otakeho bridge, and in falling Mr. Alexander received severe head injuries which later proved fatal.
An incident which happened in the Otakeho district as early as 1879 recalls the murder of a surveyor in the Waverley district, and the ultimate capture of the native responsible during the seige of Parihaka in 1881. After murdering the surveyor referred to (McLean), the native concerned in the outrage, Hiroki, set out for the shelter of Parihaka and Te Whiti, a journey that was not accomplished without incident. Among those who were called out to assist in his capture was the famous Maori athlete, William Minhinnick, who later settled at Oeo. After chasing Hiroki through difficult country between Waverley and Hawera, Minhinnick and his companion, a half-caste named Johnny Blake (brother of the founder of Normanby), learned that Hiroki was making for Parihaka. The information they received was that Hiroki was at a hapu in the Kaupokonui district, and they soon made this their objective.
With all haste they secured mounts and rode into a clearing inland from Otakeho, where they awaited the coming of the wanted man. Sure enough, just before dusk, Hiroki emerged from the shadows of the bush, carrying a gun and accompanied by a mongrel dog. Immediately, Minhinnick, who was on guard with a rifle in his hands, cried out in Maori, “Hands up!” The fugitive appeared to acquiesce for a moment, then suddenly wheeling round, he bolted for the shelter of the scrub. Minhinnick fired low, and the ball hit the fugitive on the thigh, and he fell. But with surprising agility and stamina he arose before they could close on him, and calling out, “From the setting to the rising of the sun let no man follow me,” he darted into the bush, which was now dark with the shadows of night. A brief search was made for the man, but it was deemed unwise to track him closely in the darkness, as he had all the advantage of cover, and was known to be armed and desperate. As a matter of fact, Hiroki staunched the flow of blood with a rough bandage of flax over a padding of mahoe leaves, and travelling all night he even-
595
HISTORY OF HAWEBA AND THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.
tually reached Parihaka, where he lived for three years before being apprehended.
Throughout the years people have come and gone in the Otakeho district, but the work accomplished by the pioneers in the early days still stands as a monument to their tenacity of purpose. To-day it is a locality where smiling farms have replaced the former wild growths, and the farmers of the district contribute their share to the wealth of the greatest dairy province in the Dominion. Its young people are turning their attention to outdoor activities, and the Otakeho football team has done much to draw attention to the district during the last two years. The modern school, considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of the district for many years to come, was recently opened by the Hon. Peter Fraser, Minister of Education, while the Otakeho branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union is serving a very useful purpose in the needs of the farming members of the community. The problems which face the farmer to-day are as great in their sphere as were many which the pioneer met in his daily life, and they are being dealt with in the same tenacious fashion.
Nearby is situated the Kaupokonui Dairy Company’s factory, which may be classed among the largest cheese factories in the world. Who of the pioneers could forsee such a happening? Who among them could foretell the manner in which the results of their labours would develop? It is not given to man to see these visions, the Creator, in His infinite wisdom, keeping that right as His own. They may have conceived a cheese factory and perhaps some of them lived to see it grow, but none of the original settlers saw it reach its present magnitude, keeping hundreds of persons employed at varying periods from sun-up to sun-down.
And so with these thoughts we bring the chapter on Otakeho to a close. With its conclusion is expressed the same sentiments as those which go out to other chapters in this record—to the pioneers of this district the people of the present generation owe a great deal—more than they can ever repay.
596
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Biographical Index
Aldred, —22.
Anderson, Sergt., 74, 77.
Atkinson, Sir Harry, 97, 170, 197, 210, 211, 261, 264, 329.
Armit, J. D., 180.
Adamson, S., 194.
Arundel, W. J., 258, 259.
Allan, Thomas, 299, 300, 301.
Adams, Jack, 300.
Adamson, W., 296.
J .. Adamson, —325.
Allsworth, R. J., 330.
Anderson, Sergeant, 337, 341, 34J 344.
Arnst, Dick, 359.
Armitage, T., 360.
Bourke, Sir Richard, 17.
Bumby, J. H., 22.
Buttle, —22.
Bowen, Sir F., 30.
Bent, Kimble, 33, 34, 35, 38, 41, 57, 225.
Butler, Lieut.-Col., 37, 38, 39. TJ „ Q4. T ETA
Brannigan, St. J., 50.
Bayly, E., 51.
Booth, —5l, 52.
Brown, Sub-Inspeetor, 53, 66, 71
Blake, Corporal John, 59.
Beamish, A., 59.
Beamish, John, 60, 61.
Buck, Capt. G., 66, 71, 73, 75, 76.
Best, Dr., 66, 72, 75.
Bennett, Sergt., 74.
Boyd, Corporal, 74.
Blake, Sergt., 74.
Burke, Constable, 76
Bayly, L, 85, 173, 177, 254, 260, 261, 310, 315, 316.
Bryce, Hon. John, 87, 178, 379.
Bate, G. V., 100, 172, 173, 182, 183, 194, 196, 254, 305, 306, 309, 311, 313, 325.
Bullard, G. H., 112.
Black, F., 122, 123.
Bridge, T. A., 126, 127, 129, 130, 367, 368.
Borrie, J., 127, 128, 130. T) „ T CS 1,40
Barton, J. S., 142.
Butler, Louis, 144.
Baker, H. E., 169, 173, 273.
Black, John, 169, 173, 176.
Broadbent, C., 172, 309, 315, 332, 382.
Bamford, G., 17c
Barraclough, —2O T3ono
Boyd, —203.
Bond, —203.
Barton, E., L’E., 206, 207, 218, 219,
Bayly, F., 341, 342.
Buckby, Dr., 209.
Ballance, John, 212.
Briggs, —212.
Beaumont, —2l
Bayly, Alf., 217.
Bach, —220.
Budge, C. A., 22 1
Bone, L. A., 227.
Batterbee, Sir Harry, 231.
Bayly, G. T., 240, 242, 244, 254, 291, 294, 336.
Brett, F. H., 254, 264, 271, 272, 278.
- I o. Baird, M., 254, 264.
Brown, John, 256.
Budge, A. W., 258, 261, 319, 324, 330, 334, 339, 343.
Best, P., 258.
Baker, Mrs. J. H., 258.
Buchanan, D., 260.
Blake, Captain, 262.
Broadbent, S. S., 263. Tsn*lr a T OCC
Burke, J., 265.
Blake, Captain R. T., 270.
Brett, A. G., 272, 278.
Beresford, C. H., 273, 274.
Bayly, G. M., 275.
Betts, Henry, 281,
Bayly, C., 287.
Baker, J. H., 295.
Beard, Sam and Dave, 295.
Bissett, Alex., 300, 301.
Borrie, W., 306, 330.
Bayly, H., 309, 319, 323.
Byrne, J. M., 319. ’
Bayly, T., 319, 325, 337.
Bauporath, H.*, 319.
Blackett. J. R., 321.
Boyle, H., 323.
Bolger, M., 334.
597
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Bennett, A. G., 358.
Chrystal, Paddy, 271.
Burke, Edwin, 358.
Clements, li., 280.
Burke, Major, 358.
Cassells, liev., 288.
Bourke, Dave, 358.
Crawford, James, 310, 313, 314.
Birchall, Bert, 358.
Casey, C., 315.
Bigham, W., 358.
Chadwick, H., 315.
Broad, Lionel, 358.
Coxhead, R., 316.
Briggs, Dave, 359.
Corrigan, S, 8., 320.
Butler, L., 360.
Christie, H. F., 321.
Buxton, H. H., 368.
Caspar, li., 325.
Blair, W., 374, 375, 382, 385.
Campbell, J. and C., 325.
Cowern, W., 325.
Blair, Jack, 375, 379.
Cameron, W., 330.
Creed, Charles, 22.
Carpenter, W. L., 331.
Cowan, James, 30, 39, 61, 67.
Cox, T., 342.
Cameron, Sir Duncan, 33, 36, 79, 94.
Campbell, K., 342.
Carroll, R., 358.
Chute, Major-General, 36, 37, 38, 39, 45, 79.
Christie, W. W., 358.
Colman, Jack, 358.
Carrington, 0., 48.
Christie, Jack, 358.
Cahill, —., 50, 52, 55.
Colthart, A., 360.
Cassidy, J., 366.
Cuming, Captain, 52, 70, 72.
Clarke, —53, 55.
Calvey, M., 373.
Cahill, Corporal, 74.
Chew Chong, 373.
Caldwell, Private, 76.
Campbell, G., 382.
Coxhead, Mr. —., 86, 87.
Campbell, J. J., 382.
Campbell, J. E., 139, 140, 229, 230, 231, 232, 239.
Cattanach, D., 383.
Chalmers, D., 385.
Cook, J., 142.
Davis, C. 0., 15.
Cameron, Colin, 169, 173, 255.
Crowhurst, Thomas E., 172, 173, 212, 319.
Dore, Private, 68.
Davey, Sergeant, 74.
Cockburn, H. 8., 173.
Davis, Constable, 75.
Cobb & Co., 175.
Deekson, Private, 75.
Chetham, T., 176.
Davidson, James, 91, 92, 94, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 134, 135, 169, 173, 176, 183, 186, 225, 249, 254, 257, 258, 261, 262, 296, 302.
Caverhill, J. S., 179, 253.
Campbell, M., 203.
Caverhill, W. J., 203, 213, 254, 260, 261.
Campbell, J. A., 203.
Doyle, P., 118.
Cummins, 0., 204.
Duirs, W., 130.
Caplen, H., 205, 242.
Douglas, R. 8., 144.
Crowhurat, Miss C., 212.
Dickie, H. G., 146, 228, 294.
Conroy, A. M., 218, 219.
Dingle, W., 169, 173, 323.
Cameron, J. C., 222, 367.
Duffill, J., 173.
Campbell, Petef, 225.
Dyer, J., 176.
Christie, John, 225.
Dive, 8., 218.
Corrigan, J. R., 227.
Dobson, A. D., 221, 222.
Clapham, L. H., 233.
Dixon, E., 224, 227, 288.
Crawshaw, W. J., 243, 244.
Davies, Victor, 246.
Dive, W. E., 249, 257, 258, 261.
Carson, Miss Hilda, 249, 251.
Crocker, J., 254, 264.
Duff, A. H., 253.
Campbell, E., 255.
Davis, H. 1., 265.
Cock, R., 255.
Dolan, P., 273.
Colson, A., 255.
Dickie, C. D., 294.
Carroll, D. 265.
Doole, W., 295.
Collins, Ned, 270, 283.
Dale, Bam, 296.
Caldwell, J., 270.
Dee, T., 296.
598
HISTORY OP HAWEEA AND THE WAIiIATE PLAINS.
Dale, W., 307.
Dingle, R., 309, 314, 315, 321, 347, 348.
Days, €., 316, 317.
Datson, J. C., 320, 384.
Donald, R., 320.
Dawson, —., 339.
Dawbin, J. C., 359.
Dawson, S., 373.
Deacon, J., 373.
Davies, Sylvanus, 374.
Econemedes, 47, 48.
Elkin, Constable, 75.
Eastwood, E. 8., 173, 182, 300.
Espagne, T., 176.
Elliott, H. S., 217.
Ecclesfield, T., 225.
Evans, Mrs. Ann, 225.
Egglestone, W. M., 233.
Evans, Allan, 233.
Esse, R. C., 249.
Eagles, Richard, 271.
England, W. L., 272, 273, 274.
Epping, G. W., 278.
Earle, W. A., 278.
Edwards, William, 289.
Espagne, Miss L., 384.
Flannagan, —., 60.
j. lauuagau, ~ uu. Fookes, Lieut., 66, 75.
Fleur, Sergt., 74, 77.
Farram, Constable, 75.
Fulton, Constable, 76.
Flynn, Private, 76, 227.
Furlong, W. J., 91, 92, 173, 182, 183, 263.
Finlayson, F., 94, 96, 278.
Finlay, H. J., 145.
Fox, Sir William, 175, 176.
Fitzsimmons, T., 176, 203.
Fyson, A. K., 181.
Foy, T. M., 193.
Fanthara, A. A., 197, 238, 253, 254, 260, 295.
Faber, F. C., 204, 236.
Fergusson, Sir Charles, 228.
Fyfe, Mr. and Mrs. W. C., 229.
Forbes, Rt. Hon. G. W.
Fraser, D. W., 250.
riclSCl, XJ. ~ 4UU. Finlayson, —., 254.
Forsyth, —., 254.
Foreman, Richard, 299, 300.
Franklin, M., 319, 340, 360.
Fake, E.’ 321.
Forsyth, H. D., 359.
Franklin, A., 360.
Foden, E., 373.
Fraser, Hon. Peter, 387.
Grey, Sir George, 3, 36, 45, 55, 211.
Guard, Mrs., 17, 18, 19.
Guard, Captain, 17, 18. I* n i n »i a f\ tzn
Gorton, Colonel, 40, 50.
Gudgeon, Lieut., 43, Captain 53, 59, 86, 318, 321, 325, 329, 332, 381.
Gill, Michael, 59, 60, 61.
Gay nor, William, 59.
Goring, Captain, 66.
Gilgan, Constable, 75.
Grant, Private, 75.
Genniskin, Private, 76.
Goddard, Private, 76.
Griffiths, Private, 76.
Gane, W. G., 91, 93, 306, 307, 311, 313.
Godkin, —., 96, 254.
Gibson, C. E., 100, 268, 269, 270, 272, 273, 274, 276.
Gane, F. J., 125,
Goodland, W., 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132.
Gardner, 0., 142, 222.
Greig, J. S., 172.
Gordon, Sir Arthur, 178.
Galvin, Patrick, 180.
Good, A., 198, 357.
Good, H., 198, 357, 358.
Graham, W. G., 203.
Gunn, —., 203.
Gillies, A. W., 219.
Gibson, John, 225.
Ginger, S., 225.
Gibson, G. H., 225.
Goodson, Mrs. M. J., 225.
Grant, Lieut. J. (V.C.), 226.
Gloucester, Duke of, 230.
Galway, Viscount, 230.
Goodson, C. E., 237, 238, 242.
Graves, —., 240.
Garnett, J., 245.
Godsal, —., 254, 382.
Good, Captain. 254, 334.
Gower, E., 255.
Greig, D. G., 255.
Gibson, Harry, 269.
Gilmour, John. 261, 319, 325, 359.
Gredig, W., 271.
Gray, S., 273.
Gibson. W. L., 273.
Guy, W. A., 287.
Geary, James, 301.
Glenn, G., 310, 313, 321, 330, 347, 348, 367.
Godfrey, E., 320.
Gentles, G., 325.
599
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Gamlin, A., 356.
Glenn, J. f 357.
Glenn, W. S., 358.
Good, W., 358.
Green, E., 373.
Gibson, D., 373, 375.
Hammond, T. G., 2, 21.
Houston, John, 2, 28, 166, 251.
Hobbs, John, 21.
Hadfield, Rev. 0., 21.
Hough, Rev. W., 24, 27.
Hassard, Lieut.-Col., 37, 38.
Hoblett, Captain, 42.
Haultain, Colonel, 42.
Hirtzell, Cornet, 46, 66, 72, 75, 76.
Hursthouse, C. W., 48.
Humphries, T., 48.
Henderson, —. 51.
Hiscox, —., 52.
Hunter, Inspector, 52.
Haddon, Rev. Robt., 58, 166, 288.
Hunter, Major, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 75.
Hastings, Lieut. H., 66, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76.
Hunter, Lieut., 66, 71, 75.
Hennessey, Constable, 75.
Hart, Private, 75.
Houston, Constable, 76.
Hogan, Constable, 76.
Harris, Private, 76.
Hamblyn, Private, 76.
Holloway, Private, 76.
Hyland, Private, 76.
Hunter, Adam, 85, 86.
Hunter, Moore, 96, 190, 213, 254, 257, 258, 260, 261, 307, 308, 311.
Hastie A. J., 125, 126, 128, 129, 130.
Hawken, C. J., 138.
Harding, J. W. J., 140, 162.
Halliwell, H., 162.’
Hirst, J. W., 216.
Hooker, L. 6., 218, 229.
Harrington, 8., 219.
Hughes, Dan, 225, 332, 342, 349, 348.
Hunger, Felix, 225, 270, 271, 278.
Hawken, Joseph, 225.
Hawken, O. J., 228.
Henderson, R. R., 229, 233.
Haggett, C. M. t 245, 246.
Hewitt, Mrs,, 250.
Hewitt, Captain J. D., 250.
Hunter, Alex., 258.
Hicks, Richard, 261.
600
Hicks, Robert, 261, 294.
Hateley, W., 265.
Hickey, James, 272.
Hendy, R. 0., 280, 340, 341, 342.
Hawken C. J., 292.
Hastie, A., 306, 312, 315, 331, 332,
337, 366.
Hurley, G. A., 315, 316, 317, 318, 319.
Horne, H., 316
Horner, G. R., 316.
Hunt, John, 319, 360.
Hunger, C., 320.
Hunt, E. L., 321.
Hunter, A., 325.
Higgie, L, 336.
Horner, G., 342.
Horner, F., 342.
Hughes, D. J., 357, 359, 367.
Hodgson, J., 360,
Hansen, J. A., 367, 369.
Harrison, L. C., 368.
Henson, W., 373.
Hill, W., 385.
Ironside, Samuel, 22, 23.
Inkster, Gideon, 94, 96, 100, 310, 313.
Innes, J. 8., 180, 181, 261.
Iredale, Brothers, 196.
Johnson, Captain, 18, 20.
Johnston, Coslett, 56, 58, 60, 61.
Jickell, Samuel, 131.
Johnston, J., 193.
Joll, T. L., 198, 217, 281, 282.
Jewell, 0., 203.
Jellicoe, Lord, 227.
Jackson, F. R., 254, 255, 265.
Jervois, Sir W. F. D., 259, 317.
Jenkins, William, 271.
Jenkins, Thomas, 271.
Julian, Jack, 271.
Jackson, J., 317, 318.
Jacob's, Vhil, 357.
Jones, C., 360.
Kemp (Kepa), Major, 39, 44, 66. 70, 73, 78.
Kane, Charles, 57, 58, 59, 60.
Kershaw —. 60.
Kelly, Constable, 74.
King, Max. D., 91, 173, 183, 193 253, 254.
Kivell, Captain, 203.
Kelly, J. W., 204.
Kemp, R. A., 204.
Kowin, James, 212.
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
King, Newton, 281.
Kelly, P., 321, 323.
j , ~’> ) —• Kempthorne, Rev. J. P., 321.
Kempthorne, E., 325.
Lambert, Captain, 18, 19.
Leathern, Captain E. 8., 47.
Lepper, Colonel M., 50, 53.
Luxford, —., 51.
Lennon, —., 56, 59. t n x* co
Lacey, Garrett, 58.
Livingstone, Sergt., 74, 77.
Lumsden, Corporal, 75,
Loder, Private, 76. t on oi oo Q.i
Livingston, James, 80, 91, 92, 94, 96, 97, 134, 135, 168, 177, 179, 215, 225, 253, 258, 264, 310, 321, 339, 342, 343.
Lysaght, J. R., 106, 109, 197, 257, 261, 291, 292, 293, 294, 338. Lloyd, T., 118, 119, 120, 271, 330, 347.
Larcom, A. G., 138, 159, 160, 295.
Lander, J., 161.
Linn, A. E., 162.
Lynch, R., 176, 194.
Lukis, Captain, 177.
Leece, R. H. & Co., 180.
Leslie, Captain, 196.
Laurent, Lieut. H, (V.C.), 226.
Lay, S. A., 228.
J-iiXJ , xx., Lay, A. H., 237.
Lysaght, F., 26
Lee, J. S., 274.
Lees, Andrew, 288.
Lysaght, B. C., 294.
Lloyd, R., 296.
Lander, John, 301.
Langley, A. E., 317, 318, 319, 346.
Lewis, C., 319.
Limbrick, W. A., 320. T A An T 901
Lawton, J., 321.
Laishley, R., 325.
Long, E., 356, 366, 368.
Lamhie, W,, 357.
Le Fleming, W., 367, 382.
L© Fleming, S. H., 368.
Leslie, J., 368.
Ludlow, W., 373.
Ludlow, John, 378.
Marshall, Dr. W. 8., 18, 19.
Morley, George, 22.
Morrison, Captain W., 48.
Morrison, —., 55.
iviurrisuu, —., ut*. Milmoe, L., 60, 190, 209.
mnmoe, u., ou, -v Melvin, Private, 76.
Middlemas, T., 91, 94, 179, 180.
Marchant, G. A., 96, 97.
Marx, Jacob, 116, 117.
Murdoch, J. 8., 117, 119, 126, 127, 130, 134, 138, 156, 157, 281.
Muggeridge, Albert, 13U, 148, 163. U i <4 < l I n m A n A 1 OH
Midulemas, A., 180. n p i no oil
Major, C. E., 198, 216, 249, 254,
335.
Morrissey, John, 203. on 9 OOf
Morrissey, Edward, 203, 230.
Aiorgan, T. H., 225.
Macklam, John, 238.
Moore, F. E., 240, 242. Mnrrav .T R 917
Murray, J. S., 247.
Morecroft, A., 253.
Mason, T., 254, 263.
Mitchell, J. D., 254, 310, 330, 336, 339, 340, 341, 347, 348.
Munro, A., 255. Mason, J., 258. Miller, John, 271, 273, 274.
Mantle, W., 271. Morolioll Ponf n in 070
Marshall, Captain, 272.
Morrison, J., 278. \fnrHnnli Alov OflH
Murdoch, Alex., 280. T„l non
Muir, John, 280, 342. n 1 An a rtnn Ofl l
Malone, Dan, 294.
Mowatt, J., 300.
Murphy, Pat, 300.
Murphy, J., 309, 310, 323.
Milne, A. C., 310, 330.
Mitchell, W. W., 316. 7 9in
Meuli, J., 319.
Messana, —., 320.
Morrin, J., 323.
Martin, W., 323.
Mourie, J., 325.
Mitchell, W. M., 325.
Muir, J., 342, 343.
Manaia School Pupils (1882), 352.
Mourie, F., 356, 368.
Meuli, G. H., 358.
Minhinnick, S., 358.
Minhinnick, J., 358.
Meldon, J. J., 360. rrr o ac
Mudford, W., 366.
McDonnell, Colonel, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 46, 48, 52, 55, 62, 64, 65, 67, 69, 75, 214.
McDonnell, Captain, 44, 45, 66, 71, 75.
McLean, Henry, 59, 60.
McFadyen, Sergeant, 59.
McManus, Private, 76
McGuire, Felix, 91, 94, 183, 184, 186, 195, 212, 214, 225, 272, 310.
Martvn, W. L., 84, 86, 177, 264, 310, 315, 321, 328, 331, 332, 334, 347, 348.
392
McMiohael, J., 94.
[STORY OF HAWEEA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
McL’Dowie, D., 169, 174, 176, 285.
McCutcheon, C. H., 174, 182, 306.
McLellau, —., 203.
McGeogh, —., 213.
McKenzie, Hon. T., 218.
McGruer, Bone & Co., 220.
McNeil, A., 237.
McLean, D., 259, 306, 309.
MacKay, —., 263.
Mcßae, R. E., 263, 264, 332, 334, 336, 348.
McGregor, Jem, 269.
McGregor, D., 270, 278.
McLean, Sir Donald, 271.
McDowell, R., 278.
McGregor, W., 278.
McL’Dowie, Mrs. M., 287.
McLeod, Hon. Jas., 288.
McLean, G., 309, 310.
McCarthy, P., si?, 318, 319, 321, 325, 330, 357.
McCutcheon, J., 319.
McVicar, F., 320.
McGovern F., 334, 342.
Mclvor, Constable, 338.
McCarthy, Jos., 357.
McKay, J. S., 358, 367, 368.
McCarthy, 8., 358.
McLeod, Jack, 358.
McPhillips, T., 366, 367, 369.
McLean, A., 373.
Naylor, William, 21, 22.
Newland, Captain W., 40, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70 75.
Northcroft, Ensign W. H., 46, 47.
Noblett, Captain, 47.
Northroft, G., 48.
Nolan, R. H., 85, 142, 227, 253, 254, 261, 264.
Newsham, G., 204.
Newcomb, —., 240.
Newland, Miss M. F., 249.
Newell, A., 263.
Nicoll, W., 278.
Newsham, C., 309.
Norris, S., 382.
Norris, G., 382.
O’Callaghan, Lieut., 44, 48.
O’Connor, Michael, 60, 61, 76.
O’Brien, —., 60.
O’Halloran, Captain, 66, 75.
O’Brien, Constable, 76.
Oakes, —., 176.
Oliver, Hon., 179.
Oldham, O. W., 197.
Ogle, —., 203, 295.
Onslow, Lord, 208.
Owen, W. T., 255, 382.
Oughton, J. S., 258, 280, 321.
O’Sullivan, J., 285.
O’Sullivau, James, 287.
O’Brien, A., 317, 323.
O’Connor, P., 321.
O’Brien, W., 347, 348.
O’Shea, Phil, 359.
Parris, Major C. J., 51, 86.
Palmer, Captain, 66, 72, 73, 75, 76.
Perry, Constable, 74.
Pope, Sergt., 74.
Pringle, —., 74.
Prosser, —., 85.
Partridge, J. W., 91, 308.
Peacock, H. S., 94, 266.
Partridge, J. W., 96, 97.
Pease, Mrs. R. L., 137, 228.
Pitcher, H. G., 162.
Pulford, E., 174, 182, 192.
Parkinson, W. A., 181, 210, 227, 238, 240.
Pearce, A., 198.
Pease, —., 203.
Phillips, —., 203.
Purser, M. F., 204.
Farrington, C. E. f 204.
Pearce, G. V., 218.
Powdrell, W. D., 227
Pacey, E. A., 227.
—— j , —. —, —. Power, Monsignor P., 228.
Perry, J. L., 261.
Patterson, J. J., 270, 323, 361.
Parli, J., 271.
Phillips, Ben, 280.
Preece, George, 286.
Phillips, J., 286.
Preece, Les., 286.
Paneti, F., 313, 316, 319.
Pearce, W., 315, 316.
Parsons, T., 316.
Pairman, Dr., 319, 378.
Prosser, J., 321.
Parkin, J., 321.
Peterson, A., 321.
Pardy, Inspector, 339, 340, 344.
Prince, Hugh, 358.
Proudfoot, H., 360.
Quigley, Constable, 74.
Quin, C., 100, 259, 273, 274.
Quinlivan,'T., 176.
Robley, Major-General, 15.
Ross, Captain, F., 43, 60, 62.
Roche, Major, 45.
Richmond, J. C., 51, 53, 54.
Roberts, Inspector 1., 53, 66, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 77, 321, 339, 340.
393
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS,
Ross, Captain George* 55, 56, 59.
Shields, Patrick, 59.
Ross, Ralph, 60.
Steward, —., 60.
Roberts, Captain J. M., 61.
Scannell, Major, 74.
Holland, Rev. Father, 63.
Shanahan, Constable, 76.
Roddy, Lieut., 64.
Stapp, Major, 85.
Rowan, Lieut., 66, 75, 76.
South by, J., 94, 269.
Ready, Constable, 74.
Stringer, G., 140.
Russell, Cor.poral, 75, 76.
Sage, R. S., 140.
Rolleston, Hon., 85.
Smith, J. A., 172.
Roche, Constable M., 139.
Stevenson, J., 174, 176, 265, 367,
Rothery, W., 144, 160.
Spence, D., 174.
Robinson, T., 176.
Sweeney, P., 176.
Redding, J,, 176.
Snook, W., 198.
Reynolds, Leslie, 198, 199.
Smith, C., 203.
Robbins & Pierard, 200.
Ranfurly, Lord, 213.
Rowe, William, 216, 271, 273, 274.
Reid, A., 219.
Riddle, J. V., 225, 255.
Ross, Donald, 237.
Riddiford, F., 240, 242, 258, 260, 261.
Robbins, B. C., 253, 254.
Robson, T., 259, 269, 274, 278.
Russell, J., 263.
Ranson, A., 265.
Robson, Jem, 269, 278.
Redding, Jack, 270.
Rye, W., 275.
Riddiford, E., 295.
Russell, John, 301.
Rainie, D., 309, 310.
Read, W., 316.
Redwood, Rt. Rev. Dr., 321.
Reed, A., 342.
Roberts, John. 342.
Roe, J. E. 355.
Ryan, John, 355.
Ryan, George, 358.
Ryan, Dennis, 358.
Ryan, Mick, 358.
Rye, J., 360.
Robertson, Duncan, 373, 378.
Robertson, William, 373.
Rowell, J., 373.
Rae, J., 374.
Smith, Percy, 2, 5, 11, 18, 48.
Skevington, Rev. John, 23, 24.
Sole, —., 23.
Selwyn, Bishop, 24.
Stannard, Rev., 27.
Spencer, Dr., 47.
Smith, Captain, 49.
Squires, —., 50, 53, 55.
Smith, Trooper, 54, 55.
Swords, Peter, 59.
Semmens, F. H., 204,
Sutton, H. W., 205, 217, 258.
Stephenson, Mrs., 209.
Stout, Sir Robert, 211.
Seddon, Rt. Hon. E. J., 212, 216.
Silver, S. T., 222.
Suggate, C., 222.
Strack, C. A., 228.
Smith, Sir Charles Kingsford, 228.
Simpson, W. G., 230.
Savage, Rt. Hon. M. J., 230.
Spink, G. W., 233.
Spratt, Mrs. A. E., 238.
Strange, W. G., 239.
Syme, G., 240, 349.
Sturrock, J., 245.
Simpson, R. K., 255.
Smith, Miss Maria, 256.
Smith, Daniel, 256.
Sherwood, G. F., 256.
Searling, F., 270.
Sisley, F., 275.
Sanders, H., 278.
Southev, H. J., 278.
Shearer, —., 280, 306.
Smith, James, 295.
Sutherland. A., 306, 309, 310, 312, 316, 330, 342.
Short, J., 309.
Scott, T., 309.
Sutton, W.. 309, 373, 382.
Speckman, E., 309.
Stoddart, J. W., 316.
Scott, J., 316
Stewart, J. R.. 316, 319, 361.
Sheet, H. L., 325.
Sommerville. Captain, 329.
Shove, E., 336.
Symes, 0., 336.
Simmons, Dr. W. T., 336.
Smith, G. R.. 368.
Stevenson, F.. 384.
Surgenor, W. R., 385.
394
HISTORY OF HAWERA AND THE WAIMATE PLAINS.
Thomas, Lieutenant, 19.
Taylor, Rev. Richard, 26.
Tuffin, George, 44, 59.
Toovey, Sergt., 74, 76, 77.
Tansey, Private, 76.
Twigg, John, 95, 274.
Twigg, Thomas, 95, 106, 319, 347.
Tarrant, C. (J., 125, 127, 129, 130.
Tait, Charles, 174, 176, 179, 263.
Taplin & Muir, 176.
Treweek, W., 176.
Treweek, J., 176, 271, 273, 274.
Tourner, A., 203.
Tait, Robert, 205.
Tyers, Miss, 209.
Tonkin, —., 220.
Turton, John, 225.
Tonks, A. S., 225, 228, 258.
Townsend, J. M., 238.
Tristram, W. J., 244.
Taylor, L. A., 246.
Thomson, Dr. W. M., 246.
Trimble, A., 249.
Turner, Miss, 249.
Turner, Major, 262.
Thomson, R. S., 271.
Towers, J., 275.
Tocker, S. J., 275.
Trimble, H., 288.
Tait, C., 323.
Tennent, R. C., 325.
Torry, Rev. James, 330.
Treadwell, James, 330.
Taylor, C. H., 360.
Von Tempsky, Major, 37, 38, 53, 60, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75.
Valintine, Dr. T. H., 210.
Vogel, Sir Julius, 211, 272.
Veale, P. 0., 233.
Vine, William, 270. 323.
Vine, H. L., 358.
White, John, 15, 20.
Wright, Ensign, 20.
Williams, Rev. Henry, 21.
Wakefield, E. J., 21.
Warren, John, 22.
Woon, Mrs., 23.
Wickstead, J. T., 24.
Woon, Rev. W., 24, 25, 27, 179.
Whitmore, Colonel, 29, *3(l, 78.
Wilson, Captain, 41, 42, 86, 329.
Walker, Dr. 66, 75, 271.
Wallace, Constable, 76.
Walden, Corporal, 76.
Wells, Private, 76
Watts, W. T., 85.
Winks, John, 91, 116, 169, 173, 176, 179, 183, 186, 194, 203, 254, 295, 306, 307, 308.
Winks, T. A., 116, 125, 128, 130, 131, 133, 138, 144, 146, 147, 158, 159, 160, 295, 297.
Washer, E. A., 139, 158.
Williams, G. W. A., 160, 161.
Wilson, J. E., 162.
Wanklyn, W. H., 172, 186, 274.
Whittaker, A. J., 174.
Williams, William, 176, 300, 301.
Williams, E., 176.
Whittington, —., 203.
Whiting, —., 203.
White, —203.
Whitaker, Sir F., 211.
Wordsworth, —., 212.
Whittington, H. K., 219.
White, Reuben, 225.
Welsh, R. D., 238.
White, W. G., 240, 242, 248, 249, 257.
Watts, G. S., 245.
Wilson, G., 254, 261.
Wilson, W., 255, 258.
Woller, Fred, 270.
W'ilson, Joseph, 272, 273, 274, 278.
Woodward, H. M., 278.
Wilson, Alex., 281, 282.
Wells, W. T., 283, 383.
Wills, R., 289.
Walsh, Thomas, 293, 294.
Winks, James, 295, 297, 298.
Wallace, William, 300, 301, 360.
Williams, D. J., 300, 301. ’
Wilkie, D., 306,’310,’312, 313, 321.
Wilkie, Adam, 315/
Williams, A. P., 321.
Wilks, Rev. G., 351.
Wilson, “Blazer," 358.
White, G., 360.
Wells, J. E., 368.
Young, Sub-Inspector, 75.
Yorke, J. C., 96, 97, 100, 180, 181, 253, 261, 265, 306, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 315, 316, 318, 321. 332, 339, 342, 343, 347 348. ’
Young. W. S., 254, 310, 313, 315 320, 321, 342. 382.
Young, C., 357.
York, Duke of, 228.
Young, Joe, 358.
Young, A., 382.
395
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APA: Roberts, C. J. (Cyril John). (1940). Centennial history of Hawera and the Waimate Plains. Hawera Star Pub.
Chicago: Roberts, C. J. (Cyril John). Centennial history of Hawera and the Waimate Plains. Hawera, N.Z.: Hawera Star Pub., 1940.
MLA: Roberts, C. J. (Cyril John). Centennial history of Hawera and the Waimate Plains. Hawera Star Pub., 1940.
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Centennial history of Hawera and the Waimate Plains Roberts, C. J. (Cyril John), Hawera Star Pub., Hawera, N.Z., 1940
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