GREY LYNN BOROUGH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 9, 10 January 1914, Page 10

GREY LYNN BOROUGH.

A RETROSPECT. Situaii-d i-n the western siJf of Auckland the borough of (irey Lynn is ever spreiding Readily towards the setting sun. and it is almost safe to prophesy that in the not distant future it may. by with Point Chevalier road district, extend the boundary to Avondale. Although (J rev Lynn has shown srreat progress during the. laot few vestry still there in much that .-cmair.ii to be accomplished, which i-.m only be done l>v raising a big lo.in of ciocc on £100,0U0. It remains to be teen whether the ratepayer** aTe. prepared to j*i> in for such a big tche-me as rfic one ihat is ro be submitted t-hortly by the Coumil. The total to he asked for i≤ £08.000. but of course thie carries f.-;th it the rig-lit of the Council to raise tlie f0 per com :is a fund to compk'te works, so that it is safe to state tha; UICHI.OOO « nearer the 'amount that will be expended if any loan is authorised. It is cf interest at a lime like this when euch large t»u.mo are ■warned for the development of !he borough. i<> recall that mc*st or what il-

now a ctoeely built area, wa- whlrin the last 3.) ye-re kiio-wn as the Surrey Hill* estate, Keid's farm (Grey Lynn Turk Estate). Billinfrton's (Sherborue Estate), Hellaby's paddocks (West Knd EstaU'), FauldeV's and Wilson's fnrm». as well as smaller of Sand. Tho Surrey •Hills estate which belomjed to ;-bc Hon. \Villia3Bi;on in I'hutse daye. comprised about .■)">(• aorre and there w-ere only -a.boul four bouseis on it forty years ago. On Reid's and the other farm? there were just a dwelling *seli. but settlement w-ja a little ehjeer down near lose Creek. To 'oolc t»ver the detwely picked iin what was the Surrey Hillr-, it seems funny now to recaJl that thore uc~ed to be clumps of tree* <m it. that were planted asrehelter for the pheaisan:s. Xrar tin- crntrp of the Surrey Hills, whore the Grey Lynn p:irk ia situated, existed a wool-waerhmg shod. SiUHf }"<*ara later Mr. Frank Jyinry started the lire: big reiuil nrilk for Uip city. Theiv was m> delivery but crowds uf c-hildrr-n lased to <ra with jugs anil c.inand take th-e milk fur cash as qiii.-kly :i.= it wae ready to be measured out. Dist'mv called Mr. "Laury from milk to politics. a;id othor men made the fortune Irani ■the iroJ<> thus started.

Sumetimi's' pnulhir scenps were tf> be wi;nested on what- is now included in Grey Lynn liorougti. IJpfore (.Vjx's Creek was d-.imned for indiisi rial purpoect-. there used 10 be a nice ctear pool, the water from which fell over a pretty little fall imo what was t-hen ternieil the saltwater basin. t)ne sun-.imer there ivas a camp rouad the bidee of that pool. H lasted about v week and the evangvliet6 in charge used to immcree tliejr convene in the true scriptural manner in '.he running The preachers to wade into the pool in knee iboot>, and live cunveris "wpre gently lowered into tie water and raised up again. A g-ood many pe-ople reed to s>£6emblc 1n witnect. tlie ijnineniioriS. On one occasion there was an inn-ova.r.ion which had not been anticipated. The lady to be immersed, was 'built on a £en«roue dcs'rgTi while the evangelist was vf eomewhat meagre proportion*. »en in a religroue ceremony thp laws of balance and gravitation cannot be ignored. In this pariicular instance the greater controlled the. le*eer. and to the raiense delimit u-. : the unregeneraie onlookers, iiiKteuil of Che e-vangelist racing the immeT6«l convert from the pool, t.he law of balance rcsnihcd in gwlng in head t)ver iiee.ls after her. Tiie epre-id of seLtlpment tes ended all nitch possibilities of enjoyment- for the mtxlnrn bukill boy of to-day. The little pnol j-s now Waxnoek's dam. and <he big pool is filled witii debris from Hie drainage works.

■WiWi regard io P t wd"6 farm there w-25 rather an interesting incident. The owner al-!ended the Valuation Court •many yeure ago and said that hi/; Jand •was too highly rated. One of xlie as£r~aorr. w;i=; a shrewd Scot w.'uo eaid: '•You .would n-ot sell at that figure Reid!" Td only be too glad," was the prompt reply n-:" the owner, aJao from the land of the heather. The assessor at once drew out his cheque book and paid ov-er a depx«it. so the farm changed hamis. Ther*- is no doubt that the rt>tabl:»hmenr of the *'-ity aibattoiTS at Richmond tended to keep that district back fc years. It was no encouragement to build there when large, mobs of cattle w.ere driven through the strode. Since Lhe removal of vhe abatioirs there hoe been a smart advance in values at Richmond, to which the o.xteneion of the traim eervice has contributed not a lifctle wiliiiii lie last ietc Estate after estate has been rut up and built upon rapidly. The latest to l>e placed on -the ■marlcet will be what were formerly known as JMlaby's paddocks, plans for the subdivision o-f which are even now before the Borough Council.