PIONEER MOTHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 205, 30 August 1926, Page 17

PIONEER MOTHERS.

REUNION OF THAMES OLD GIRLS. "A great deal has been heard of the Pilgrim Fathers." "' said a witty American, -but no one mentions the 'Pilgrim Mothers.'" The same might be said of New Zealand. There are organisation of athers who laud their own prowess, but io one mentions the mothers of that lay who stayed at home and wrestled with the colonial stove and the camp jven. so that when the pioneer fathet returned from his struggle with primitive bush a dinner that "was not prim: tive might await him. It was the mothers who did this, and to whom New Zealand owes the splendid stand it has taken in the world since. Thpy brousht up the children and inculcated in them the ideals which have built our sturdyrace. On Thursday a reunion of oln /irUwho pioneered the Thames, arranged by Mrs. Alfred Oldham. will be held. Those interested will meet in the Scots Hall, and during the drinking of a friendly cup of tea. be able to exchange memories of bygone times, and on-.e aea:n sret in touch with those that time and the growth , of the city have kept asunder. One of the Oldest. One of the oldest of the pioneers is Mrs. A. Dewar. who has passed the mark, is still interested in all that is taking place, and keeps in touch with all old friends of the jrreat golden days ot the Thames. Mrs. Dewar's first venturs in pioneering was in Australia, where she went as a young girl of 20, 72 year.-as-o. There she married. Her husband was connected with mining, and. in the quest for the golden lure, she followed him to many queer places. It ws.s net husband's work which brought her to New Zealand in the year IS7O by the

Hero. Her husband then went to the Thames, where she found that things were very lively. There was at first great difficulty in obtaining accommodation, but this improved. Her pioneering life in Australia had been spent in tento. so she was delighted to find that at the Thames there were wooden huts to be obtained. Thames was a very go-aheaa place. Everyone took a great interest in public life. There were good schools and churches, and all throughout Mrs. Dewar's life she has been keenly interested in the work of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. It wa3 Mrs. Dewar who was instrumental in getting out Mrs. Mary Clement Leavitt, who founded the society in New Zealand. Mrs. Elizabeth Bra die. The gold rush was responsible for Mrs. Elizabeth Brodie going to Thames. MrsBrodie. who waa a Miss Davidson, came from Scotland to Xew Zealand in the Joseph Fletcher, with her family. In

New Zealand she met Mr. Brodie, who came out with the Royal Engineers to supervise the erection of the first telegraph in New Zealand, whicn was laid from Auckland to Mercer, and it was after their marriage that they went in the train of the gold-seekers to Thames, making the voyage in a boat called the Golden Crown., which used to make the run at a charge of half-a-crown the trip. Mr. Brodie was well known both in Thames and Auckland in the mining world. He was in charge of a mine called the Ballarat and Clunes and afterwards was greatly interested in educational matters. He was chairman of the first school board, and was Mayor for some time, so Mrs. Brodie knows the work attached to being lady mayoress of a mining town in the heyday of its affluence. Mrs. Brodie speaks feelingly of the hardships of the early day 3, when mothers with large families had to do everything for them and Mrs. Brodie brought up a family of 10. The loneliness and the hard work which fell to the early pioneers was Mrs. Brodie's lot. but this was counterbalanced by the friendship and sociability of the pioneer women of New Zealand. Dancing was one of the chief amusements of those far-off days, and amonsst Mrs. Brodie's frienda who went with'her to these jolly routs of the trbldfields society was Mrs. Kilgour. Mrs Ehrenfried, Mrs. Aiekin. Mrs. McDonald I wife of Judsre McDonald), and Mrs. I. L Murray. Mrs. Brodie relates an amusing =tory of her first impression of this new land. When she landed the first thing her brother pointed out to her was the peculiar kind of fruit that grew here. This was a pile of golden pumpkins lying on the ground and brown skinned kumaras, neither of which they had ever seen before. Emigrants were welcomed in those days as they are not now, and a young woman came down to the ship with a large bag of newly baked buns, which she distributed around, till everyone of tie new arrivals had received a gift of welcome te their future home. I

Mrs. J. E. Coney. Mrs. J. E. Coney, another old Thames identity, lived there for 23 year;. Mrs Coney was born in New Zealand in 1543. and is one of the few old colonists left. Her grandfather, the Rev. Davis, was the second missionary to arrive on these shores, and as a very young child Mrs. Coney can remember Hone Heke. the Maori chief, standing on her grandfather": verandah, a tall, dark, well tattooed figure, receiving his blessing. The ear'\ part of Mrs. Coney's life ivai spent a: Waimate North, during the Maori war.-, at the time af the cutting down of tflt flagstaff at Russell, and at the age of 19 she married Mr. J. E. Con-jy. and went to Thames, where her husband was "ho postnia.-ter. It is interesting to note that Mrs. Coney's grandfather the I'r-t oak tree to New Zealand. He planted an acorn that he had tTas-.w: from the Old Country, and from fiat tree the remainder of New Zealand ojo have sprung. Mrs. Coney tells some stirring tal-.'s of times when New Zealand was a youn'j country. ''Those were goo , ', old •lays. Times have altered now." said Mrs. Coney, looking back. "Places have altered, too. I would not recognise any of the old places now. The houses were so scattered in those pioneer and now they are all young cities, with the ways of cities. Mrs. Coney went down to Thames after the roaring days when gold was- being gathered i. , . ~n ■ h unlikely places, and spent a large portion of her life there, and after her husband-; death she returned to Auckland, an. , has resided here ever sin c with her daughter and son. Mr. Barry Coney, the weilkn.nvn singer. WAIKATO NOTES.

Mis* Brann. of Cambridge, is spending a holiday in the Hawke's Bay district. Miss Ringland. of Napier, is on a visit to Hamilton. Mrs. D. Lundon. of Cambridge, has been on a visit to Auckland. Mrs. W. J. Stevens, of Hamilton. is spending a holiday at Waihi Beach. Mrs. O. R. Farrer is staying at the Kaglan Beach for the term holidays. Mrs. Firth, of Te Kuiti, is staying with friend? in Hamilton. Miss Dougherty, of Blenheim, is staying in Humilton with relatives. Miss Stout, of Hamilton, is spending the school vacation in rTawke's Bay. Miss Drennan. of Hamilton, is on a visit to Mount Egmont. A farewell was given in honour of Miss H. Moorhouse at Cambridge on Tuesday. Her girl friends had decorated the parish hall most artistically, paltpink predominate?. Those presenr were: Mesdames Moorhouse, X. Bank-. B. Couper, W. Stockford. M. Wells. Grame Taylor, Allan, A. Richardson, E E. Roberts, A. Gibbons. Armstrong. Misses H. Moorhouse, T. Banks, Willis. S. Brann, Hewitt, J. Couper, Gwynneth. C. Willis. A. Brann, Dunne, M. Armstrong. Garland, K. Brabant, N. Butler. Wilton. A pretty wedding was solemnised in St. James" Methodist Churah, Frankton. when Miss Enid Hailwood. third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Hailwood. Auckland, was married to Mr. Gordon Kirk, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kirk, of Morrinsville. The bride wore a cream silk and lace frock, with embroidered veil and carried a shower bouquet. The bridpsmaid, Miss J. Hailwood and Miss M. Hailwood, wore georgette frocks and tulle mob caps. Mr. Len Johnson was best man. After the ceremony a reception was held, when the guests wereentertained by the bride's mother. Amongst the guests were: Mesdames H. Kirk. F. Crawford. E. Key-. Lawrence. S. Kirk. H. Thomas. Smith. Seed, Hunwick, Hnnjzer, Mawhinney. Death. Saunders. Lovell. Brooks, Kilham, Silvester. McFadden, Major. F. Booth. 0. Hailwood. Shaw, Bradley, and Misses Hunger. French. Flyger, White. Rowe. Keats. Allen. X. Stewart, and Messrs. H. Kirk. F. Crawford. Bradley- Silvester. C. Hailwood. Hunwick. E. Keys. F. Booth. Sanders, Mawhinnev, Lawrence. I _I ROTORUA NOTES. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd. Whaka Road, are spending a fortnight's holiday in Whangarei. Mrs. Grove, sen.. Fenton Street, has left on a holiday to Mount Maunsranui. Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Love. Ranolf Street, have left for Opotiki, where they intend remaining for three months. Mrs. Wells, who has been visiting Rotorua, has returned to Invercargill. Miss Meehan. of Kin? George V. Hospital, is on a short visit 'to Auckland. Mr. and Mrs. Endean and family, of Parnell. are visiting Rotorua. and are guests at Whakarewarewa Hotel. Dr. and Mrs. H. Bertram, who have been on a five months' visit to America, return to Rotorua at the besrinnin£ of next week. At the Sanatorium, on Friday evening, an enjoyable concert was " given for the patients and staff by members and friends of the Rotorua Women's Club. The following took part in the programme: Mrs. R. Griffith. Mrs. Algie, 1 Mrs. George Steele. Miss K. Hall. Miss T. Geisen, Miss D. Davies. Miss R. Woolliams. Mr. A. Shaw. Mr. J. Webster. Miss Mar<raret McKenzie acted as accompanist. At the conclusion of the concert supper was served by the committee of the club. ! The Rotorua Fire Brigade held their I annual social and dance in the Peerless Hall on Thursday evening, when there was a large attendance. The hal! was aray with multi-coloured streamers and greenery, the stage being arranged I with the gear used by the brigade. In 'th Monte Carlo dance the winners were Miss Innes and Mr. Eric Hutton. During the evening Mr. F. Goodson. in the unavoidable absence of the chairman \ (Mr. E. La Trobe HiVM presented" the I service orders to the .following firemen: i Fireman Hodgson, two years' bar. . making thirteen years; Fireman Munro. two years' bar. making eleven years; Fireman Caraachan, two years' bar. I makins nine years; Fireman Woolliams. ■ two years' bar, making nine years: Fireman Smith, two years' bar. making seven years; Fireman Shields, two years' bar, making seven years; Superintendent Anderson, two years' bar. making seven years: Fireman Whayi man and Beckett, five years' service medals; Fireman Phipps. three years' certificate; Fireman Briggs. gold medal for most efficient fireman for period of I a year. Mrs. Duncan Steele was made I a "life member of the brigade and presented with a tea set and an illuminated address. The winners of the card tournament were: Ladies, Mrs. Johnson, first; Mrs. Monk, second. Gentlemen: Mr. Martin, first; Mr. H. Rogers, second.