THE NORTH SHORE

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 252, 23 October 1926, Page 27

THE NORTH SHORE

CROSSING THE HARBOUR.

THE OPEN BOAT FERRY,

SOME RISKY CROSSINGS.

. (By ME. ALLAN OTOILL.)

In these days, when passengers from Auckland to the marine

suburbs can travel by frequent ferry steamers, it is of interest to recall the times when the journey was by open boat, which was run to suit the tide at the different landings. It is wonderful how things have changed, particularly in respect to getting backwards end forwards to town from the part of Shoal Bay east of Kauri - Gully (now part of Northcote), also from Takapuna and Bayswater. In the early days the banks of Shoal Bay were well ' wooded down to what was later called Lake Town, now Jutland Boad. On the waterfront were large pohutukawa trees, dipping their branches into the sea at high tide. These were backed by mixed bush. It was a beautiful sight about Christmas time, when the pohutukawa trees were a mass of red flowers. The effect was greatly heightened when the tide was full in. In the early 'forties the infant town of Auckland was supplied from across the harbour with firewood, posts, and rails, as well as •with timber required for boat building, most of which was cut from Jhe beach to Kauri Gully (halfway between Northcote" and iTakapuna) and the waterfront at Shoal Bay. After the timber had mi Been cleared, the land was put under cultivation by the eariy 'settlers. Amongst the people who used to take, firewood from Shoal Bay to Auckland in the early days was Mr. (afterwards the Hon.) [William Swanson. Another was Mr. Robert Lawry. At that time / the Lawry Brothers owned a farm fronting Karangahape Boad. Te V\ Hemera and another Maori chief then living at Takapuna, owned nearly all the land at Devonport, which they sold to the Government in 1840 at a very low figure. Te Hemera lived to a good old age on the reserve of his tribe near Waiwera. He was appointed a native .: assessor for the Government, and always came to town wearing a long-tailed coat and a bell-topper, in the band of which was stuck a red feather. Te Hemera was a very dignified looking old gentleman, and highly respected by all who knew him* The settlers at the Shore often came across to town in the late 'forties by means of the canoes of the Maoris. In those days there were several canoes at Shoal Bay, including a large war -one. The 1 descendants of some of the Maoris who Besided there in the early days, still claim to have an interest in the area on .which the Catholic College is built, near Takapuna. On several occasions in recent years legal proceedings have been instituted to remove Maoris who had squatted on a portion of the land,-presumably to keep alive what they considered to be their rights. Under Maori custom continuous was an important factor in any land claim. After a lot of delays, however, the passive resistance of the Maoris terminated ' ian ejection under an order of the Court. , > , ■"'■'>■■" ' • ' : ■ -.-■•■ k:' - .•■,'•■ ,

ERUA. PATUONE, THE NOTED NGAPUHI CHIEF.

v The. large block of land now known as the Napier Estate was originally granted by the Governor, Sir George Grey, t<s the famous Ngapuhi Chief, Erua Patuone, for services Tendered during Hone .Heke's war. ; '. FIRST FERRY SERVICE. - ■ ■ In the early "fifties 1, a regular ferry service was started from Barry's Point. It was an open boat and the owners, Jjessrs. .Connor and-Nicholson, were subsidised by the Government. After a.few years they quarrelled, and Nicholson started an opposition boat. The Protestants patronised Nicholson's boat, and the Catholics went by Connor's. The latter had the advantage of getting the subsidy till he died in 1867. The rival ferrymen did not live in harmony. That might have been due to Connor having the subsidy and, therefore, thinking he had the first right to the use of the various landings. It is, however, quite possible that there might have been a slight misunderstanding on the burning question of the orange and the green. One thing is certain, namely, that the -rival ferrymen, often came to blows. Both j-boats ran from, Barry's Point, Shoal Bay. Barry was-an important man in those days, .as he kept an hotel. It was just an ordinary house, but in those times anybody could get a bush license on payment of £5. The point was named after the owner of the place of refreshment. As there was only enough water for a boat to reach the Point at r . jbalf tide, a regular time-table could not be run. Some mornings the hour of departure was before 5 o'clock, which in winter, when it was dark and foggy, was not pleasant, as it was not easy for settlers living a mile or more away to find the way to the boat on the north side of Kauri Gully. There was another wharf, Mr. Heath's, from which the boat took part of her passengers, and afterWards one was built at O'NeiH's Point (Bayswater). If passengers were seen standing on the wharf, the boat would come, in and pick them up. If anyone-chanced to be fishing on the wharf wjien the boat came in Bight, it was the usual thing for them to walk away to show that thej did not want to cross the harbour. On one occasion, however, a man neglected to do so, with the result that the next time he wias waiting on the -whauf to come to town, the boat went past thinking he was still fishing* For the same reason ■, that the boats had to leave at times early in the morning, it also happened that/on other occasions thai it would be nearly 7 p.m. be- -I fore they could aetuxn from the southern- shore, as the. boat had to | . ..wait for the evgning tide. At times there wejre what were termed /''one tide days." That meant getting across by the first tide and returning before it had gene <ratj which did not give the passengers much time to spend in town. Often on tide days* the paseengers, after going across to the town would, put their purchases in v the boat and return home later by the Stokes , Point (Northcote) boat with John t Johnny) Reid. Others would get back by the Flagstaff service , (Devonport) by small sailing boats. In the early days all passengers bound for North Auckland would take the route flfcarting from Stokes , Point. ,„, 7.:'.'-'' '4i ■ ■ ■ .'"' '■ ■ '• ' v . *' ' 'i ■ r

SETTLERS* HARDSHIPS.

Travelling from any part of the North Shore in the early morning, or late in the evening was not pleasant in June, July, or August. People living at a distance from the point of departure of the boats had at times to leave home at 4 a.m., often in a driving rain. As there was little protection in the open boats the passengers often got another wetting from the sea spray. Another trouble was that at times a gale would spring up and prevent the boat returning from the town, which meant the passengers staying until the storm abated. When a gale blew from the Northeast the boats would have to run to Stokes , Point, landing at the site of the present Northcote wharf. When it was blowing hard from the west the passengers could not land at O'Neill's Point. That meant putting round to the northern bank of the Point, where there was shelter, and the passengers had to be carried ashore, there being no landing stage. Of course, conditions were different in the summer time, when the tide suited to leave Barry's Point at 8 or 9 a.m. and return from town at 5 or 6 p.m. With a favourable breeze blowing, it was quite a pleasant trip. There was usually a sing song on the way over, but it need hardly be stated that there were few summer people in the "fifties." Still, during the summer months some town people would cross over to the Shore and stay as boarders. Often when the ferry boat was ready to start from town for the Shore, it would be discovered that some of the passengers, generally men, were missing. One of the boatmen would go to the Waitemata Hotel to hunt up the missing passengers. Evidently prohibition was not a burning question in those days, as they knew where to look for the laggards. When the mate found them, he was usually rewarded with a drink, and that caused still further delay. Once a passenger complained about the delay. Shortly afterwards he was late himself, and the boat did not wait for him. A HARD ROW. In calm weather when there was no breeze, it was laborious work for two men to row a 27-foot boat with 20-feet oars across the harbour, especially in the summer when it was a "one tide trip," as they had not much time to rest, and the tide was against them both ways. Of course, the passengers always volunteered to help with the rowing, as there were four oars. The boys used to deem it a favour to double bank the oar, and even Father Walter McDonald did not disdain to help. In the 'sixties, when the tide suited, the boat would take across passengers for the theatre. Occasionally there would be a concert and dance during the summer months at the Catholic Orphanage, Takapuna, which was the oldest building on that side of the water till it was destroyed by fire in 1923. The concerts were usually held at full moon "when the tide was in about 7 p.m. That suited the artists, as well as other friends • from town, a special trip being run for their convenience. Beating against wind and tide took a considerable time for the trip across, but in those days the ferrymen used to say safety and comfort before speed, when a yacht passed leaning well over and throwing the spray across the deck. Connor used to run trips on Saturday and Tuesday, and Nicholson on Wednesday and Saturday. When Connor died, Nicholson's son, Tom, started a daily service which continued until 1877. Another man started an opposition boat to Nicholson, but gave it up as it did not pay. That, however, caused Nicholson to get a bigger boat. He secured as a mate, a young waterman named Alf. Marshall. With the larger boat> and young blood at the helm, they were able to defy both wind and waves. After that there was no more need for settlers to stay in town on a windy night, or be compelled to go out of their course to reach home by other routes. The open boat 'service covered a period of about thirty years from 1845 to 1875. Isaac Hunt got the contract from the Provincial Government 1858, for carrying the mails to and from Barry's landing at Shoal Bay in a waterman's boat. A SAFE SERVICE.

Although at times the trip across from Shoal Bay in an open ,boat was somewhat risky, yet during the whole period prior to • the running of the first- ferry steamer no serious accident occurred. There were/ however; some fatalities not connected with the open boat ferry. One man, at O'Neill's Point, when wading out to his , boat, fell into the channel, and was quite dead when taken out of . the mud.. That was not, however, an accident connected with the ferjy service.. On another occasion some natives from Cook Islands, t who had bejen digginggum at Castor Bay, were capsized on their trip from Auckland, with the' result that two lost their lives. One night a small cutter was crossing with a passenger on board from Auckland to Shoal Bay, when a.man, who was under the influence of liquor," insisted on pulling up the anchor before starting. His mate warned him not to make the attempt, but the man persisted, fell overboard, and, as there was a strong current running at the time, great difficulty was experienced in effecting his rescue. Two watermen, named Callan and Marshall, who used often to bring passengers to Shoal Bay/were drowned off Kauri Point. The boat was found capsized with all sails set, and must have been overturned , by,a sudden squall. The bodies were discovered by Mrs. Fitzpatrick. In the early'winter mornings Connor used to waken the O'Neill household and; light the fire. While that was being done the passengers waiting' for the boat were suffering a freeze. One morning the boat came over from Auckland having been delayed sailing" waiting-for;/a storm to blow itself out. As the tide was not in, the; waiting passengers were invited to breakfast at O'Neill's. On-one in the "forties," a settler who came from town to Barry's Point, brought with him a pig. The mud was too deep for piggy to walk ashore, so it had to be dragged across the intervening space, and by its loud equeals protested vigorously against such a method of transhipment.

_ SETTLERS , CHILDREN WANTED BUTTER. That the early settlers had a struggle to make ends meet, is shown By the fact that some children who had to milk cows in . the morning and afterwards went to town, when asked by the perspn whom they were visiting what they would like, replied, " Some butter; we never get any at home, because mother sells it all," a little incident illustrating that the work of a pioneer was not an easy one. v To the early settlers the meaning of the Waitemata was always understood to be "Water of Obsidian." The Maoris in the early • days told them the Waitemata was so named because flakes of obsidian were found near Eiverhead, and these their ancestors used as knives. The modern interpretation of Waitemata as " Shining Water, ,, was iot known to settlers at the Shore in the early days?

(To be continued next Saturday.)