NINETY TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 12

NINETY TO-DAY.

65 YEARS IN ONEHUNGA. A VETERAN SHIPWRIGHT. MEMORIES OF THE EARLY DAYS. * That the salubrious climate of the Manukau is congenial to long life and a ripe old age is finely exemplified in the person of Mr. Matthew Sims, of Onehunga, who is to-day celebrating the ninetieth anniversary Of his birthday. For over s<fe years Mr. Simr has worked at his .calling as a shipwright on the foreshore at Onehunga, and during all that time he never suffered from anything worse than a cold occasionally. This was his testimony yesterday when a "Star" representative called upon him it 'his Residence -in Albert Street, Onehunga. "Mind," he began, "I don't care to talk about myse3£ It seems to be the fashion nowadays"' for people to rush into print for the least thing." Then,' with a twinkle in his eye,' Mr. Sims said he would not be exaggerating in saying that he would be ninety years old on Saturday, October 20. ... After referring to an acquaintance of his, who was 86 years of age on Thursday, Mr. Sims said he arrived in Auckland with'hie parents by the DucheiM of Argyle on October 10, 1842, Ten days after that he was four years old. His father —who also lived to be ninety— was a weaver in the Old Country, when most of his time was occupied in weaving Paisley shawls. Not finding employment at his trade he took up market gardening, and sent his children to a school at Smailes' Point, Auckland. This has been cut away since from West Queen Street, and built upon. Point Britomart, where the big guns were, was on the other side. At 14 years of age, Mr. Sims was apprenticed to Mr. Henry Niccols, shipbuilder, with whom he served for five yeans followed by another five years. as a journeyman, in. Mechanics' Bay. When about 25 years of age he settled in Onehunga, where .he has resided ever since. He started in business on his own account on his birthday as a shipwright, when he built the first cutter on the Manukau called the Planet: * Altogether he. built four cutters and the rest of his work consisted in making small fishing and pulling boats, and repairs to all kinds of sailing craft. He put in about six months in the militia before leaving for Onehunga, and was stationed most of the time at Clevedon. but as he was never in action he was not eligible for a military pension. . The wreck of the. Orpheus on the Manukau Bar occurred just before he went to live at Onehunga. Then, after a pause, Mr. Sims said: "Onehunga was just a big garden when I first came here with a few pensioners' cottages, and I could have bought the whole turn out for a few hundred'pounds. Now. land in Queen Street, Onehunga, is fetching £80 k foot;','

Asked if he could call to mind anything that might be considered out of the ordinary, he replied: "I once Saw two men hanged in Queen Street, Auckland," What is now Queen Street, Auckland, Mr, Simi eftplaitied, was then a canal, aa-farup- as Victoria Street, where there was a bridgeacFoss it. Tlegaol was in a valley nearby, and as lie stood on the bridge one day he saw two men hanged from the gallows. That bridge was to him a "bridge of sighs," for he never crossed it afterwards, with-: out thinking of .the two dead men. He might have witnessed another hanging from the same vantage point on a later date if he had liked, but two was chough. Another event that made Mr. 6ims wonder what was going to happen next was the arrival of a lot of Maoris one day when he was on the beach at Mechanics' Bay. Hearing that they had come to storm Auckland, he left and went home. That is aH he could remember about it. When Mr. Sims was shown 'a printed programme of a regatta held on the Maniukau harbour at Onehunga on January 5, 1866, he said he remembered it and helped to build some of the boats tfcat took part in* the races. The Prince Alfred was the flagship for the day and Captain Wing, who still lives at Onehnnga, acted as umpire. All the other members of the regatta committee have passed away. Mr. James Robertson, J.P., of Mangere, was a shipmate with Mr. Sims and is about three years his. senior. Mrs. Sims died twelve years ago, a year after they had celebrated their golden wedding." - There were eleven children, nine of whom still survive, and to-day they had a family gathering to wish Mr. Sims may happy returns of the day. Congratulations were also received from friends far .and near, including his only surviving sister, Mrs. Ocketoton, of Hobsonville, who has turned 80.