EARLY HISTORY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19917, 2 May 1930, Page 15

EARLY HISTORY.

THE SETTLEMENT OF CANTERBURY. ADDRESS BY MR GEORGE HARPER. "Early Canterbury" was the subject of an address delivered last night by Mr George Harper at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Historical Association. Br. J. Bight presided over an attendance of over 150. Dealing with the earliest exploration and settlement of New Zealand, the speaker emphasised the comparative shortness of time in which the province had made such progress as was now everywhere evident. It was exactly two hundred years after Gasman's discovery of the country that the Deanß brothers settled at Biccarton in 1848. Seven years later the first four ships arrived, and since then a mere eighty years had sufficed to turn what was a waste, sleeping, desert land into the prosperous Canterbury of to-day. In 1770 Cook first charted the coast, but he believed Banks Peninsula to be an island, and also Bet the coast line much to the westward of itß true position. On his chart he sketched in snowy mountains to the west, but he really saw very little of Canterbury owing to the weather conditions then prevailing. The South Island was practically unknown till 1836. Captain Chase, in H.M.S. Pegasus, after which shin Pegasus Bay is named, corrected Cook's chart to some extent but the first accurate survey was made by Captain Stokes of the Acheron, in 1850. the Maoris. With regard to the native inhabitants, the plains were not favoured by the Maoris, who\ made some of their first settlements on Banks Peninsula, a part that was far more attractive to them. - About 1700 Kaiapohia Pa at Woodend was founded by the Ngaitahu tribe, and was the most important centre in all the South Island till ita destruction by Te Bauparaha in 1830. Very shortly afterwards the pa on Onawe Peninsula, projecting into Akaroa Harbour, was destroyed also with very great slaughter, but with the later defeat of Te Bauparaha by Taiaroa in Marlborough, the native troubles ia Canterbury came to an end. The first whites to settle were whalers who established their stations at various parts on the eoast, especially at Tion the Peninsula, but: the first true land-owning settlers were such men as Levy and Cooper who, in 1825, Inspected the possibilities of farming' on the Peninsula, and returned in 1839 to take up land on the inlets now named after them. Captain W. fi. Rhodes, who was captain of £ schooner in partnership with Levy and Cooper, was the first to have the enterprise to climb the hills and see the plains. Plrst Settlement, of the Plains. Before the settlement of 1850 . the Canterbury Plains were twice inspected for settlement, first by a surveyor from Nelson, where the colonists were dissatisfied with the prospects and perturbed by the Wairau massacre. The surveyor reported favourably, but the suggestion pf a transference of the settlement to Canterbury was. not accepted by Governor Hobson. . Later 1 stul Tuekett, when inspecting thc-*6nn- , try for a site for the proposed Dttnedih settlement, waa not impressed by the, Canterbury Plains for settlement., ' Til) tha early 'forties'the Peninsula alone was occupied 'by famities, tha -majority of, whose dßsfteadants are there to-day, but in 1840 .JUaElnnon -was sent to take nominal possession of 700,000 acres of the plains; Cahoa (Go Ashore) BftV, now. Lake Forsyth, he, with his wife and child, and a dray, ploughs, and .hafrows. pushed towards the present Southbridge and thence across to Biccarton, Jjrhere he built a hut and grew a small crop of grain. He was, however,' forced to leave by the Maoris, and his plough, and harrows were put into the A Von #ear where tha Hospital now Stands. . Coming of Deans Brothere. In 184$ came the Deans brothers, who built a hot in Bieoartou Bush and gained a title to, 400 acres, together with rights over the pastoral country adjoining, which is now the alte .of Christchurch.. They were practical farmers, and within a years, time werje* living in '' comparative ' luxury and eomforfe The diaries of the surveyor Tuekett' and Dr. Munrp, who accompanied hira, are exceedingly interesting*in the account thty give of the state of the country. Tuekett reported adversely, saying that there waa acrassefc tint over the plains owing to tha. growth of in the.swamps.. Dr. Jftunro, however, prophesied • that not- only, .would i agriculture be possible but also indati tries of all kinds. Holding* would be I both large and small. ,■.- In 1844 came Bishop Belwyn,who Wafi enraptured by .the sight Of the plains stretching „ westward, northward, and southward before his .eyes. He' proceeded to go south to Otago on foot and gives an account of how well,he waa everywhere received, - In the meantime the New Zealand Land Company had bought large areas of land, and in 1848, when the Canterbury Association was granted l ita charter after persistent effort on the part of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, this land was bought, by the Association. The plains were waiting for their master. Colonists Arrive. Captain Thomas and- Mr Jolly were sent in' 1849 to prepare 'the wty for settlement, and in 1850, when Godley came as representative of the Canterbury Association he' found all ready for his colony of a "slice of England from top to bottom." The colonists were picked men and were fully qualified for responsible ' government, which Godley and Wakefield succeeded in obtaining in 1852, when the Provinces' and General Assembly were constituted. In 1855 the Association came to an end, 1 but it had left the legacy of the well- | laid-out city with its squares and reserves. It was laid down that Hagley Park was to be "reserved for ever for the recreation and enjoyment of the public." "Especially do we of the Old Colonists' B©eiety hoperthat the story of the ' early days will be handed on by word of mouth by the younger generation as the Maoris handed on their traditions," said Mr Harper. After the address a number of lantern slides of scenes in old Christchurch At-the conclusion of the demonstration Mr Harper was accorded a hearty vote of "thanks. * '