“MUD-HOLES” NOW HANMER

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 18

“MUD-HOLES” NOW HANMER

EARLY JOURNEY BY BULLOCK-DRAY

A PIONEER SETTLER LOOKS BACK “And our first home was at the hot mud-holes, - ’ remarked Mr Edwin Feldwick, an early settler of Canterbury who celebrates his eighty-fifth birthday to-day, when he was being interviewed yesterday. This naturally prompted the question—what and where were the hot mud-holes? It turned out that Mr Feldwick was us--ng the language of 75 years ago. The hot mud-holes are now known as Hanmer, and the early name was given the place by the bullock-drivers who used to stop there on journeys from the stations round about. Mr Feldwick came to New Zealand *73 years ago, a child among a family of nine, on the ship Mystery. In the manner of the earliest pioneers the held wicks had to make their way over the hill to Christchurch —or to the very scattered settlement that was to become Christchurch. There was no semblance of a city then. “It was all wild.” said Mr Feldwick. “There were a few houses in Christchurch, and a few shops. Kaiapoi was bigger than Christchurch in those days, because of the shipping. I have seen as many as 27 sailing ships and steamers tied up in that river. In the early sixties I have seen the main street of Kaiapoi lined with bullockdrays waiting to unload wool.” The first visit to Christchurch was only a passing one, as Mr Feldwick’s father had come to New Zealand from Westminster, London, to work on the Leslie Hills station, then owned by Mr Christopher Hodgson. Almost immediately the journey to the “hot mud-holes’’ had to be undertaken by the whole family, by bullock-dray. Public Service ‘Wc travelled up there with six bullocks.” Mr Feldwick said yesterday. “It was wonderful hew in those days the bullocks wculd cross the rivers and the mountains without bridle or rtin—just whip and word of command. The family of nine had to sleep on the hard ground, under the pole of the dray with the tarpaulin ever them, for the week pr so it took to make the journey. It’s strange,” he reflected, "that though I was always tiie ‘cronk’ one of the family, I have outlived them all.” After little more than two years the Leslie Hills station was bought by the Rutherford family, and the Feldwicks came south, settling in Kaiapoi. The small town became Mr Edwin Feldwick's home for 47 years, so that it is with Kaiapoi that be identifies himself principally. He was mayor of the borough for six and a half years, a member of the harbour board, and served for 21 years on the school committee. This last side of Mr Feldwick’s career is reflected in a larger sphere by that of his brother, the late Hen. H. Feldwick, a Minister in Sir George Grey’s Government, who served in both Houses of Parliament for 32 years. “Well, to-morrow I pass the eightyfifth milestone,” said Mr Feldwick, “and I can even yet run to catch a tram,” And his whole appearance and manner showed that he had lost notb,ing by the strenuous travel and work of the early days, whether in bullockdrays or under them. Mr Feldwick was married, 57 years ago, to Miss Ball, of Woodend. Their four sons all served in the Great War, two being killed on Gallipoli.