Recollections of a busy Little River

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 12

Recollections of a busy Little River

By

BRONWEN JONES

Mrs Mary Stanbury, of Little River, will soon be 93years old. During her long life she has seen times change significantly. Mrs Stanbury, 'who was born at Duvauchelle,’ has lived in Little River since the 1920 s and she can remember the township as a busy. ruraTcentre.' ll ".;-; When she first arrived one sawmill, up Puaha Valley,' was still working. The mill, along with the creamery, cocksfooting, and the railway. provided employment and a demand for the services that have long since gone from Little River. “The closing of the railway was the end of Little River,” she recalled, recently. The railway stopped running in the early 19605. ’ “All the people went away because there wasn’t the work for them, then. It was a sad day for Little River, we all thought. “Cocksfooting went out, and the farmers did not patronise the railway, taking their stock straight to the works by truck instead.” Mrs Stanbury was brought up on her parents’ farm at French Farm, where she went to school.

Everyone worked hard in the early days.

“We used to make our own butter, soap, everything nearly, and the men used to kill the sheep for our meat. It wasn’t like it is today.” Although she did not reap the cocksfoot grass like many of the women did, Mrs Stanbury would take a billy of tea to the workers.

“I sometimes had to go down and help in the dairy. It was a lot of work. We had calves and pigs and everything else. “I started in the morning about 6 a.m. The men were up before that getting the cows in and having a. cup of tea. I’d have breakfast ready and get the lunches for school. It was a lot of work, especially if you had to make your own bread.” Mrs Stanbury counts herself lucky that there was a brick oven in the old Stanbury homestead, where she moved after her marriage to the late Francis Stanbury. The homestead stood just above the railway at Little River, close to her present home.

“But water was the big trouble at the Stanbury homestead,” Mrs Stanbury remembered. “We didn’t have too much, and so it had to be piped from way up the gully. Then we didn’t have running water, but a tank. The stove had a boiler in it to. heat the water, but we had to carry it inside in cans.” Washing was done by hand, on a wooden board, apd all garments were ironed by hand irong heated on the stove. “After I had a family it would; take me all day to get

the washing done and see to the cooking and things. In summer it wasn’t so bad, but it was a fair deuce in. winter. And the boys used to come home wet sometimes. “My word, it was a pickle all right, sometimes. I used to wash once or twice a week because if I left it, I couldn't manage it all.” Working in the home was a full-time job. Although Mrs Stanbury had two daughters, they were often away working. One daughter joined the army. Transport was by foot or horse, and twice Mrs Stan-

.bury had to travel ’two or three hours by horse and gig on an unsealed road to the Akaroa Hospital to have her children. Almost everyone owned horses, but ponies for the children were scarce in the early , days. Probably the most enjoyable change in lifestyle was provided by the arrival of motorcars. “They were wonderful things," smiled Mrs Stanbury, whose first car was a 1928 Dodge which was later converted to a truck.