VETERAN RESIDENT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 20, 19 October 1937, Page 13

VETERAN RESIDENT

Memories Of Wanganui In Earliest Days Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, October 18. Vivid memories of Wanganui in ite earliest days are recalled by Mr. W. H. Churton, Wikitoria Road, Putiki, who celebrated his ninetieth birthday to-day. He was born in London on Octobei 18, 1847, and in spite of his advanced age is still in good health and retains a keen memory. . . When he arrived at Wellington in 18u2 after a passage of 110 days in the ship Astcrope, New Zealand’s capital city of to-day was a mere village. A vessel called Wanga Wangu, a sister ship to the steamer Stormbird, wrecked in Wanganui in 1910 with loss of life, conveyed him to Wanganui. A short time after arriving in the colony Mr. Churton sailed up the Wanganui River to the infant township and remembers seeing the Rutland and York stockades. In those days the town was an important military centre with about 5000 troops. In May, 1804, the famous Battle of Moutoa was fought on an island of the same name up-river. He recalls having seen the friendly Maori paddling up stream in war canoes to fight the Hau Hau fanatics who had threatened Wanganui. Mr. Churton had a broken leg at the time and said his -house was barricaded in case of emergency. In 1852 Father Lampila built a mission station on the banks of the river and it was he who warned settlers of the intending raid on Wanganui. Mr. Tom Adamson, a woll-known Maori scout and holder of the New Zealand Medal, was a close friend of Mr. Chur ton's for many years. Mr. Churton's father was mayor of Wanganui from 1874 to 1875 and an uncle, Mr. Henry Churton, came to the colony in 1830 and on one occasion, 10 years later, walked to Wanganui from Wellington, a distance of 150 miles.