Petone In 1840

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 60, 4 December 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

Petone In 1840

I’etone was to hare been the site of the embryo city. Captain Smith, Sur-veyor-General, and his staff came out in the previous year in the ship Cuba, and laid out the proposed town. On the arrival of the Adelaide, in 1840. a meeting was held for the purpose of considering the situation in reference to laying out the city. The difficulty of landing and the site exposed to southeasterly gales; led the surveyors to change their plans and build across the bay, where Wellington now stands. The settlers remained at Petone beach for nearly a year, and lived in huts of tol-tois d.auted with clay. One of the many fortified pas was situated on the beach, containing 400 to 500 natives of the Ngatiawa tribe. The natives could have crushed the intruders, but were always of a friendly character. All the purchases were by way of barter. The first potatoes grown were on Hopper, Petre, and Molesworth estate and proved an excellent crop. The first export of potatoes was sent to Sydney by the ship Lady Leigh. The first bank was erected on Petone beach, being a branch of the Union Bank of Australia, and was opened i u 1840. The settlers suffered extensively in the year—the severe earthquake in 1840. also many were rendered homeless by floods. Then followed the flour famine; a shortage of wheat in Sydney owing to a drought. The settlers sent two vessels to America and obtained flour, mules and horses.—D.P. (Wellington).