HUTT VALLEY TIME'S TRANSFORMATION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 33, 9 February 1915, Page 3

HUTT VALLEY TIME'S TRANSFORMATION

CONQUERING SWAMP & MARSH PETONE'S "MUSHROOM" GROWTH. No record of the progress of Wellington would be complete without reference to the settlement of the . Uutt Valley, and mare particularly of Petone, which plaoe -was first intended as the site for the future capital. PETONE PAST AND PRESENT. From marshy swamp to a thriving industrial town! Briefly that describes Petone's rapid progress— progress that the most optimistic early settler could hardly have hoped for. Flax, toi-toi, and raupo-oovered swamp for many years defied settlement, which in. the meanwhile marched onwards to conquests up the bußh-clad valley beyond. For very many years Petone's population was comprised of a mere handful of farmers and Natives, and as years passed by their number was but slightly augmented. So that the wonderful < growth of the town — the word township is not applicable these dayshas taken place in the past three de- , cades. In fact, the real foundation of Petone as we know it to<lay was laid during those thirty years. CUTTING UP THE LAND. The first cutting up of land into building sections took place in 1875. In that year Mr. G. Elliot Barton placed on the market some twenty acres to the eastward of the Gear works — a small concern in those days — and south of Bartonterrace, later renamed Jackson-street. The twenty acres referred to sold fairly well, principally to speculators, as only few bought for residential • purposes. Within twelve months Mr. Barton cut up twenty-six acres more, and these sold at still better prices. The sections, which were about one- eighth of an acre each, brought about £25. Since then the majority of the larger areas have been subdivided and built upon. RAILWAY WORKSHOPS ESTABLISHED. Three years after the first cutting up of land, referred to above, a great fillip was given to settlement by the establishment of the Government Railway Workshops, erected in the same locality a3 the Public Works Department. The contractor for levelling the site purchased for the shops was Mr. Welsh, of Taita, while the contractor for the fences and buildings for the Public Works Department was Mr. W. J. Riddler. The works now employ over 500 hands, and cover a considerable acreage. For some time they were greatly cramped for room, but when the much-talked-of and long-needed straightening of the Hutt line was completed, the works were extended to tho base of the hilL The railway line was then put down on the seaward side of the shops, and the station erected on the site where it now stands. A BAR TO PROGRESS. When the workshops were established, Petone was no more than a fourthrate residential locality. There were some fifteen houses dotted about in various places, as compared with about 1500 to-day. Swamp land was everywhere, so to speak, and it was a very common sight to see people using the post and rail fences to get from one place to another without running the risk of swampdrowning. The swamp trouble was partly overcome by the uplifting of land by an earthquake, partly by the filling in of sections for building purposes, and partly by drainage. EARLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Up to 1880 the affairs of the district were managed by the Wellington District Highway Board, the first chairman being the late Mr. Thomas Mason. With the monetary assistance of owners of land and others interested, the board formed and metalled the first streets in Petone. Mr. W. A. Fitzherbert was the engineer to that body, as well as to the Hutt County, while 'the late Mr. William Jones, who was clerk, also held a similar position on the Petone Town Board. Mr. Jones held the position of assistant clerk to the Provincial Council before the abolition of the provinces. It was in 1876 that Petone first got its own Post Office, the first postmaster being Mr. S., R. Johnson, who five years later was mainly instrumental in getting a public school opened. School work was carried ont in a hall opposite the old Fire Brigade Station. TOWN BOARD FORMED. Abont 1880 Petone became somewhat independent in the management of its local affairs, having advanced sufficiently to be designated a Town Board District. The late Mr. W. J. Kirk was the first chairman of the new board, holding the position for several years. It was this body that renamed a number of streets and evoked some criticism by substituting the names of sitting Commissioners for the old names — an incident that is probabljr remembered when others of greater importance are passed over and forgotten. In its early existence the board's revenue was almost a negligible quantity — about £150 to £160 a year — this without the slaughtering fees from the Gear Meat Works, which greatly increased the income as years went on. Hotel license foes also helped swell the revenue, and in this connection it is interesting to not© that the Grand National Hotel— previously known as the Marine Retreat— is the oldest hotel in Petone, having been open over thirty years. The Town Board put down the first pipe drain for carrying off the storm- | water, and, as the result of negotiations, also secured land from the Gear Com* pany and the Natives for the connection from Petone-avenue to the Hutt-road. This was an important woi-k, which the Borough Council subsequently paid for. About twenty-eight years ago another great fillip was given to settlement by the establishment of the woollen mills n*ar the mouth of the KoroKoro Stream. This was followed by the establishment of various other industries, while other works — notably the Gear Company's — have been vastly extended and improved upon. PETONE BECOMES 'A BOROUGH. The year 1888 saw Petone formed int<i a, borough, with the late -Mr. S. R. Johnson as Mayor. The first borough councillors were : Messrs. A. W. Collett, James Kelly, F. W. Upton, A. Fraser, D. Wilkie, J. R. Stansell, W. J. Henry, R. Mothes, and J. Hess. Mr. R. C. Kirk, who was town clerk to the old Town Board, succeeded Mr. Johnson as Mayor, and during his long term of of. fice the Recreation Grounds were leased by the council, with right of purchase, and the first drainage works carried out. In turn Mr. Kirk was succeeded by Mr. R. Mothes, the latter being followed by Mr. G. London, who was succeeded by the present Mayor (Mr. J. W M'Ewan). I The first clerk to the borough was Mr. Leonard Kirk, brother to Mr. R. C. Kirk. FATE OF THE OLD WHARF. Those who have recollections of the old Petone Wharf will remember the outcry when that structure was removed. The wharf was built about 1886 by Freeman and Co., of Nelson, under contract from the Gear Company, and was chiefly used by the freezing hulk Jubilee for the loading of the tug boats with tallow, and for landing sheep and coal. While the wharf was in the hands of , the Borough Council, • that body derived

about £2000 from it in revenue, and of this a very small proportion wag used for upkeep. It was stated that the remainder was devoted to other purposes, with the result that when substantial repairs were required there was no money available for carrying out the work. The wharf was put up to auction by the Harbour Board, but as no one bought, and as the structure in its then condition was a source of danger, it was demolished. It was greatly missed by the public, especially by across-harbour picnickers, who, instead of embarking at Petone, had to first journey to Wellington. Another wharf has since been constructed, however, and although it is often referred to as a "white elephant," there are indeed few in Petone to-day who would prefer no wharf at all. LATTER DAY PROGRESS. It is during the last ton years that Petone has really gone ahead by leaps and bounds. In fact, it would require much space to state in detail all the modern improvements that have been carried out during the last decade. The following list should give an adequate idea of what has been done : — Gasworks practically rebuilt. Recreation Ground purchased. New wharf built. Hutt pipe-bridge erected. Road formed to Lowry Bay. Interest in Hutt Park acquired. Drainage system installed in portion of borough beyond the stopbank. Sewerage scheme (£40,000 loan) pat in hand. Foreshore improvement scheme (£SOOO loan) started. Boat harbour proposed. New bathing sheds erected. Municipal boatsheds started. Motor service scheme adopted. New fire brigade station erected. Municipal buildings erected. Besides the above there have been many minor improvements carried out. Official records state that "the municipal control embraces the supply of gas for lighting and heating locally and to the adjoining borough of Lower Hutt ; also a water supply, drawn from the adjacent Korokoro Hills, the resesrvoir being a distance of two and a-quarter miles away and of a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons daily flow (in summer 2,000,000 gallons). There is an excellent recreation area of 33 acres of level ground, the council's freehold, upon which is established a cycling and trotting track, grandstand, and band rotunda. . . The council is also a Domain Board, controlling a domain on the adjacent hills, in which native vegetation has been well preserved. The council's offices are in a handsome brick building which cost £7000, and embraces . , . municipal library, reading room, and museum. . . . Private enterprise is responsible for an admirable bowling green, tennis courts, and gymnasium. A long shelving beach, running shallow, for a considerable distance to the harbour, lends itself to seabathing and the pleasures of the seaside." The public debt is approximately £100,000 net and the assets £91,783 2s lid,