LOOKING BACK

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 109, 10 May 1934, Page 3

LOOKING BACK

WELLINGTON Ml 874

IyiEMORIESOE THE HUTT

The power of. bringing vividly to mind events of "The days, before yesterday" is possessed" in a marked degree by Mrs. Charlotte Anstis,: aged 91, who lives at 43 Queen Street; -vTetone. ■ Mrs. , Anstis landed in Wellington "in 1874; : and^haa \yatehed Wellington grow, but still; more has she seen the Hutt Valley grow. In the course of an interview ghe" gave some interesting details of early; daye in "the valley. - '"''■'■ ■•'•»■••." .... •"■-'■?:■

Mrs. Anstis was: born-at St. Giles's, Crippiegate l Jarish, in the-heart of London. She left for New Zealand in'lß73, sailing iiom London:in .the sailing vessel Duke of Edinburgh.'Vwhich "arrived" -at' Wellington on -New1 Year's Day, -1874, after a: four : months' passage. . ■■,'. ifer impressions of the city s were not.very7 flattering. In-a letterVHpine'i she wrote that "one could tie up" the whole in a pocket handkerchief." The hills round Wellington, which have dismayed many who come hera frorii\ flatter localities, rather puzzled the new-: arrival in 1874. She wondered what use all the hills would be, and her husband^ prophesied that one day they would oe covered with houses. ..Mrs. Anstis.did not thing this was. correct then, but today she admits the accuracy of her late husband's'forecast. ~,,.V:V'» ; ;

When Mrs. .Anstis first?arrivedf in Weilington. the? seii'came over the present site of the Larnbton Railway Station up to where:the Hotel !Qecit,'ttO\yTstandst There weresnot^marijf houSesStbeh in; the inaia streets of the city; and; Cuba-Street waa mostly. paddpcks,; SwitlrVia.few 'houses'here and there. Transport -was by means of rickety coaches, Anjong> early businesses in Wellington; Mrs.' Anstis can" remember bcotts Pie Shop in Manners Street, where people.used to go for pies-afterthe theatre, and Mr. : ,PeterLaing'B\confectionery.shop in Lambton Quay, outside which Mr Lain* would stand with his telescope and look at the" ships- enteringTthe: harbour-' ":-'5 It is the opinion, of Mrs. Anstis that the weatheri was warmer-when she first came to Wellington thanit is now. In the old"day^/she\says^v; beautifully; warm weathers-used tobe experienced in August and September, but these months are cold ?°F-,.. 4? Proof -Of the /warmth of the weather she'says' that trie Maoris used to go. about with very little clothing; indeed, they were almost naked. ' Mrs. Anstis was interviewed on a bitterly cold day, with .thef southerly wind whipping in from the harbour and the rain beating down,- so the Weather seemed •to bear out her contention, and the inter? viewer had a sigh for "the good old days'.',' HUTT ROAD TOLL; GATES. i^When Mrs., Anstis first to the 4»tt Valley she lived in Woburn. Koadi which had only a few-houses in it ■ The traveller to the Hutt had to pass a toll gate,at Haiwarra, ■and.there was-another one at the Hutt near the bridge. Mrs: Anstis has seen three bridges in her time near- the site of the present main' traffic bridge .at Lower Hutt., Big, floods were fairly common occurrences during' heavy rams-in those days, and on- these occasions one could row a boat over quite a wide areaof;flood waters .Mrs. Anstis can still remember losing ducks and fowls in the floods. ' '-- •■.-■■'■■ •■■'■• ■ ■?

The HuttilValley: in; those fdaysv-n-as rather a raw looking, place. The main road through the Hutt Valley , was an unpretentious thoroughfare with ditches da either side and passing>ttirbugti; a ness, of; paddocks. ... \^ -. ? ■ ■ \Vhen -Mrs. Anstis first came to the Hutt valley there ."were more Maoris than whites there, especially at Waiwhetu. The Maoris rather frightened,the new arrival, although, they-were very friendly.'. In the smaller houses the Maoris would open the door and walk in. arid squat down in front of the fire.. If offered _a little tobacco arid matches'-th'ey^wculd;go'« awdy^'but' Mrs. Anstis forgot? about'ithis 1; time' one of .them" came into Sthe" "'housed and ran for help. .The.Maoris .were very, honest; says' Mrs. Anstis; and-if they borrowed-a. 'shilling they would pay.it back. It wag quite; 6afe_to_ leave money lying about when" they'were in tfie hoiiseT- " * ■