SETTLING CAPE SAUNDERS: UNEMPLOYED BECOME FARMERS

Evening Star, Issue 22086, 20 July 1935, Page 12

SETTLING CAPE SAUNDERS: UNEMPLOYED BECOME FARMERS

Rich, virgin land, 1,080 acres in all, at Cape Saunders- is now being developed as the second stage in the establishment of the only small farms settlement in Otago. The first stage was the building of i> homesteads for the nine settlers, - selected from among the unem- > ployed of Otago, and now the settlers of the future are engaged on opening up x the land as a block, preparatory to -taking over possession of their individual farms. The settlers who were the fortunate nine among over 603 applicants have been living on the . estate for several months, and they are unanimous in their optimism of making more than "a living on their 100-acre farms. However, the date of the commencement of . their farming operations has not yet been decided on, as probably top-dressing will be carried out before they are given tenancy. . The settlement is picturesquely situated on' the Cape, the farms extending from the sheltered waters of Papanui Inlet to the bush-clad summit of Mount Charles, a height of 1,300 ft. On .the Hooper’s Inlet side the estate adjoins the well-known property of Allen’s, now farmed by Mr A. G. Neill; it is separated from the precipitous cliffs of Cape Saunders itself by the lighthouse reserve, while it is flanked on the western side by the estate held in the interests of the famous Taiaroa family. From every homestead there is a,magnificent view of native bush, placid -lagoon,* rolling hill lands’, surf-laved sand, and an unbroken stretch of the Pacific, with Cape Moeraki a purple smudge in the far distance. On this extensive promontory' the homesteads are exposed to the sun ; from morning till night, but, while conditions are exceedingly pleasant in balmy, summery weather, the settlers have found the farms and homesteads a little too exposed in the cold, wintry blasts. The southerly gales have been so fierce that the settlers have had to get to the lee of one of the open ridges and take a more devious route to their homes. . One settler recently endeavoured to battle against the gale, And he was swept, as a piece of paper ! on a wind-blown heath, up the hill and into the bush. However, the homes . will be more shelterd in the future, as this week thousands of Pinus insignis and macrocarpa trees were ’planted in belts near the houses. One of the settlers now considers himself extremely fortunate that he was able to select, personally, the site of his home. And he chose an idyllic spot nestling under the lee of the . southerlies, with a background of sylvan bush and an outlook on a panorama of unspoilt Nature, ocean, surf, and headlands. It is one of the many entrancing views to be obtained on the less-frequented side of the Otago Peninsula, which would be visited by many if they only knew of the charm and diversity of the landscape. COMFORTABLE HOMESTEADS. The homes are solid, comfortable, and well equipped/ without, of course, being ornate in their interior decorations. Of wood, each has four good-sized rooms’, a bathroom fitted with a porcelain bath, and a scullery,. The houses

are serviceably fitted out with clinker brick fireplaces and ample cupboard accommodation. Wisely, little expense was permitted on finish, but the settlers have homes, modern and staunchly built. Each is fitted with a hot-water system, but the isolated district has not been electrically reticulated, and

the householders have to rely on the old-fashioned kerosene lamps for illumination, The houses are more than merely habitable; many people residing in the cities and paying heavy rents would willingly exchange domicile with the settlers, whose start in farming contrasts with the difficulties of many

farmers, who, in the early days, lived in clay huts or houses of frail construction. Concrete yards have been built at the back of each house. When the settlers entered into occupation of their homes some months ago each was given a hut formerly used by the workmen at the Waitaki hydroelectric works. One man with a family of four has used the hut as an outside sleeping quarter, but the other farmers have converted the huts into outbuildings, as adjuncts to the stables and cow byres, each with four bails, erected a short distance away from the homes. SUCCESSFULLY FARMED. The largest farm is of nearly 200 acres, the others having an acreage of about 100. Since the land was purchased, the Land Board has farmed the whole area on behalf of the Small Farms Board and it is at present carrying s about 1,000 ewes and 200 head of cattle, including 12 cows, winch are being milked by the settlers. The board made an excellent profit on its operations last year; its farming was one of the signally successful enterprises of its kind throughout the Dominion. The proceeds are being set aside in a special fund, from which stock will be purchased for the settlers when they take over their lands. On the road near the school, community sheep yards and dips have been erected, and 11 miles of fencing were completed by the Public Works Department before the men took possession of their cottages, since which date a further two miles of fencing have been erected by the settlers. The men are working for the Unemployment Board on sustenance, and in addition to fencing, they are clearing away bush and removing stumps from the open land. All the posts for the fences, which have one strand of barb and six strands of wire, were obtained from the wood on the property. Thousands of posts have been cut. CLEARING BUSH AND RABBITS. However, nearly 100 acres of thick

bush, in which broadleaf and hina hina predominate, have yet to be cleared, and that work will probably be taken in hand before the settlers are permitted to commence their individual operations.

An important work has been rabbiting, on which two men have been engaged. Over 22,000 rabbits have been killed. The pests are being killed off, 14,000 were caught during last year and the kill has fallen this year to about 8,000. * With the clearing of the bush and the eradication of the rabbits, the-next decisive step to improve the carrying capacity of the land will be the top dressing. The department made 1 a profit on its farming last year,, and it

is fully expected that when the fullest use is made of the land, improved by top dressing, the capacity will increase nearly two-fold. The land is blessed with many fine springs, and when the whole of Otago was suffering from a water shortage earlier in the year the stock at the Cape was amply supplied. The existence of this water supply should encourage the settlers in facing dry summers.

WHAT OF THE FUTURE?

Although optimistic about their future careers on the land, the men are as yet without any advice as to conclusive details of finance. They are at present being charged a rent equal to the interest on the capital outlay

on their dwellings, and they anticipate that they will be treated in the same manner as small farm settlers in the North Island; who are charged 4 per cent, on the capital involved, with the right of acquiring their own properties at the expiration of 10 years. The scheme has not been started properly yet, but. it is being developed under the experienced care o£ the Commissioner of Crown Lands and his inspectors. The men were carefully selected. All had had farming experience before becoming unemployed. In the course of selection’they underwent rigid examinar tions, even as to their health. They have been working together for several months and have developed the true

community spirit of friendliness and. willingness to assist each other. The introduction of the men and their families to the Cape has caused a big increase in the population of the district, a recent census revealing a total of 66 inhabitants. A NEW ROAD. The only means of access to the Cape is the road via Papanui Inlet, or the horse track from Hooper’s Inlet.' After leaving the shores of Papanui, the road rises very steeply to the level ridge running towards the lighthouse. At a delightful section of bush, which is now disappearing under the axe, a road now branches off towards the lower part of the promontory to give access to the three farms on that part. The road was constructed by the Publio Works Department, and it has undoubtedly the best surface of any section of the long road from Portobello to the lighthouse. TWENTY SCHOOL CHILDREN. Before the settlement was started the only children of school age in the district were those of one farmer and the lightkeepers. The children at the lighthouse received their education through the department’s correspond dence school, virile the farmer s child dren daily made the six-mile trip to the Hooper’s Inlet School. With the coming of the settlement the Education Board built a school on a section above the main road. It is of one room and in wood, with an excellent playground and substantial outbuildings. Although small, the school is modernly equipped. It opened with a roll of 22 pupils, ranging from the primer classes to the Sixth Standard, and the first teacher is Mis» M. E. Carter, who came from Southland to the Cape. The roll was reduced by two when a-light-keeper was recently shifted. The school is never likely to grow in size or in numbers, owing to the very sparsely settled nature of the surrounding, district. Miss Carter is doing interesting pioneering work. She found that the children who had been taking the correspondence lessons had attained a standard equal to that expected from pupils receiving personal instruction. The children are remarkably healthy, as one would expect them to be in the salubrious, open spaces of the Cape. Apart from their schooling, there is much to interest them in the locality. The bird life is most engrossing. The district seems to be a haven for native birds, while at the inlet many penguins find sanctuary. Always in is .'t j sea, which never fails in :ls interest. During the last week-end the children were delighted to see whales blowing off the coast. Flocks of mutton birds are to be seen, too, while » flock of those far-travelled birds have made their nests in the cliffs. Nature study is an easy matter for these children. Long walks to school are not the, hard lot of the Cape children. The longest distance that v any child has to walk is one and a-half miles. The school has been given an excellent location, almost in the centre of the settlement.