EARLY MILESTONES

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1928, Page 15 (Supplement)

EARLY MILESTONES

II Sdrrie “Red Letter” Days |i

IN looking up old records one sees the names o'f old pioneers long since dead and most of them completely forgotten. They take us back to the. time when the town extended from what is nbw the quarry (and where there were then a large number of business places and residences) to within a short distance of the lagoon at Blaketown, (the Old Man Flood of 1872 took the whole, of Richmond Quay ; e from the corner of Johnston St.) and at the back of the town there was not a house of any description on the southern side Of the hospital or Tidal Creek. How many are living who remember anything about the following and the individuals mentioned: — March 20, ISG8 —His Excellency was-’ pleased to accept the services of “The Greymouth Rangers Volunteers, Francis Hamilton (Captain), Donald McLean (Lieutenant)’and John (Johnny) Hall (Ensign). June 11, ISGS—G.W. Moss Esq., was appointed a commissioner of the Waste Lands Board 'Ti’f the County of Westland. . ■ , , Juno 11, 18G9—Greymouth’s first big lire (started at what, was then John-, ’ston’s Hotel, but is now Kettle Bros.’ store, supposed to Pave Peen the act’

Of an incendiary and a free pardon was offered to anyone giving information, not being the sole or principal offender,, but nothing of the origin .of the fire was discovered). July 12, 1869—The premises of Cook and Sampson,, undertakers etc., was also fired and similar free pardon offered, but nothing discovered. 1868—A certificate of Incorporation was granted to “The Greymouth and Greenstone Tramway Coy. Ltd. This line was 'constructed and owned by Kilgour- and Perotti and ran as far as Paroa, then commonly known as “The Saltwater.” The tram first starred from its office, which was then situate about opposite where Harley’s building now stands in Richmond Quay into Arney St., over the bridge and along the road past the old slaughter yard to the first stop on the sea side of Bob Keown’s Hotel, then with other stops to Paroa. The starting place was afterwards .shifted to the office opposite Kilgour’s Hotel, a few doors above the present Bank of N.Z. About 1871 the line was run from the back of the hotel, across the creek and through the bush to Keown’s, this latter part was for a very long time the only thoroughfare out that way to the cemetery and the pub. When Kumar a broke out this line was continued to the Teremakau which was crossed in a cage and passengers then took the Kumara train to the latter town. Prior to the constitution of the Grey County, all the West Coast Gold Fields, lip to the Grey river, were in

one County “Westland” and in the latter were many road districts and boards, one of the principals being “Paroa” which like the others, had its own members, special secretary, offices and so on and also collected its own rate (or should have). When the Grey Borough was formed it evidently started to collect rates belonging to Paroa with the result that in September 1869, it had’ to pay the Paroa Board the sum of £l6OO. Paroa in those days was a pretty big township but has since lost its whiskers. 1869—Grey Borough was constituted,, this year and the boundaries were defined as follow: —“All that parcel of land situate and being in the County of Westland, bounded on the West by a.line 160 chains and 80 links, extending from the South Spit along the beach, thence along the South Town Belt, 115 chains and 50 links; thence along the Eastern belt 120 chains' 90 links; thence along tlie Native Reserve number 31; 41 chains 30 links to ihe Grey River and thence along the river Grey to the point of commencement.” '' No doubt the surveyors of those days considered the South Spit a permanent fixture, and were quite unaware, that sometimes it was half a mile or so further north or may be south, it is therefore difficult to see how the beach boundary could subsequently be ascertained and defined. As there is on South Spit now, nor has there been for many years, one wonders where the beach boundary starts from and where it pulls up.