IN ITS INFANCY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 6 (Supplement)

IN ITS INFANCY.

WHAT PATUTAHI WAS LIKE. AIR- AND AIRS. HILLS' IN REAL ANHSCENT AIOOD. Happy and contented, Air and Airs J. E. Hills, the first residents of Patutahi, find much to interest them and occupy their attention. 'I heir family is now more or less scattered, one daughter living as far abroad as Palestine, hut, as of yore, their friends are legion and hospitality :s never stinted in their snug home. Air Hills came out to New Zealand in the Waitangi and a shipmate was Air Cop;:Sns, a shepherd on Opou. On her part Airs Hills journeyed out in ■the Orari. Her .shipmates included the late Air P- Alalone. also Air Owen Gallagher Mrs Aluldoon and All Aiiteiiell, of the firm of Davys. Third and Aiitcheli, who was then but a child of six years.

LIFE IN A RUSH AY HARE

Prior to taking up a Patutahi township section, in 18.3, Air Hills had been employed by the late Air Maynard in the butchery trade at Ormond. When surveyed, the township was in heavy rushes and the sections ran, in size, from quarter acres to lots comprising several acres. There was quite a rush for sections, but few went out to live upon their newly acquired properties. As much as £7O was paid at the sale for a quarter acre. Mr Hills, therefore, considered himself lucky in being able to acquire an acre close to where the hotel now stands for £54. At .hat time, Mr Maynard owned, at Ormond, the first stone house built in Poverty Bay. The builder was Daniel McNair, one of Mr Hills’ shipmates, and the stone was obtained from Ormond Valley. Air and Airs Hills had been married at Ormond in January 1877, and they wore hi ought over to Patutahi by George (“General”) Jackson in a bullock waggon. At first, they Lad io be content with a rush whare and,'-.recalling those days, they both told ’ h ?ir interviewer that they had m-ter been happier since. Tor nine n onths they had no chimney in 1 then Mr Hills and his brother-in-law went to where the Patutahi Quarry was, later, opened up, and, from stone obtained there, burned sufficient- lime to enable a chimney to be I uilt. It was the first occasion an which the- stone had been so used Asked ns to .lie state of the Patufahi district in those days, .Mr Hillssaid that in the Lower Patutahi there was to he seen pasture of English grasses that would have been hard to lieat anywhere in the world The whole district was studded with sheep on recount of the fact that free grazing was permitted. When scab broke out in IB7S, however,, a

great change on me over t lie seen - • Tr flu. n 1 beanie necessary for stO' .-r to be kept, within fenced areas and the Inspector provpd vorv strict. D-i'-deg with lime and sulphur was carried on continuously at the yards on Onou and many sheen died in the dentil of winter after having been treated. Large numbers of sheep were destroyed as the easiest method of dc-aliug with the menace.. The land in ihe Patutain district was, for the most part, confiscated land.

NEIGHBORS vTiMV \XD FAR BETWEEN.

Joining in the conversation, Mrs Bills mentioned that, at first, their nearest neighbour was Miss MacKeu-

zie, who resided on Lavenham, threecuarters of a mile away. Some months later a Mr Carron, a ship’: carpenter, migrated from the. North Auckland district, with his wife and eleven children and settled in the district. They- reached the township per medium of a bullock waggon and hushand and son quickly built a '•.nail wooden place Bft. x 10ft. with a long sleeping- place built of rushes.

In 1879 Hr Strong put up a store and Hr F". Ilee built a house, as also did Hi’ Ililliam and Mr Hatton. The nearest Maoris resided at Waitui. Mr Biiham’s old house opposite the station was the oldest building left m the township. It was built by Mr. l'inwiddie.

Mr Hills went on to say that the first church at Patutalii was built on tlie site at present occupied by Mr. Monteith s store. Here Mrs Hills interposed to explain the trouble which the fc-w residents then had to get a school. Mr Locke had advised them that it was necessary to secure twelve pupils. But that imm'for could not be obtained ayd when Mr Locke was so informed his advice was that they should borrow enough to make up the shortage. As Mr Strong did not orntinue with the store, it was taken over by Mrs Billiam as a school. She bad three children or her own of school age at the time. Later on the classes were transferred to a. hall about 21 >: 12ft. that was built on the fringe of the township. In that building all sorts of meetings and functions were held.

The first Road Board for the district, it seems, .was formed in 1879. To consider the project a meeting was held in Mr Hills’ house and the fli st- meeting cf the body took place

ii. August of that year at Mr s house. The members were: Mr LSunderland (chairman.) and Messrs Hills. Bee, McKenzie and Burgess. Mr Bilham was the secretary. At that time there were no reads at all in the district. The Board did a lot of excellent work in the wav of formation and drainage and a halfpenny rate was alt that required to lie exacted, when the subsidy was taken into consideration. As showing the state of the reads in winter, it was mentioned that Mr Carron used to leave Patutalii with his bullock waggon on a Monday morning and

lie would not get back from Gis’torne before the Saturday night. Along wlmt is now the road past the .Domnin Mr. lice had a four-wheeler come to grief, with the result that it could not be rescued for four months.

Mrs Hills gave some interesting information concerning the prices of commodities fifty years ago. Potatoes were 29s per sack, bread Is per 4lb loaf and butter Is 9d. Flour, which was made at King, and Hurray's mill in Gisborne, which stood on the present site of Messrs Common, Shelton and Co.’s premises, cost 17s 6d p.lus 3s 6d cartage. Meat was cheap, whilst good working loots could he _bought for 20s and white moleskins "for 12s. Spades and shovels, however, were very dear. Wages were at the rale of Is per hour, bur one had to be a good worker. After the failure of the Glasgow bank, there was very grave depression in the district., Cows could I*: bought for from 2s 6d to 20s apiece and sheep were proportionately low'. Butler went down in price to 4d and eggs also fell to 4d per do/,. The vfdue of such commodities had to ho taken out in goods. According to Mr Hills, the first hotel at Patutahi was built in 1885 for Gallagher Bros. It was built by I’eter Miller and Manus Gallagher, Mrs Hills’ brother. Mr L. Stevens (lather of Mr L. Stevens of Wairo.M was the first baker and the first Sunday reh col teacher. Mr Hills introduced the first cow to Patutahi and ho was also the first to secure a trap. Looking liack on the events of the past both agreed that none, could wish for hapnier da vs than those of the early settlement of the district.