FOUR CYCLES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12253, 8 April 1935, Page 5

FOUR CYCLES

HTSTOJR IN gisb&rne? ; FROM BULLOCK l)RA l Y TO CAB. MOTOR-CAR TO PLANE. MR. ALBERT(..RENFORD RECALLS EARLY...DAYS Time brings; many changes} says a -'hackncyej quotation, but surely the words can fit nothing so apt as.trans-, portation, where transformation of late yeairs lias been marvellous. Few people ..probably; stop: to think that during the: past-thirty .years Or so the method of transportation in Gisborne has: gone throush: four cycles—-bullock-drawn, horse drawn, motor car and aeroplane. There are still a few of the old time bullock drivers in the town and one of the best known is Mr Albert Pentford.. of Bright street, who though 78 years of age can .recall the early days with their free and easy, way of living when wages were small but there, was no'unemployment or widespread discontent. Mr Penford was born in Berkshire in 1857 and as n i hoy wont to'London where for a brief term lie. was; engaged at work on Paddington Station In' 187.1 at. the <a,ge of fifteen he left England in the ship, City of Auckland and in due course she arrived at her port. After remaining in Auckland for seven months young Penford came on to"Gishorrie, in'lß73 and so has been 62 years in this town. TUB AXGANUI THEN, NOT GISBORNE. “Tn the first case” he commented, during a chat with a Times reporter - ‘T did not. come to Gisborne; I came to Turanganuj for nobody, had. heard the name ‘Gisborne.’ Some time after bis arrival the residents decided to form a council and the name of the town or rather settlement as it was then was changed to Gisborne.” A strong healthy lacj with a love of horses young Penford secured work at once in a small livery stable at the old Argylo ‘Hotel on the site where the Coronation Hotel now stands Bullock drays and horses were the only means of transport then. There were no buggies. Saddle horses were in great demand. Arrangements would bo made to purchase a' mob of horse? from the country. They would be driven in and left in the yard. Then jieople would come in and; hire them or os a day. NO ‘TRAFFIC COPS’ TN BCLLOCK DRAY DAYS There were no ‘traffic cops’ or traffic regulations in those early times, for the single reason that roads iverc non-existent. Mr Penford recalls a gentleman who hired a house for the day asking the road to Ormond. He was told to make his own way through the scrub. Timber for housing, etc., was cut at Mnkauri and sent into the settlement by bullock dray, with the bentets in some places buried half deep in’ mud. FIRST HORSE DRAWN VEHICLES As the population increased so new fangled ideas crept in, and gradually the two-wlieeler gig or express became common. A Mr Bidwood, of Ormond ran the mail from Gisborne to that township which was then a somewhat important military, centre.- The trip took two days each way and in some cases longer. All depended on the weather and often the buggies were bogged up to the axles. Several other livery stables came, into existence,, and Mr Penford, in his time, worked at the majority of them. Buggies became quite common and then came a change to the waggonette. This vehicle, well known to the cider residents, usually held about 8 people, who got in-by means of steps at the hacks, and sat facing each other, with an, extra seat for a favored passenger, beside the driver. BEACH SHINGLE TO STOP ROADS BLOWING AWAY Bv this time several-roads had bec-n formed. Certainly they were not concrete bitumen or even tar-seale’d; they wore merely ordinary roads scooped out in the sand, for as is well known this town has a sandy foundation. After the roads were laid; orijy a strong wind would come along arid blow most, of the road away. This difficulty was overcome by hurried trips to the bench to secured shingle io put on the roads and thus pre vent, them from disappearing. Mr Penford recalls humorously several of these hurried: trips tp the. seaside and returning with the shingle. “ALBERT THE CABBY” AND RTS LANDAU Seeing prospects ahead, Mr Pen,lord entered into the “cabby” business with a wagonette. The charge was one shilling a mile. His first waggon-ette-cab was built in Gisborne. . • > The borough grew in size and population and 1 then came increased ambitions in the part of the residents. In the larger towns the landau was thei most popular vehicle. Air Penford 5n enterprising • mood, proceeded to Wellington where he bought a landau which proved very popular. He was at the stand! at Adair’s corner (where the taxis now' eater for fares) ,a.nd did good business. The: usual charge was 5s an hour, or Is a mile. “Albert the Cabby” as Air • Penford was known to -t-ho town at large/ was a familiar sight in Gisborne in those, days, and no fa-shibhubld wedding wiis complete unless his landau and two special grey horses were Used. After ;1 time howeven came the advent °f the motor ear. The new vehicle increased in popularity in a remarkable manner, and the business with the landau grew sla.ck. Air Penford saw the writing on the wall and sold his plant and his horses .at .« cheap price and retired- from thp. business some fifteen or,sixteen years agCf... ' (i f.- ' • <•' ■' THE LATEST CYCLE. . No,w comes the latent .' cycle •. in transportation, the. air liner, and the journey to Napier that in the early days Jiook sometimes a- week, will nop

be covered' in less than'' an hoar, and under mnch more- comfortable circum* stances. With the daily zoom of the bi" planes on their journeys to and frdm Hawkes Bay the thoughts oi ’ many oldei' residents vn\ this district must instinctively turn td the ‘days’ the bullock drays and the horse, the days /when’ wages were low/ hut work ■was plentiful', I .and: food' never in short supply. To them it must appear that for its progress, civilisation is paying a heavy price.