CATTLE IN CANTERBURY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 16 November 1926, Page 7

CATTLE IN CANTERBURY.

LANDING THE FIRST BEASTS,

RHODES BROTHERS’ ACTIVITIES,

lii the year 1830, the first eattle for ('a 11 1el-burv wore landed at- hcd liav. Green Point, Akaroa. and t-lic following article by the late Air Janies Mae in the Akaroa Mail is of interest: “The three L’hodes Brothers. William Barnard George, and Robert-. Heaton, were intimatelv connected with Canto i-burv since a date many years prior to the'first settlement by the colonists, and that connection is as intimate in their descendants at the prese»* day. \V. R. Rhodes was the first of them to visit the place that was to become Canterburv. He was a. seafaring man, and in 1834 and 1835 he commanded a whaling ship, the Australian, belonging a Sydney firm. Messrs iCooper and Holt, afterwards Cooper and Levy, whose names were given to the two ad* iacent harbours. Port Cooper and Port Lew The former was later named Lvttelton harbour. Air Rhodes was in tlie harbour in 1834, when he climbed the hills overlooking the Canterbury Plains, which lie described as a vast swamp with two patches of native bush. Trade was carried on with the natives and in February. 1839, a Captain Francis Leathart purchased ail area of land from the natives through Taiaroa. which area Leathart transferred in September, 1839. to the firm which Rhodes had now joined —Cooper. Holt .and Rhodes. The last named purchased a fine barque, the Eleanor, and buving 50 head of cattle, including two bulls, at £lO a head from Mr Rust et the Hunter Rover. New South Males, he landed these at Takapuneke, or Red House Bar, Akaroa harbour, early in November', 1539. These were the first cattle landed in Canterbury, and lie left one William Green in charge of them at the bay. Green had had charge of the stock on the boat, and settled at Red House with his wife and little bov, two years of age. In IS4-, W B. Rhodes, was joined bv his brother Joseph, but he left Akaroa soon after 1543 and settled first in Wellington, but soon afterwards in Napici, where he acquired a fine property. W. B. Rhodes also made his home m Wellington, and he was there when George Rhodes arrived at Akaroa in Pecember. 1843. having left London bv the Alandarin in June of that year, coming to New Zealand Via Van Pieman’s Land. He was brought up as an English farmer, and on arriving at Akaroa lie took ehaige of the cattle station. A brother, Peter, accompanied him, but he, not liking New Zealand, returned to England and carried on farming there. In May, 1847. W. B. Rhodes and George Rhodes purchased the Purau property from the Greenwood Brothers for £l/10, and George made that his place of iesiclciicc until joined there by Robem Heaton, another . brother from Australia. in 'the beginning of 1850. Tiltproperty acquired on the Akaroa side of the Peninsula was sold —that at Flea Pay to Israel Rhodes, who was no relative. though bearing the same name., and that at the Akaroa Heads to Charles Hiiyloc-k. On the formation of the Canterbury settlement, the brothers leased lands for pastoral purposes on various parts of the Peninsula. In 1851. 250 acres near Alt. Evans, 800 acres at Alt. Herbert (increased to 10,000 acres in 1857), in- 1852. 5800 acres at Purau. 9200 acres at Ahunri. and 18,000 at Akaroa; in 1853, 20,000 acres south of the Rakaia; but, most important in 1852, a Targe area of 150.000 acres at Timaru,. afterwards known as The Levels. This aioa tho.\ stocked with surplus sheep from their Peninsula properties. Besides pastoral areas, they purchased freehold areas in moderate sized blocks and in favourable localities from time to time, among them the land now forming the business part of Tiinaru. long known as Rhodes Town. The Tiinaru properties were principally managed by George. Robert Heaton managing those nt Purau and about Christchurch. From the variety uf their early training. the three brothers formed an excellent business combination, and all their ■ ventures proved successful. George died at Lyttelton in June, 18(54 Robert arriving from a visit to England just, in time to attend the funeral, which was also attended by William Barnard, from Wellington. Robert Heaton Rhodes died at Christchurch in June. 1884. • ’