LATE MR DAN HUGHES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 April 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)

LATE MR DAN HUGHES

-tt, SCOUT AND GUIDE IN MAORI WAR

One of the best known residents of South Taranaki up to the day of his death in 1914 was Air Daniel Fug lies, . senr., who arrived in Taranaki by v ay of Australia in the early ’sixties as a young man from Tipperary. Y\ hen asked what brought him to New Zealand the late Mr Hughes would reply “an accident.” As a matter of fact, when he left his Irish home it was with the intention of following his two sisters tp America, and it was not till the boat was well clear of the shore that he found that lie had hoarded the wrong vessel and instead of being on his way to America he was headed for Australia; it- was thus that a good Irish-American was lost to the States and a sturdy pioneer gained by this young colony. After a short sojourn in Australia, mainly spent in stumping gum trees in Queensland, and a stay in Melbourne. where lie, made the acquaintance of Rhody Slattery, then in a big way as a livery stables proprietor in Melbourne and later to become a coach driver known to everybody up and down this coast. Mr Hughes came over to New Zealand for the Gabriel’s Gullv gold rush. Later he came on to Wanganui and Patea, engaging in road contracting at the latter place. When the Maori War broke out he

joined the military settlers, and with the well-known Martin Coffey became one of the two guides to the military forces operating against the natives. He took part in many engagements, some of wiiieh ; have. been recorded, and in many excursions and expeditions which have not been noted by the historian. 'I lie lull story of his own life and adventures as a settler and soldier would have made a very interesting book hail it ever been written. He became one of the first purchasers of land on the \\ annate .Plains, settling at Manaia in .1880. lie was a member of the original Manaia School Committee, and ,as a racing man, both owner, breeder and trainer, was known to everybody up and down the coast. In his day he was a great athlete, excelling as hammer thrower, shot nutter, high jumper and wrestler. Of Ids sons, two were killed in the (treat \\ nr, one was killed in a railway accident, another (Andrew) is l settled in the Wanganui district, and the other is Mr I). J. Hughes, of Normanhy, himself a. well-known settler and prominent athlete- of other days, having been a member of the New Zealand Rugby team of 1894 and champion lrakclm wrestler of the coast.