MR WM. A’COURT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 April 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

MR WM. A’COURT

❖ —— ARRIVED IN 1872

Mr William A’Court, of Beach Boad, Hawera, arrived here by coach in 1872. Cobb & Co.’s line of coaches then ran from Wellington upwards, and Mr Young conducted the service for them from Wanganui to Hawera. Most of the rivers along the coas't were bridgeless at the time of Mr A’Court’s arrival, there being punts on all big streams — Waito'tara, Whenuakura and Patea — and most of the smaller ones had to be forded. The .beach itself was used in many places for a highway, and the old military road from the mouth of the Tongahoo to Hawera was the one still followed.

On arrival hero, Mr A’Court started work in Mr W. Williams’ smithy in High Street (or, rather, on the road which later became our main street) Mr .1. J. Patterson, of Manaia, was also an employee at <this forgo. There wore no churches in Hawera at

this time, but the various denominations hold occasional services in the blockhouse. Early settlers holding land around were Messrs W. Douglas, O. Tait, •). Winks, ,1. St oven sum. I). MeL ’Dowie, ,7. Trowoek, Middlomas Bros., J. Douglas and .Sweeney Bros. The last-named farmed part of the section whereon the Egmont Racing Club’s course is laid down. There were two hotels in the embryo town, one conducted by T. Quinlivan, and the other by T. Espagne. A brewery, managed, fittingly enough, by a Mr. Burton, stood near the South Road end of Princes Street. Messrs. B. and W. Dingle formed the main street through the town, the late Mr Jonn Twigg being foreman of roads.

Mr Quentin Muir, happily still in the land of tho living, ran a prosperous store business at the junction of High and Princes Streets. The local chemist was a Mr iHarkness, and meat iwas supplied from the butchery of Mr Shearer (just lately deceased). Mi and Mrs S. Black performed tho joint duties of telegraphist and postnvistress, and the friendly Oeo chief, Hone Pihama, ran a service of coaches to connect with New Plymouth via Opunake. Messrs P. McGuire and J. Stevenson contracted for the A.C. Forces, as there w-ere still considerable camps at Waihi and Opunake. Mr A’Court is of the opinion that Mrs. A. E. Death, of Manawapou Road, was the first European female child born here, while Mr das. Douglas was the first to be interred in the newly 1 aid-out cemetery. Notwithstanding the hard, strenuous toil which Mr A’Court endured ’in his younger day's, few would imagine that, he is nearing his SOtli birthday. Looking back on his long and active career, this fine old colonist realises, with Adam Lindsay Gordon, that “the longest life is but a span,” and he now quietly resides, with his consort of 55 y'ears, close by the town whose shingle roofs he first descried more than half-a-century ago.