SAWMILLING AT NORMANBY

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 April 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

SAWMILLING AT NORMANBY

Mr John Hall, of Afidhirst, supplies the folio;wing interesting particulars of the foundation of the first sawmill erected in the district and recounts incidents connected with early loe.il settlement: — “The early history of that sawmill follows: A 'certain Mr AVilson (an old man) started .it. I believe he had owned a run in the Wairarapa. Which he sold, and having two married daughters living near Hawera, Mrs Nicholas and Airs Douglas, and having heard also of the fabulous crops of nats grown in the district and the scarcity of threshing plant, ho decided to come to Hawera, bringing with him a small engine, the usual threshing plant, and a small saw-bench. This nvjculd be in October, 1875. The block of land, mostly bush, whereon he sot up the little mill, he bought from one Hurley, I believe, who lived in Wanganui. There was something over 300 acres in it. T understand AVilson had no son (with him, at any rate). Previous to his coming the late F. H .Brett had the land leased, and employed a lot of bushmen, sawyers and splitters. There was much shingle-splitting’ in those days; iron roofs wore ‘nan-est. ’ Myself and another were sawing together. Wilson’s mill was the. sorriest specimen I ever saw. The engine wits about S h.p. and the bench -could not take a saw that, world ,cut anything deeper than 8 inches. He hired tiwo pairs of sawyers to break down and flitch, self and -mate iiiciiiided. We were paid: 15s per client, a®, the lawyers have it. Of course, the o'ld man soon got tired of-it, and sold the mill, with 8(1 acres of -open land, to Robson brothers. “F. IT. Brett, who had been a sergeant- in the A.C. Force stationed at Waihi, acquired a farm from his father-in-law, an old American named O’Donnell. Brett built a pretty big house

at the northern end of the farm where me Austin Road ipaesed on its way to the Boylan Road. He took out a publican’s license and also opened a grocery. The late Aiieliael Roche, then a constable stationed at Waihi, was detailed to go and keep a vatchful eye on the pub. He built himself a sort of cabin, which was known as Castle Roche, and -planted gums about it. Later on, after Normanby came into existence, Roche was recalled to AVailii, and a . constable named Pleasants was sent up from Wellington. This man, I believe, was the first licensee of the Railway Hotel. Hawera, and from there he went to Fciiding, following the same trade.

FOUNDER OF NORMANBY. “Now,we eelite to the man who gave Normanby its name, Captain jR. J ■ Blake, a mail much above the ordinary. He was a half-easi e, and had three brothers and ore sister. She was the youngest, and the captain the oldest of the family. The captain had charge ot tno work on the Mountain Road, .acting, I believe, under Sir Donald McLean, native minister. I was employed cn that road 15 months, and can only remember seeing the ‘boss’ cn the work once. Most of ins time v.-as spent in Wellington.

CHARACTERS OF THE ’SEVENTIES

MR. JOHN HALL’S REMINISCENCES.

NORMANBY LAND SALES.

“The first town-ship of -Normanby consisted of 50 acres; a section given for three years’ military service to a <f u ]l private.’ Immediately adjoining on the 'Hawera side was an 80-acre allotment, a ‘sergeant’s section.’ AV-ho that sergeant was I don't know, for it had. -been acquired by a German named AVuliler, who sold it to J. Robson foi £S 10s per acre. Within 12 months Mr Robson sold it- to McGuire and

Thompson, auctioneers, for, I believe, £hS 10s per acre. At once the partners put surveyors to work on what they (Milled the Normanby extension, and offered the Government a site for the railway station, free c'f -charge, and issued maps showing the station site. Just then a report was circulated "that, the railway would not touch Hawera, and seine people seem to have taken

, this report seriously, as I judged from the' 'price's realised by several of the sections. The top price was, I think, £llO, paid toy the. late Xed 'Collins. Arthur Gibson paid £OO for one-fifth of an acre. 'The sale was a success from "the point of view of the vendors. A small lean to railway shed 'was erected, and named the Nonnantoy extension. I don ’t know who toore the cost. Myself and- another had the contract tie fence the station yard. There were, of course, a few celebrities present at the sale. The aforesaid German was kn'o,.vn as ‘Snaps.’ as he could not pronounce ‘chaps.’ Another, known- as ‘Old shn.ke-y.cu for. two,’ as this was the only speech he was ever known to make, and this was 'his usual salutation to the late ‘.Sandy’ Brett, while •at the same time reaching for the ‘bones.’ Then there was aid Paddy ; and his dog ‘Havre.’ (hero). T have seen the dog taking Paddy home, holding the cuff of one y-f h-'u sleeves in his mouth, and the old man talking to the deg as though it were a human being. ( And the poor old road-mender, ; who could r.ot stand up to his work, ] kneeling oh a bag, cracking stones— 1 peace be with them all! ” •