WAVERLEY

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 25 January 1933, Page 5

WAVERLEY

DEATH OF PIONEER. 67 YEARS AT KOHL Associated with the settlement- at Kohi, five miles from. AVaverley, - lias been the name of the lon family, some of whom have lived there since 1866. Mr. Thomas lon, a pioneer; and a settler at Kohi for 67 years passed away on Monday, after a long and adventurous life, during which he saw the excitement of mining in New Zealand and Australia. After several years of this hazardous work, lie settled in Kohi in 1866 and had been there until his death. - • He went through the hardships of early settlement and had in the early days to come up from Wanganui swimming the rivers. He covered ’the 35 miles in a day .on one occasion. AYnverlev was practically non-exist-ent then and only a few primitive buildings stood there to show there was a settlement;" 7 Mr. lon harvested crops of grain every year —barley and wheat—and used to send his produce to Australia, by sailing vessel. He took several .trips across with the vessel. " U , .

CAMPS AT BEACH. The beach, six miles from AYavcrley, is \ery popular ana .every’ year a large number of rcoiclents, pitch canips there. This year mere has been a greater number than usual there was also an organised camp arranged by tlie_ Rua.- S pehu Ski Club, under the local -direction of Mr. A. McPherson, of Waveiley. Among those campnig were’Mr. and Mrs. E-. Cole, Misses McKirdv Bessett, E. AVerry, J. Werry, H. Bas-sett-Smith, F. Shaw, M. Peek and P. Bond, Messrs -u. Bignell and D, Cole (AAYinganui) and Messrs, Groombridge and R. AATiitwell, A dance was held cn Saturday evening in the cook ■ houseprettily decorated for the occasion.