SOUTHLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 280, 10 May 1862, Page 3

SOUTHLAND.

Southland's First Anniversary. — Yesterday, March 28, was, in accordance with a notification in the Provincial Government Gazette issued on Monday last, kept as a general holiday, or Anniversary of the Separation of Southland from the Province of Otago. There was no public dinner, no oratorical display, no ball, no regatta. But there was a glorious Autumn day, of which everybody that could took advantage, by wending his or their way into the country — not forgetting to note the marked though, until recently, very gradual progress in and around Invercargill which has taken place during the past year. Great, indeed, are the changes which our first Provincial year has already wrought — singular the vicissitudes it has witnessed. — A year ago, our then one business-street was dull and dreary enough most hours of the day — save when the steamer brought settlers in search of land, or country settlers' drays were sent down for stores, while the country settlers themselves came into " town " for the sake of change and to learn the news. News, indeed. We were then blessed with a fortnightly post from Dunedin, which brought and took back the mails in such convenient — or inconvenient — fashion as the Post Office authorities at Dunedin chose to*permit. So that the flavour of the "news" of that day may be easily imagined. The Provincial resources immediately available for public works, also, were very inadequate to meet the demands made upon the Government. Then came the outbreak of the Otago diggings, and our town-street was almost literally deserted. This state of things did hot long continue : — soon there commenced a return of those who had left us for the diggings, and who now, accompanied by other successful diggers, proceeded to invest the results of "their industry and perseverance in the town sections and rural lands of Southland, with what results we have more than once shown. That inflow of population continues steady to this day. Of the changes both in town and country during the past year — of the clearing of broad town- streets, the erection of new buildings and the enlargement of older ones, of the extension of trunk roads, the construction of bridges, and the commencement of suitable Government offices — it is needless here to speak. But one marvellous change may be adverted to — and that is the comparative indifference with which the people of Southland now await" the finding of a gold field within the Province — they are pretty well satisfied with the results they are deriving from the gold fields of Otago, and the steady increase of population and capital— -'and they have a firm conviction that a gold field will be found quite as soon as it is wanted. The greatest change of all, however, that has occurred during our first Provincial year is the opening up of direct postal communication with the mother country ; and it is not a little singular that>the first "South-, land mail" direct from London should have reached here within so few days of the the first anniversary of our provincial iii--' ! dependences^

Among the passengers by the s.s. Guiding' Star are Mr. Larkworthy, Manager of the Dunedin branch of the Bank of New Zealand, who is about to open a branch of that Corporation in Invercargill, and Mr. W. Russell, solicitor, who will establish an agency of the New Zealand Insurance Company here. — Ibid, April 5. Rapid progress is now being made with the Provincial Government buildings, and with the new Post Office and Custom House. When completed, they will form, with the new Court-house and Superintendent's office, a very respectable set of public offices. — Ibid. Thursday last was the half-yearly fast day of the Presbyterian Church in this town. The Rev. A. B. Todd, of Tokomairiro, preached both morning and afternoon to large congregations. The Provincial Government offices and the Banks were closed, and business generally was suspended. — Ibid. Wakatip Diggings. — Corporal Morton has been down this week from the Hokanui Station, and reports that, on his last visit to the Wakatip Diggings, he found the prospecting parties had abandoned deep sinking for the present, and were confining themselves to surface digging, from which they were making fair \va<res. They were all in good spirits. — Ibid, April 19.