Women of the Past

Hutt News, Volume XII, Issue 22, 17 November 1948, Page 6

Women of the Past

FROM SETTLEMENT TO CITY

PAGEANT OF HISTORY

The final meeting of the Lower Hutt branch of the-- League of Mothers took place last week, Mrs. J. W. Andrews, president, in the chair. The hall was decorated with feins and the blossom of the manuka especially for the programme which followed.

This was written and arranged-by Mrs. J. Batchelor and entitled “From Settlement to City,” a novel and interesting entertainment tracing the growth of Lower Hutt from the landing of the first, white settlers to the present day. It began with an old woman reminiscening over the family album and describing to her grandchildren incidents in her life as a pioneer, these incidents being depicted simultaneously on the stage by a group comprising Maoris and a white woman and child.

Following this was the scene of a tea party held about the period of the close of the Boer War, and the conversation centred round the wonderful improvements being made, with the coining of gas for cooking and the early motor-car. All the dresses worn in these scenes were authentic copies of what was worn in the periods and were greatly admired. A talk by Mrs. H. Lowe followed, in which she described Lower .'Hutt as she remembered it in her childhood. The Drill Hill in Alicetown was the centre of community life at that time, and the blacksmith’s forge a feature of Main Street. These glimpses into the past proved especially interesting to members wiio are recent arrivals in the city. Mrs. J. Batchelor then gave a few of her impressions as a new arrival from Scotland more than a quarter of a century ago.

Experiences of War Years

Mrs. J. W. Andrews was the next speaker, and her description of the, war years and some of her experi-' ences as Mayoress of Lower Hutt during that period were most interesting. She paid a great tribute to the bands of willing women helpers -who laboured devotedly in all capacities during -that time. The final feature of “From Settlement to City” was a parade of women of all uniformed and other services, the most applauded of* all being the humble housewife with her symbol, the heavy burden of baskets and parcels, and the packers of ‘parcels for Britain.

As the meeting was the final one for the year it concluded with *the choir and members singing several Christmas carol?.