Okarito’s Day

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1940, Page 7

Okarito’s Day

OKARITO’S DAY

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO AND NOW. The spirit ■of the old pioneers still haunts South Westland, and the sons and daughters of those venturesome men and women who braved the forest country and the swift river crossings, still carry on with the same enthusiasm thp development of a remote and difficult territory, which the earliest enterprise following the gold rush days, made present day happenings possible. Okarito, taking note of the past, and before all the brave deeds ( of other days in the distant past tvore forgotten, set about in this Centennial Year, 1940, to memorialise thb occasion, and place on record something to recall the past and the virile actors who led the van in the genesis of South Westland. So, enlisting the support of neighbouring centres where resided, also, offspring of the earliest pioneers and settlers, a united effort was made to raise a memorial to do some little honour to the occasion. In that selfimposed task, an obelisk of striking proportions has been reared, and now dominates the Strand at Okarito, one of the busiest centres in the early gold rush days when the beaches yielded 'their treasure. The four panels inserted in 'the monument tell the story:— Front Panel—- : - 1940 CENTENNIAL ’ JAMES MACK AY, Government Agent, Arranged the Purchase of the West Coast from Resident Natives, *>. ' 21st May, 1860. | Sea Panel — ■ I ABEL TASMAN, . Dutch Navigator, Voyaged the West Coast , . Sighting This Land, 13th December, 1642.Land Panel— CAPTATN JAMES COOK, British Explorer, Discoverer of New Zealand Sailed this Coast, 23rd March, 1770. South'Panel— TO THE MEMORY OF THE . V PIONEEtI HOST, ’• From 1864 Onward, Whose Courage and Perseverance - Founded'and Settled . Westland. ’ . EARLY HISTORY. The early' days of Okarito have been described by Mr .Janies Donovan, M.C.C., who has lived in the southern

Seveny-Five Years Ago And Now

district most of his life. Tile gold rush opened in 1865,.when already the northern parts were receiving attention from the miners. They spread along the beaches, recovering the easily won gold. But at first the miners ignored the find gold, till a rich find was uncovered at the Five Mile Beach, below Okarito. Earlier alluvial mining had been done at McDonald’s Creek, nine miles inland from Okarito, despite the difficulties of access. When the rus'i sot in, the Okarito River had a good entrance, near the Bluff, the largo lagoon, five miles long and three miles wide, supplying a good clearance, and acting as a reservoir. The incoming tide filled the lagoon, and the outward scour kept a deep channel.

Vessels came to Okarito from all parts of New Zealand and from Australia direct. With all this shipping in the early days, only one vessel, the “Rambler,” was lost. Even as late as February 10, 1872, Captain Thompson, harbour master, reported tlx* arrival of a fine topsail schooner, the “Lizzie Guy,” eight days from Melbourne direct, with a cargo of 130 tons consigned to Mace and Canavan, the wellknown Okarito storekeepers. The vessel sailed in over the bar in good style and discharged her cargo.

The town of Okarito streets and sections were laid out in a thorougn system, consequently the “Strand,” the front street, is as straight as an arrow. The town at its height had a population of ;5,000, but in about a year the population fell rapidly. The easily got gold on the beaches was soon worked, and rushes to other parts of Westland attracted the miners. But Okarito was tile port and distributing centre of a district extending from Gillespies in the south to Saltwater Beach in the North, of which the intervening localities, Moonlight-, Sandfly, Waikukupa, Oemapoa, Waiho, AlcDonnel’s Creek, The Forks, North Beach, and Wataroa, were mining centres'.

The town had its harbour master's residence, signal station, Resident Magistrate’s dwelling. Court House, police station. Land and Survey Office, Customs and bonded stores, about 2(1 hotels, theatre (Sheehan’s), a newspaper, two banks and several hotels. Houses were built for the most part for merchandise of Oregan and Baltic pine with iron roofs. Okarito had a Road Hoard for a short period during the seventies, but always had representation in the Westland County Council in the early days.

The following wore some of the resident members: —Messrs R. Canavan, James Wilson, R, Donovan, and Jas. McGoldrick. It was on the North Beach, Okarito, that Mr Maekay completed the purchase of lands in Westland from the Maoris in that locality tor £6(JU, in May, 1860. Old identities will remember some of the following prominent citizens:—Mace and Canavan, Mel'etrick and Co., general merchants; Friend and Case, butchers; Mr Price, Resident Magistrate and Warden; F. lord, and i,.>:ard, collectors ol Customs; Captains .Hearn anil I'Jhompson, harbour-masters, S. Bany, Jas. S. Benyon, Joseph Burrough, Jus. Wilson, Edward Ryan, I*. Adamson and Wm. Patrick. ' In 1880, Okarito was only a skeletoi of its former self, but the discovery o! ! gold at Mapourika gave a new lease o lie to the town. Same miners arrived. ■ and that locality held a fair popuiatioi .'or many years. The Okarito llivoi changed its course, the entrance which was near the Hag staff and under the protection of tm Bluff became sanded up. Tin mouth shifting north more out or the open beach was repeatedly hlirk cd, and steamers had great difficulty in entering, being oiten held or imprisoned within for weeks. Supplies used to run short, and the district suffered a severe handicap. From the early nineties until 1910, great efforts were made to work up a timber and flax trade. In 1906, three flax mills were operating, but owing to the bad state of the entrance steamers were held up and eventually all enterprise in this direction had to be given up. Strong • representations wore made to the Government asking for harbour improvement hut tiffs hfflded, although the late Mr R. J. Sell don fully realised the resources of the district, and the importance of improving the harbour, lie had a survey under way when he died and had he lived a few years longer the harbour would probably have been an accomplished fact. What a great difference this would have made to central Westland. However, by 1926', Okarito had almost become like Goldsmith’s deserted village. It was then that Mr R. T, Stewart pegged out the Five Mile Beach, and began boring operations after thoroughly prospecting, and becoming satisfied with results, he decided to put on a dredge, but was faced with great difficulties. Shipping to Okarito laid ceased, and the roads and tracks were i i a bad state. Nothwithstanding all this, Mr R. T. Stewart was determined and despite all obstacles and to bis credit lie did succeed not only in erecting the dredge, but in devising a machine that did the work and saved the fine gold. This dredge is successful anil will continue to win good returns lor many years. Okarito is again reviving. The price of gold has brought many into the j listrict, and tli" search and recovery of j the precious metal is giving employ-] mont to a number of men. With better facilities for importing mining machinery, I venture to say that the Five

Mile dredge is just the fore runner o other successful dredges in tins district.

During the last twenty years the Government has improved the main south road from Ross to Wehoka, erected bridges over nearly all creeks and livers, and as a result of better access and quick transport, settlement is advancing rapidly. That very fine district of Wataroa almost doubled its population last year. With improved roads now available in the district, people would be aston-ff.l-ed to see how rapidly that portion of South Westland would advance, .ravoliers along the main south road inve but little idea of the valuable ountry between that road and the sea oast, but the •■ountry mentioned can mly be developed by a good safe ia rbour. There are great forests of timber in the immediate vicinity of Okarito. The ores try Department after a survey, ’Miniates 1.500,000,000 feet of milling 'imber on their reserves adjacent to be port of Ogarito, while there are mine 500.000.000 feet on ; private 'Moperty. There are some great stands >f white pine mostly on very good land. EARLY EXPERIENCES. Mr R. C. Reid, editor of the “West Coast ’limes,” and later Member ni parliament, was first a gold buyer, and went to Okarito with £I,OOO on lffs living mission. In the “Golden Coast,” lie wrote: “He went first to die Five Mile, and soon exchanged bis mtes for gold at £3 10s and £3 10s 6d per ounce. Realising 2/6 an ounce profit, lie' returned and was soon purchasing thousands of ounces. On the second trip he accosted a party of four wlm were paddocking goodly looking wash, by asking them if they bad my gold to sell. They simultaneously dropped their shovels, and after eonsuiting together, one of the party inquired, “How much have your, mated' ’ Thinking I, was possessed of enough tc buy any single parcel of gold on the field, I replied: “As much as you require.” But in this 1 was mistaken, for on reaching their tent I was presented with a couple of “billies,” both nearly brim full of the finest gold dust, which they told me was the result of six weeks’ work. When it was weighed I found I was a hundred pounds or'two short of the amount required to purchase the lot. This story I told to George liarper, the purser of the steamer “Bruce” and you may bo sure, be made the most of it. in the interests of Mr Greer, the owner ol the steamer. The story soon appeared in the “West Coast Times,” and the least the owners of the boat might have done was to have presented me with a free passage on my next trip, .in place of charging the excessive passage i-ate then current of £5 for twelve hours’ steaming; as the paragraph was doubtless the means of creating a crowded passenger list, including one or two bankers, who went down.to open agencies at Okarito. And a right roaring trade in gold-buying they subscouentlv did.”

Anyone who had the good fortune to Rot a Citiiiii on me l'ne jmt! j.»eac.i at Okarito in the end of RSio, or in January of Kebniary |S(i(i, was safe inr a ••ricii patch.” The returns met nith in some instance's were positively labulous, and it is not to be wondered that some of/the dippers, who perhaps uul toiled lor jours previously mi mere ■‘tucker’” were so startled at their IncK on this beach, that they pave way it times to the wildest extravagance md riot. The steamer “JJruco” was bringing up to Hokitika d.OOO to d,()ik. ounces of gold every other trip, and 1 kimw one party ot four miiwis who airwaided 1,000 ounces on their own account. Such a heavy parcel amongst our men is something astonishing, and •he natural conclusion surely is, that .lie heavier gold must he distributed nlancl from these golden beaches with no niggard hand, and will be discovered some day, when better facilities are afforded tor prospecting. Prices* of sections in the town of Okarito increased seven-fold in the course of a ew weeks. ROMANTIC WESTLAND. Mr A. J. Harrop. in the ‘‘Romance of Westland,” says Okarito was the scene of probably the richest rewards 01 the history ot Westland rush. The lucky leaders'of the rush filled their ilhes many times over with tile gold they won. Poor or rich, educated and uneducated, strove together, and no man was better than his neighbour. A glorious opportunity for one and all, and a testing time for character, remum' am! grit! Truly a glorious episode this in the history of Westland. The heart of every Wesviandor must thrill when he thinks of flic progenitors of his province, the hardy pioneers who left civilisation behind them, and marched into the wilderness to carve out new homes. There is no nation and no province which can claim a more insuiting story than this province of Westland. Heredity and environment are two forces to mould the destinies of. the individual and the race. Descended from a hardy band of wanderers, surrounded by scenes iiu•urnassed in the world, surely the sons of Westland should he inspired to high deeds and noble service! A DVAXCE WESTLAND.