81 YEARS AGO

Lake County Mail, Issue 16, 10 September 1947, Page 7

81 YEARS AGO

From the Files of the Lake Wakatip Mail

From the monthly returns of the Chief Postmaster, Dunedin, for February, 1806, it is learned that since money-orders Avcre brought in in September, 1862, payments in Clyde stand next to Dunedin, and Queenstown is third. Queenstown, without a Government office or officer, stands third in the list as the most profitable post office in this department of the postal service. March 17, 1866: The sum of £9 10s was collected for clearing the streets, according to a report of the Queenstown Town Committee. The tender of £4 from George Archer for clearing the streets' was accepted. Appropos of the election —there was some little excitement observable in the town by the discovery that during one night bills had been posted in the township advising the electors to; “ Vote for Bradford and beware of Haughtoh, who is adding insult to the injury he has already done by Opposing to his utmost a gentleman who has, in many instances, proved himself worthy of the confidence of the electors.” Queenstown was proclaimed a municipality on 28th March, 1866, by His Honour Thomas Dick, Esq. It was divided into two wards —North and South. The area of the town was given as 270 acres, more or less. An art union drawing is advertised to take place at Powell’s Hotel. The prizes consist of gold watches, brooches, rings, pins, etc., being 42 in all. Nearly all the articles were manufactured by Mr Beeby. / Opening remarks of a leader in the Mail: “Is Queenstown to be formed into a Municipality, or remain, comparatively speaking, a nonentity, without power to do good or work mischief? That is the paramount local question at present, yet the inhabitants display an amount of apathy on the subject, which would be ludicrous if it were not positively injurious.” The Wakatipu annual races were in April, 1866. Principal races and winners: Maiden Plate: Thompson’s “ Faugh-a-Ballagh,” 7.13, 1; Pinkerton’s “ Shannon,” 10.1, 2; Carter’s “Minnie,” 9.6, 3. District Plate: Cox’s “ Harkaway,” 9.1, 1; Ryan’s “Bob-Apples,” 10.1, 2. Miners’ and Packers’ Purse: Colclough’s “Spot,” 1; McCarthy’s “Flying Tinman,” 2; Lynch’s “ Strawberry,” 3. Ladies’ Purse: Thompson’s “Faugh-a-Ballagh,” 1; Ryan’s “BobApples,” 2. Town Plate Handicap: Thompson’s “Albatross,” 1: Schole’s “Scrubber,” 2; Cox’s “ Htirkaway,” 3.

The matter of having a direct mail service by the Btudholme bus service was left in abeyance in the meantime. Conditions of Garrison Hall Lengthy discussion took place over the condition of the Garrison Hall and the lack of amenities available to users of this hall. The erection of a new hall was also gone into. —A sub-committee comprising Messrs Cochrane, Lindsay, Keen and Robins'was set up-to investigate fully an improvement on existing conditions. ’ Those 'present were: Mr James McDonald (president), in the chair, Messrs G. D. Cochrane, J. L. Lindsay, R. C. Robins, J. Keen, M. T. Robertson, D. J. Cosgrove, A. R. Skinner, E. R, Hopwood, L. G. Lynch and C. A. Inglis.