Kimbolton’s Jubilee

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 188, 11 August 1936, Page 3

Kimbolton’s Jubilee

Approaches

Early Settlement of Birmingham

THE PIONEEKING SPIRIT RECALLED Another of the Feilding district small farm association ventures is recalled by the celebration this week of the jubilee of Kimbolton, once known as Birmingham. This settlement grew out of a movement whicn was inspired by the action of cue uoverinuent oi tue day in losteimg smait lann associations alia tne opening up and settlement of tue iriancuescer block, witn x eliding as tne cmef town, paved tne waj ior the succeeding development of tne iiack country. The birth of Kimbolton, or as it was then known, Birmingham, did not, however, arise irorn Fending mterests, but arose from tho enterprising business community ox Palmerston i>orlh auu we are inuebted to Mr. Win. T. London, president of tho Kimbolton Jubriee committee, for some notes concerning the early history of this prosperous district of to-day. Tho first suggestion regarding tho formation of a settlement at Kimbolton was made about tho year 1883, when tho lato Messrs. C. London and —. Burr, along with other leading businessmen oi Palmerston North, discussed tho possibility of opening up the district under the aegis of a small farm association. A meeting was held to discuss tho question and a deputation appointed to proceed to Wellington to Wellington to interview tho Premier, Hon. John Bailance. The advice of the Premier was to form a small farm association, select a block of land and then apply to the Government lor aid. This step was taken and a party, which m eluded the late Mr. C. .London, proceeded to Kimbolton with tho object ol selecting tho area of land suitable for tho new settlement. Feilding was barely ten years old when the party sei out from the infant settlement of Palmerston North and with pack horses and stores tho littio band of pioneers proceeded through the heavy bush country to the “laud of promise.” When packing their gear and provisions one of the party wanted to know what they were taking condensed milk for and the person responsible ior including this item in the provisions demonstrated during the treit that this commodityaided considerably to tho -palatability of the restricted rations of the day. Ho used condensed milk with a lavisaness that amused his friends and it contributed in no small way to tho enjoyment of the meals around tho bush camp fire. The area selected for the new settlement was part of the Otamakapua Block and it was decided to apply to the Government for a total of IU,OOo acres. A mooting was called in Palmerston North when tho association was formed and a committee, comprising the following, was set up: Messrs. A. Grammer (chairman), T. Edwards (treasurer), H. T. Flyger (secretary), P. Haggerty,. R. Henderson, G. Lind and G. London. The selection of a name for the new settlement gave the committee no little trouble. Tho desiro was to call the place Burr-Town after Mr. Burr, one of the prime movers in the scheme and one who played a practical part in its successful launching. This gentleman would not agree and so it was finally settled that it should be known as Birmingham, this being the nearest name to Burr that the committee could resolve upon. For a time the early settlement was known as Fowlers’, alter Mr. Hilton Fowler in whose store the first post office was established. When tho Government established a new post office with Miss Crichton as postmistress the district was officially designated Birmingham. Tho namo Birmingham brought no little confusion to the countryside and not only did tho children of Feilding believe that the Birmingham situated a few miles north of their town was the great Birmingham of Lngiand, but correspondence for the new settlement found its way to Birmingham,'England. Many letters for the original pioneer settlers fouhd their way overseas to tne great industrial centre of England only to be required to be returned for the New Zealand postal officials to redirect them to Birmingham, Feilding. The confusion over correspondence became so great that the Postal Department intimated that the name of the settlement would have to be altered. The committee of the associatiou resisted the request for tho alteration for some time and several meetings were neld before agreement could be reached to acquiesce in the request of the Postal Department. Finally on February 4, 1899, the change was made from Birmingham to Kimbolton. Tho work of surveying the chosen block of land was put in hand as soon as the Government agreed to the selection, the surveyors being Messrs'. Downes and Flyger, of Palmerston North. They obtained a contract for tho work which was required to be completed within a specified time, but the survey was not completed until much later than tho time laid down and this delay handicapped the plans of the association. The launching of the scheme and the selection of the land were well in advance of the Apiti scheme,

but tho delay ovor the completion of the survey resulted in the Apiti district b'eing first opened for selection. Tho block was cut up into 100-acre sections, while the township sito was surveyed into acre sections. Roads and streets wero surveyed and these wore given names after members of tho committee. The laud was offered for settlement on the deferred payment system, at £1 per acre, loaded with 2s Ud per acre, for reading. The conditions required a payment of £lO per annum plus annual improvements to the valuo of £lO and a compulsory residential clause. It was iu the Princess Hotel, Terrace End, Palmerston North, that the ballot for sections took place on August 14, 1886. All tho necessary prepaiUtious had been made, but the committee of tho association could not decide who should draw the marbles out of tho box. The chairman (Mr. Grammer) left the hotel hoping for some inspiration to solve the problem and on going outside saw two boys playing with a bicycle. He approached the boys with the thought that the problem was solved iu a manner satisfactory to all, but the question directed to one boy drew the reply: “What will you givo me?” With that tho other boy, Jimmy Brazier, said: “I’ll cornel” His offer to help was promptly accepted by Mr. Grammer and soon Jimmy was installed on the table alongside the ballot box containing the marbles. Each marble was numbered to correspond with a section and as Jimmy arew the maibies out the .successful applicant would throw the boy a silver coin. After the ballot had concluded Jimmy was heard to remark that ho had never had so much money before, while his friend, who first wanted to know what ho would receive for tho duty of drawing the marbles, expressed the wish that he had accepted without question because then he could have paid for his bicycle. Many of the selectors never took up their sections and they subsequently transferred their interests.

Tho country which was to be opened up abounded iu wild pigeon, pigs and wild cattle, while tne streams and creeks were full of eel. At about the period of the original settlement there was a demand for hides and skins and several persons wero engaged in the enterprise of shooting the cattle simply to secure the hides which, were sent to Palmerston North where there was a ready sale for them. Tho party who came to inspect the block berore settlement travelled via tho Oroua river and on their way camo across numerous .skinned carcases of wild cattle, The committee approached the Governnieai protesting against this wholesale waste of good meat and notices were displayed along tho bush and about the countryside prohibiting the slaughter ot caltio for waste under tho penalty ot. a heavy line. It was very necessary to protect tne wild cattle from this wastage as they afforded tho only source of moat ior the early settlers. The .township was laid out on the west side of iximboltou road, sections for public buildings being reserved. The township, stated Mr. Loudon, did not progress nero for the reason that a rural selector, Mr. Murphy, on the east side ol Kimoolton roaa, cut up all his frontage into quarter-acre sections, receiving £156 per section. Business people Mould not go back to where the township was originally planned to develop. “1 well remember,” said Mr. London, “leaving Halcombe with jny father and two brothers on August 17, 1886, with brake and two horses, loaded with camp gear and food, for Kimbolton. The lirst uay wo camped just, below the Cheltenham Hotel where we pitched our teut. The weather was anything but pleasant. Misty rain was falling and tho mud was up to the axles of the brake. Wo had our tea and then cut a .•ot of toi-toi growing on the roadside for our lield-buuk, covering it lirst witn a tarpaulin and then our blankets and we then retired for the night. At about midnight we started to scratch, one and then the other would awaken to attack the irritation. On getting up and securing a light we found that an army of ants and other insects had crawled out from the toi-toi to attack us. That was tho end of a peaceful sleep following a strenuous day’s journey. “The next day we left early—earlier, perhaps, than wo would have, but for those ants. That evening we arrived at the junction leading down to the valley, and camped there for tho night, enjoying a peaceful sleep. As we passed through the beginnings of tho township we found Mr. Lowes on the job clearing a site for his hotel which was soon erected and called the Commercial Hotel. Charlie Field and party were engaged in forming the road on totvards Eungiwahia. ’ ’ Mr. London has kindly supplied the following list of some of the early settlers of the township: — v Storekeepers: Mr. Fowler (first), Mr. Moffatt, Mr. Salter, Messrs. Hansen and Co., Mr. Tompkm, and Mr. Carruthers. Saddlers; Mr. Richardson, Mr. Haw‘thorne, Mr. Middlemiss. Bakers: Mr. Anyon, Mr. J. Roberson, Hewitt and Crawford. Blacksmiths: Mr. Condor, Mr. Le Prue, Mr. Baillie. Butchers: Mr. Burns, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Guy. Wheelwrights: Mr. Jones, Mr. Neilson, Mr. Moore. Chemists: Mr. Denton, Mr. Sutherland, Mr. Syms. Boardinghouse-keepers: Mr. McNair, Mrs. McGruther, Mr. Follett. Bootmakers: Mr. Harris, Mr. Prince. Others in business iu tho township in the early days were Barlow Bros, and Messrs. Banks, Birch, Burns, Fan-

thorpe, Stevoms, Barling, Raine and Webster. The first schoolteacher in the district was Miss Lowes, while Air. Fowler was the chairman of the first school committee. The jubilee luncheon is to be held on Friday next and it is expected that fully 200 old settlers will take part in tho proceedings. The committee has received correspondence from 175 old settlers who have signified their intention of being present on Friday.