Rangiwahia’s Jubilee Approaches

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 296, 15 December 1936, Page 3

Rangiwahia’s Jubilee Approaches

HISTORY OF SETTLEMENT’S

BIRTH,

Eangiwahia! Where is Rangiwahia? Eangiwahia is the name of the natural clearing surrounded, by dense bush in a picturesque valley, situated on the headwaters of the Kiwitea stream, under tho shadow of the Euahine moun-. tains, some 35 miles north-east of Feeding and 1-1 miles cast of Mangawclca. It is the centre of'what' was known originally as the Wanganui small farm settlement where ideal ski-ing grounds are situated.

The settlement of Eangiwahia saw its birth in the late Hon. ' John Ballanco’s scheme for placing the man with small capital on the land. It began as ono of tho many small farm settlements which the scheme gave rise to, and at the timo the Hon. Mr. Ballance was Minister for Lands and the member for Wanganui.

On February 10, 1885, a public meeting was called in Wanganui to discuss the advisability of forming a small farm.association and after some discussion the meeting agreed to; form such an association and some seventy names were handed in as original members. Mr. Dudley Eyre was appointed secretary. Tho question then arose as to where a suitable block of land could be found. Tho lato Mr. C. L. Pemberton, who was at the meeting, spoke about the Otamakapua block. Ho stated that when in company with the late Mr. Charles Feild, who was in charge of a Government party making a road through Kimbolton for the Palmerston North Small Farm Association, he had seen from a distanco the Otamakapua block and it had suggested to his mind great possibilities. Messrs. Feild and Pemberton had walked through the bush from Kimbolton, along the dividing ridge between tho Oroua river and tho Kiwitea stream, to the high hill, known as Peep O’ Day, from which vantage point he had seen the land. After other blocks had been discussed it was finally agreed to further inspect tho Otamakapua block and Messrs. Pemberton and Knox were appointed to visit the locality and make a full report. They travelled by horseback through Marton to the Eangitikei river and then followed the river bed up, crossing and recrossing to whichever side afforded the best travelling. They had been advised to follow the river bed until they came to what was known as the Otara ford where to-day a suspension bridge spans tho Eangitikei river just below the township of Ohiwgaiti. From this point a track was found that climbed the steep face out of the bed of the Eangitikei on to the flats above. This track ran through the cattle runs of Mr. Hammond and the late Mr.'" W. >S. Marshall—runs which were natural clearings surrounded by dense bush. After leaving Mr. Marshall’s property the track proceeded down and across tho Kiwitea stream to what was then known as Curl’s clearing—a locality used by the' lato Dr. Curl in the early days for cattle grazing. The track followed down to the southern end of the clearing and then followed a spur out to what is known to-day as Mangarimu and thence along the Oroua river.

On reaching the river Messrs. Pemberton and Knox traversed the bed until they came opposite a high hill named Conspicuous and from high up a tree which Mr. Pemberton had climbed he drew a rough plan of the country which was to later become tho district and township of Eangiwahia. After an absence of five or six days travelling through tho bush and camping under the skies, they returned and reported fully to a subsequent meeting of the association. The plan was shown and described and it was agreed to submit it to the Government when it was accepted. Finally Mr. A. E. Ashcroft, surveyor, wa3 appointed to lay off the land into sections ranging from 50 to 150 acres, the latter area being the greatest amount any member of the association could hold.

The land was taken up under the deferred payment system at £1 per acre with 2s Gd an acre added to pay the cost of tho survey. Successful applicants were given, ten years in which to pay for tho land. Members of the association we-re told that a dray road would be made to give them access to their sections, but the Government was hard up and, writes a - correspondent from Eangiwahia, "there was no Reserve Bank or bank-note printing press in thoso days,” so the early settlers had to be satisfied with a six-foot pack track which the late Mr. Feild and party made along the hill sides, felling the bush a chain vvido while on tho flats. They not only felled the bush a chain wide, but also cleared and stumped to a distanco of 20ft. up to the far end of the block.

When tho survey was nearly completed and the track cut along the hillsides, the drawing for sections took place, tho date of this notable event being September 7, 1885. In October live settlers came in—tho pioneers of the district —Messrs. W. Howie, G. Malcolm, C. L. Pemberton, T. D. Wood and G. Martin. Theso men had the bush felled and took part in shaping the settlement that was to grow into Rangiwahia. Others came in about the same time and after . inspecting their sections decided not to fall any bush until the following autumn. The, hr3l settlers were obliged to pack their stores from Mr. Church’s store at Kiwiteai By the autumn of 1886 the roadway was cleared to the top of the block and this track had to suffice till the year 1893 when the settlers supporteu a loan of' £4OOO for roading purposes which was raised by the ji.. ...ten County Council. A contract was let to Messrs. Younger and Laign to widen and metal the track from Richardson’s

flat to within half a mile of the Rang!wahia township. Down the years tho settlement has prospered and now to-day’s settlers art busy preparing for tho celebration oi the district’s jubilee which takes place on December 30 next. Although it was at first considered desirable to celebrate on the anniversary of tho original drawing for sections, September 27, it was decided that as September was generally a wet month to defer the celebrations until December 30. Several committees are now working to make the occasion a memorable one. : Bangiwahia, it should bo remembered, is tho home of the famous Quail brand butter which was successful in winning the world’s championship for quality a year or so ago. .