OLD HISTORY

Northern Advocate, 1 February 1921, Page 1

OLD HISTORY

RELATIVE TO WAIKIEKIE. j MASON PAMII.V'S EXPERIENCES. Amongst the list of eld identities in the Waikiekie district ilie name Vasqn stands out prominently. Fifty-four years ago 'here landed .-it Auckland by the ship Ida Ziegler Mr and Mrs Mason and family. The paddl? .-steamer Tasmanian Maid ihr-n took the party to Limestone Island in Whangarei harbour and there a boat wns reequisitioned to cn.ivey the passengers and their belj'.ging- - to Maugajjiu. TJie oarsman war- .\ii Sam Graham, an nld settler still livi ig at Maagapai. '('lie party then w?!k > i for JU miles to their chosen destination and following the custom ol those days picked everything on their backs. It was quite the usual thing then for settlors to carry flour in hundi-edweight loads over long distances of rough country. An amusing incident is told in this connection of the cork coming out of a bottle of kerosene which was being conveyed conjunctively with a bag of flour by one of the Mason boys. The flour was impregnated with kerosene flavour, yet nevertheless was baked j and eaten, because it was too precious to lose. On the occasion of the family's first foot journey from the Mangapai landing Mrs Mason carried upon her head a chair, which is still retained by Mr A. E. Mason as an historic memento The land was taken up under the system whereby each a iult emigrating from Britain was ent,*;!ed to a grant of 40 acres in New Zealand, so that the Masons started off with some 160 acres of bush lane'. There were no houses, and the -iew arrivals had to content themselves with uiknu wharc's as places of residence until such times as the boys had Iho art of pit-sawing, wheiv villi some assistance they constructed a li.ore substantial and convenient abode.. Dvu'iug which is now indulged in so frequently, was then only an annual event in individual localities and .attracted the whole comma nitv from far and near.

As time wont along the next under, taking was to build a place of worship. This building is still in existence, be» ing used as the Anglican Church at Waikiekie, and is quite found, although the shingles have been' on the roof for 3f> years. A move was then made to build a school, ,thc timber being pit. J sawn by Messrs Hartnell and Mason. , I

About this time dev.i.h claimed Mr Mason, senior. Mr A. E. Mason, who was married in 1887 to Miss Hartnell (who had travelled in the same vessel to New Zealand) carried on the homestead, while the other boys launched out on their own account.

Mr A. E. Mason has taken a promin-. ent part in all public affairs in the district. He was member of the Waikiekie School Committee and remained out the committee for ?A years. For. six years he was chairman and for two years acted as commissioner, He has been chairman of the cemetery trustees for 25 years, for three or four yeas on the Koad Board (chairman for two years). He is a prominent member of the New Zealand Farmers' Union branch, also a member of the Waikiekie Cattle Dip Board, and has proved himself a very worthy resident. He has a family now of six daughters and four son?. Five of the family are married, and there are eigh; grandchildren.

Both Mr Mason's parents were born in Cambridge, England, and are buried in the Waikiekie cemetery, Mrs Mason having died four year 3 ago at the ago of 85, after braving and enduring the hardships of pioneer colonial life for so many years. Mr Mason has now oie hundred and two blood relations in New Zealand. One was killed at the war and another wounded. Only one so a of Mr A. E. Mason was old enough to volunteer for the war, and he was rejected after spending several weeks si t Trcntham.

Mr and Mrs Mason although nearing llio Psalmist's limit, are still hale and hearty, which gojs to show that hard pioneering is rather conducive to longevity than otherwise.