NELSON IN THE FIFTIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 10 April 1924, Page 7

NELSON IN THE FIFTIES

a; ISS SIM si >X ’ SRRCOLLECT lON S

i Miss Simsoii, of A. I ton-street, who 1 celebrated her 881 h birthday Just . week, received many congratulations . from friends. Some time ago, in a chat i with a friend about Nelson’s early days she said: “1 came with my ■ parents from Kinross, Scotland, in the ship Pekin, and entered the outer im- ’ eliorage on January 12t.1i, 1850, the passage from London to Nelson talcing six months. Although I was a girl of thirteen, 1 remember the straits the passengers wore in during the voyage by the provisions running short. Wo were better oil than some, f < nr, father brought a bag of out men! with him. The Pekin arrived in New Zealand in the adventurous days of the gold-digging rush, and as soon as we got to Port Chalmers our crew deserted. Cap tain Whitby was fortunate in s< coring a few men,'mid with the help ol iho passengers worked the ship to Wellington, v. here again the crew deserted low, so that helped to make a s x months’ voyage to Nelson. Afv father often spoke of his walk to church on Sunday morning from Port Chalmers to Dunedin and hack. Most! of the .Pekin's passengers were booked I to .Dunedin, Wellington unPNew Ply-I month, .Mr Percy Smith being one ot those to New Plymouth. When we nr- ! r.ved at Nelson, our troubles were j net over. .Tumi.ary 12i.h, 1850, being, a pouring wet day, and Pilot Stirling was lying on his death-bed, and there was no one to take his place. Alter some time Mr Walker came out to the ship, hut Cunlaiti Whitby, having heard rliat the Filer-hi re had been wrecked coming into Nelson harbour, would not risk the Pekin. So all the Nelson passengers wore brought from ■ the anchorage to tho wharf, in small l rowing boats, at. the cost of Cl a i rip. j (Pilot Stirling died scon after wo land- j ed, and Captain Cross was appointed ■ Pilot). ' ; “Alter several trips we were all lauded, with our luggage, with the exception of a case of china, which j was lost-. There were no conveyances I in take passengers to town, so we j walked up in the rain, Bridge-street, | by the Empire 'theatre. having llax and manuka trees growing in the (•('litre. 'Pile late Mr Arthur Collins came | out as a hoy, with his parents, in the* Pekin,• and bought a house in The | Wood, where tlie late -Mr C. J. liar-i ley’s house is now'. W “.My father.” said 'Miss Sim son, “bought in London front the New Zealand Company a block of land of ol) acres at £2 an acre. It was to be •in the City ol Nelson, hut when lie ! crime hero. In* oiiikl not get the land } any nearer to the town than the Moil- j tore or the Wairnu. There being no j roads or bridges, he exchanged it for i hind in Nelson, .three tow n acres and 1 eight lid I acres, to which he added Iroin time to time other sections. ’Phis land is where the -Mental Hospital now | stands.

' When w,c came to Nelson the only system of was a wide deep, ditch which ran from the Church H-ilI, down the City Council side of Tral'al-gar-street, out to the mud-flat. After rain this ditch ran bank-high. There were planks across, anf often these were ikH safe on dark nights for all the citizens, and it was said that two men were drowned.

“A week niter we arrived the Presbyterian Church was opened by the-. Rev. Air Nicholson, who was later succeeded by the Rev. Air. Caldor.

“Air Portlier, the Magistrate, lived on the Port Rond, and’ in front of his house was a blue gum tree, the onlv one. in Nelson, and we often went to see it. All- Dunper lived in Solwyn Place, where the old Rowling Green was. Dr Ren wick planted many rare trcTcs, including a redwood, etc., on his property, now' owned by Miss Green, hi Hardy-street. “Unless people had wells if their own, they carried water from the wa-ter-race that supplied power to Camphell’s flour mill (now the site of the Guter Art Gallery). The settlers took their wheat to Campbell’s Mill to be ground, and would have to wait their _ turn, until after rain. Sometimes this meant a long "'ait for Lhe power. I remember as a girl toasting the wheat wo had grown.' stirring ,jt with a long stick in a camp oven, and then grinding it- in a coffeemill. This flour made delicious bread and scones.

“Bullock drays wore the only means of conveyance in the oarlv ’ ’fifties. There were no bridges in the Wood, just rdanks chained together across the rivers, and where the Colling-wood-streot, bridge is now there was a hand-rail chained to the planks. ATv father was in the Customs, hut the officials were free until an English ship was expected or sighted. Sir George Grey was Governor, and with Ids private serretarv. (he Hon. Air G'isboitrne. would visit lhe different towns. Govern men I House being at Auckland.”