WAKEFIELD’S ARRIVAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 11 April 1934, Page 6

WAKEFIELD’S ARRIVAL

PEN PICTURES OF 1841 OLD PIONEERS RECALLED (By Robert Baltic) When speaking at such functions as the unveiling of the Cairn of Remembrance which took place at Old I’a hill, Riwaka on Easier Sunday afternoon speakers have not the time at their disposal to dwell on the achievmeuts of the pioneers nor on the predominating sentiment responsible for the building of the great British Empire.

The speakers including the promising young M.P. who unveiled the cairn and gave a highly inspiring address on tins occasion were evidently all proud of “triumphant Britain” and the British people’s great record in colonising the far thing parts of the Earth. Any description of the wilderness first seen by Captain Arthur Wakefield and his expedition of pioneers around the shores of Blind Bay will describe New Zealand, one of Nature's masterpieces when the pioneers arrived and with boundless courage and determination set to work to found a new, and brighter Britain in this the uttermost parts of the earth. Captain Arthur Wakefield arrived and anchored his three boats, the “Willwateli,” the “Whitby” and t'lie “Arrow” in tho Astrolabe roadstead on the 9th of October 1841. These boats had on hoard the expedition men and the equipment for founding the Nelson settlement. Using Astrolabe as his base the captain set out with some of his officers and a boat and crew in search of a suitable site for the headquarters of the proposed settlement. He first examined Sandy Bay, then coming round entered golden Kaileriteri. Bay. With this beautiful little hay he was greatly pleased as all have since been.

A COMMANDING VIEW Leaving Kaiterileri they came on, landed, and walked over a hill to Motuoka. Not knowing the place names at that time this record is a mistake for it is written that they found a nice valley traversed by a river named Riwaka. It is clear that the captain and' his party must have landed at Old Pa liill anil walked over the shoulder of this hill on which The Cairn of Remembrance now stands.

We may assume that the captain stood on the cairn site 93 years ago. He would make for the first commanding site from which lie could view the landscape over. He would obtain this view from the Cairn site. We can go away back in the .spirit and see that resolute body of men descending from the Old I’a Hill and winding their way up the valley through the dense scrub and fern to about where tile bridge now stands. From there the captain sent some of his men up the valley to report on what the. country was like, about the head of the Riwaka Valley while he and the others crossed the river, skirted round the edge of the lnish and ascended the hill immediately behind Mr Eiger Inglis’ house. .... > What would .the captain see from this vantage point 93 -years ago? It is certain that he would view a wilderness, but there would be spread out before him a wilderness lying in all its pristine beauty. There would he the glorious bush starting at the foot of the hill on which lie stood and extending on down the hanks of the river to the sea. Being spring, the kowhais many of which stood along the banks of the river and round the edge of the bush, would he in flower and alive with tuis and bell birds. These birds would be at the height of their singing season and must have charmed and enchanted

villi their wonderful music the travellers from a far country. Many of the bush trees would he festooned with garlands of starry white clematis, the toi toi plumes would be waiving in the breeze, the flax sending up its flowering rods, while the swamp would have put on its spring green mantle of young raupo. The little laughing singing Biwaka river would be busy chanting its song of welcome to the first of this superior race to taste of its clear running waters. Tho silver ribbon of the Motueka river would be seen wending its way over the plain to its home in the sea. Beyond the Motueka river would lie seen more dense bush. There would be the sparkling blue waters of the near and far bay while the grand old blue l.iils stood in the distance above where beautiful Nelson was vet to be born.

Could the captain and those with him in their wildest flights of imagination have conceived that this expanse of dense bush, swamp and scrub lying spread out at their feet, would in one lifetime be developed into the most intensively cultivated, the most productive and the most thickly populated country district in New Zealand? ft is open to doubt if any other purely country district ifi the British dominions, south of tho equator, peopled by a white race can equal Biwaka's record of maintaining on the average 201) people to the square mile, practically all of whom are taking their living direct from the soil.

This amazing progress has been witnessed and taken part in by Mr Bichard Holyoake, who was brought to Kiwaka and landed at tho foot of Old Pa hill in ISTi.

PIONEER SETTLERS This grand old veteran was present at the unveiling of The Cairn of Keliiemhrance on Easter Stindav afternoon and is at !)2 looking hale and hearty. Jfe and Mrs Rum hold of Motueka are the last of the Kiwaka pioneers who landed at the foot of Old Pa hill.

Biwaka’s first pioneers who landed on the 2nd May 1542 were" Samuel Stephens, surveyor; Bernard Macmaiion, Henry Pry, William Mickell, Joseph Duncan, James t ook, William Dodder, Thomas Rowling and David White. These men with their devoted wifes mid the pitifully few children who laid survived the tragic voyage of The Lloyds, became Biwaka's first permanent settlers and blazed the trail through the then impossible looking wilderness for their fellow-pioneers to follow who came nine months later. All of the Biwaka pioneers in cnin-

moil with all of New Zealand’s pioneers were patient, steadfast, enduring people, partaking in the advenInie, romance, sentiment, pathos and tragedy in laying the foundation of all the progress we see in New Zealand to-day with stoical British courage and determination—common (fails in the lie.-d of Britain’s race. It, may interest the descendants of the heroic men who founded Riwaka 92 years ago if I give a short personal sketch of each as I knew them lang sv tie.

We will lake them in alphabetical order: —

flames Cook (Jovial Jim), a lover of sport, captain of the first Riwaka Cricket Club, extremely particular about the working of his farm, emulating to the letter the methods of the Homeland farmer. Often have 1 seen his stacks Imilt with mathematical perfection thatched with not one rush longer than another protruding over the eaves and the walls of the stacks shaved smooth with a sharp scythe Made. A man who was never known to say anything harder about his fellows than, "He he neither lie. she nor oud woman.”

Joseph Duncan and his spouse Rachel, commonly known as “Jaw and Rachey". Joseph also was a lover of company. Rachey was the more interesting character of the two, a typical specimen of the .Scottish class to which slie belonged, possessed of outstanding industry and never ending energy. She loved to toll of the pioneer’s first ex* perieuccs. She used to say, “Wo winienfolk were pit ashore doon by at the Tapu. The tide boon out we could’na he la lidi tat the Old Pa so we had the bet ter pair! of twn, mile to walk round to tin* camp whiles ower the ankles in tideway glatir an loaadit down like cuddies with out tilings. 1 mind me that 1 was carrin a table —nut eertes it was herd gatin. hut I stickit to ran table.”

I called to pay my respects to her forty years ago. After warmly greet-j ing me she remarked “1 dintta ken j 1 (Millie boo it is, I’m always sac weary after mu day’s work noo, I am share it camia he auld age wi me. ’ 1 impiind. “How old are you now, Mrs Duncan." | The reply was, “I’m only auelity-t-ve”—only S."> and wondering why she was weary after her day’s work. Of such were’the Riwaka women pioneers. Henry Fry. the stalwart pioneer, a "real worker, possessed of outstanding physical strength and determination \ not to he beaten. It is recorded _of j him that when lie and his fellow pioncers were suddenly thrown on theii , own n sources and were facing want and starvation, lie made herculean efforts with mattock and spade in preparing ground to grow wheat and potatoes to ward oil tlneatciiing calamity. William Loddcr, possessed of great good nature and unending hospitality. None ever visited his homestead and went emptv away. A typical English farmer, hailing from Hampshire and Hie best sheep master in the district. Bernard Macmahon, a profound student of political economy. He frequently sat well into the wee sma Mors reading Hansard and other political works. lie, possessed many of the attributes of the old country squire, j He was our first J.P. It pleased linn ■ to lu» sitting on Tlic Bench in Motueka dispensing ' justice tempered with

mercy. . , William Mickell, a quiet, iinassumi„„ man, a horn mechanised genius. It "may he justly claimed for him that he went far in' preventing the infant settlement of .Riwnkii front collapsing. When the Riwaka pioneers were cn..oil in that epic struggle against overwhelming odds, it was William Mickell who devised and built a primitive flourmill out of the material he saw standing and lying about him in a state of nature. From this primitive mill he provided his fellow pioneers with wheatmeal to make bread when tliev were on the verge of starvation. The two millstones he so laboriously cut out 90 years ago are now built into the Cairn of Remembrance to reveal to posterity that

there was heroism in those days. Thomas Bowling, the first Britisher to set foot on the shore of Tasman Bav. He also held the distinction ot being Captain Arthur Wakefield's personal attendant on the voyage out and subsequently when the Captain was si arching for a suitable site for the headquarters of the Nelson Settlement. He was chosen to he one of the founders of the Kiwaka settlvmeiit, a fastidiously clean, neat mail in all of bis work, a stonemason by trade, but with ail a first class farmer, hailing from Cornwall. , David White, another Hampshire man, noted for always having the best vegetable garden in Biwaka, a quick energetic worker, one who never shirked his full share of any strenuous work which had to be faced during the pioneering days. i have mentioned but one of the pioneering women. The first of the women pioneers and all of those who came later were all “British made” of the very best best British material. They took their full share and more in all the adventure, romance, sentiment, pathos and tragedy involved in pioneering work, as did all women pioneers when laying the foundation of all the progress we now see in New Zealand. Our British women were the keystone of success in the building of tlite vast Colonial British Empire.

SEARCH FOR SITE In conclusion, although it is history, I may repeat that Captain Arthur Wakefield continued, liis search from the Old Pa bill for a suitable site for the headquarters of the Nelson Settlement. Ile closely examined the foreshore of tlite Bay as far as Mapua, spending one night ashore at the foot of the Montere blulfs. Why lie returned to bis base at Astrolabe after exploring the Western Entrance. I have never heard. It may have been that they were running short of food. Captain Wakefield would know of Captain D'Urville exploring adventures in Blind Bay.

D’Urville bad reported that the only comprehensive harbours in Blind Bay vere Astrolnble, Croixellos and Admir- j ally Bay. He had sailed at no great' distance past Wakatu, now Nelson harbour and bad not seen it. Probably Captain Wakefield thought it; would be a waste of lime going further over the same ground traversed by D’Urville be being a very thorough and competent navigator. I Captain Wakefield was also pressed for time. He had to make preparations for sheltering the four shiploads of pioneers he knew to he on their way out to New Zealand. Operations for the founding of Nelson at golden KaiItriteri laid commenced. Some clearing and surveying had been done when the interpreter the Captain had brought D'oiii Wellington learned from the Maoris Hint n belter place for the boats would lie found at Wakatu The Captain may have doubted Ibis information as he did not go himself to verify it. The Maoris lmd pointed out where j

to look for Wakatu. The late pilot Cross was sent over the Bay in charge of a boat and crew. We may assume that he was the first white man to see the Nelson harbour. It eoufil not have been the pilot who came with Captain Wakefield from Wellington. His knowledge of Blind Bay appears to have ended at Astrolabe. Had he known of the Nelson harbour he would have taken the boats to it without delay. Coxswain Cross may he given the credit of first discovery Nelson liarhour. He made a hurried survey of it and the site where Nelson now stands, returned to Astrolabe ir-- 1 gave Captain Wakeficd a highly favourable report on what he had discovered. The three boats were then sailed over to Wakatu and all entered what then became the Nelson harbour on Ist November IS4I.