WRANGAREI—PAST AND PRESENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7007, 2 May 1884, Page 6

WRANGAREI—PAST AND PRESENT.

[BY OUR SPECIAL BEPOHTKB.] Rkvisitikq the Wfaangarei distriot the other day, while on a visit to the Whauwhau coal mine, after an interval of 19 years, we could not but be struck with the progress which had been made during that period of time, THE PAST. Then, travelling across from the Upper Northern Wairoa to Whangarei we did not encounter a single European throughout the whole journey, save at WaltonV station, Maungatapere. There was .a trade of a peculiar character, however, going on between Whangarei and Woiroa. In those days the Northern Wairoa did not boast of a single publio bouse, and in the track in the bush between Maungatapere and the Wairoa landing we met several Maoris on horseback, with kits full Of grogbotlles, slang acroas their saddles, en route for the Wairoa, where the tariff price for their disposal was £1 a bottle. From Maungatapere .(where Mr Walton was engaged in farming and bheep-breeding) to Wbangarei there was no cultivation worth speaking of going on, save at the native settlement at Maunu Mountain, where some splendid crops of potatoes were to be seen. Whangarei township consisted then principally of Walton-street—at the little wharf, at the termination of which the steamer Tasmanian Maid, Captain Jackson, was wont to load up and discharge. Population had not yet begun - to spread to what is now the upper township. The principal cultivated farms northward of the township were these of Messrs. Meldrum and Carruth, although there were other old settlers who were alao busy in that direction, Messrs. Dent, Burnett, WakeUa, <kc. The Nova Scotia settlers were hard at Work in the Kaurihohore blook, transforming it from a state of nature into the smiling'homesteads whioh may be seen there to-d»y. Kamo, which has lince grown up liko a mushroom, under the magic influence of " the black diamonds," was then a mere name on the map—its railway yet in the womb of the future—while Mr. Walton, at the neighbouring Whauwhau coal mine, (new again coming into prominence) was busy, according to his. lights, in prospecting the ground and' getting out coal. The district was famous then as bow for fruit-growing, the principal orchard being that of the Messrs. Reyburn, from which large quantities of fruit jwere sent to the Auokland market. Looal industries had not yet got a foothold in the district, but it is pleasant to record that now there are a number, all apparently in a thriving state. Mr. Cafler (a native of France) wai the leading hotelkeeper, and his grounds were then, as now, the., admiration of every tourist, owing to the admirable manner in which they were kept, and the order, neatness, and abundance of conve niences everywhere- manifest. In front of his mansion is, perhaps, one of the finest parterres to be seen in the province, while in his garden may be seen oranges and bananas, etc., and other semi-tropical products ripening in the open air, and coming to periectioQ. Mr. Cafler sent the first grapes grown by him in the Whangarei district to Auokland Government House. His life has been almost as eventful as that of the late Baron, de Xhierry. First settling in China, he was, owing to ill health, brought on in a French man-of-war, and landed at the Bay of Islands,- before the establishment of British Sovereignty. He made extensive purchases of land ac Wangaroa, and subsequently his stores at the Bay were burned down. His land olaims and compensation claims were the subject of prolonged controversy between the French Government, in Louis Phillipe's time, Guizofa Ministry), and the English Government. Mr; C«fler at last settled down in Wangarei, where he has lived for a quarter of a century. Time seems to have dealt gently with him, for he is little altered since we first met him nineteen years ago. The •' grand old man" is simply an evergreen, and at 87 is only renewing his youth. It is facetiously explained by his neighbours that "the man with the scythe" came round at three-score and ten, and finding he was not ripe for cutting clown, passed on, and that he stands a good chance now till tht) second turn—l4o Be that as it may, had France, under the Second Empire, given birth to a race with the stamina of this son of h»r's, the story of Sedan would yet have to be written.

THE PRESENT. Taking passage in the evening, by the Maogregor from Auckland, we, arrived off Whangarei Heads before daylight;, and were comfortably seated to breakfast at the Whangarei Hotel by eight o'oiook. The passage up the rive'r is particularly pleasant, uvery point or bay opened by the steamer disclosing to view on the right bank for miles the cultivations and pleasant homesteads of settlers, until at last the pretty township of Wangarei reveals itself, lying nestling below at the bs.se of the hills. At ordinary tides steamers can run up to the wharf forming the terminus of the main street, but at neap tides are unable to do so. It is strange that the local authorities have not taken steps to improve Nature's waterway which has been given to them. The channel could be easily dredged at a moderate expense, so as to obtain an additional two feet of water, which would enable the steamers to go up to the township even at neap tides. One would naturally imagiu*- that the avoidance of double handlings and transfers of cargo, with' the additional chargee which must ultimately fall on the coneumer, woul'l be a consideration to those interested, but it does not appear so. It is pleaded in extenuation of the conduct of the Harbour Board, that they have ho endowments and no revenue arailable for sunn purpose*. This oan scarcely be put forth as a defence for the present practice of tippiug earth into the river, near the end of Waltonstreet, there to be washed away into the channel to silt it up. A row of piles, with timber facing, would avert this, lead ultimately to the reclamation of the ianer area between the piles and the beach-line, and increase the scour in the channel. Whangarei is known as one of the prettiest settlements in the North, and has many attractions which- will well repay a visit by. the touriet, in quest of health or pleasure, in the shape of mineral spring?, waterfalls, caves, boating, fishing, shooting, &o. ■ Once ashore there are three excellent hotels, to any of whioh the traveller cannot err in wending-his way. The Wangaroi Hotel (Mrs. Lea) is pleasantly situated by the river, further up the street is the Settlers' Hotel (Mrs, Fuller), to which considerable additions are in process of being made ; and a short distance buyond is the Commercial Hotel (Mr. Howard), which is quite a landmark viewed from the suburbs.' A pleasant day's ride may be obtained by a visit to the , falls, mineral springs,. - the coal mines,

Or away towards Maungatapere, to whioh ■ there is a good road. The district boasta also its branch bank (that of the Bank of New Zealand), itß tannery, boot factory, fioarmill, coach factory, and wheel wright'e establishment, serated water manufactory, brewery, and as a corrective to the latter establishment, three churches — Anglican, Presbyterian, and Wealeyan. Educational matters also receive due attention, as there is a District High School (Principal, the Kev. Mr; Bawkes) and a pnblio school, of which Mr. Easton is the efficient . head-master, ably aided by Miss Brathwaite, tbe assistant teacher. The school accommodation is nearly wholly absorbed, and further additions will Shortly be required, Mr. Easton, ire w«e glad to see, mingling with, the children in their sports in the playground, and taking an interest in them. Were there more of this ■art of thing it would bo better for the children, and better for th« teachers themselves. The upper township is. extending away to Daveron, and a tfaot of country through whioh we rode nineteen years ago, with fern 6ver the horse's head, is now dotted with suburban residences, with their seat gardens and , surroundings. . LOCAL INDUSTRIES. As already stated above, several local industries have boen started in the district, and some particulars abuut them may not be uninteresting. About two miles' out of Wangarei township, on the Maungatapere-road, has been established a tannery by Messrs. T. McKeneie and bone. They have established a boot factory at Wangarei, which is eupplied with Uatner from the tannery, and they are thus enabled to do a good trade both in the raw. material and io the manufactured article. A large flour, mill is run by Mr. F. Wood, the wheat being brought from Auckland. It is not creditable to the settlers that this should be. so, as in the'early, days the Kaurihohore settlers, and .those of other districts,'turned out a good deal of wheat. Even the oats and potatoes sufficient to meet local consumption are not grown, while as to the production of; vegetables, it is rumoured that Janies Ah Kew'is'serionsly contempkting Bending Chinese gardeners into the.distriot in order to.supply, the hotels and reeidents. There is' one' ap'eoial' feature in 'the , driving gear of the millstones of this mill— namely, a "spring at the spur-wheel, which helps greatly to prevent the baoklaah of-the millstones, and, consequently, makes them run smoothly. -Thie device has been »deiigned by ■ Mr; Wdod, , ■ and 'he -ifinds it to j work . satisfactorily, so nvach. so, 'that, no aocident has occurred since. the' erection of the mill, some three years ago.. So far as he is aw»re,-it -is not "used in'any other flour-mill in the-' coloDy. About.4Go tons of flour per annum are turned out, which largely aids in supplying the wants of the 'district. • .■•, . .

' Some three yaara agd Messrs. Tucker and Grice established themselves as blacksmiths and wheelwrights, but the demands of the distriot induced them to add coachbuilding to their business. Every description of conveyance ie manufactured, and of spring carts, waggonettes, drays, ftc. , , a large number have been sent out to the neighbouring districts. Eight hands are constantly employed. . The North Aackland brewery is situate about two miles out of Whangarei, above Dereron. It was re-opeoed about six months ago by the present proprietor, Mr. B". Downing, formerly of the Maungawhare Hotel. The working manager is Mr. Frankland, and about 40 hogsneads per month are manufactured, Since the brewery came into Mr. Downing's hands, the plant has been inoreased and greatly improved. Ab.out seven hogsheads , can be brewed at a time. Formerly the water was obtained from the neighbouring j stream, but a well has been sunk, which at 16 feet tapped a spring of water of excellent quality. The refrigerating machinery bow cools the beer in two hours, iostead of from six to eight as formerly. Dunedin malt i» used and Kent or Nelson hops. Mr. Downing carries tbe war into Africa by shipping a . quantity of bis beer weekly to Auokland, besides supplying the local market, and doinp a good trade with the neighbouring settlers in quantities of two gallons for household use. Some distance further on, on the same road, Messrs Hanlon and Hoey, have estahshed au aerated waters manufactory. Every branch of the trade is carried on, the sodawater, lemonade, ginger ale, etc., being of excellent quality. The firm supply the hotels and settlements for miles round. The Hikurangi sawmill turns out a goodly quantity of dressed timber for house-build-ing purposes to Whangarei and the adjacent settlements. Some shipments from it are sent on even to the Auckland market, while by a curious anomaly certain of the Auckland timber companies are shipping, in turn, to Whangarei. FRUIT-GROWING, &c. The largest and oldest established orchard is that of the Messrs. Rejbuvn, which is situate on both sides of the river, and comprises about 15 acres, principally devoted to apples and pears. Oranges, lemons almonds, guava3, and pomegranates, &c., are also produced. Some olive trees have also been planted, At the recent Horticultural Exhibition, Messrs. Reyburn obtained two first-class prizes for pears, one for almonds, and certificates of merit for culinary peare, and for bunch of pears. Messrs. Home, Hoey, War»nop (Ruatangata), and Carrutb (Kamo) have also good orchards, principally devoted to apple*, pears, and plums. Messrs. Johnson and Weaver have an excellent vinery, the area under glass being 160 feet by 27 feet; also six acres as an orchard, of which three acres is a nursery. There are at present some 20,000 trees of young stock ready for disposal, consisting of apples, pears, plums, peaches, *c.; the former on blight-proof stocks, chiefly Northern Spy. There are about eighty varieties of apples, twenty of pears, fifty oi plums, and thirty of peaches, both of the early and late sorts; and, in addition, oranges and lemons. The firm have a choice collection of roses and camellias. This year was the first the vines have borne under glass, the fruit being sent to the Auckland market. At the head of tbe navigation of the river, Mr. D. Home has also a large vinery, the area under glass being considerable. This has .been producing for years past with very good results. Mr. Dobie, railway etationmaster, has put in several hundred orange trees, and other settlers are also devoting some attention and care to the culture of this fruit. Mr.' Charles Tothill, on the Maungatapere-road, and some of his neighbours have made a beginning in the cultiratiou of the orange. Of the land at Maunu and Maungatapere, Mr. Federli speaks in the highest rerms as being extremely suitable for the production of semi-tropical products. Some of the Whangarei fruit-giowers complain greatly of the rapacity of the Auckland "middle-men," and contemplate sending their fruit next season to Wellington and other Southern markets. .

KAMO AND KAURIHOHORE. The changes and progress which we noticed in these districts were greater than elsewhere. Ramo has much in its favour. In addition to the coal industry, it has the advantage of having good land and fair roads. The to wo ship has a thriving, prosperous look about it. There are some nood farina adjacent to the township, among them those oi Messrs Wakelin, Whitelaw, 0. Main, and Carruth. K»mo has also its public hall, and the Wesleyau denomination have here erected ■ a very neat and commodious place of worship. The placs has three large hotels. In the Kaurihohore district the progress made has been very decided Sverythinggives token of a prosperous thriving and industrious agricultural population. Attention seems to he given largely bo dairy produce rather than cropping. THK RUA.TANGATA BLOCK. Ruatangata, although the youngest of the settlements in the Whaogarei district, has probably been one of the most successful, with few exceptions all the original settlers having prospered, and remained on the land. In its early existence it had more than ordinary difficulties to contend with. Severed from Wbaogarei by three miles of Maori land, without any access to the land they had taken up, a road had'to be purchased through dense bush, and made and kept in repair, which for many years absorbed' all the money that, could be received by rates, the settlers taxing themselves to the extreme of the land, as well as'subsidising the rates. Xhe land is good and well watered. Tbere are about forty homesteads, two schools, one place of worship, and Post office. Mr. Whitelaw, Messrs. Fowlesland, Mr. Street, have very fine properties, on which a threat deal of work has been done. Good crops are produced, but the remoteness from a market renders .thtm unremunerative. Like all the Whangarei'district, fruit.of. all kinds luxuriates. Grazing is the chief occupation. Coal and iron are in the district. The blook ia bounded by the upper portion of the

before inaccessible. ; -.sI WH.NGAEEI TO MAUNG-TAPERE. Along this route the progress of '***™£ has not been .b pronounced as might be ex pected. considering the quality of . tb °*?i* and the facility of access to me township and port of Whanfiarei. Possibly tbe. extensife native reserves in the Maunu district may have h«d something to do with it. Amone the aettlera on this liae are Messrs. Tothill, Armstrong Brooker, Jackson, Seccombe, and Hawkins, while Mr. Shaw (formerly of Waikato) is at Walton's station. A fine new school, having commodious p.layeround, has recently been erected in the Maunn - diitrict by the Edncation Beard, The resident Maoris at Mtunu appear to have retrograded rather thsn advanced in tcieartof agriculture. The land which we had seen covered with crops in the years _ono bv looked desolate and waete, and Dore but very indifferent t.stimony to the Industrieue h»bita of its native owners. The Native Office shunld urge upon the Maoris the de«irability of utilising these reserves, by leasing or otherwise, as it is a grievous gcaodal that such «plendid land should lie idle and unfruitful. NATURAL WONDERS OF THE DIS- . TBICT. i The soaawater eprings on the road to • Kaurihohore are an object •of curiosity to the traveller. The water of the eprioga taste somewhat like lemonade or sodawater, and it is rarely that ih , . passer-by does not avail himself of a draught. The falls are alao well worth a visit. The water rushes over the fissured rocks in an unbroken sheet down some 95 feet into a deep basin, and thence the stream, like a thread of silver, hastens to the valley below. ' Not the least remarkable attractions in the- Whangarei district are the curious caves at Parahaki, on ihe opposite side of i the river to the township, and some three miles from thence. One of them is several hundred yards in length, having a streamlet running through its postages, and abounding in stalactite formations of carious and quaint shape One of these formations resemble \ somewhat a series of organ pipes, while about the centre of the care a natural fount appears, from which the sprmgs bubble ever into ■' the passages below. The other cave is dry, and contains some very beautiful stalactites, which on being struck by the hand ring like musical glasses ; to the right and left there are side passages leading to little chambers, while in the domed roof of the great passage, soma 14 feet high, the glow-worms glitter like as many stars. The whole effect is extremely pleasing to the eye of the visitor. ■ The stream of tourists to Wbangarei and adjacent districts, during the psist summer, ba« b«en greater than in any previous year. This is to be accounted for from the increased facilities of travel. Since the Waitaki has been put on, communication can be bad with Whangarei. from Auokland, by steam, five times _ week, and vice versa. There is little doubt that at no distant priod this pleasane little watering place will become one of the "lungs" of Auckland.