EARLY WAIROA PIONEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19474, 2 November 1926, Page 10

EARLY WAIROA PIONEER

SIR J. CARROLL'S FATHER. THE FIRST WHEAT GROWER. INFLUENCE ON THE NATIVES. An outstanding pioneer in the early history of the Wairoa district in Hawke's Bay—which has just celebrated its jubilee—was the late Mr. Joseph Carroll, father of the late Sir James Carroll. Mr. Carroll, whose record is referred to in the Napier Telegraph, came to New Zealand in the early "thirties" from Sydney, where he was a servant of the Government. On arriving in the Wairoa district he made his home there and flung himself wholft-heartedly into the work of assisting to develop the country. He imported horses and ploughs from Sydney, and took wheat into the district, and encouraged the Maoris to take up fanning. Considerable areas of land were acquired from the natives by Mr. Carroll, notably the Hurumoa property, which is still in the family. This fertilo block h* is reported to have traded from a prominent up-country chief in exchange for a store he built him up the Wairoa River. He was also a blacksmith and he engaged with success in whaling pursuits. He had quite a fleet of schooners in the coastal trade at the time, and was a large exporter of wheat. As colonisation progressed Mr. Carroll turned his attention to sheep and cattle farming, in which pursuit he was materially assisted by prominent native chiefs, with whom he was directly connected through his marriage to Tapuke, a beautiful chieftainess of high rank in the Wairoa district. As he prospered in life lie became one of the most respected men in the community and the Maoris looked upon him as a father. Over the turbulent natives' of the early days Mr. Carroll exercised a great influence, and it was largely due to his judicious intervention and tactful handling that the sale of the present Wairoa town site was made to the Government. He acted also as adviser to Sir Donald McLean, superintendent of the Hawke's Bay province, and many progressive developments can bo traced to his influence in this direction. Mr. Carroll died at Awatere, Wairoa, on October 27, 1899, and now lies peacefully at rest in the Wairoa Cemetery, where a simple headstone looks down from the hill to the changed scene of his early efforts.