CHURCH JUBILEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19959, 30 May 1928, Page 8

CHURCH JUBILEE.

METHODISTS AT PAPAROA, ' Y" * ' : 'ifOLD ALBERTLAND SETTLERS. EARLY MEMORIES RECALLED. "UNIVERSITY OF HARD KNOCKS." [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER, j PAPAROA, Tuesday. Memories of the old Albertland settlers were recalled at a reunion of members of the Paparoa Methodist Church held last evening in connection with the jubilee celebrations. A large gathering filled the church, the vistors being welcomed by Mr. R. Hames, an old church adherent, who presided. , The good wishes of neighbouring Church distiriots were conveyed to the gathering by visiting ministers. The principal speaker was Mr. James Trounson, senr., of Northcote, aged 89. one of the first settlers in the district The welcome he received, he said, was a far different one from that which awaited him when he first entertd the district. Then there were no roads, although they were all marked on paper in readiness. The first trip he made from Auckland to Paparoa had taken four months (there being a halt of over three months at Pahi). At present the trip took' four hours. The land had been described to the old "Aibertlanders" as "flowing with milk and honey." On first impressions the settlers were inclined to push back again, saying, "You can keep your land flowing with milk and honey." The party had landed at Paparoa 65 years ago, where the fiank of New Zea land at present stood. All was bush and there was no one to give the new arrivals any lessons in cultivation—which wau perhaps, for the best. " These men re ceived many hard knocks," he added. '*l, too, can claim I graduated from the uni versity of hard knocks ." Spirit of Early Nonconformists. Several incidents in his early life a; Paparoa were related by Mr. Henry Cul len, aged 82, of Maungatoroto. "I have observed," he said, "that at all the Non conformist settlements in New Zealand the pioneers erected a House of God he fore building houses for themselves. Such a spirit seems to be dying out in the world." The Rev. T, G. Brooke, first mmistej in the church, said he had many happv memories of Paparoa. He considered it would be for the good of all young ministers if they had to begin in tht back blocks. The circuit had been a wide one in former days. The preachei had to cover districts as far afield a& Matakohe, Maungatoroto and Port Albert. During the year lie had been stationed at Paparoa he had covered an average of about 25 miles a day. It was possible to visit only four or five families in one day. He was satisfied there was a glon ous future for the Church, although il must be remembered the seeds were sown by the pioneers of the past. A happy incident related by Mr. Brooke concerned a Cornish woman, who kept a hotel in the early days at Hakaru. Whenever he had visited that district to hold a service, he said, the proprietren l had closed the bar and turned the me; out to hear him, following herself. ■ Building of the Church.

Speaking of the actual building of ti.. church, Mr. T. Wilson said the block., had been specially selected, and had stooi i as a sound foundation through the years The building was cf kauri timber irom picked logs, all of it being haad-planeil from the rough. He considered ther. was no building for many miles which wa.so well-built and so well-proportioned. The present minister, the Rev. J. L Mitchell, emphasised the great debt owed by the present generation to its forbears. A resolution was passed by the gather ing to forward greetings to all settlers who could net. attend, expressing apprecia tion of the work they had done for the church and district.

Former ministers of the church have included Mr. A. C. Caughey, of Auckland, the late Rev. G. Abernethey, former president of the Methodist Conference, Rev. G. T. Marshall, foreign missions trcas urer, Rev. A. Ashcroft, of Mount Albert. and' Rev. J. H. Allen, oi Birkenhead.