PIONEERING HAYS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7446, 22 May 1911, Page 1

PIONEERING HAYS

FOUNDATION OF MASTERTON THE FIFTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY YESTERDAY. THE EARLIEST SETTLERS 72011 OUB OWN COBEHBPONDB?rr. HASTEUTON, May 21. ■ To-day, May 21st. is'tho fifty-seventh, anniversary of the foundation of Masterton. On May 7th, 1854, four pioneers from Wellington—Messrs Michael Dixon, John. Cole, David Dixon, and Mrs W. Adams, daughter of Mr Michael Dixon left Port Nicholson with a email mob of cattle. Mr John McKenzie, who had previously secured property at Te Whiti, joined the party, which had between them one hundred and one hundred and fifty cattle. It was a Sunday moraine when they ieft, and that day they got to Kaiwaxrawarra. ' They reached what is now Upper Kutt on the Monday. On Tuesday they arrived at the Puharatai. Over the rough ground and narrow track they struggled next day and arrived at nhat was then called Burling's, but which is now known as Feathersrou, They next made Xauheronikau, and during their stay there Mr Nix, an ea-rlioi pioneer than the rest of the party, died from cramp as a result of crossing ; the flooded Tauherenikau river in search of a horse. / At Morison's Bushy where they next arrived, the flooded river was a source of trouble, and caused a delay ox several days. Subsequently the party got over the "river in a canoe, an-d the cattle, had to swim. They eventually , arrived at Te Whiti, where Mr McKenzie left them, ond on Sunday, May 21st, 1851, the pioneers of this town reached what is now the flourishing Masterton, but which, was then a wiideriiess of bush, scruo and The party arrived without food, and but for Uie kindness of a Maori chief named Ihiaria would have fared, badly. This Maori provided them with food till they were able to grind wheat for bread. The party took up farms, and this was the foundation of the Masterton Small Farms Association. Of the band of -pioneers only two are left—Mr David Dixon and -Mrs W. Adams. Among the Masterton early settlers were the late Messrs W. H. Donald, A. W. Renall. 0. Dixon, W. Adams, J. Bs-ntley, .T, Masters, J. V. Smith, J. Wrigley, R.- Dl- Dhgg, R; Hare^ -James Russell, the brothers Chamberlain, and ■Q.iW. Woodrbofe. : The late-Mr. Masters, after whom the town was named, died in 1874. . . The Small Farms Association; which laid out the town and made the splendid educational endowment now held in trust by the Masterton Trust Lands Trustees, were Messrs Allen, Carter, Jackson, Masters, and Renall. The Masterton boiough waft formed in 1877, and the railway line to the town was opened in 1880.