UPPER HUTT AND TRENTHAM

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12008, 10 December 1924, Page 6 (Supplement)

UPPER HUTT AND TRENTHAM

A WOULD-BE BOROUGH. THE FOOTSTOOL OF THE RIMUTAKAS. • ' ‘ • ‘ • ' : ' • * Upper Hutt is the last township at the north end of the Hutt .Valley, at the foot’ of the Mungaroa hills "leading to the Rimutakas. It is a wonderfully fertile snot, with scenery hardly .to be excelled anywhere in the Dominion. It has a' splendid area of native bush, while native birds and other forms of bush life abound. It is about 20 milesfrom Wellington, and about 200 ft above sea level, the ground rising from; Lower Hutt until the head of the valley is reached and thfe steeper ascent begins. i . .. . . The ’ ast timber-resources which existed when the first white population'settled in the valey have gradually disapr peared, and the' nearest bush timber mill is now. at Akatarawa, supplies of which are brought into Upper Hutt, . through which it reaches the market. The winding Hutt river runs at the back of the settlement, and no doubt! in the early days was used by the native canoes. At the church of St. Joseph there is the cemetery which contains the remains of many, of those who bore the heat and burden of the day half a century and more ago/and also bears testimony of many brave lads who did their duty in fhe great war, but lived to breathe their last in the land of their birth. 1 The earliest dates which can. be-traced to .the gravestones in the early sixties; but this hallowed acre/ is probably older than that. The; quaint old church is .one of the interesting features of the district, of the hard time the early settlers experienced, both in- opening up the country and the continual fighting with the Maoris, numerous memories or remains in the valley testify, but the stories told by survivors of those stirring days can always be listened to with vivid interest. .TOWN BOARD FORMED. Ihe Upper Hutt Town Board was formed in March, 1908, Mr G. I. Benge being the chairman, and Mr A. J. McCurdy held office as clerk and engineer until 1913, when he was elected a member of, the board. During that period several miles of footpaths were constructed, uniform roads graded and metalled,, and a fire brgade loan obtained and •a. volunteer brigade.established. Town Board offices were built by day labour at a cost below that of the lowest tender, 150 acres of land wefe purchased as a water reserve, and waterworks reticulation completed at a cost of £11,500. Rating ,on unimproved value is-in operation. Subsequently to 1913 a gasworks scheme was authorised by the ratepayers, but was not proceeded with,, and.the loan was allowed to lapse owing to the opposition which developed lo the proposal. In September, when the election took place several changes were made. in the constitution of ,the Town Board. At one time Wednesday was the half-holiday, but tVs was changed to a Saturday, though Wednesday is again being reverted to. The present board has formulated proposals to instal an individual septic tank system throughout the district in order to abolish the existing pan system, provision being made ih the scheme for connecting up to the sewerage _ sys tern when a municipality extending from Horseshoe'Bend to Silverstream Station becomes possible. The board also is proposing to serve the Trentham closer settled- area with a water service at a cost per Household of from 20s to 30s per annum, details of which are to be given at a public-meeting. - HOUSING AND TRAIN SERVICE. Extensive building operations are in progress, and four-roomed houses with conveniences, including land, are being erected for £650, and five-roomed houses for £7OO to £735. These are built to Government requirements and passed by- Government inspectors. There are twelve tr ains daily from Lambton to Upper. Hutt, and two, extra on Saturday, eleven trains from Upper Hutt to town, every day, and t<sn on Saturday, while there are five trains ih feach direction on Sundays. Workers’ tickets between Upper H,utt.and Wellington.are.from. 4s to.4s 6d.per week... The area is 1320 acres, and in December last there were 329 houses with population of 1764. Trentham, Heretaunga dnd Silverstream districts, which it was, proposed to include m a borough with the Upper Hutt Town District,-had'2Bs houses and a population of 1124, and an area of i 537 acres. [The-special c ommission reported adversely upon the proposition to form a borough. s . . - ! . RACING CLUB. Regarding the Racing Club', the .recent improvements have been ; effected: at a cost,of £100,000,-and-if: at any time the club should go out of existence the, whole of the land and improvement's would be handed over to the State. It is the intention of the Racing Club to .popularise their resort between; meetings'hy permitting'town residents to' use: the wounds"' and for their convenience it has been suggested .that the bands .should play and the kiosk be opened for the supply of rereshments. ' . ' ' " ' - The racecourse a'f Tren tham is known from one end of/thV Dominion-to the other, and It is also the site of the famous war-time camp, while the Heretaunga: golf links ate-nearer Wellington; - A pipe works is being established'close to Upper-Hutt station-,-and a‘large/sawmill'is : already in operation. At Wi Tako there are. the brick .works, where: a yery:fine article is produced,, and v , similar -works existat Silverstream! At the present time bricks'from thesfe works are being used for additions'to/Auckland Hospital/ being' landed in Auckland at a lower price than theTocal article. Th% whole district from Silverstream to the eastern boundary _of Upper Hutt is already wir ed and ready totak'e'the electric light service when available. . The number of street lights in,Upper Hutt is abopt 100. .....