OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12605, 7 March 1903, Page 2

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

CONCERT AT WAIKOUAITI. In continuation of the oelobration'of tho sixty-third anniversary of the landing of the early settlers at Waikouaiti a concert wne held in the hall at Bawksbury on Thurs ; day night. There was a large attendance. An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr E. p. Allen, M.H.R., who is laid up with The local band played a programme ol musio before the concert commenced. The chair was occupied by Mr All cock, who has • been a resident of Waikouaiti for 42 years. The programme was as follows:—Pianoforte duet, Misses Fodor and Allcock; song. Miss F. Smith; song, Ifiss -M. Valentine; piano solo, Miss Orkney; son«, Mr Stewart; Sony. Mrs Kerr; song, Mrs Eolly; piano solo, "Auld lang syne," Miss Templeton. Subsequent to the concert refreshments were provided by tho Early Settlers' , Picnio Committee in tho Council Chambers, the following ladies kindly undertaking to dispense the good things: Mesdames Alloock, Hell, T). Shand, Williams, Allen, und Hood, and Misses Diack, Thomson, M'Doug.ill, and Kirby. A. dance was.then held in tho hall, about 80 couples attending. Tho M.C.'s were Messrs 11. Allcock and P. E. Wilson, and music was provided by Miss Fodor.

During the evening speeches were given by Messrs D. Redd, iun., M.H.R., J. Duncan, T. Mackenzio, M.11.R., and the Rev. J. Christie. Mr D. Roid, M.H.R, for Taieri, said lie was very pleased to have been at- the gathering .that day. As a visitor, he considered that everything had gone splendidly, and those who had left lie was sure carried away, with them the most pleasant recollections of the day's outing. AVaikouaiti was a most fitting place for a gathering of the kind. Besides being the meet picturesque spot between Diuiedin and Christclmrch, it was marked, out by historic associations connected with the first settlors, who could there meet and chat with others who rememlierecl the very early history.of Ot-ago. He hoped the anecdotes and reminiscences of the parly days would l>o' recorded by those who were in possession of them, so that further additions might l>o made to tho association's store of treasures. Tiie association, he might say, aimed at great tilings, and Mr Laujjlands, the energetic secretary, was doing valuable work, and had built up the association to an extent that those who were its originators never dreamt it would occupy. They desired that the association should retain its prestige, and it was hoped a repository would be secured for relics and mementoes of the past, and with that object a bazaar was to be: held in June, for wlvieh he bespoko the assistance of the Waikouaiti friends. ' N .

Mr John Dtmein eaid tlie first time ha saw Waikoitaiti was in 1652, when he walked over the hills front Dunedin with a mate to transact some business. ThoY travailed over Flagstaff, the Snowy Moun-' tains, and tho Cherry Farm ranges. They could get no accommodation at' Cherry Farm,-and had to go on. to Tumai. Ho was much • impressed with the beauty of Waikouaiti in those days. The bush, which came down to the flat, gave cover to tho pareon bird, tho " mocky," pigeons, and other birds, and the whole district, in its freshness and picturcsqueness, appeared to him like a paradise. On subsequent visits to the district he saw how the ha.nd of man was cutting and earring the grand scenery, until to-day the place had a nakedness compared with its former wealth of forest and scrub, and its attractions were not what they used to be. It was a difficult matter to reach Dunedin. Sometimes they would go down in the Native boats, but the tripa were -not regular, and if there was no boat they walked. He waa called "tho mountain pilot," aud many were the strangers to Waikouaiti that he guided over the ranges. Among the number were the lata Dr Stuart and the late Mr David Hutchison, who for many years carried tho mail between Dunedin and Oamaru fortnightly. On one occasion Mr M "Master, of Messrs Burton and' M'Mastor, who had land to tho north, chartered ft Dutch vessel and brought a load of sheep to the district. Somo hundreds were landed at Oamaru, and the rest on a spit inside Otago Haxtour. The animals at once-ran to the fait water, arid a large number of them died. Afterwards a track was cut to Waitati by way of Purakanui, but one evening Mr lil'Master's shepherd camped them on a " toot" field 1 , near Double Hill, and next morning half tho sheep wore dead, 'ibis experience showed Eomo of the difficulties encountered by the settlers in tho early days. Ho was glad the district had retained the name of W<ukouaiti. It w a settlement that waa in oxistenco eight years before tho Otago scheme con - - rnenced. It was the feeder of that district lip to a. time, and it had many claims to retaining its name in the history of tho colony. Mr Thomas Mackenzie,' M.H.R.. said it gape him pleasure to be there to share the festivities of tire old settlers. Pleasurable as p! 1 tho gatherings were, it seemed to liim there was a paoig of regret in them, inasmuch as it was found that every time tho roll call was sounded the ranks of the grand old settlers were getting thinner, some of their respected settlers beiug yearly called to tha"; bourne whence no traveller returns. The early settlers, he considered, had well and faithfully performed tho duty they undertook, and the people of the present day could not honour them too much for what they had done. They had the courage to leave the homes of their forefathers and the homes of thejr childhood, and risk the peril* of a long sen, voyage, and take upon themselves the arduous work of colonisation. Thcr.o people belonged to tho best blood nf tho Old Country, aind their settlement in this colony was surrounded by the most fortunate circumstances. Tho evils of the Old Laud were never foisted upon. _ thorn. Only once in the history of tho' colony did a convict ship pomfl to Ne.w Zealand—that was when (ho (Endeavour arrived in 1795,—but, thanks to tho ruggedness of tho West Coast, they, could not penetrate into the interior, and were glad to clear out again. , 'Die Rev. ,T. Christie, after thanking the committee for inviting him to be present, narrated several of bis early time oxperi-' ctccr of more or less interest. On tho motion of Mr .Roland Jeffries, a vote of thinks was pas=ed to tho concert performers and tho speakers, and a similar compliment was accorded the Mayor for presiding. \

Mre J. Fitzgerald Barry, late of Kuri Piiifli, who arrived in the early forties, and is now 93 years of age, waa at tho picnic on and met a number of old acquaintances, who were very pleased to meet, her .".gain. Mrs Barry lived at Wa.ilcmn.iti for a number of years before removing to Knri Bush.