PORT MOLYNEUX.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 11

PORT MOLYNEUX.

Activities in the Early Days. Extensive Shipping Trade. Disappointed Hopes. There is not much information available regarding the career of Port Molyneux as a township prior to 1861. Dntil then it had always been referred to as the beach, and it was not until roads were being made and a steamer began to run on the river that it commenced to advance. It attracted so much attention at one time that inquiries were received from America regarding the value of sections; this, no doubt, being due to the impression that it would become the capital of Otago. With the erection of a church and a school and the opening of stores it appeared as if Port Molyneux was going to be a flourishing town. On December 5, 1861, the port was declared a port of entry, and Mr Edwin Rich was the first Collector of Customs, On March 7, 1852, Mr J. P. Maitland was gazetted as the Collector. The proclamation was cancelled in May, 1865, however, when a notice was published intimating that Port Molyneux was no longer a port of entry. In the very early days of the settlement the chief means of communication 'between Dunedin and South Otago was by way of Port Molyneux, which figured prominently in the activities within the province. At that time the Molyneux River reached the ocean at Port Molyneux, and quite a number of what were regarded as fairly large vessels in their day traded to the port. From Port Molyneux the goods were lightered by way of the Puerua to Otanomomo, where Mr Red path had the first store in the district. Boats also went the Molyneux River as fax as the Pomahaka, which was traversed for some miles with supplies for the settlers in the locality round Clydevale and Popotunoa, now better known as Clinton. Wharfage accommodation and sheds were erected at Port Molyneux, which was the possessor of a harbour master and a pilot station for many years. Quite a large township sprang into existence, and the Settlement flourished for a considerable time. We find that as far hack as February, 1849, the cutters Catherine Johnston and Mercury were trading between Dunedin and the Molyneux. Amongst the passengers by these boats were Mrs Hastie. Mrs Shepherd, Mr Ramage, and Mr Chalmers. In the following month Messrs Fuller, Redpath, George Hay, who was accompanied bv his wife and family, and the Chalmers" reached the district, also by boat. The Hays were welcomed by the Maori princess, Makariri, who plunged into the water and carried John Hay, who was then a baby, to the shore. The first general store was opened by Mr A. C. Begg, near the mouth of the Puerua, and by 1864 there were two hotels —the Commercial, managed by Mr R. M‘Lay, and the Alexandra, originally owned hv Evelyn Bockley, and then bt Mr Ance'll. In 1866 both hotels were purchased in turn by Mr John Hartlej Jenkinson, who had previously been a storekeeper at Balclutha. Other stores in the place were opened bv Messrs R. L. Begg, J. W. Thomson and Mailer, and A. Gault Messrs Thomson and Mailer s sign can still be seen under the paint on the old building. The number of stores subsequently dwindled down to one, which came into the possession of Mr James Paterson, who carried on business for some 30 years, and it is now m the hands of Mr Adam A. Paterson. Other tradesmen commenced business in the township, and it is stated that as many as 22 carpenters were kept busy building houses. The only brick house in the place was built hv Messrs Frazer Brothers, who leased it to Captain Murray. There was quite a boom in property at Port Molyneux in the late ‘‘sixties and early “seventies,” when hopes were cherished that the port would play a leading part in the development of the province and figure as a seaport of some importance. At that time, in fact, many people thought that Port Molyneux would be the principal harbour in Otago. no strongly was this impression held that it is on record that one man sold a valuable property in George street, Dunedin, and put his money into a section at Port Molyneux. The first lighthouse keepers at the Nuggets were Messrs Cardigan and Cunningham, and it is interesting to note that the widow of the latter still resides alongside the site of the pilot station house, which was sold by the Mamie Department within the last 10 years or £O. The first pilot was Mr Boggart, who was succeeded by mt John Bums, afterwards Custom-house officer in Dunedin. The police were represented originally by Sergeant Cobden and afterwards by Constables Bailey and Albert. A medical man—Dr Cowie lived at Port Molvneux for a few months, but the residents were so healthy that he took up his abode elsewhere. The first postmaster was Mr C. "V. Brewer, who was succeeded by Mr James Patterson, the later retaining the position for more than 40 years. , , The navigation of the bar was always attended by more or loss risk, and quite a number of vessels were wrecked there. The remains of one wreck are still visible there at very low tides, lying on a reef at the south side of the entrance to the pert. An old boll was recovered from One wreck by a Balclutha resident about 20 years ago. A number of other wrecks have occurred along the coast between Molyneux harbour and the Nuggets, chieflv as the result of masters of vessels making mistakes as regards the entrance or by seeking the shelter of the. land and getting blown inshore. The flood in September, 1878, altered the whole position so far as Port Molyneux and its future were concerned, and whatever hopes had been entertained previously in the direction of establishing a shipping centre were quickly dashed to the-, ground. The flood waters cut an opening to the ocean at Coal Point, and the old Molyneux harbour became silted up. To-dav" it is nothing but a sandbank, 200 "or 500 acres in extent, over which cattle rim at low tide. Prior to the flood there was a depth of from 15ft to 20ft of water on the bar, whereas this spot is now covered by sandbanks sft or 6ft high. The headlands, which were quite conspicuous at one time, have disappeared, and many of the sections, for which high prices were asked at one- time, are now unknown so far as the County Council’s rate book is concerned. To illustrate the extent to which the value of property deteriorated in the district and the subsequent lack of interest taken in some of the sections by their owners it may be mentioned that not very long ago a section, which was at one time regarded as being worthy a good deal of money, was acquired by the Otago Education Board for school purposes. The section, which was situated near the old pilot station, had been unclaimed for many years, and the owner of it—a man named Gree—could not be found. Legal investigations led to the discovery that Messrs IV. Brown and Co., accountants, Dunedin, hold a power of attorney about 40 years old on behalf of Mr Cree, and further investigation disclosed that Mr CVee’s descendants resided in Glasgow, and that this property had been Inst sight of by them altogether. The necessary steps are now being taken to secure a transfer of the title. Port Molyneux, as it was known in ♦he early days, has now disappeared with the exception of Paterson’s store and the old wharf shed and wharf. The lastmentioned has practically fallen into ruins, hut the shed now forms the concert hall in the district. It fell into the hands of the Clutha River Board when the Port Molyneux Harbour Board became defunct, but it was eventually acquired by the people of district, for the purposes of a public hall As far as can be seen nothing is likely to bring about a new era of prosperity at Port Molyneux apart from its attractions as a holiday resort. In recent, years it has become very popular with holiday-makers, who find it an ideal place for red and recreation when they get an opportunity to leave the cares and won ries of business behind them. The flood

in 1878 was possibly the deciding factor in cutting out the chances of Port Molyneux as a shipping centre, but apart from that it is extremely doubtful it the expectations of the early settlers in that respect would ever have been realised, as the construct iun of the railway would certainly have deprived the port of the traffic in the Clutha district unless the harbour had been developed on a large ocaie. Tlie area between Coal Point and Port Molyneux is practically all sandhills, and with the prospect of an ever-changing river mouth, the chances of the harbour attaining prominence would seem to have been out of the question in view of present-day experience. It seems certain that the river has changed its mouth Irom the Pert Molyneux side to the Coal Point side at various periods. The earliest white settlers could remember the time when the mouth was on the Port Molyneux side, where it remained until the hood in 1878, but Maori tradition seems to establish quite clearly the fact that at some time before that the mouth was on me Coal Point side, where it is to-day. The Clutha Valley was regarded by many of the early settlers as offering the best possibilities for a route to the interior, and the owners of some stations up the river as far as the Teviot went so far as to get a survey for a light line up the valley. Some 15 years ago, or more, an agitation was started with the object of securing the construction of a railway up the Clutha Valley as far as Tuapeka Mouth, and the subdivision of various large properties up the river had the effect of adding weight to the representations made on the subject. The settlers interested were so confident that success would follow the construction of ■uch a railway that they offered to guarantee a return of 4£ per cent, on the money expended. While the settlers were' possibly over-sanguine in this repeat. investigations showed that the prospective traffic would fully warrant the construction of a line, which was duly authorised in 1912. The route then suggested was up the banks of the Molyneux .River from Balclutha. The surveys were well advanced and preparations were being made for the expected turning of the first sod of the railway when the department discovered difficulties in regard to affecting a junction with the main line between Stirling and the Balclutha railway bridge. This led to some delay, and before any further progress was made _ a counter agitation was set on foot with the object of starting the branch line in the vicinity of Lovell’s Flat, taking it over Hillend, making a sweep round the Greenfield, Ciydevale, and Tuapeka districts, and probably extending as far as the Pomahaka River at Pomahaka Downs. This reopened the whole question of the route of the line, and the division of opinion existing locally prevented anything definite from being done, as the Government would take no action in tne absence of unanimity on the part of those most closely interested in the matter. The chief attraction which Port- Molyneux offers at present to residents in other places is as a holiday resort. Kaka Point, which is situated two or three miles a wav, and which was a centre of considerable activity in the early days, has made wonderful strides in the last years as a popular holiday resort, i ho township contains two boarding houses, a church, a store, a post office and telephone office and probably about 1W cribs or seaside residences. These places are owned chiefly by residents of Baidu tha and the Clutha district generally, but the district is visited by quite a number of people from Gore, Milton, and Dunedin. Kaka Point has an excellent reputation as a safe bathing place, and as it has a north-easterly aspect is well sheltered from the south-west winds oy the Nuggets headland. Further on towards tlje Nuggets there are more boarding houses. The bay extends from Port Molvneux to the Nuggets and is some eight or ten miles in extent. The beautiful natural bush, the rocky headlands between the various small hays, and the pastime of indulging in fishing all offer strong attractions to the holiday-makers. The fishing industry, which has been caried on commercially for many years with more or Jess success, has recently attained fairly important dimensions. There are perhaps a dozen men permanently engaged in the industry, in which probably half a dozen motor boats are employed. There are good groper grounds within a reasonable distance of the Nuggets, and as a rule there is a large export of fish from the bay, supplies o-oincr to various places as fa.r north as Christ church. A considerable trade is done with Gore and several other inland towns, but, strange to say, Balclutha seems to be one of the places which suffer from a shortage of fish. Some years ago the Government constructed a breakwater at Nugget Bay, which is the headquarters of the fishing industry, at a cost of something like £2OOO, While the breakwater has not realised expectations in all respects it is a great convenience to the fishermen. The fish, principally groper, are transported by motor lorry to Romahapa, and are conveyed from there bv railway to their destination. There are a number of settlers along the bay, where the land is for the most, part fairly good. A few Maoris still reside between Kaka Point and "Willsher Day. There was originally a largish native settlement in the Molyneux Bay as a whole, but the numbers have gradually dwindled awav. In the earlier days they lived at lower Inch Clutha, but a flood very many years ago compelled them to move to higher country, and they took up their residence on the mainland at Molvneux Bay, where they have resided for probably a century or two There is evidence of their long residence there in the shape of graveyards, bones from which have been exposed by the drifting sand within recent years, and also in the shape of the remains of old Maori ovens. There are probably not more than a dozen full-blooded Maoris living in the bay at the present time, the chief amongst these- being a. man named King, John P. Rakiraki, and the Potikis. They have a Native reserve, comprising, roughly, about 1000 acres of fine land and additional areas further down the coast. It is doubtful, however, if the land is being utilised to its full capacity, borne efforts have been made to have the titles to these blocks of land individualised, but this is a matter of difficulty. In the Molyneux hay there is a recreation ground at Kororo Creek, the control of which is vested in a local board. It is ideally situated at a bend in the creek at Willsher’s Bay, and is on the site where the earliest settlers in the Clutha d'strict landed. It is the general meeting place for a large number of people on New Year’s Day, when a sports gathering is held. This ground was originally taken up by Mr Willsher, but after his disappearance from the district some men were anxious to buy it for subdivision, but all efforts to trace him at the time were fruitless. One day Sir Thomas Mackenzie happened to meet Mr Clapcott. who had at one time been tutor to Mr Willsher. In the course of conversation Mr Clapcott mentioned that lie had discovered that he was trustee for Mr Willsher, and had the deeds of Ins property. Sir Thomas persuaded Mr Clapcott to sell the land to him ir order that it might be preserved as a reserve for all time for the people, as it was a great gathering place ou New Year’s Day for residents from as far as 80 miles around. Sir Thomas Mackenzie afterwards secured the beautiful forest surrounding the other land from the Maoris, and in company with the late Mr William Hay and others set about raising funds by means of lectures, etc., to improve the property. The result of their efforts was that the property was greatly improved, ami was permanently set aside as a recreation ground. The first wheat produced in the Clutha district was grown on a small piece of land on the banks of the Kororo Creek. As far as can he ascertained this was about the year 1849. Amongst" the wrecks at Port. Molyneux was that, of the Endeavour. which was jost on January 17, 1857. The Ada was wrecked on January 11, 1861, while attempting to cross the bar. Another wreck was that of the Lady of the Lake. While on a voyage from Dunedin she overran the port as a result of a fog, and got on the rocks. The passengers and crew got in a boat, ami made for Gatlins Bay. " The boat was found on the shore next morning. This wreck occurred

about 1876. The Taiaroa also came to grief in the vicinity of the port. Gold-winning operations were carried on at Port Molyneux for a while, but though a good deal of the precious metal was secured the works did not last long. In Mr Wilson’s “Reminiscences'” it is recorded that in July, 1864, some 17 miners were engaged in washing the black sand which had accumulated on the beach. Some of them were supposed to make about 15s per day, while others secured from an ounce to an ounce and a-half per week. A party of miners went prospecting in the hope that a ledo of this sand might be found in the neighbourhood, hut the expedition was not. successful. It was afterwards found that the auriferous sand had been brought down by the river and left on the beach by the tide.