PORT CHALMERS OLD IDENTITIES’ ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19203, 20 June 1924, Page 6

PORT CHALMERS OLD IDENTITIES’ ASSOCIATION.

Tho quarterly mooting of the Port Chalmers Old Identities’ Association was held in the Town Hull last night. , Mr W. Jones (vice-president) was in tho chair, and ho extended a hearty welcome to visitors. Mr J. M'Lachlan, the secretary of tho association, was the principal speaker for the evening, it being his turn to provide reminiscences of pioneer days. Mr M‘Lachlau said he was born in Ballachulish, (Loch Leven, in 1859, and came out to Port Chalmers with liis mother, father, and sister in 1864. The passage was made in tho clipper ship Edwa.rd P. Bonvorie, in charge cf Captain Brown. T here were 120 passengers. and the passage was done in 120 days. On arrival at Port Chalmers tho speaker was met by his grandfather and the late Mr John pletcher and his four sons, who had arrived at Port Chalmers three years previously in the ship Lady Kg idea. They went from Port Chalmers to Dunedin in the Golden Age. Cows were grazing between Poliehel Bay and St. Andrew' street. The speaker’s lather did not find the paradise he expected in fact, work was difhcult to obtain. Aftr walking round for 1?. weeks ho obtained employment at 5s per day, and those wages were hard to earn. Later, work at 8s per day was obtained in removing Bell Hill to reclaim the foreshore. Lower High street and the Early Settlers’ Hall occupy portion of that reclamation. Living was costly in those days. The rent for a small three-roomed cottage was 10s a week, bread Is a loaf, tea 3s 6d a lb, sugar 6d a lb, and butter 3s per lb. Alter a stay of three or four years in Dunedin the family went down to Port Chalmers and leased (lie site of the quarry on tho Town Isolt, i\lr a\l Jja.ohla.ll, sen., tiring tho first blast there. By contract, stone was supplied for the reservoir at the north end of Dunedin. The stone was also used for other purposes, including the construction of (he lighthouse on Dog Island. Afterwards Mr M‘Lachlan was induced to take the quarry hold by M'Kenzie and Harrison (lightermen) at Taylor’s Point. From this quarry ballast was supplied to ships, as there was no outward cargo offering in those days. The speaker recalled the family “ftit’’ from Dunedin in the lighter Monitor to Dowling Bay, where, they were fortunate Jjj procuring a two-roomod wattle-thatched-rnof cottage, which was built by the late Thomas Knowstubb. Tn those days there were little villages in all the bays. Dowling Bay was the busiest, because lighters loaded ballast there. Port Chalmers was also a busy place at that time, us everything was lightered to Dunedin. One could recall tho names of well-known lightermen, such as Captain Goldie, Charles Jacobson, William Stevens, Dick James, Captain Julior, Henry Slone, Alex. M'Kcnzie, Donimic Harris, Samuel Carey, George Mason, W. Shadfortb. and others. The speaker also referred to settlers on the Lower Harbour and to people he got to know at Murdering Beach, during his' stay of five or six vears on the. Lower Harbour. He also related incidents which showed there were compensating factors amongst tho experiencing of pioneer conditions. The speaker was accorded n hearty vote of thanks for his interesting narrative of carlv-dav experiences. The musical programme for the evening was greatly appreciated. The singers were Miss B. Jackson, Miss D. Campbell, Miss A. Wakinshaw. Mr and Mrs Howden, Mr A. Johnson, Mr A. Marshall, and Mr D. Craigie. Mr and Misses Hardy’s orchestral selections were a feature of the programme.