OLD IDENTITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20964, 1 March 1930, Page 8

OLD IDENTITIES.

CLUTHA-BRUCE REUNION

ANNUAL PICNIC AT BALGLUTHA,

The Cliitha-Bruce Old Identities’ Association held its annual picnic at Balclutha yesterday in beautiful weather. A very enjoyable afternoon was spent renewing old friendships and discussing the doings of the early days of the province. There was a large attendance. The major part of the afternoon was spent listening to the various speakers, after which the old identities and their friends and relatives were entertained at afternoon tea by the committee of the society. The president of the Clutha-Bfuce Old Identities’ Association (Mr Simon Wright) extended a very hearty welcome to all those who had gathered for the function. He was pleased that there was such a large attendance, and expressed a wish that an enjoyable afternoon would be spent. Mr Wright read apologies for absence from the following:—Sir James Allen, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle), the Minister of Railways (Mr W. B. Taverner), and Mr F. Waite, M.P. The next speaker, the Mayor of Balclutha (Mr S. V. White), said that Otago owed a great deal to its pioneers, and they had passed on their good qualities to their children, who must see that the fair name of Otago was never degraded. The president of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association (Mr W, Knight) paid a high tribute to pioneers of Otago. He spoke of the early days, when life was a struggle, and the path of the settler was strewn with difficulties. He drew a comparison between the methods of transport in the sixties and the very efficient system enjoyed to-day, Mr Knight went on to refer to the prosperity of the Balclutha district, and mentioned, in particular, the Benhar pottery, which he had visited. The speaker stated that he had always found the public willing to contribute to the funds of the Otago Society, and he was very pleased to note that its membership was increasing. This indicated a healthy interest among those who were descendants of the pioneers. Mr Knight ventured the opinion that the discovery of gold was largely responsible for the successful colonisation of Otago, and stated, as proof of this, that in one day over 2000 pople had landed in Dunedin bound for the goldfields. Mr W. Nicolson, a past president of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association, said that in their pleasure at meeting so many old friends they must' not forget those of the pioneers who had passed away. The speaker referred to the excellent museum maintained by the Otago Early Settlers’ Association. Its value could be appreciated not only by those for whom it had associations, but by those who realised the wonderful work done by the early settlors. Mr Nicolson stated that whenever the late GovernorGeneral (Sir Charles Fcrgusson) had visited Dunedin he had always arranged his itinerary so that he could spend some time in the Early Settlers’ Museum. A, S. Malcolm, M.L.C., was the next speaker. He said he was proud to have been- invited to be present, and expressed a hope that that opportunity of meeting old friends would be fully enjoyed. The pioneers of Otago, said the speaker, had largely been men of great business capacity, but he had metone who was not so foresighted as his fellows. He had traded the site of the Bank of New Zealand in Balclutha for two sections at Port Molyneux. Mr Malcolm said that the man had offered him the sections free of charge, as it was necessary to pay rates on them (Laughter.) It was stated that Canterbury bad gone much further ahead than Otago, but that .had been because the Otago people had taken up residence in the northern province.—(Laughter.) Mr R. Scott, M.L.C., said he would like to congratulate the committee of the society on the very representative gathering which was present at the reunion. His memory was called back to* his boyhood days, when conditions of life were yery different from those prevailing nowadays. He questioned, however, whether the young people of to-day, with all their advantages, enjoyed life as much as the youth of 60 or 70 years ago. The temperament of the people had changed, said Mr Scott; they were not so independent as they had been, and it was to bo deplored that such should be the case. He hoped, however, that the youth of the country would do all in its power to preserve the traditions so nobly established by the early settlers. — (Applause.) Mr D. T. Fleming. M.L.C., stated that it was to be regrettted that all the pioneers could not be with them, as was the case when the society was formed 30 years ago. The people living in Otago to-day had reaped the benefits of their predecessors' efforts and sacrifices, and the onus was on them to preserve all possible records of the early days. The coming of the railway, said the speaker, had thrown the existing methods of transport aside, and he would not bo surprised if something of the same nature came to pass in the near future as the result of the introduction of air transport. Mr W. Paterson, secretary of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association, said that he had spent many of the best years of his life in the Clutha district. He was a great believer in reunions of the old people. They did much to keep alive the spirit of comradeship, and were valuable if for no other reason than that. Many of the old faces were gone, and it was due to those who were left to preserve their memory. All who had been associated with the pioneers of Otago should feel honoured, and they could show their appreciation by joining early settlers’ associations, and assisting in this way to keep clear the memory of their predecessors. Mr Jasper Clark, on behalf of the old

identifies of Milton, congratulated the committee of the society on its fine gathering, and expressed a wish that there ■-would be many more to follow, Mr John Christie (Warepa) stated that he was not a pioneer, but was a colonial and wa s proud of the fact. In opposition to former speakers, he would venture to say a word for the rising generation, and would congratulate it upon the province in which it had the privilege to live. The speaker concluded by calling for three cheers for the early settlers, which were heartily given. THE PIONEERS. The following is a list of those present at the picnic who may bo called the pioneers of the province, with the names of the ships by which they arrived, the years in which they landed in Otago appearing in parentheses:— Alex Barry, Strathfieldsaye (1848); George Gorman, Robert Henderson (1861) ; Robert McLeod, Tweed (1874,) • James Wilkie, Tweed (1874); Mrs Wilkie' Tnnaru (1880); Mrs John Sinclair, Chili (1862) Mrs J. Dimmick, City of Hobart (1862); George Barker, Chili (1862); Mrs E. Spence, Gala (1860); John M'Adie (1862); D. Haggart, Robert Henderson '1.1858); Miss Charlotte Cockerill, Charlotte Gladstone; J. Cockerill, William Myles (1859); William Nicolson, Lady Emma (1863); Robert Ayson, Royal Albert (1853); W. Nelson, Hammilia Mitchell (1864); W. Paterson, Jura (1858); Mrs J, Low, Royal Albert (1853); F, W. Knight, Aldinga (1862); Thomas Wilson, Arima (1862); Robert Wilson, Oamaru (1877); J. Lindsay, Gala (I 860); Miss M. A. Paterson, Jura (1858); Mrs E. Cunningham, Auckland (.1876); D. Clark, Jura (1858); John Anderson, Nelson (1878); Hugh MTieclinie, Maori (1852); James M'Kechnie, Maori (1852); Charles Dabinett, Isabella Hercus (1856); Peter Nelson, Eamillia Mitchell (1863); John Maxwell, Jura (1858); H. Haggart, Robert Henderson (1858) ; Mrs H. Haggart, Robert Henderson (1858); Mrs B. Atkinson, Sarah M. (1862); Mrs C. Dallas, jura, (1858); D. Munro, Palmyra (1858); Miss M. T. Wylie, Pirate (1859); Mrs J. Smith, Carnatic (1874); David Bryce, Alpine (1859) Robert Jones, Christian M'Aslin (1873) Mrs P. Mason, Jessie Redman (1874) Mrs Henderson. Jessie Redman (1874); H. B. Flett, Ceylon (1863); Thomas Johnson, Belleviskie (1864); Robert Moffat (1861); Mrs Smith, Seaman’s Bride (1864); Mrs J. T. Dallas, Seaman’s Bride (1864); Mrs H. M'Kechnie, Ariel (1859); Mrs Griffeth, John Wycliffe (1848); D. T. Fleming, M.L.C., Lady Milton (1863); R. Scott, M.L.C., Black Swan (1862); Mrs King, Blue Jacket (1866); Mrs S. Hornby (Carterten), Mntaura.