SHIP AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22713, 28 October 1935, Page 5

SHIP AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS ORIGINAL PASSENGERS REUNITE The shipboard associations formed over half a century ago during the voyages of the ship Auckland to Otago were revived on Saturday, when the Ship Auckland Association celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Auckland’s Arrival at 1 ort Chalmers on October 22, 1870. 1 he first function of the celebrations was held in the Pioneers’ Hall in the afternoon, when ■Mr . 11. M'Kinlay presided over a moderately large attendance of members, which included Mesdames.J. Smith, L. A. Campbell, and Poole, and Messrs . M'Kinlay, T. Johnson, and J. Allen, who, ’with the chairman, were members of the 1875 passenger list. The chairman stated that the ship Auckland had made about a dozen trips to Otago, but the only voyages on which she had carried passengers were in 18 1 4, 1875, and 1879, and he considered that it was only right that the passengers should maintain the associations begun on shipboard, Some six years ago the passengers who came out in 1879 celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their arrival in Otago,, and it was discovered that among those present were three members of the 1875 passenger list. It was afterwards decided to combine the 1874 and 18 <o passengers, and subsequently the Ship Auckland Association was formed, the membership last being over 120. Had it not been for the original, action of the 1879 passengers in holding their anniversary celebrations, the association would probably not have been formed. Mr Sl‘Kinlay continued by recalling a number of incidents which occurred during sthe voyage in 1875, and concluded by expressing uie hope that the association would continue to flourish for many j ears to come. . ~ Mr D. J. Calder, president of theJltagp Early Settlers’ Association, said that he esteemed it a privilege to be present at tiie Ship Auckland Association celebiations, and went on to point out the import ant part that was played by the Early Settlers’ Association in preserving friendships made in the early days. He paid a high tribute to the undaunted courage of the orignial pioneers, who had faced innumerable difficulties and hardships to establish homes for themselves and their families in a new country, and said that the present generation had a wonderful heritage to live up to. • Mr G. Hutton, president of the Ship Jura Association, also spoke and said that the formation of the Ship Auckland Association had stimulated the passengers of the Jura into similar action. He extended his association’s felicitations tor a successful: reunion. ' Mrs J, Smith then cut the birthday cake and the remainder of the afternoon was devoted to social chat. EVENING SOCIAL There was another fairly large attendance at- the : social evening held in the Pioneers’ Hall, Mr 11. M’Kinlay again presiding. • , . Mr M’Kinlay paid a glowing tribute to the efforts of the honorary secretary (Mr Thomas Begg), who had so successfully organised the Ship Auckland Association and also-to Mrs T. M. Gillies’s work m promoting the harmonious working of the 1874, 1875 and 1879 passengers on the committee appointed-at the annual meetings'of the association to arrange for each social function. . The Kev. W. Allen Stevely congratu- ] ted the secretary and the committee, who had during another year co-operated to make possible such a pleasant reunion. One of the sweet singers of olden times had said: ./’Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” It was good to meet together and enjoy true comradeship. Those present were shipmates and descendants of shipmates of the vessel Auckland. In fellowship the settlers came to these shores, in comradeship thev pioneered and developed this city and province. One man by himself, even the greatest, could not have achieved it. By’fellowship in service had it been accomplished. That tact had surely'a great message for their day, for had it not the needed: lesson for international life? The nations were not intended to be exclusive and to dwell apart. Just as the stars were hound into magnificent systems in which e’ach star still preserved its own orbit and movement and colour, so by many subtle chords the scattered nations were linked together into harmonious constellations, into one vast and organic brotherhood, each people still retaining the distinctive characteristics so precious to itself and to the race. Geography proclaimed this. The good things of Nature were not all found in any one land. .They were distributed over the planet. Fellowship was intended by the Great Architect of the universe by the very dispositions of soil and climate. They voyaged to China for tea, to New Zealand and Australia for wool, to America for cotton, to Africa for diamonds, and so on. Each land had P-Mue special treasure that it might attract to itself different peoples and secure that national fellowship which was essential to the. fullest and highest civilisation. This was true of the classes within each nation. They should be comrades, and by strengthening one another were they all to be perfected. Mr Stevelv concluded by expressing the hope that, the reunion of the Ship Auckland Association would be a season of happy and inspiring fellowship. :During the evening enjoyable items were provided oy Mrs Morgan. Mrs Tyrrell, Mr A. Walmsley, Mr G. Currie, and Mr : G.’ M'Kinlay, the pianoforte accomlianinients being played by Mr A. Pettitt. SERVICE IN FIRST CHURCH Last evening shipmates and descendants of passengers of the ship Auckland at tOniled divine service at. First Church. Tiie minister, the Rev. W. Allen Stevely, extended a Warm, welcome to all. The title of his address was “Another Conn try.” "These words,” said the preacher. “ were literally true of the settlers who had left the Homeland to establish and develop this part of the British Empire. To another country had they gone,. taking with them the best British traditions and the faith of their fathers. The province of Otago had been laid on the most stable foundation —that of Christian faith and hope. It was the high calling with which we are called to build worthily on this noble foundation. The Ship Auckland Association, in common with other kindred societies, seeks to keen green the memory of the pioneers, and from that memory to gather inspiration for the tasks and problems of to-day. It was the genius of the Bible to sec the universal in the particular, and follow ing its splendid guidance, we find on this occasion thoughts that wander to eternity. We are all shipmates, outward bound. To use Sir J. M. Barrie’s phrase we are all out. “in the awfully big adventure ” of going to “ another country.” We are all on a pilgrim’s progress. We are in this particular country only for a time —some fo t . a shorter time, some for a longer time. Here we have no continuing city. There are two things which are of paramount importance in’the journey to another country,. - One is -the road, and the other is the end to which the road loads. What r.’debt the world owes to its road-makers! Without them the world would still he a trackless jungle; When a road is good, we may seldom pause to think who made it and how much it cost. How much wc owe to those who made and improved the roads of life—social, commercial and rational Our modern privileges—intellectual. social, and religious—we owe to the labours and sacrifices of pioneers in every department of thought and life. Everyone i« debtor to Him Who is the Way. the Truth, and the Life. The question of the right road is prominent to-day. It is when roads are broken and travelling is impeded that we pay hoed to the highways. So is it in life. A careful thinker - has told us that the shells of the Great War broke up more than the roads in Flanders. He states that they broke up the roads of commerce life, and so brought unemployment; they broke up the highways of international goodwill, and so brought fear and enmity. The question of the road has received terrible emphasis —the road to prosperity, the load to world peace. God grant His blessing on the road-menders—the League of Nations—who are seeking to make a better road for humanity to travel on. “The end to which the road leads is also of vital impoitance,” said Mr Stevely. "The road we travel i« determined by

the end we envisage. A great thinker has said that people err for lack of a right aim. There must he a nobler end and purpose in the conduct of international affairs: without that the nations will not emerge from the general distress. The highest end for nations and individuals is ‘seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.’ It presents this challenge —‘ Where is the road we are now travelling likely to end? ’ Moreover, men are shipmates on the journey to another countrv and a better world. In cvcrvthing Christ is the Way for ns. He has given us an example, that we nr’ght follow in his steps. We are not only to make for the better country ourselves: we are to our best to set the feet of others upon the royal road.”