MEMORY OF PIONEERS FITTINGLY HONOURED IN ANNIVERSARY FUNCTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27038, 24 March 1949, Page 8

MEMORY OF PIONEERS FITTINGLY HONOURED IN ANNIVERSARY FUNCTIONS

Seven pioneers, who were born in Otago or arrived in the province before 1868, were honoured by the fervid singing of “For They are Jolly Good Fellows ” at the Otago Early Settlers’ Association’s anniversary celebrations in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. In spite of the cold conditions, there was an attendance of about 1600, the president of the association, Mr W. R. Brugh, being in the chair.

The Town Hall had been decorated for the occasion with greenery, flowers and streamers, and it presented a gay appearance when the function, which will be continued to-day, was opened. The principal speaker was the Ven. L. G. Whitehead, Archdeacon of Dunedin, who gave some entertaining glimpses of life many years ago in a Canterbury settlement. After the singing of “ O God of Bethel,” which had been sung by the pioneers on leaving Scotland, 101 years ago, a Scripture reading was given by the Rev. W. Allen Stevely, who also offered the prayer. Selections were given by the St. Kilda Band under the conductorship of Mr K. G. Smith, and songs were sung by Miss Audrey Douglas and Mr Clifford Clark. There will be other functions this afternoon, and at night the annual dance will be held. Year of Progress The chairman said that after the glamour and excitement of the centenary it would have been in the fitness of things if the succeeding year had been quiet, but this was not so. The year had been a successful one, and though they had not reached the point “ where our funds make us entirely self-supporting, our claims are recognised and we hope that gifts and legacies will enable us to reach the desired end." . . Mr Brugh said that the one surviving early settler on the association s committee was Mr F. W. Knight, while the oldest surviving settler was Mrs Margaret Morton, of Mosgiel, who had arrived in 1853. He congratulated the secretary, Miss M. Pryde, on the honour recently bestowed on hei by the King.

« We are the pioneers of the new century as our fathers were of the old,” Mr Brugh said in conclusion. “Let us remember our great and glorious past, but let us feel and know that the early pioneers would be the WMJ us on to emulate their courage, their bravery and the religious fervour to face the world and its problems of to-day." Archdeacon Whitehead explained fViuf father had been one of tne pioneer settlers of Canterbury, having arrived at Lyttelton by the ship British Crown in 1863. He nad walked over the hills into Christchurch, but did not stay there long,, as he socm to settle in Kaiapoi which « a rival to Christchurch. One .of .the most striking things about Kaiapoi m those days was the church, with its pretty stained glass window, which was reputed to have cost £IOO. There were many inconveniences and few amenities measured, by to-days standards, but domestic aids were not difficult to obtain at 2s 6d a day. The speaker said that one of the personalities he remembered best in Kaiapoi from his boyhood days was Mrs Jemima Warren, who, when the dean heard that she had been born in 1811, “ thought she must have come out of the ark.” One of her claims to fame was that she had assisted in the making of Queen Victoria’s wedding dress, having been employed by a Parisian dressmaker. The dean said he did not think many people would want to go back to conditions as they were in the pioneer days, but, in spite of the fact that if a child received 3d on a Saturday night to buy chocolates and jubes, he thought he had received a gift from heaven,” he thought that the children were very happy then. He went on to deplore the emphasis that so many people put on mere size. He could well recollect that when he read that New York had become a bigger city than London he thought that the British Empire was “ tottering to its fall.” He deprecated the desire on the part of some people to make Dunedin a city with a population larger than those of the other cities. He thought it would be better, instead of having a bigger Dunedin, to build another city, say at Balclutha. adding that “ there would probably be no water problem there.” There was nothing to be ashamed at because Dunedin was not as big as some other cities. “Don’t let people make it any bigger,” he said. There was room for some improvement, but he certainly thought it was quite big enough and that they should now have a system of “applications for admission.” “ Dunedin Day ” The Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron, explained that in three months’ time he would be attending a similar function in Edinburgh. He had arranged a “ Dunedin Day ” during his stay there, and by this means he hoped to get in touch with the relatives and friends of many Dunedin people in Edinburgh. Sir Donald said he welcomed the formation in Dunedin of the Old People’s Welfare Council, with Dr Harold Palmer, of the Dunedin Hospital, as president. The council had already been investigating various problems affecting old people, such as housing.