SOME EARLY WANAKA AND HAWEA HISTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 53

SOME EARLY WANAKA AND HAWEA HISTORY.

By,-RICHAKD NOBMAN

I read Mr Geo. M. Hassing's recont contributions, and it seems an opportune time to. write a few more. In the early days I was often enough on the Hawea Flat and at Jones's homestead to know that there was no farm there till Mr James Johnstone started the farm that is now Mr Arthur Drake's. Therefore I was quite certain that my old friend, the late Mr Thos. Anderson, did not put in 30 acres of potatoes. On sending to Mr Hassing about it, he explained to mo that Mr Anderson planted the sheepyards adjoining Jones's homestead with potatoes, and the result wae 15icwt, which ho bought as stated. Previously I was talking over these „ matters with Mr J. B. Ewing, one of the Wanaka pioneers, and this is tho conclusion we arrived at, and tKen Mr Hassing's letter reached me confirming this. The late Mr Anderson was a very persevering man, and he deserved ali .the worldly advantage he obtained. It should be stated that, after being in possession of the Luggate Flourmill for a few years, he was able to master all the intricacies of the trade, and run the mill and chess the stones entirely on his own, which was -a big undertaking for a man past middle age. "Then, when the mill was converted into rollers, he still ran it, and was able to educate his eldest son Robert into 'a first-class miller, able to take a similar 1 place in a big mill in Timaru. When a boy I spent a few weeks' enjoyable holiday at the Hawea Lake Station with Mr W. Shrimpton, and on three different days was at Mr J. D. Ross's sawmill, which was on the opposite side—the west sid> of the lake. This mill was originally . Mr Henry Hill's, and was largely built *by. Mr David Robertson, of Evansdale, in the earliest sixties, and he worked the/mill for Mr Hill some time afterwards. It| speaks volumes for the courage and energy of the Briton when this mill was erected away out in the back country immediately after it was settled. Doubtless tho machinery came from Wellington per the ship Snaresbrook (Captain Mundle), which traded regularly to Oamaru at that time. Then it would be carted via Lindis by the bullock drays, and a boat would require to be built at Hawea to boat it up the lake to the mill-site. Pit-sawing would ■ -be necessary at first to provide all the s timber for the sawmill, water-wheel, huts, etc. I understand that at this early time the timber wae rafted down the lake; but in Ross's time the schooner Hunter transported it. This was run by Mr Jas. Johnstone" and his brother _ Hugh. Soon after starting, while unloading at the foot of the lake, a log slipped and fell on Mr Jas. Johnstone's leg, breaking it below the knee. Mr Ross wae present helping, a frequent occurrence, as it was generally understood lie had an interest in the schooner, which would-constitute him a partner. He *" was a farseeing man, and knew the value of a schooner on the lake, and there is the possibility that he contributed the timber for the boat. It would be interesting to ascertain how the sufferer wae taken to the Clyde Hospital, 55 miles away, _ for 'treatment, as there were few vehicles at that early time, and it would be necessary to, go eight miles to Wanaka for the nearest horse and dray, and the dray boated across the Clutha River, the wheels first and then the body, and the horse swum over behind the boat. However, Johnstone made a fine recovery, and came back during my visit.- " These early-time reminiscences are always regarded as very interesting. Look at the two big libraries- there are in Dunedin containing books relating to the early history of New Zealand! Unfortunately, the goldfields newspapers when they started never made any effort to record early history. The first six years' issue of the Dunstan Times were lost when the office was burnt down, which was a loss, as they contained detailed accounts of the early Wanaka races. The following incident will give an idea of the trouble taken to verify old records. A year or two back Mr Robert Gilkison, of Dunedin, wrote to Mr James Templeton, of Albert Town, asking if the grave of John Gilbert, who was drowned there in '6l, was in good order, and asking for any details concerning it. Mr Templeton at onco went to Mount Barker to interview Mr Hy. Maidman, an early-timer, and he in turn passed the letter on to Mr G. M. \ Hassing, who sent it o,u to _me at Por|obello. where I was at that time. I called- on Mr Gilkison at his office, and we had a lengthy and interesting interview. He said that in the Carnegie Library, New Zealand history section, there was a small book that could be read through in an hour or two, entitled " The Wakatipuans." This set out that tho. body of John Gilbert was buried on a gravelly spit in tho middle of the Clutha River, opposite the original Wanaka homestead. I said this was ridiculous, as this spit was covered with' water a portioi: of 'the year; and as the river ran like a mill-race on each side of it, and a very narrow strip of still water below it. it would require a very expert boatman to land on it. The real fact was that John Gilbert's body was the first in tho ,Okl Albert Town Cemetery, which contained a number of other graves, the last burial being in 1885. I drew a plan of the cemeterv and the graves from memory for Mr Gilkison, but could not remember if tho body of young M'Lcod was there or not. In the early times he was drowned while bathing at the mouth of 'the Cardrona River, and I could not remember hearing whether the body was lost or recovered; but I would'know when I saw the cemetery, I explained that when I reached Wanaka I intended placing a row of rough quartz stones' round each grave, and a big, smooth, brown or bluish stone at each grave-head with the name, date, etc., chipped on, and then there would be a record for ages, as this cemetery is in a place that would be undisturbed. Then some trees or a live hedge planted round it would pive it a goo,d appearance. This would be somewhat in accordance with Mr Oilkison's suggestion to the Early Settlers' Association in reference to other early-time craves in Otago. Then I went to the Waste Lands Office, and was surprised to find that 'this cemetery is not on any of tho record maps. I called on Mr J. F. Archibald, the chief clerk, to suggest that {in aero should bo set apart to embrace r this cemetery. I said that the cemetery was only about 25 yards square; but an aero if. area would bo best in case I could

not. find the survey pegs to measure from, and in time I would apptv to the hoard accordingly, and Mr Archibald made a very sympathetic reply. In the Hocken Library there is a beautiful large volume costing £7 10s. bound in tmtanned calf. It contains a lithographed

copy of Abel Janson Tasman's log when he discovered New Zealand in the seventeenth century. There is the translation printed in Duch and English. The log was lost sight of till 1830, when'it wae discovered in Batavia, and tho Dutch Government printed this volume in memory of the event. The librarian (Mies Howes) is an enthusiast, and will bo pleased to receive early-history papers, documents, or eaa-ly newspapers. A =