GOLDEN WEDDING

Southland Times, Issue 17913, 19 April 1917, Page 5

GOLDEN WEDDING

Last Monday a pleasant gathering took place at “Newfield Farm,” Mokotua, to celebrate the golden wedding of Mr and Mrs James Munro. The day being fine enabled Mr and Mrs Munro’s sons and daughters, with their families from a distance, to be present. Altogether 13 sons and daughters, their children, and a few close friends, were present numbering just 60 persons. The aged couple have five sons and five daughters married, and are honoured with 34 grand children. Two of their grand-sons are dead, one of whom was killed by accident, tile other fell at the front in defence of our Empire. Two others (indeed the only grand-sons of military age) are on active service, so that the actual number of grand-children present was thirty. Toasts were proposed and drunk in honour of the King, the Bride and bridegroom, and the boys at the front. A golden wedding at any time is an honoured occasion, but in the present case special interest is created from the fact that the bride, Mrs Jas. Munro, claims to be about the third white child born in Dunedin. Mrs Munro was the daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Alexander Leith, who came out from Scotland in the barque “Mary,” in 1849, after a long passage of six months. A few weeks after her parents landed, Mrs Munro was born in the Dunedin barracks. About a year later Mr and Mrs Leith, with their children, settled on the Taieri. To show some of the hardships these pioneers endured, it might be mentioned that for three years Mrs Leith did not see another white woman. They grubbed the land with an adze (instead of a plough) and sowed the first wheat ever sown on the Taieri, with their own hands. In 1861 the family ;came to “Rose Hall.” Mokotua (now owned by Mr A. L. Munro), where Mrs Munro resided until the year 1867, when she was taken as a bride to her present home, in which she has lived ever since years. The bridegroom, Mr Jas. Munro, was born in Scotland, near Paisley, and came to New Zealand in the ship “Lady Egidia,” in 1862. After working on the Taieri for a few months, along with one of his shipmates (the late William Stirling), Mr Munro made for the Otago gold diggings, but after a few months hard tramping returned to the Taieri with another shipmate (the late John Birss). Eventually these early pioneers walked over a rough track to Oteramika. In those days most of the streams were unprovided with bridges. The large rivers were crossed by means of a wire rope and punt. This was about the year 1863, and nearly all the land from Invercargill to Edendale was in its native state, without roads or fences. Mr Munro took up his present farm “Newfield," almost at once, four years later( as we have already stated) joining himself to the. one who has proved herself a true helpmate in life. In those days butter was 3/6 per lb., boiling meat 1/- per lb, and all other necessities in proportion. We feel sure all will agree that such pioneers are worthy of a place of honour in our present prosperity.