LIFE IN THE CHATHAMS

Southland Times, Issue 21219, 21 October 1930, Page 3

LIFE IN THE CHATHAMS

SOUTHLAND MAN’S IMPRESSIONS.

MANAGER OF DAIRY FACTORY.

The following interesting facts concerning the Chatham Islands were related to our Woodlands correspondent by Mr J. Wyeth, who has been for the last 31 years occupying the position of factory manager in the islands. He is at present spending his first vacation with his parents, Mr and Mrs Joseph Wyeth, of Woodlands. The Chathams to most New Zealanders ere a group of islands somewhere east of New Zealand where that notorious Maori rebel chieftain, Te Kooti, was imprisoned and whence he made his remarkable escape in the Rifleman in 1868. The largest of the islands, which lie over 500 miles east of Lyttelton, is 200,000 acres in extent and has been described by one late Bishop of New Zealand as being "a stretch of water surrounded by a little land,” and no wonder for, besides several lagoons and smaller lakes, there is one large lake which covers an area of 50,000 acres. The population is about 600, of whom one-third are whites. The insular position results in a very moderate climate and eo with a liberal rainfall and warm temperatures it makes an ideal locality for dairying. The islands are of great interest to archaeologists and .antropologists as being the last home of the Moriori. The last survivor, a splendid sample of a fine race, Mr ‘.‘Tommy” Solomon, who it will be remembered journeyed to New Zealand to meet the Duke of York on his recent tour, still lives out there. At various parts of the mgjn island the shifting sand dunes have uncovered relics which give a silent history of the islands showing how in years past the former inhabitants have had to contend with invaders. How the invaders navigated their canoes across the trackless ocean will always be a matter of wonder and of admiration. '

The geographical position of the Chathams is far removed from any steamer route and so unusual is it for a ship other than the mail ship (a steamer of 500 tons) to call that during Mr Wyeth’s, stay only two other ships have called. These were the H.M.S. Diomede and Tutanekai, carrying respectively Earl Jellicoe and Sir Charles Fergusson, on their official visits. It is unnecessary to state that both these visits were red letter days out there. The Diomede, although only a small ship, carried a larger compliment than the number of inhabitants on the island. The visit was just as great for the visitors as for the islanders and the sight of the jolly tars from the warship careering madly along the sandy shores on borrowed horses will long be remembered. The only mishap in connection with Sir Charles’s visit was that a I Very heavy fog settled down the morn- | ing he was to arrive and did not lift till next day, making it necessary for all the camp ovens with the welcome feast to be made up again the next day. Communication with the mainland is maintained with s.s. Tees and her mail contract is eve rythree months, except . during the summer, when more frequent trips are made for stock. Sometimes owing to bad weather her arrival is delayed, but however late it is always an event especially to those who receive the newspapers. They receive a twelve weeks’ supply at once, but this never worries them as by the time they have them all sorted out and read the next, supply arrives. All goods, etc., have to be surfed ashore as there is no wharf yet. Metal is unknown so such things as motor cars, motor bicycles, electric trams, push bikes are undreamt of. As a matter of fact the only time some have heaZ the horn of a car or whistle of an enj/ae has been per medium of the loud speaker. All travel is done on horseback, .and in order to get to one important corner of the main island the large lake has to be crossed by a ford over four miles along. One astounding fact which perhaps might have been mentioned earlier is that 44 known ships have been lost either around the shores or in the immediate_ neighbourhood. Many buildings on the island have been built from “wrecks.” The advent of the radio and the establishing of the station in 1913 remedied this to a great degree. There is the case of one ship which left New Zealand and was never heard of, as, when the relief ship was sent out to the Chathams, she was informed that nothing had been seen of the former ship and till thi4 day her fate has been a mystery. The advent of radio is very much appreciated out there, and most homesteads now have their receiving set. Nowhere else could the recent Rugby Test matches have been followed with so much interest. They are very, keen on Rugby and in fact on every kind of sport. The matches are always very popular and this despite the fact that one team may have to travel 30 miles on horseback. Of course, work is never allowed to interfere with sport. The team, whether it be Rugby or cricket, never travels without most of the'inhabitants of that particular district as supporters and it is not customary to go straight home after a match as usually the visit is prolonged over several days. It is interesting to note here, especially as the Invercargill Football Club has just held its victory celebrations, that an ex-Bluc player, Mr Taylor, is captain.of one of the teams and a leading light in the sporting life of the Chathams. Tennis is also an life of the community in the Chathams. Tennis is also an extremely popular game. It was here that Arthur Barnett, who has just returned north after a holiday at Woodlands, first learnt the rudiments of the game. He has been for the last two years the junior tennis champion of NewZealand and is hailed in the north as a potential champion. His father, the Rev. A. T. Barnett, is the Anglican vicar. It may be interesting to racing men, especially those who knew the late Andre Walker, of Woodlands, to learn that on leaving for the war from which he never returned he sent one of the sons of his well-known stallion Vice-Admiral to the islands to be kept by his brother who works on a station there until his return. This horse, High Admiral, has won the Chatham Island Cup for the last two years at the one and only race meeting held during the year. Such a thing as a totalisator tax is unheard of.

Despite the numerous safe beaches and facilities for bathing swimming is not indulged in to any extent and this is peculiar in a place where everything is surfed in lighters to and from the ship. Politically the islands are part of the Lyttelton electorate. Mr J. McCombs is the sitting member. During the last few years a cottage hospital has been erected and there is a resident doctor. Two nurses, who are both Southland girls, are stationed there. English is the language of the four public schools which are supplied by New Zealand teachers. Southland has connections with the islands through many people. Mr Wild, predecessor of Mr A. Duff as Government agricultural instructor for Southland, visited the islands several times and did much to foster the dairying industry and better farming methods generally. The various consignments of stock-to Addington Always do credit to the fertility and to the healthy environment of the island. , There have been erected two fish freezers and the fishing is becoming an important industry. Mr Wyeth was reticent about the cheese factory which he manages but stated that the output was increasing annually. Il was graded at New Zealand ports and the conditions of testing, etc., were similar to those in any Southland factory. He-had some amusing incidents to tell. He said the suppliers never grumbled at. a test.