STEWART ISLAND NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 21895, 22 December 1932, Page 14

STEWART ISLAND NOTES

YACHT CLUB. (From Our Correspondent.) A meeting of the Stewart Island Yacht Club was held during the week and was presided over by the Commodore, Mr T. Bragg. . The meeting was for the purpose of considering the holding of the annual regatta. It was decided to hold the function on December 26, and an attractive programme was drawn up. It was also decided to give good prizes in the hopes of attracting boats from the mainland to come over and compete. Given a continuation of the present weather the regatta should prove to be the most successful one yet held. Personal. Mr Edgar F. Stead, of Christchurch, and Major R. A. Wilson, of Bulls, were guests at Oban House over the weekend and left for Christchurch on Monday morning. Sister Burnett who has been relieving Sister Casey, District Nurse, for the last two months, returned to the Southland Hospital on Monday. Mrs Burnett, who was a guest at Ferndale House over the week-end has returned to her home in Otautau. Mr F. Traill, of Woodslea House, left on Monday on a short visit to Invercargill. Mr and Mrs George Gregg, of Halfmoon Bay, have left for a fortnight’s holiday in Dunedin. Mr Brown, schoolmaster at Maori Beach, was a passenger by the Tamatea on Monday. It is understood he is spending the school holidays in Canterbury. Mr A. E. Farrant, headmaster of the Oban School, left on Sunday for the mainland. Mr and Mrs Naesmith, of Pegasus, have left on a visit to Invercargill. The Misses Wilkie (2), of Dunedin, are spending a holiday on the island and are staying at Ferndale House. Mr A. T. Gill arrived during the week to assist in the Post Office during the holidays. Mr W. Bell and Misses J. and M. Bell, of Woodlands, are visiting the island and are staying at Ferndale House. Mr Robb, of the Public Works Department, Invercargill, arrived on Saturday on a short business visit, and left again on Monday morning. Mr Wainwright, of Invercargill, is spending a holiday on the Island. He is a guest at Ferndale House. The Misses McKellar (2), have arrived to spend their holidays with their parents on the island. A troup of 15 Girl Guides arrived during the week and are in camp on the recreation reserve. Mr T. Cushen, of the Invercargill Technical School, arrived on Saturday for an extended holiday. At the prize giving ceremony of St Hilda’s Collegiate School, held in the concert chamber of the Town Hall, Dunedin, last week, Miss Neta Bragg was the recipient of the following:— Sixth Form honour prize, senior music prize, the Dunedin Athenaeum Prize for English and History, the second prize in the Dunedin French Club’s oral competition, a leaving prefect’s badge, the house honour medal, the school honour star, and the Dux of the school medal. Children’s Party. The Dental Clinic Committee gave a children’s party in the hall on Saturday evening, December 17. The Hall was packed, practically every child within walking distance being present, with their relations and friends. The secretary of the Dental Clinic Committee, Mr P. Moore-Carter, announced that" they had received word from Santa Claus that he had left by aeroplane for Stewart Island, and that they were expecting him any minute now. Then the sound of a plane was heard, and immediately afterwards he entered, drawing his Christmas tree after him on a sledge. There was tremendous excitement among the children. He paraded round the hall, giving every child a present, and receiving from the awe-stricken younger children many instructions as to what they wanted at Christmas. The tiny tots were then allowed to choose what they wanted off the Christmas tree, and races and competitions were arranged for the older ones in which all received a prize, choosing according to the order in which they came. Mrs Heaton, president of the Clinic Committee, drew attention to the necessity of providing furniture for the Dental room, and appealed to everyone for help in this work. After supper the children’s part in the proceedings was over and then a dance was held for the parents and friends. The Dental Clinic Committee are very grateful to the following firms for donating toys and gifts for the function:— Edmonds, Ltd., Christchurch; Arthur Barnet, Ltd., Dunedin; Hyndman, Ltd., Invercargill; H. & J. Smith, Ltd., Invercargill; Noble’s Ltd., Invercargill D. W. McKay and Co., Invercargill; Para Rubber Co., Invercargill, Mrs Marshall, Halfmoon Bay; Mr T. Bragg, Halfmoon Bay; Mr T. E. Jensen, Halfmoon Bay. A further competition which had been held previously, was an essay on teeth, open to Standards 5 and 6., To ensure fairness in judging each child wrote under a pen-name. The following were the winners:—Girls—Roma Smith, Ringa-Kinga; boys—Cyril Hicks, Ferndale House. General.

Messrs Stead and Wilson who have spent the last 10 days on the muttonbird islands off Halfmoon Bay, studying the bird life, returned to the township on Sunday. They had a most enjoyable time, and visited Jacky Lee, Temarama and Bunkers Islands. Profuse bird life exists on Jacky Lee and Bunkers, but Temarama was somewhat disappointing, owing to the presence of cats, which were liberated by the mut-ton-birders. Messrs Stead and Wilson are at a loss to understand why the cats were taken there, as they are positive that no rats have yet reached the island. They stressed the necessity for the residents of the island to see that cats are not liberated on any more of these islands, as the wonderful bird life on them, is a heritage, which should be protected at all costs. The weather has been very fine lately, though fairly windy at times, and there have been several extremely , hot days. The spring and summer have been the finest we have had for years, and present indications are that they will continue.