The Conquerors

Southland Times, Issue 21986, 8 April 1933, Page 11

The Conquerors

1 . B a a | I j Saga of the Stations I g t I |

I (By

the Wanderer.)

AVONDALE. THE ROWLEY FAMILY. (1880—1902). All the pulses of the world, Falling in they beat for us, with the western movement beat, Holding single or together, steady moving to the front. Oh to die advancing on! Are there some of us to drop and die? Has the hour come? Then upon the march we fittest die, soon and sure the gap is filled, .• Pioneers! Oh pioneers. —From Walt Whitman. John Cotton Rowley was born in 1842 in Bridgenorth, Shropshire, and was the son of Doctor Thomas Rowley —Doctor of Divinity, and Rector of Bridgnorth Grammar School. Thomas, the eldest son, being a lad with a great love of adventure, determined to see life, and with that aim in view sailed for Canterbury, New Zealand, where he acquired land in the north of Canterbury, which he called Middleton after their own home in Shropshire. He wrote home to Bridgenorth Rectory such great accounts of the wonderful chances of young men in a new land, that he fired the imagination of young John who determined to come to New Zealand as soon as his education was over.

At the age of seventeen our young pioneer applied to the authorities of the Church of England scheme for settling young men in the colonies, and he sailed from Liverpool in a small ship in 1859. Four months later, he landed in the Port of Lyttelton. His brother Tom met him with horses, and the brothers, riding and leading packanimals, journeyed over the Lyttelton hills and on to Middleton. Young John adapted himself very quickly to the conditions of the new land, so that in a few years he was looking for a place of his own. Hearing from southern delegates about new land being surveyed and offered for sale in Otago and Southland, John Rowley joined his friend Captain Hamilton in a riding tour, southward bound. They rode through the bleak plains of Canterbury and forded deep rivers, and at length came down to the Waitaki, which they seem to have had some trouble in crossing; but after they had crossed this wide stream they were filled with admiration at the good pasture and fresh greenness of the numerous native grasses and herbs which flourished before the tragic advent of the rabbits. As Mr Menzies, another Canterbury man who with a friend rode from Canterbury to Southland, says: “What with all the imported pests and weeds imported from all over the world, it is only the first pioneers who ever beheld Otago and Southland in their original primitive beauty and saw the luxuriant and fertile native grasses. At last they reached Manitoto, about eighteen miles from where Naseby now stands, which was taken up under the title of Rowley and Hamilton. After surveying their new run, they settled with the Land Office in Dunedin and John Rowley and Captain Hamilton returned to Christchurch where John Rowley married Mrs Tom Rowley’s sister—Mary Rose, daughter of Archdeacon Mathias, of Christchurch—and he and his young bride of eighteen coached down to their new home which

they called “Hamilton’s.” It was only a small house of sundried bricks built by local labour, but Mr and Mrs John Rowley were quite satisfied. They were far away from neighbours, but the young couple centred their interest on their new home, putting in belts of trees which still stand as a landmark of their tenure in that district. They planted a flower garden in the front and an orchard at the back of their primitive cottage, and thus transformed the sod-house amidst the tussocks into a charming and picturesque home. There they spent many happy days, and their three eldest children were bom at Hamilton’s.

Mr Rowley later bought another run near Palmerston South, which he called Maryland, after Mrs Rowley. This block of land is known at the present day by the name of Heathfield. Mrs Rowley and her young family came down to Maryland, and there two more of her children were born. Like the rest of the early pioneers, Mr and Mrs Rowley were most devout church people, they both came from generations z of Anglican clergymen and were true to the Faith. Every Sunday, wet or fine, Mr and Mrs Rowley, accompanied by the elder children of their young family, could be seen driving in their buggy to the small Anglican Church in Palmerston South. Mr Rowley was a man of boundless energy and not finding enough to do at Marylands, he opened up a coalmine at Shag Point and had three or four vessels loading coal at Dunedin. Hearing about the very cheap land on easy terms opened up in Southland, Mr Rowley determined to take a trip down in the newlyopened railway in the beginning of 1880 or the end of the year 1879 and seems to have had a tour round, and to have been very favourably impressed with Southland and the land prospects. He met the jovial Captain Raymond and after looking over Avondale decided to purchase this property. Mr Rowley returned to tell Mrs Rowley about his new run, to settle his affairs in Otago, and to arrange to bring his wife and family south, but meanwhile the Avondale house which was built like a ship, was burned to the ground—the Raymond family just getting out in time. Mr Rowley, however, came south and started to build a new house, and this residence still stands as the homestead of Avondale. With timber transport delayed and difficult in those days, it was well into one of Southland’s coldest winters before Mr Rowley could place his family into their new home. They came as far as Winton in the train, and drove across from there to Avondale—-the Nightcaps line was only just opened up for traffic.

Mr Rowley seems to have been a great sheep man and he imported Shropshire sheep and placed them on Avondale. Long before he had gone in l for heavier and hardier sheep than j Merinos and Lincoln Crossbreds, for i when farming with his brother Tom at Middleton, Canterbury, the Rowley brothers imported a Merino flock from Australia, and they happened to arrive in Lyttelton when snow was on the ground and Canterbury was suffering from one of her very coldest and roughest spells of weather, and, though Tom and John Rowley took the greatest care and trouble, they were unfortunate and lost a great many of these valuable sheep before they reached Middleton. The Shropshire sheep seem to have suited Southland and with Hereford cattle to eat down the roughage, Mr Rowley seems to have kept many sheep. However, the lean years were coming and • many swaggers, sundowners and unemployed roamed the land in search of work and food. This unemployment evil did not then loom as a national question, but nevertheless the squatters seem to i have done all they could to relieve the | poverty and distress around them. Mr Rowley determined to do all he could,

and planned to make a large water race to bring water up to the woolshed. It was in August of the year 1886 and while Mr Rowley was directing operations a rolling boulder of stone seems to have. rushed clear out of its course, and struck Mr Rowley, who was standing under a bank,- on the head. He was taken into the house, and away they rode and telegraphed for a doctor, and all that medical skill and care could do was done, but all to no avail and Mr- Rowley passed away while still a comparatively young man, leaving a young wife and a large family of seven daughters and four sons. Their nearest neighbours and greatest friends, the Montgomery Spencers, gave unsparing help and devotion in this sad crisis, and when, a few months later, another son was born to the sad young widow, he was called Spencer Rowley. Mr Rowley’s nephew, Mr Seddon, who had been with the family for a while stepped into the breach and took charge, and Murray Roberts took over the station and put in as managers Mr Seddon, then Arthur Rowley, who came down from Lincoln College, Canterbury; then Mr Herdmann, who was afterwards a prominent man as manager of Dalgetys in Christchurch and Canterbury, followed by Mr Austin and then Mr Alek McKinnon, whostayed till Avondale was all cut up for closer settlement. Many of the holdings were sold but it was a speculative period when buyers bought to sell once more. A Mr Colquon bought the homestead block and they only stayed there two or three years when they sold out to Mr R. H. Bissett,' who was then at Dunrobin. He sold Dunrobin to Mr Andrew Christie of Glencaim, and Mr Bissett and' his family came over to Avondale where they still remain. Mr Bissett is too well known in the district to need mention. He used to follow the hounds and entertain the hunting people. He has gained prizes for his horses and stock at the A. and P. Shows at Invercargill and also patronized the smaller shows. The house built by the late Mr Rowley still stands surrounded by the garden, orchard and plantations which make a lovely frame for the old home so full of memories of children who are now mothers and grandmothers. The Bissett family, like the rest of the country folk, still carry on the tradition of the pioneers and give hospitality without grudging. The Rowley family came into Invercargill and Mrs Rowley was very well-known as a helper and promoter in all good works. She always remained what she was—a daughter of many generations of clergymen, and as a matter of course took her share _and part in every uplifting and charitable cause. She was always a devout member and a live wire in the Anglican Church of Invercargill—and took a great interest in the different Guilds, in the Sixpenny Clothing Club, the Plunket Society and when the war was on worked hard for the Red Cross. She passed on about five years ago, and a large circle of relations and friends mourned their loss, for she was a most devoted mother and grandmother, and a loyal and kindly friend and a gracious gentlewoman of the days that have gone. The stories of the old times will always leave a trace Upon the map of memory and marching on apace When evening shades the mountain tops, and twilight shadows swell Old memories! ye are wizards then, that weave a dreamy spell. —Adapted from Thomas Bracken.