The Conquerors

Southland Times, Issue 25313, 17 June 1935, Page 11

The Conquerors

Saga of the Stations

(By the

Wanderer.)

WAIKAIA GOLDFIELDS. (FROM 1857.) SOME WORTHY SETTLERS.' And when In Life’s keen struggle, we shall fight for inside place. [When they crowd us at the comer and we drop from out the race, May we find some true-hearted comrade, when they’ve filled the last clods In. Who will carve these words above us: "That he always rode to win." —From William Ogilvie. The first settlers on Strugglers’ Flat were Messrs Thomas Northcoate, Thomas Taylor, Patrick O’Donnell, Colin and Alexander Robertson, Thomas Heath, Hansen, Robert, Hutton, Michael and George Moffitt, W. Bell, Hurley brothers and A. C. Cameron. Many of the original owners disposed of their holdthe various properties being acquired by the following newcomers— Messrs Alexander Christie and Sons took over the selections of Messrs O’Donnell and Hurley Brothers, part of Robertson’s, and part of Michael Moffitt's selections, while the ThompI son’s retain their original selection on the terrace. Among the township people who were outstanding in the early days were Mr and Mrs Nugent Wood. Mr Wood, as a magistrate and warden of the goldfields was a wellknown figure all over Southland and Otago, and many a mining dispute did he settle in these bygone times. Mrs Nugent Wood was known all over New Zealand as a writer of no mean merit. She was an able and gifted contributor to the old Otago Witness, and one of her hooks called “Waiting for the Mail” is to be found in the present Waikaia Library. Her gifted brother, Mr Henry Lapham, who was the village schoolmaster between 1871 and 1872, used also to fill up his spare time writing short stories for various papers, and he also for a great many years conducted the '“Spare Half-hours” column in the Otago Witness. Mr Joseph G. Brown built the flour mill at Waikaia, and took a keen interest in the Building Society of which he was secretary. Mr Henry Wilson was the first mailman, and used to be considered a very fine walker, John Davis, who died in 1894, was another leading. citizen of Switzers. He was a member of the Waikaia Road Board, and was the first representative for the Waikaia ' Riding of the Southland County Council. Another well-known resident was Mr Alexander Matheson, a’storekeeper, who, in addition to that task, carried the mails for a good many years, the route being over the Blue Mountains to the Beaumont by packhorse. In 1876 he built the Commercial Hotel at Waikaia, and in 1879 he built a store, which was carried on for many years under the title of Matheson and Company. Mr Matheson took a keen interest in the Oddfellows’ Lodge, and was one of the first officers. Unfortunately he died at the early age of forty. Mr Duncan Matheson, a brother of Mr. Alexander Matheson, was also a prominent business man. He carried on a store and hotel on Carney’s Hill for many years, and later bought the Camp Hotel from Mrs Kelly, and subsequently bought the Crown Hotel at Waikaia. Afterwards

he let this hotel. In these old days stores and hotels were often run together as one business, but the Licensing Act made it illegal for a hotel and store to be carried on in the same building. The first hotel was owned by Mr Nathan Jennings at Frenchman’s. He was a bricklayer by trade, and used to do most of the chimney-building at Frenchman’s Hill, and in the district. His pride was in a trowel which he claimed had been used by Tom Sawyers. Whin Switzers began to decline, fie sold out and returned to the Old Country, Frenchman’s Hill it is reported gained its name from a Frenchman, a native of Jersey, called Nicholas Tostives. The late Mr John Utting was one of the early storekeepers and also took up the first coal lease in the district. He was a fine sportsman and a prominent citizen. He frequently used to ride an old cob to Invercargill and back on business. It was a sad day for the district when Mr John Utting was accidentally killed, while out rabbit-shooting. Mr Walter MeIvor bought the coal-lease at the sale after Mr Utting’s death. Piano Flat, so named after a very early settler who lived there—he was supposed to a a most brilliant performer on the piano, but it is not recorded that anyone ever heard him play. When the Albert Lettes returned from Australia they built themselves a home at Piano Flat which lies opposite the Glenaray Station. When they retired a few years ago they sold their house and holding to Mr and Mrs E. J. Hamer; a most picturesque little home in a delightful locality, and surrounded by the bush. The Lettes in their residence, put in a great orchard and flowergarden and leading authorities affirm that apples grown in this locality have a flavour that is out on its own. Piano Flat is just twelve miles from Waikaia and is already quite well-known as an ideal camping place with beautiful untouched bush and scenery and a good climate. It is also a gold prospecting district within cooee of the famous King Solomon Deep Lead. Piano Flat is a State Forest Reserve, and permits to camp in the reserve, and also milk, cream, eggs, fruit and all commodities required by campers can be obtained from Mi- and Mrs E. J. Hamer, Mr Hamer being the Forest Ranger. Motor buses run a daily service from Waikaia to Piano Flat, and deliver rural mail every evening, and as well bread, meat and groceries from the township. Intending campers or hikers can leave by mid-day express from Invercargill and arrive at Piano Flat in the evening, and on their return can leave Piano Flat in the morning and arrive in Invercargill at mid-day. The attractions are many for besides wonderful scenery there is splendid troutfishing, deer-shooting, and many interesting tramps for hikers, including the Blue Lake and the Titian Mountains (4,110 feet high); and to others, to whom the beauty of the bush appeals are walks through the beautiful State Forest, and over the Whitcombe Mountains to Roxburgh This is a good day’s walk, but many of the people who have made the trip rest overnight at the huts situated halfway among the mountains, not because the way is to long, but mainly for the reason that right from Waikaia to Roxburgh the tourist is travelling through the gold-bearing area of the South Island; the precious metal is there all right, and quite often in the history of goldmining amateurs have located gold where experienced diggers have failed. Mrs E. J. Hamer hopes later to develop an up-to-date hiker’s camp, with tents and rustic huts equipped with camp-beds, wherein the hikers can rest. Mrs Hamer is wise in accepting the fact, that though money is scarce, and most wage-earners have had their salaries reduced the holiday spirit is still present, and healthy recreations are needed. Another excursion would be to Garvey’s Mountains, where the highest peak Mt. Cameron reaches to 5,959 feet. These mountains are a treasure trove to botanists and scientific men, who are interested in the natural flora, for there are many varieties of rare native specimens to be found. The Hamers have struck on a most suitable name for their pretty and most picturesque home, for they have called it Te Rapai, meaning in the musical Maori language “sunny comer.” Another great attraction in Piano Flat would no doubt appeal to many young people, and that is the fact that in the heart of the Argyle Mountains is an ideal area for ski-ing in Winter. Further up the Valley of Piano Flat at the very end of the road, stands the comfortable old-fashioned homestead of Birchvale, belonging to the Hutton family, and they also are prepared to do all they can to help the hikers, and motorists by being willing, to provide

milk, butter, cream and eggs and mutton, also fruit and vegetables. The Huttons count among the pioneers of Waikaia for the late Robert Hutton left Dumferline, Glasgow and sailed for New Zealand in 1862, arriving at Port Chalmers. From there he walked overland to Central Otago, where he went in for droving and later for .waggoning to the Diggings with bullocks. Eventually he came oven to Waikaia, where he went in for sawmilling and provided the mines with the timber they required. Afterwards meeting and marrying Miss Lynch, Mr Hutton carved out a home for himself in, the Wilderness. The late Mrs Hutton always considered, herself a New Zealander for she had been bom on the ship coming out from Home, and her people counted among the North Island pioneers who gave their sons in the Maori War. Mr Hutton bought a saw-milling plant out of Waikaia, and also acquired a small farm now occupied by Mr Alexander Christie and Sons. Finding splendid soil further West he sold out his small farm-hold-ing to Mr Alex. Christie and acquired a farm in about 1890, fourteen miles north west of Waikaia, comprising freehold and also leasehold of Crown Lands. Here with his sons he went in for mixed farming—sheep, dairying and cropping, while his older sons re-, tained the saw-mill plant. Like most pioneers Mr and Mrs Hutton started off with very primitive conditions, just a bit and ben at first, where Mrs Hutton baked her own bread and cooked the family meals in a camp-oven. There used to be a flour-mill at Waikaia where farmers would send their home-grown wheat to be gristed. _ Mr Hutton passed on at the age of sixty-two-in 1905, and Mrs Hutton followed him to rest in 1925. They had worked very hard and endured all the many hardships and privations that were the lot of the pioneers. They reared a large family of nine children, four daughters and five sons, but now this family are scattered afar, for the daughters are all married, and three of the sons are in business in Gore. While the two remaining brothers under the style of Hutton Brothers managed the farm. The Huttons have always been sunporters of the Roman Catholic Church at Waikaia. When Piano Flat becomes better known, it is going to count among the best of the tourist resorts in Southland.

The gray rocks gnarled his massive hands, The North Wind shook his frame: The Wolf of Hunger bit him oft. The World forgot his name: But 'mid the lurch and crash of trees Within the clearing’s span. Where now the bleating lambs do skip, The Fates turned out—-a man! —From Tahora, Taranaki.