LIFE IN EARLY SOUTHLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23945, 11 October 1939, Page 6

LIFE IN EARLY SOUTHLAND

FIRST RAILWAY TO MAKAREWA

MR AND MRS H. HUNT’S DIAMOND JUBILEE (Special to The Times) ' AUCKLAND, October 10. The diamond jubilee of their wedding ’was celebrated by Mr and Mrs Henry Hunt, Crown Hill, Milford, Auckland, yesterday. Both still enjoy excellent health. Mr Hunt was one of the first male Europeans bom in Invercargill. Born in 1858, Mr Hunt was educated in Invercargill, and then went to w °rk on a back-country station about 60 miles from the town. As he was getting only 5/- a week he left this station after remaining there four years, ana returned to Invercargill and began pit sawing. Later he was shearing on the Waimea Plains, and then worked in several saw mills in and about Invercargill* Mr Hunt remembers the opening of the Invercargill-Makarewa railway. He was too young himself to go, but his brother went and had to walk home in pouring rain. The rails, which consisted of lengths of eight-by-eight-inch timber, became so slippery with the rain that the train was unable to return to Invercargill. Mr Hunt can also recall a small sailing-boat being drawn by bullock teams along Invercargill s fascined main streets. In negotiating the corner of Dee street and Tay street the boat became stuck in the mud. Mrs Hunt was born in Tasmania in 1859 and was the second daughter of Mr and Mrs J. H. Dawson. Her father was a saw miller and contractor. Her grandfather was Mr William Dawson, who was town, engineer of Invercargill for 23 years. Mr and Mrs Hunt were married in Invercargill on October 9, 1879, by the Rev. Charles Ward. Eight years after their marriage, Mr and Mrs Hunt went to Hawke’s Bay, where Mr Hunt worked in saw mills about Dannevirke and Woodville. He subsequently took up farming about 40 miles from Dannevirke. In 1907 Mr Hunt took up a farm of 700 acres at Putaruru, and after remaining there for several years took up farming at Buckland. Mr and Mrs Hunt came to Auckland 12 years ago. Mr and Mrs Hunt have seven children, three sons and four daughters, all of whom are still living. There are 20 grandchildren and six great-grand-children. Mr and Mrs Hunt celebrated their wedding anniversary at- the home of their youngest daughter, Mrs W. Limbrick, Milford.