DEATH OF PIONEER

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4428, 21 May 1941, Page 4

DEATH OF PIONEER

EARLY DAYS AT MOUNT EGMONT RECALLED. NINETY.-EIGHT ASCENTS. Old Taranaki residents and those who have made the trip to Mount Egmont will be interested in this account of an old pioneer which appeared in the Taranaki Daily News: Pioneering days of the development of Mount Egmont as a tourist resort were recalled by the death of Mr Harry Peters in his 90th year on Saturday. He was closely associated with the opening of the present North Egmont track to the summit, and was for years first custodian of the old mountain house and the first guide. Mi- Peters was born at Hamburg. He took to the sea as a boy, and when 24 years of age went to Wellington as officer of an immigrant ship. He left the ship at that port, going on to New Plymouth, where he arrived on September 21, 1875, and married a young woman who had been a passenger on the ship. Two days later, with his young bride, he went out to the site of the new township of Inglewood, of which he became one of the founders. He built a punga whare where Jubilee Park now is, and it was there that their first child was born. ASSOCIATION WITH MOUNTAIN. A little later he took up a farm at Hillsborough, afterwards known as Earp’s farm. Mt. Egmont to a man of grit and determination appeared to have a fascination, and he took up the farm at Kaimiro that was for nearly 60 years his home, and with its smiling garden compelled the admiration of all early tourists. Indeed, the name of Mr Harry Peters was closely associated with North Egmont, for it was he who first discovered and assisted in surveying what is now the popular Norths Egmont route to the summit. He was responsible for naming several of Mount Egmont’s prominent features, “Humphries Castle” after Mr T. Humphries, chief surveyor more than 50 years ago, “Razor Back,” “Khyber Pass,” “Drinking,” etc. He supervised the construction of the old house in 1890. A committee was responsible for having portion of the old military barracks at Marsland Hill made available for the purpose, the late Mr George Turner, Inglewood, having the contract for its removal. When the building was opened in 1892 Mr Peters was appointed custodian, holding the position for several years. He was also guide, making 89 trips to the summit during that period without an accident. TWO REMARKABLE TRIPS. He was associated with two remarkable trips, the fastest and the slowest. The fastest trip was made on Februffty 25, 1894, by the late Mr G. H. Herbert, Urenui, brother of Mr W. W. Herbert, of Tauranga, who, having backed himself to do the ascent and descent in 23 hours, accomplished the feat in Ih. 50m. 45., a record that still stands. The slowest trip, 18 hours, was made by Sir William Fox, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, at the age of 72. Mr Peters used to recall a climb with a woman who insisted in taking her puppy, which developed sore "feet on the scoria, so that Mr Peters had to carry it to the summit and back, receiving 7s 6d, a considerable amount in those days. . ’ In all, Mr Peters climbed to the summit 98 times.