TARANAKI'S ANNIVERSARY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 266, 31 March 1911, Page 7

TARANAKI'S ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATIuNS at moti:roa. UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT. A RED-LETTER DAY'. Seventy years ago the .ship William Bryan arrived off Moturoa, after a journey of over six months from England, bringing with her a party of adventurous spirits, who had set out to try and improve their position in the new land of which so little was known. They were succeeded within the course of aj few months by several other ships. They must have been hardy and determined, or they would never have undertaken the voyage, and this has been proved by the indomitable energy that they displayed in hewing for themselvees, out of the virgin bush, a beautiful, smiling and prosperous province, that is known throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion as the "Garden o'f New Zealand," and in this they were ably assisted by the women. Not only hnd they to contend with the ordinary difficulties pertaining to early settlement, but they had to battle against the Maoris, only to find that when the fight was over a lot of their hard work had gone for nought, and which had all to be done over again. The majority of those I stout-hearted pioneers have departed to that bourne which awaits us all, and now their numbers are remarkably few. In fact, the only rihes that were adults at the time of arrival rind are now surviving are Mrs. Skinner (who arrived by the Amelia Thompson) and Messrs. James and David Sole (who arrived by the Oriental). • Some time ago Mr. Tisch (Mayor of New Plymouth) suggested that it was only fitting that some memorial should be erected to- perpetuate the memory of the pilgrim fathers and mothers of Taranaki. As a result an obelisk was erected at Moturoa practically on the site where the actual landing took place. Yesterday the ceremony of unveiling the obelisk took place. ■■ • The and : vetsrans will have cause to look as one of the chief events of their lives* when their work .recognition at the hands..of"|ke generation, who have beneTitejl sp much by their work. THE, v|%iyk| ON'PARADE. _. Shortly*.qiter aijoof yesterday the veterans and.. in front of Idle Towjr.Jladl.6.fjSlieg!faiter.e iibout: sixty T*.terans.»oniq>affta3j?flc Kyngctoa and fion\Tsllgi*arried. the coltffs.:i(S)Jafc!S6rgiU Gjozie? w'as; also with the cp;t6rß»iljwluktiothe,(:T;<wanaki Riftcs pjiovMetf a.gua'xdv'i'TiheiPieneers, or some of.i.'th»ra/.«l499JWWchjli -behind, carrying n't;their ships \K«re- ; dispjafledj} tfjwing tp a, prior engagement of the date of..tup .tereiWißyoY.the Garrison Band could jjotr@ttejjViq 3?hjc : party, marched to they were joined^ibyj!otljcr 3 jtfpnper and their large number of invited guests> t jjTh§ jffurney to .Moturoa was soon train. Some of fo}\n<Ldifljculty in stepping ftom,.the.i|i;ivm.;tj9 the ground, as the height w.sft,s9)}sidf/able, but plenty of kindly*;.ji^B,- ( wa ! s,iJottJjcoming. ■". ic TfI^MNCHEON. The dbjectlyo | oT.'tlie party was the Freezing JVWW a£ Moturoa', where a lafg(>''ropm" r ha(l%cea .transformed by the { mmfim tables ;was The arrivals'-of each ship'~wcre I 'WiicM l togcthet at tables which M the ship in which they arrived;' with the surviving passengCTsJ 1 % their representatives prescnt',,weije li \ ■ Survey 'arrived Febritirrv 1$; ISfi-—Representative, Richard Dingle. '-^ -■■■-~ • William Bifaft; ? riVrVe'tl !: Mareh 31, IS4I —Passetagefs • girls', TT. J W.- Wood (Wai- . 'tarsi), Mrs.-Sorm 1 -fthith"'(Triglewood), Mr. Edward Lye fl'i'kornnm)-, Mr. T. Inch (Xew Plvme>ttrn)rMr. W. H. Pearn (New Pl'ymoutiilv 2vfr. -Cilia's Revell (Okat.o), and MrJ- S.'-^lft*lhtttl. Ij ~ ; -" ■ ■ '' Passengers: Mrs. Skinner (onlv I 'suSvliling adult), Mrs. R. ; Jury, MrsrToruJ'Mrs. Golding, Mrs. Mc-Gahey;--i(Me&r& W,' D. Webster, A. J. Hoskiri,'d.'lTaml!lVn,L r .iohn Grvlls, Frank Oliver-; Wm. KMte;tfdwa(rd Bullot, Wm. Xcwlnndy Wm. Payntcr; Dr. "11. ; -'B. -'ilieaWlam represented his mothert'-Mfesi:-loa!thh.rii; who was unable . to attend.'-'' '"-- "- ' " Regina Cock arid G.i Cock. • '' " OrientJil.-yPass(!hgcrs: ■ Mr. and Mrs. Jam its 'Stiles/ 3lna; Eichar.il Street, Mr. David Sole, Mav>JohnQLander. James and David Sole "ivcreladmrt' passengers. ...Timandra.'.'^'>Prtsscngers: "'Mi's. John Watson;' Messrs.! ©diver -Spindle, Wm. Loveridge, Allied:i Marsh; Jolm Northcoto,..: j. /•.u' , !'« ; ■•; ' ■ Blenheim.'—rPnssengers: Mr. and Mrs. R. Langmaij,' Ifrsi.E.-BuDot, Mrs. Hurlstone, Mrs. John,-. Jury; Messrs. Robert Baker, Robert' Hart, and John Richards. Essex. Passengers: .Messrs. Oliver Knuckey an,d Nicholas Knuckey. Himilayah, which arrived in 1843. -- Passenger: Mr.«Cbas. Davey. The veterans'.also were all seated together. Canirho'uipus as the hall was, it was not nc;ar.ly,large enough to accom- ' niodate all at'one sitting, and two or three relays were necessary. The ladies' committee (Mesdarjies Tisch, Jury, Bach, Richards, White, Newman and O'Driscoll, with numerous assistants) willingly and quickly supplied the wants of all. The "Kumi Kumi" pie was in great demand, and not even a fragment remained. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. G. Tisch) presided, with the Hon. T. Mackenzie (Minister of Agriculture) seated on his right. Among others present were, Mrs. Mackenzie, Messrs. Okev, Jennings and Dive, M's.P.. Hon. T. Kellv, Hon. W. C Carncross and Hon. 0. Samuel, M'S.L.C, Rev. F. G. Evans, Messrs. 11. a Fitzhcrbert, S.M.,:J. B.' f'onnett (chairman of Harbor Board), C. Carter (chairman Petroleum Co.), Realces (Chief Government Veterinarian), Ripley' (Liberal Organiser, Colonel Obey,'and others. After the'healthio'f the King had been duly honored,'apologies were received from Mrs; Lcatham, Mrs. Moore, R. Ellis, J. B. Hine, M.P., and W. J. G. Bassett. The chairman extended a cordial welcome to all, and particularly to the Hon. Thos. McKenzic, whom they were all delighted to see present. Although the wine list bad been dispensed with,-he felt sure the toasts would all be drunk with . cnthusiasirrr- Thc-large gathering that day quite exceeded his expectations. Three years ago, when he became Mayor, he inaugurated celebrations tp commemorate the anniversary of the province, which for years had been allowed to pass unnoticed. Last year he suggested that a memorial slfould be erected to mark the landing place of the passengers from the first vessel. This suggestion had been carried out, and the obelisk would shortly be unveiled. He now suggested that .\ Pioneer Association should be formed to look after general interests. Personally he, as Mayor, had taken a great interest in this memorial, but he would not alwavs be with them. Moreover, the present system Ihrcw so much work on one pair of shoulders. The Association need not necessarily be confined Lo pioneers. He would like to see the younger men taking more interest. This was the seventieth anniversary, and

they co-lid not always expect to have the old nun and women, who hud done so much for the province, always with them. Mr. Webster would, lie continued, take the names of tho.se willing to join such an association. Annual gatherings could then he held, which would he more successful if spread over it wider area. He then proposed the toast of the "Government of New Zealand," coupling with it the name of the Hon. I'hos. Mackenzie. He was. he said, expressing th» sentiments of all when he said how pleased he was to welcome that gentleman. He had always considered the Go- , vernment of New Zealand the best in the world, and he had no occasion to alter that opinion. People came to this young country from all parts of the world to enquire into some of our legislation, and on their return these laws were embodied in their own statute books. (Applause.) He considered the Government was on the right track. Hero in Taranaki we had the finest dairying district in New Zealand. The Hon. Mr. Mackenzie was head of the Agricultural Department, as well as the Commerce and Tourist Departments, and was a shrewd business man. In fact, they could not get a better throughout, the Dominion. Although Taranaki had grown, still only the fringe of dairying had been touched, and it was absolutely necessary that we should have periodic j visits from the Minister''of Agriculture. Indeed, he would go further, and say' that it -was essential that we should have the Minister of Agriculture residing in our vicinity, or at least in the North Island. The co-operative principle had been responsible for dairying being carried out so successfully and beneficially in this province. Touching on past history, he said that in 1870 the land about where they were standing was taken as a prison site, and the Government were going to erect the breakwater' by prison labor. Meeting were held, an<l the Taranaki settlers vig-* orously, protested'. They did not want a prison, or prisoners to build a breakwater. They 'wanted the farmers to farm the land, and the Government to assist with roads and bridges. As a result, the prison was' not gone on with. They not only hit'd dairy factories as a monument to thii 'success of the settlers in cO-op'eratib'n,'j)ut they also had the box factory l ''anft"fr'coj',ing works, all of which were Wtf oft that principle. Instead' of a gWWev hail' industrious settlers,! ; tfe 'flW|hp'f'ils6' hU not been neglectcd'' r tmt' r Hvlts |Jrbgr'essi'ita well und«FthOble 'mUWn't of Mr. .(. B. Connett', ll ch^na'fi ,, o'f' ; tlie' Board, and in a short tiW'ttirP; vessels jwould be able to some/'damage Wd''been caused to the breakwater; 'and monev was short, the sutler's,' 'liair'sul>'scriJ#d £I.OOO, which ora to" Wf "Harbor Board to !! cx^)erfa jrf in' protecting <tfhe ' harbor. This was the clns3B«PsMeWhat was present Mr v jTisfih lfattste.(l ..tij&pMn Mclvuizie would*' be. vathaikejn-ifiSi Jnflily , .The. Aflast ..\vfis jbiwlijy-^idlcuuk, , ' ■ MR;!l >LM)rc&xai'H'&uß]sPiiY. •The-"Hon."fI>llo8/i Mackenzie, in '"sing to re*pofflJ,'-wafeopcelfetl %ith"-applause. He' Ji'e? l; nWex;fJe'ctrt<J lteMioittired with a toa«y4jo <aWVitbrßjiei!ed?'«'He *a« deeply grafted IWtWHß'4MA*tta*. work of the (io\*i-i«i*ei*» l AVJtß'so v a<l<iii*h'fei)preciate(l by tlie'pcopt* #ieUe could rtotuW mhb tAeb^iriitfW.?''.-There must be' tii rers% «fc«|)it(itfn.ifflteb?«fu.l)jeet-inust be discu4B«j<l tsmtfveisillspiiet' to evolve .w-iiati*Bk bdfelt, *ttsotfh«tei«liat-' was done tliey oal'rying it out. He'.'WaiJivatjJiiflgqkahilyiitliei interests of tliodistaiioto'M[iSh hflviettrfto) .encouraging MttliipeWiil erfelJf«)l£lci'fiHlised« the im-portanoe-ydf in New Zealand. ).': to evolafc .•methtid3dbys'n>hjeij'-.h> could place their .oritjAit.axmitbaohfisfhdstiapinnaeles of the;.worhli9oUiii3-fcotl IcHqww* .verv intcrcpteib ifmitheypiKtßftrigatioa-Mof both creaaio audi tkixk lfiiUdjrfniEastetfrisation wouM..<W"iroiiichlfon' J t)Wßi ipig industry. ThuttLwasd* sfaaftqrgcijnsUieYAvorld's supply X>f :oußr could not be .fient-jffovayoiultlifcs fMteynwere in per.fe.ct; pani.esj;W(ftirldsH)-oj)fiWtbß\«W) tan'jn the inaligflr.atJ«W;qiaDWiliW& that would put the mattcii^iiiio-tjfflOd'^atiHig.jjiJii.regard to other assistance, lie considered that the been a s rea iv/"%vMWW' V' lt '& ,v s What rears ago, -{ftiMfeltntattiTO monev, w»ifi§ mm up, and loarik mW;h»i'>U SPnfeTunder 0. 8 arid v ifl^cr';tfent ) '¥r iHiKu Hot''been for tMs-M? advanced persott4o f: ffly.V»?™-t?nu?fe, he stated .that-'TflsfciaOTsMoMalQVdW) had ( cmesadd to his fama , ,^Artt , oli^Hie^t\yßg''the f }iiitlationof •an.]m l ifeWal'-?arli l tolit',''H* which all the -uriiW-'%f-"*h^'Bfa9«i B KSrpfre' could be s-isd u. ' aWml's't annlauso. The. Jlofl-i-ilii MacltfaßiejlUen proposed the toast coupled with .yjg-»ai»ft!-fllTilWtWx/i): 'Webster., He toast with.deepest sincerity ,-apd. tfte Mmofegratitude, be-cause.-he ; J{Be\y ; i[j \M jxujt. that these men and, w'Oßisn ,ha,dnplayed; in the development. qji/Earatiakj. aud;he felt that England would be proud of such sons ana,dau.gh;ters.M!lji-corfclnding, he made a fPM.r/ha<ppy r: orplje.remfes -regarding the .pioneers, 'to v/iorn >m vdj i,-: Mr. replied. He said: On behalf; Qf><j(jkft-.jpio«Betos, l 1 thank you very heartily' for the toast;iproposed by the- Hon.|y%v,jiF?jickenzie. I am honored at being associated with this memorabfe' u day,'Wc seventieth anniversary of tlte' : of the first pi / oneers' ; % (& . William Brvan from ( I feel assureil I'.W'joic'ihg' the feelings oi those 'landed from the first six'VpssWs' 1 when I''express a feeling of de6p : \k having been spared,to'be'ptfsent'.to-day at the unveiling of tlie''pbelisJ;,,'to. commemorate this historical event'," Tfie. landing of the passenge* by' il ti{ i e' William Brynr and Amelia Thompson, the two lirti was rl just ! "bel6W tfhere we ar« now assembled, those by the 1 -Other four vessels being' laiitleu 'dfjposite the towi. of New Plymouth. My ''parents came by the Amelia : 'F-h'ompson,' \ being four months old on landMij}. ! - ' My father held for some tinle the position of postmaster. The first post office was opened in a very small building upon the site where mart now stands. Under 'the<>sanie' roof was the Resident. .-Magistrate's Court,' presided over by thejate Captain Henry King, R.N., \vh'6'*amve'(TliVre by the' Amelia Thompson. The locji-up was in the same •building 1 ; scjirJe/(|u£ee tales could be told of it. -Those-'earry-'settlers, as may be imagined, had to contend with many difficulties and ..hardships in the early settlement of this district, which it is quite impossble for the present generation to realise, the making of new homes in a new land thickly populated by thu Maori, who, let it be remembered, had but a very few years emerged from tribal wars and cannibalism, this part of the coast, having been the scene of much bloodshed. A large pah stood adjacent to the site of this building, Poliaraina. . It needed stout hearts with determination to face the early colonisation ot ■ this coast. Having seen much of tire i Maori anil his customs, I have learned !\to admire U.eiii. They, in the early i days of. this settlement, showed many I' acts of extreme kindness to the settlers,

J particularly honest, always ready to appreciate inir and straight dealings. These pioneers for some years had hard graft, wages being but 2s Gd to 3s per day, and little cash about at that. Die chief currency was paper money in the form of Is debentures, issued from Medical Hal], Wellington. My late uncle, j Mr. Dorset, and the late 'Mr. T. King, I who carried on business here in the | forties, used to cash these, debentures, I charging Id on each debenture, close |on to 10 per cent. (Twenty per cent, j to 2,") per cent, was charged; I do not j say by those persons.) All provisions were very dear. Frequently Hour was sold at from 40s to 50s per 1001b., and at times not to be obtained; and other food necessaries in like proportion. For a considerable period pork was the only meat to be obtained from the Maoris, and it had much of the Captain Cook breed about it. For some years our mercantile marine consisted of very small cutters and schooners visiting this port from Wellington, not any over twenty tons, notably the Catherine Johnson, spoken of as the Kitty Johnson, the Carbon, Fishermaid, Fly, and Sarah Berry. It was narrated that upon one of Mr. King's trips to Wellington by the Carbon her cabm was very small, no bulkhead between it and the hold, and to give Mr. King sleeping space some bags of flour forming the bulkhead had to be pulled down. Cargo landed on our beach in the very early days was carted away by means of goate harnessed to a sleigh, the enterprising settler owning the turnout being Mr. S. .Toll. It may be in the memory of some' that in the early forties a small craft named the Phenetta, Captain Sam Teague, from Wellington, entered the Huatoki and discharged 12 or 15 totis of flour where : Mr. Newton" King's offices now stand, ] that site then having a baker's shop on it. In the year 1854 or 1855 a schooner was built within a few feet of where the obelisk is erected. She was about 100 tons, and was named the Taranahd. Captain Henry Clouston, of Nelson, fonn command. Her builders were Messrs. R. Rundle and Charles Cluse, and the over seer was Mr. J. T. Shaw. She was) owned by Messrs. Rundle, Cluse and S. Oliver. Her maiden trip was to Nelson to be fitted out, her first clearance at Customs. The timber used in her construction was sawn out of our Imsli, chiefly rata and miro; her deck, I believe, was of white pine. She did not remain long on this coast. After a voyage or so to Sydney she was sold there, and after a year or so was lost at the South Sea Islands. She proved a dry, weatherly schooner. Sydney shipwrights voted 'her well and faithfully built. For many years the landing and shipping of cargo was carried on by a well-equipped surf boat service, and it was seldom any damage occurred to cargo. As years rolled on, our trade outgrowing the ability of a boat service in an open roadstead, attention was turned to providing a harbor for our largely increasing trade. The benefits of it are now being fully realised, after seventy years' waiting. Having taxed ■. your patience sufficiently long, as timtj is short, I again thank you for drinking j the toast of ''The, Pioneer Settlers." It would be difficult to predict what)' the next seventy years will bring forth, j Certain it is that the descendants of | the early settlers have a much easier/ road to travel than fell to the lot o! their ancestors, with (the rapid opening vip of a rich back country, prospects 01 an oil field, harbor accommodation now affording facilities for direct trade with England, and the early prospect of berthing large liners to remove our increasing products. All point to an era of greater prosperity for the future of this part of the Dominion. Mr. Tisch then proposed the health of "The Visitors," coupling the name of Mr. H. E. Bayfield, of Canterbury, who arrived fifty years ago. Mr. Bayfield, in responding, gave some hints as to the formation p( a Pioneer Association as outlined by the Mayor. (Continued on page 8.)