NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 4

NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

‘ MISS E. TYLER SMITH. An early colonist of the Canterbury district, Miss Elizabeth Tyler Smith, who is now living in Auckland, will celebrate her 90th birthday on Friday. Miss Smith still possesses all her faculties, and in spite of an adventurous life is in good health and able to travel from her home on the Great South Road, where she has lived for the last nine years, to the city, without undue fatigue. “The tramway conductors know me and give me every assistance,” said Miss Smith. Miss Smith was born in Worcestershire, England, and arrived at Lyttelton on the sailing ship Caroline Agnes in ,1855. The trip lasted for four months, but good weather was enjoyed all the way.' The Lyttelton tunnel was not built in those days,.and Miss,Smith and her brother had to walk over thq Cashmere Hill-, to Christchurch.. She.. then went to stay with her brother-in-law,

the late Mr. William Eerrctt, who yzas farming, in Papanui. Papanui. is now one of the principal suburbs of Christchurch, but at that time was mostly covered with bush. Bullock waggons were used for carting the timber into Christchurch, and in winter the Papanui Road became sue./ a . bog that it could only bo traversed by >bullock waggons, exczy 1 in the early morn-

ings, when pedestrians were able to walk over the frozen ground. After living at Papanui for five years Miss Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Derrctt moved to Oamarti. The journey took two weeks, am. i>as made in a dogchrt and two drays. They started out with' a cow, but as it could not travel fast enough it was left an at accommodation house to come on with a herd of

cattle, but many years later was re.ported to be still there. From Oamaru Miss Smith moved to Pa tea, where she lived for 20- years. While in Patea trouble occurred between the white settlers and the Maoris. The settlers used to drill every day to prepare themselves for a sudden attack, but the trouble passed off without any serious occurrence.