HELPED FOUND NGAERE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1935, Page 7

HELPED FOUND NGAERE

DEATH OF MR. SANDERS SERVICE DURING MAORI TROUBLE. DAYS OF THE HAWERA REPUBLIC. DAIRYING DEVELOPMENT WORK. Thirteen days after the celebration of his 88th birthday, Mr. H. S. Sanders, one of Taranaki’s pioneers, died yesterday at his New Plymouth residence. As a settler of the Ngaere district when it was first opened, he was a notable, figure in the development of the district to its present status. Mr. Charles Score Sanders, founder of the Ngaere gardens, who died 18 months ago, was a brother. Coming to Nelson from England as a boy, Mr. Sanders spent his young manhood on the West Coast gold diggings, and was rewarded with considerable, success. He later married Miss M. Wimsett, Nelson, and came to Taranaki, where he worked as a building contractor for many years. Later he took up land at Ngaere, after years of successful farming, eventually retiring to New Plymouth.

Mr. Sanders spent a considerable time in South Africa and also toured America in company with his brother, who was also well known at Ngaere and New Plymouth.

A builder by trade, Mr. Sanders opened business at Nelson, but after a period of slackness he decided to try his ; luck in. the North Island. He left, therefore, for Wanganui, visiting Feilding, Palmerston North and Hawera. Each town was in the throes of pioneer business expansion and Hawera so attracted him that he decided to settle there.

Until the trouble between the 'Maoris and the' pakehas flared up from dull murmurings to a storm, Mr. Sanders enjoyed considerable activity. At. that time, settlement had readied the Waingongoro River, where the Maoris became defiant, showing their resentment by carting the surveyors and their appliances across the river. The Maoris then adopted an attitude of passive resistance and started by ploughing up the lawn and shrubberies of Messrs. Livingstone and Sangster, Normanby. HAWERA LIGHT HORSE. - Mr. Sanders was a member of the Hawera Light Horse, commanded by Corlet Johnstone. On one occasion, a Sunday morning, the troops . arrested the Maoris ploughing Mr; Livingstone’s' land at Waipapa. Trouble followed so quickr ly that the Government organised the Armed Constabulary under John Brice, Wanganui. Martial law was proclaimed and Mr. Sanders, among others, was given military drill day and night, with target practice twice a week. The pacifying of the natives at Parihaka by „Te Whiti and the firmness shown byUohn Brice ended the trouble and reserves of land were provided for the various tribes. From then, settlement went on apace,, and the Waimate Plains were surveyed and placed on the market Mr. Sanders attended the first and second sales, but owing to the prices “soaring” to £l4 an acre, he withdrew from purchase. When the Ngaere block Was placed on the market, however, Mr. Sanders and his brother, purchased 100 acres each on the Rolleston deferred payment plan and hewed a home from the wilderness. ON FIRST SCHOOL COMMITTEE. With the increase in the population of the district, a school was opened, ‘Mr. Sanders being appointed chairman of the committee. A hall was opened, Mr. Charles Sanders began the development of the famous Ngaere Gardens and the Curtis brothers, of Stratford, explored and located the track to the summit of Egmont, a track that lay over the present plateau road. Mr. Sanders made seven ascents to the summit, commemorating each one by placing in crannies indelible zinc labels.

Mr. Sanders took an active interest in the development of dairying and he was selected a director on the first board of the Ngaere Co-operative Dairy Company. Mr. Sanders was one of 11 settlers who entered into bonds of £lOO each with the Bank of Australasia to make the factory possible. The first season’s output was bought by Lovell and Christmas. Mr. Sanders was a foundation member of the Ngaere Road Board, which, in being charged with the formation and upkeep of roads in the district was faced with a strenuous time. ' Mr. Sanders’ wife at the age of 83 predeceased him by four years. He leaves a family of- six, two daughters and a son having died. They are Messrs. D. and O. Sanders ’ (Johannesburg, South. Africa), R. Sanders (New Plymouth),' Mesdames R. Dunlop • (New Plymouth), R. Staples (Lepperton), and J. Montgomerie (New Plymouth). There are 22 grandchildren.