TEMUKA PIONEER PASSES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21365, 7 June 1939, Page 4

TEMUKA PIONEER PASSES

Foundation Member of Fire Brigade Development of District Recalled I Tire death of Mr John Davey at the age of 88 removed one of the foundation settlers of Temuka, and one who was widely respected in South Canterbury. Born on August 1, 1851, at Heavitree, near Exeter, Devonshire, England, Mr Davey arrived at Lyttelton in the sailing ship Hereford on July 14, 1874, and transhipped to the Beautiful Star for Timaru. There on the following day with another shipmate and life-long friend, Mr C. Bisdee, of Milford, he came ashore in a surf boat, and after spending a night in the accommodation house at Timaru, they came to Temuka by Hammond’s stage coach. Mr Davey’s first night in Temuka was passed in the former Magistrate's Courtroom near the site of the present railway station. The first work that Mr Davey undertook wa§ the planting of trees in the Temuka Domain, a work that was more or less in the form of assistance to immigrants at the time. On leaving this he took occupation at Riverslea, then owned by Mr Cox. Mr Davey had vivid memories of the difficulties that faced the pioneers and was wont to tell how he had to struggle on across the wild country to Riverslea through deep snow. At this stage Temuka was merely a rambling township -with a growing sense of civic pride which led to the erection of a brick kiln on the section immediately opposite St. Peter’s Anglican Church in King Street. It was from this kiln that Mr Davey carted some of the bricks used for the’ erection of the present Crown Hotel in the town. While engaged in this work Mr Davey built himself a hut near where Insulators Limited is located, and it was not long before the Government of the day charged him £1 for hut tax. nils was never paid as this law was soon repealed. Incidentally it is thought that he was the oldest ratepayer of the Temuka Borough. In his occupation as a carried he snigged timber from the Arowhenua Homestead station for the erection of both the old Opihi and Temuka railway bridges, as well as for the old Arowhenua Hotel. As a foundation member of the Temuka Volunt- ir Fire Brigade Mr Davey gave yeoman service to the cause of fire fighting which was then more of a problem than it is to-day because of the greater number of wooden buildings. Ame iber of the brigade for 23 years he retired in 1902 and took up residence as an original lessee from the Government on a farm at Rautiwiri on the Main Highway. He was a vestryman of the Anglican Church in the early days, besides being a staunch supporter of the Temperance movement. He took an active interest in cricket and often played in the Temuka team. One remarkable fact about the life of Mr Davey was that he not only assisted with the work of the development of Temuka but also was a helper in the building of modem London, having worked in the laying down of the first underground sewerage system before coming to New Zealand. Mr- Davey was twice married, and is survived by four sons—Messrs Arthur Davey, Frank Davey (Kakahu), Henry G. Davey (Opunake), and Charles Davey (Auckland—and one daughter —Mrs S. Trumper.