EARLY MATARAWA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 189, 12 August 1931, Page 6

EARLY MATARAWA

MEMORIES OF THE PAST DEDICAiION OF A FONT. SPECIAL SERVICE NEXT SUNDAY. It is a far cry back to the days ot early Matarawa, but tnerc are people still living who can recall the very first European activity there, which laid the ioundations of civilisation in the virgin uush. A daughter of the late Thomas and Catherine McWilliam has given an account of her expericuces at Matarawa from childhood days onward, part of which was published last Wednesday. Below, there is given a further instalment from her pen which will prove ol interest, not only to members of the older generation, but to hundred's of their descendants. The degree of interest in the matters touched on is heightened by the fact that on Sun day morning next there is to be dedicated at the Matarawa Church a foirt to the memory of the central ligur-s in the narrative—the late Thomas and Catherine McWilliani. The Bishop of Wellington, Dr. Sprott, is to officiate and there is to be a notable gathering of old residents, among whom the early days will be recalled. If the weather permits a photograph will be taken of the group. “I am now 80 years of age, and since those early days I have been married and spent years in California, England and Tasmania, yet like many other aged people, I remember the happenings of my childhood and youth much more clearly than those of later years. L am the youngest of a family of eleven and when our parents came to live at Matarawa was but three or four years of age. One sister of 95 and 1 are the only survivors now of our generation of McWilliams. “My first recollections are of living in a few whares (as all our neighbours were doing also) while my father and brothers pit-sawea timber from our own bush, seasoned the same, and then built quite a good two-storied house on a terrace on the side of the valley. The wild place soon took on a civilised look as fences, garden and orchard sprang up. Barn and outhouses, stockyard, etc., soon were in form for use, and our little farm was stocked with cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, poultry, and ducks. My parents loved gardening; and though there were so many other things to do, they had a very nice flower garden and a good orchard, with apples, pears, quinces, peaches, plum«, and cherries, and all manner of berry fruits. Everything grew so well in the virgin soil and there were no pests. We had so many peaches that in the season we fed pigs and calves on them. “On the flats in the valley bottom wo had fine crops of potatoes, wheat, oats, and barley, and as there was not much machinery available in those days our crops were all harvested by hand, scythes and sickles being used. The grain was stacked and in the winter threshed in a roomy barn with flails on a threshing floor, cleaned by a hand made winnowing machine, and bagg.'d up. Aly father, brothers and two hired men made a mill dam and, in time, a small mill was installed, where my father ground his own wheat and n’so that of my neighbours who wished it. We had excellent bread. “I remember a lot of Maoris from the Matatera Pa came with a cart load of grain and brought their wives and children, dogs and pigs with them. They camped near the mill and while their wheat wa.. being ground one or two always were watching in case, 1 suppose, we might annex any of the flour. They paid the cost of grinding in pigs, and went off well satisfied. Education Problems. Then the question of education for the children arose, and after great consultations a small school was opened in one of our old whares, to which the neighbouring children came. There were no free schools or Government aid, so we got a very good teacher, a Mr Harkness, well educated and with the gift of imparting knowledge, and I am sure he did his best. He was a Christian gentleman and wc had Bible lessons every day and learnt to sing hymns which I have never forgotten. There was no church nearer than Wanganui, and no decent roads, so Mr Hogg, a veteran Presbyterian minister, came out occasionally to preach to us. He had no horse and used to ride out on a bullock belonging to one of our neighbours, Mr Alexander McGregor. I remember the animal was spotted and answered to the name of Albert. “Tho services were held in our barn, which was arranged by my brothers with sacks of grain or chaff to sit on. and the threshing floor raised at one end of the barn on more sacks of grain for a rostrum. An old uncle of min n . Mr George Aiken, who was musical and could sing, started the tunes of the “Old Hundred,’’ and many of the old Scotch metrical Psalms, were sung with gusto. Air Hogg usually spent the night at our house after the service, which was hold in the afternoon, and wo always enjoyed his visit, for he read poems by Robert Burns, ami discussed questions of the time with Mr Harkness and my father while we -ill listened with i' torest and delight, for we loved books and had but little chance of hearing about anything out of our narrow surroundings. Trouble With The Maoris. “In our barn, too, we often had pleasant little dances with neighbouring young people to the music of violins or concertinas. Wc also often had very pleasant riding parties for we all owned a horse each and enjoyed riding But everything was upset when trouble with the Alaoris began and ill the settlers were ordered to bring their families into the town. Troops of soldiers wore congregated there ind volunteers. The old 65th Regiment hid been quartered at Wanganui or years, and more soldiers arrived. I remember my parents hurriedly jacking boxes of clothing, blankets, etc., and in the bullock drays wc were, all hurried to town. To us it seemed only fun and a change, but. it was a time of terrible anxiety to our parents. “In time this cloud passed and we had a school house built on a part of of Air Alexander AlcGregor’s land, and services were held every Sunday, and also Sunday school. In turn each Protestant denomination from Wanganui sent a minister or la} reader to take the service in the afternoon. In time also w’6 had the first little Anglican Church built, and the services continued as they were before, and the same congregation came to all the services, which were well attended until the

Presbyterians, who largely predominated, built a church for themselves across tho road. Those families who came to the church for years were those of Dr. Allison, Mr Shafto Harrison, Mr Sheriff, Air Symes, the Reids and Humes, of Fordell, McWilliams, Burnetts, Wallaces, Somervilles, Biggies, Patersons, Reids, and many more whose names I forget. Nearly all rode on horseback, so there was quite a cavalcade rode away after the service was over. Colonel Noakc and family also came, and he sometimes acted as lay reader when our clergyman tailed us. Also there were Burrs and Howies and Aikens. Aly brother, W. AlcWilliam, of Nethordale, and I played the harmonium and led the singing (such as it was). “Among the greatest favourites among the preachers war the late Dean Fitchett, of Dunedin, then a Methodist minister, and people flocked to near him. He was most eloquent. There being no Fordell village then, everyone along the No. 2 Line came to the little church, which often was crowded. I may add that in tb A first days of our school life, there being no decent roads, which in winter were perfect bogs, we used to take our shoes in ir bags and wade barefooted through the mud and wash our feet in a stream near the school and resume our footgear. One family who lived at least five miles from the school, who plodded daily to school for years through mud and slush in winter and heat in summer. leaving heme at daybreak and arriving back at dusk, yet both girls and hoys grew up strong and well and their <l?sc< ndants ar still living about Wanganui. Their name was Strachan. “In time my brothers and sisters wen all married and left the old home at Alatarawa, and I went to Otaki to keep house and assist my brother fames (then unmarried) with mission work. I was there three or four years. Then I also married and loft Matarawa and my parents retired to Wanganui in their old age. The old home passed into other hands. The old generation, v father’s contemporaries, have gone to rest, and many sleep ' tho cemetery round the little church—‘lhe 1 Order Changeth.’ ”