IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 18 May 1922, Page 2

IN THE EARLY DAYS.

, WAIMATE 55 YEARS AGO. / (The first part of this article, which is edited by Mi' E. Bannerman, appeared in one of the later issues of “The Waimate Times.”). In 1887 the late Mr G. H. Graham, at a meeting of the Waimate Mutual Improvement Society, read a paper describing Waimate as he found it twenty years previously, that is 55 years ago. The paper was published in the “Waimate Times” at the time it was read, and is included in “Zealandia,” a small memorial volume of selections in prose and verse from Mr Graham’s writings, printed for private circulation in 1912. The paper is a valuable contribution to the early history of this town and disrepublishing it to-day. We give it as it was written, except for the omission of details now out of date.

Nearly twenty years ago I stepped off the coach in High Street, at the present residence of Mr Geo. Manchester, which was then the Post Office, and the store where the business of Messrs Manchester Bros, and Goldsmith was carried on. I had arrived in the Colony from the Old Country only a few days, and I looked around with a good deal of interest at the township and its surroundings. It was the month of February, 1867, and the few crops of grain in the district were being harvested. The weather was beautiful, and as we came from Timaru that morning I. was pleased with the appearance of the country; rolling downs en one side of the road and rich flats to the beach on the other, brightened by sun light, clothed with indigenous vegetation of tawny tussock, shining green flax and tute, and variegated by numerous variously grouped cabbage trees. No primeaeval forest to clear, not much of Swamp to drain, nearly all ready for plough and commencement of farming operations. Waimate township was then a very small place indeed, with respect to the number of people and houses. The only hotel was the “Waimate,” a small cottage, the nucleus of the present hotel. It was then kept by Mr A. Dow. Ther e was not a house between the Waimate Hotel and Mr Studholme’s station, except the schoolhouse.

(Then follows a list of eight dwellings in Queen Street, between High Street and Parsonage Road, only one of which now exists, .that now occupied by Mr Hendry, then the residence of the late Mr John Manchester. There is also a list of the seven dwellings in High Street between the Waimate Hotel and Freeman’s old stables, all of which have disappeared, except that of Mrs George Manchester and the unoccupied house of the late G. R, Freeman).

The Courthouse and Schoolhouse were just after being-built. The former stood where the Waimate Garage stands, and two rooms of it were occupied by the only policeman in Waimate, Sergeant Scott. The

Schoolhouse consisted of one room, 50 x 20, and was considered at the time of building to be too large for, the requirements of the district. There was only one ' ehurch---the Wesleyan---which consisted of a room, afterwards enlarged so as to form the Wesleyan Schoolhouse, lately burned down. (This stood on the site on which Mr Cheverton’s house is built). Anglican Church services wer e occasionally, but very seldom, held in the Schoolhouse by the minister .who came from Timaru. Every Sunday service was held twice in the Wesleyan Church, a minister coming from Timaru every third Sunday; on other Sundays service was conducted by local preachers. I was pleased and amused at the mixed congregation of those days. English counties from Cornwall to Yorkshire were represented, Scotch, Germans, Victorians, Americans, Maoris and half-castes. Persons of different denominations would come, and anniversary and similar occasions would be largely attended and liberally patronised. The only stores were those of Manchester Bros, and Goldsmith, where Mr G. Manchester now resides, Mr L. Price, and Bennett. (Then follows a list of two blacksmiths, a bootmaker, a tailor, a baker and a saddler). There was no butcher’s shop for some time, meat had to be brought from the station, s|d per lb being the price paid for very thin mutton. These were good times for the storekeepers; we had to pay 6d for a small box of matches, 2s 6d for a lb of butter, and double ---in many instances mor e than double—the present price for nearly every article. Mr G. R. Freeman held the only livery stable. In the early days of Waimate' he was a wellknown character in the district, being fully recognised as a brave'and successful driver. Coaching in these

times was a rather venturesome avocation, requiring coolness and courage and thorough experience in horses and their 'management, with e good deal of patience and skill ir often occurring accidental emergencies. Driving along the unformed roads and across the wide unbridged riverbeds and creek crossings, especially during floods and wet weather, required a degree of patience and dexterity in driving a team, which, with our present improved roads and excellent bridges can scarcely be conceived. There was no doctor in those days at Waimate, and invalids and sufferers from accidents were sadly inconvenienced for nursing and medical and surgical assistance. ' Repeated efforts were made to secure the residence of a doctor, and some rather curious specimens of the faculty were received with open-armed gratitude. In some cases the professional so welcomed proved to be of little service as doctor, and less as a leader of moral tone to the society. A few Germans lived near the river by the bush, and the place was called Germantown; then their comfortable cottage and gardens twenty years ago made it appear to be a place more likely to be the commencement of a town than the township proper Here resided most of our respected settlers • and neighbours, Messrs Brinkman, Abbenseth, Werges, Koster, Luck, Meyer, Foss, and others. Queen Street at this time was an unformed dray track with high flax growing at each side nearly all the way to the river-crossing near the Waimate Station gate. All goods and timber traffic were carried on by bullock teams of six to ten each, and a leading feature of the time was the large number of bullock drays bringing timber and firewood to Timaru and distant parts of th edistrict, and drawing goods to the settlers and stores. Horses could not work at the heavy traffic in consequence of the want of roads and bridges. Near the Point Bush, eight or ten huts were inhabited by Maoris who lived there, their chief, 'Horomono (Solomon) Pohio, having a comfortable frwo-storey weatherboard house They had a little church on a rising ground in front of the kaik. After the Maoris left Waimate to reside on their land near.the mouth of the Waihao, this church was sold to the Rev. C. Coates, who had it removed to the Parsonage. The natives in those days were very friendly and well-disposed to the new settlers.

I have great pleasure in testifying so far as my experience goes, to the very kind and honest character of the Maoris. Scarcely ever have I heard, even imputed to them, anything like dishonesty or ill-feeling to wards their new neighbours. From the first time I knew them I considered them a gentle, lovable people, and I .sometimes fear their contact with us has not improved them, rather the contrary. I hope our people will more and more cherish a feeling of kindness, love, and gratitude towards these gentle people, whose ancestors roamed, along these coasts long before our people knew of such a place as New Zealand.

s There were very few farms occupied in the district at that time. Taking a radius of about fourteen miles with the town as a centre, there were Studholme’s station, Parker’s homestead (now Mr I. Andrew’s), and Elephant Hill Stations, Waikakihi Station, Redcliff Inn, Addinel’s, Mitton’s, and Buchanan’s farms at the Willow Bridge. ( Along the road to Timaru, as far as Otaio, the names of thirteen farmers are given. Of these the families of C. V. Clarke, L. Tooher, and A. Martin still retain the original holdings. In the area to the north-west of the town, including Deep Creek and Hunter to what is now Kohika,. the names of eighteen landholders are given. All these have changed hands except those held by the families of J. Bowles and M. O’Brien. Mr Henry Butcher still retains and resides on part of the land he held in 1867, now Coronation Street. In this connexion it is interesting to note that Mr Butcher has lived in Waimate ever since coming here in 1859 —a period of 63 years). These were the only farms occupied in this portion of the district, indicated at the time referred to; and as only a very small portion of the occupied land was fenced,- one could walk for miles and miles in any direction around the town without meeting a fence or other obstruction. When Mr Studholme’s cattle were mustered at the old Hook station, the stockmen could ride and muster the Hook Flat and Deep Creek Downs the whole way from the hills to the sea. There was no county establishment in New Zealand at the time, and people only felt the taxing power laid on when few and far between the old Road Board levied rates to erect a culvert or form a road through a swamp in the main ’south road. -' .

A prominent feature of the town and district was the Waimate Bush, always affectionately referred to by old settlers as “The Bush.” This Bush and the pioneer station of Mr Studholme formed the start of Waimate as a settlement. Here a large •number of sawyers were engaged—who for the most part resided in the Bush. The flat land lying between the then point of the Bush, near Mr Cordner’s boarding-house, and the road now leading from Rickman’s (now Garland’s) bridge, on Mill Road, to the top. of High Street, was then a splendid piece of forest and a busy scene of bush work. No sawmill was erected for some years after the time referred to, and the ring of the axe, the rasp of the saw, the tap of the splitter’s nail, and the long resounding crack of the bullock whip, all the day long, heralded the busy work going on in the deep recesses of the bush. These sounds, mixed with those of a bushman’s cheerful song, formed a harmony in a high degree pleasing to those having tibe and taste for contemplation, ing time and taste for contemplation, of Waimate then resided in the bush, som e in comfortable cottages with pleasant little bush gardens, others in temporary huts erected for the season. It was a great time for teamsters, many of whom were employed constantly in conveying the products of the bush to Timaru and other places. A large number of sawyers were employed, and the supply of tools, clothing, food and necessaries to them formed a rich source of trade to the shopkeepers. Many, many changes hav e occurred in the town and district; many people have come and remained here and many who came removed to other colonies and to other parts of New Zealand, during the twenty years nearly elapsed since I arrived here. In the town, houses have been built, streets formed, churches, hotels, large stores and public buildings erected, benefit societies, Borough Council, and Volunteer and Salvation Army Corps established. In the country many miles of good roads have been made, and several excellent bridges erected; farm houses have built, and thousands of acres of land fenced in and turned to good use in the production of food and the material for clothing. Larks and other imported birds and hares have increased to an extent .which would be incredible .if not actually experienced. Flocks have wonderfully increased in numbers—beyond those of th e patient patriarch of the land of New Zealand.