DOWN THE EAST COART.

Woodville Examiner, Volume VIII, Issue 806, 26 November 1891, Page 4

DOWN THE EAST COART.

OAKBURN.

On the opposite side of the Main Road from Porangahau station is Oakburn, the property of the Canning family,_ and at present occupied by Mr John White. Mr "White six years ago took a lease of the property, which consists of 2000 acres of freehold and 5000 acres of native lease. The property is one of the finest to be seen on the coast and Mr White has it in splendid order. Adjourning Oakburn Mr White has a lease of 12,000 acres. The lease of this has just been renewed. Mr White has also 1700 acres of land in the Porangahau Valley. For some of this he paid as much as i.’B an acre. Mr White is improving this property _ very greatly, having planted a large area in forest trees. He also intends planting out an orchard here. The site which he has laid out for ' his new homestead is an exceedingly pretty one off the Porangahau-Blackhead Road, and overlooking the sea in front. On this property Mr White is at present running 5000 sheep. The flocks on Mr White's various properties number 31,170, or a carrying capacity aU round of about a sheep to the acre. Mr White is ploughing this season about 400 acres which he is putting into turnips for the _ hoggets. Forty acres have also been cultivated on the river flat for Cape barley. About 14 men are employed on the station during the slackest part of the year. ■ Mr White is one of the pioneers of this part of Hawke’s Bay having come to the district 31 years ago with Mr H. WilliamsofNapier and* Mr Bibby of Waipawa. He established and still owns the original store in Porangahau, and which is now conducted by Mr G. White. Attached to Oakburn is a fine garden and orchard. Mr White has shown much push and go and has been from the first on innate part of Porangahau. PORANGAHAU As the traveller begins to descend the Porangahau hill he sees the pretty town-' ship lying at his feet in the rich valley of the river of the same name. At this season of the year, and indeed at all seasons, it presents the appearance of a carpet of lovely green, the plantations of trees adding rich beauty to the landscape. Porangahau was originally laid out as a large township, the land being sub-divided into areas of from a quarter-acre to 40 acres. These lots have now nearly all been bought into the hands of a few, and we are in- ' formed that daring the last few years the population has been steadily leaving the district for the bush, where the former settlers have made new homes. The township consists of a commodious hotel, the Duke of Edinburgh, kept by Mr McKenzie, who is having the house well done up; Mr White’s store, which is a fine building; Post and Telegraph Office in charg. of Mr Cropp, who is also clerk to the Porangahau and Wallingford Road Boards. A police station in charge of Constable Lawliss. who is stationed i at Wainui, and pays occasional visits to Porangahau to see that the people there behave themselves as they always do. The school is very successfully conducted by Mr Weiss, and has an attendance of 25. Mr V. Jensen, wellknown throughout the di trict, has a wellstocked store at the Ferry which he also keeps, the frequent freshes in the river often necessitating the aid of a boat. The river is also tidal up to the township. There is a lodge of Oddfellows, of which Mr Sidwell is secretary, but owing to the people leaving the district it is not in a very flourishing state, although it is sound financially. The difficulty is to get meetings, The Lodge has a hall of its own, Porangahau boasts of a nice little Church of England. It contains a handsomely stained glass window bearing the following inscription: “ Presented by the family of Canning to the memory of Davis Canning, who fell in action at Ruakaturi on the Bth of August, 1868, whilst leading the advance guard.” The Rev. F. E. T. Simcox is in charge of the Parish, which is a very extensive one. The township also boasts of a blacksmith’s shop and a Rifle Club. The Rifle Club is armed with Martini-Henri rifles. There is a large native settlement on the other side of the river, the buildings being of quite a superior style. But then it must be remembered that the Porangahau natives are a very wealthy lot, and some of them liye quite stylishly. They go in largely for cultivation and sheep farming on their own account. We were astonished to see in a country of such fertility that tho people do not grow nearly enough potatoes for their own use but have to import them with oats and chaff from Napier. There, is only a twice weekly mail service where now there should be a mail each way three times a week, The goods for the district are shipped from Wellington and Napier to Blackhead and thence taken to the township or portions of the settlement where required, mostly in bullock-drays.