PIONEERING DAYS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20495, 11 May 1938, Page 9

PIONEERING DAYS

LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND FRANKTON WOMAN’S MEMORIES One of New Zealand’s pioneers of 70 years ago, Mrs Rhoda Watkins, formerly of Hamilton and now of Auckland, celebrated her 91st birthday j i yesterday. Although she lost her ‘ sight some 15 years ago Mrs Watkins i enjoys fairly good health and retains vivid recollections of the hardships endured by the pioneers of the early days. The daughter of Mr J. T. Robinson, j a stonemason, Mrs Watkins was born j at Broughton, England, and came to | New Zealand in the sailing ship Eastern Empire which later left the Do- j minion on its return to England with u j cargo of wool and was never seen or ( heard of again. The journey to New f Zealand occupied five months and the boat was considerably overcrowded. r ' At Christchurch Mrs Watkins mar- . ried the late Mr Edwin Watkins who for some years was farming in various * parts of Canterbury. Maori Wars did ( not trouble the settlers of the South j Island but the farmers on the plains . had to contend with other hardships caused by the primitive conditions under which they had to live. There was no railway and the sole means of transport were the old Sydney dray and the draught horse and with the poor state of the roads even these means were impracticable at times. To j obtain water the settlers had to carry barrels to and from the rivers but later the water-race system was introduced. Arrival at Raglan .In i 903 Mrs Watkins with her bus- : band and family moved to the North i Island and for many years lived in the j ; Raglan district. Here the settlers \ were completely isolated owing to the i roads which were unmetalled being ’ impassable in bad weather. Few attempted the arduous journey on horse- “ hack which was the only method of; obtaining communication with tlie out-! sale world. Some years later Mr and Mrs Wat- c kins moved to Kakahi in the King

Country where, in 1919, Mrs Watkins lost her husband. Seven years ago she came t«» Frank ton. There arc four sons and three daughters, 31 grandchildren and 34 greatgrandchildren.