THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT SHORTRIED ANDERSON

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 2, Issue 1, 1 April 1969, Page 4

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT SHORTRIED ANDERSON

A.G.B.

Section II

“It was said the ‘Marchioness’ would sail this afternoon Good Friday, and in case of missing my passage I hastened on board for good. There were only three or four passengers besides myself one of whom I was most intimately acquainted with all the time I was at N.Z. named Morris Croner - One german, and Mr. Campbell - My friend John Sutherland loaded me with all manner of luxuries to use on the passage - I found the ‘Marchioness’ a very different vessel from the ‘Ariel’, she was remarkably clean, splendid and . extensive accommodation and most excellent provisions served out - Captain Kreft is the sole owner of her, she was a splendid clipper of about two hundred tons burden and the fastest schooner out of Australia - . . . After all the vessel will not leave till 4 p.m. o’clock tomorrow morning. After tea on board I proceeded ashore and had one last farewell stroll through Wellington and embarked again at eight o’clock ...”

“Saturday nth April 1857. At four this morning I was on deck. We fired a gun, and weighed anchor. A fine breeze sprung up. As we were rounding Point Halsewell Seargent Styles met us in his boat. The “prefect of police” boarded us, and commenced a search through every part of the vessel with a drawn sword. He took away with him one of our three passengers Mr Campbell, because he had not given notice to the Customs of his intended departure from the Province. Every one leaving Wellington must give forty eight hours notice, and they have their names written on a board for the benefit of the public, many leaving the colony in debt. 1 This is done with a view of preventing it - We kept tacking with a head wind down the channel, and reached the heads of Port Nicholson about ten o’clock where the pilot boarded us, bringing with him the passenger Seargent Styles took away. Mr Campbell and his captor, roused the Superintendent out of bed and an explanation took place. He got permission to depart, he was furnished with a horse, and had a desperate race to reach the heads . . . and was just in time - the unfortunate man had [been] obliged to leave his box ashore containing all his tools, he was a saddler and had been engaged for twelve months to a man in Melbourne, and was in a terrible state about his chest. . .

13 th. The weather being very violent ran for Queen Charlotte Sound which we reached about noon, came to anchor in a smooth bay. A party of us went ashore to have a days shooting among the hills - and returned with several fine birds, and a numerous variety of fish -.. .” 15th. At 1 pm, made sail with a fair wind, and before dusk we saw the last of New Zealand . . .”

After an uneventful passage the Marchioness anchored in Hobson’s Bay, Port Phillip on 4 May. On landing and meeting his brother, Robert was dismayed to learn that there had been a change of Government and John Anderson had lost what influence he had in obtaining a situation for him. Despite Robert’s personal disappointment he was most impressed with the enhanced appearance of the town since his departure only eighteen months before.

“How different Melbourne is now to what it was two or three years ago. Then everything was disorder, confusion and misery, the streets were unpaved, undrained, and unlighted, the roads, streets and paths were dangerous quagmires, houses of all sorts were very scarce, the rents were enormous, prices of everything fabulous. Extortion was the order of the day, and a new comer’s only chance of success was to consider every person in the Colony a rascal but himself - Comforts were not to be had for love or money. Men women and children were then huddled together in the most squalid wretchedness. The filth about Canvass Town, thousands of people night after night stood exposed to the drenching rain, cold, homeless and shelterless - sleeping about the wharfs like so many pigs. Melbourne has now become a London, ships and steam vessels in great numbers daily arrive and depart . . . houses, villas, shops, and public buildings of great dimensions and splendid pretensions to architectural beauty have risen and are daily rising into existence, what a mighty change . . . from the peaceful and quiet little settlement of Wellington where scarcely a sound seemed to disturb the ears - The streets are now well flagged and as well lighted as at Edinburgh or London. Gas has been introduced . . . Cabs, carts, waggons, ‘flys’ carriages, omnibusses and stage coaches whirling hither and thither constantly through every vein and artery of this wonderful and bustling city - Great Collins Street reminds me of Oxford Street . . . hundreds and thousands passing and repassing like a mighty hive of bees... The yells of the urchins singing out Argus, Argus, Herald, Age, etc., the cries of the omnibus guards and cab drivers, St. Kilda! - St. Kilda! Sandridge! Brighton, Richmond! Richmond! Here and there in the corner of every public street, men are to be seen presiding over small tables, provided with pens ink and paper, where for a small sum you can write letters, or address newspapers with perfect confidence that they will be sent duly to the General Post Office. - In other situations men are to be seen presiding over their tools for cleaning shoes. ‘Boots’ is heard calling to the pedestrians for their patronage.” Anderson on the invitation of an old friend had lunch at the Criterion after some “shandy gaff” - “three hundred people are seated comfortably and feeding, a fountain is playing in the centre of the room, the fare is varied and excellent, and the attendance danced on us most unexceptionable . . . The ‘Criterion’ is only one of the numerous

splendid American hotels in Melbourne . . . The Royal [theatre] is the ‘Drury Lane’ of the Colony, where periodically operas are produced. I visited the Public Library two or three times, it is a splendid building . . . containing upwards of eight thousand volumes, so arranged that you can get any book you require in a minute. The books were all bound in calf and gold, and the accommodation is very superior Despite Anderson’s favourable impressions a job eluded him. John then proposed that he himself should settle permanently in New Zealand as a farmer and that Robert should accompany him. To this end he resigned from his own position as a law clerk. After purchasing farming equipment and although John was “much staggered ... in consequence of some remarks made by Mr. Mackechnie regarding New Zealand” they embarked on the schooner Martha on 5 August 1857, before finally departing on the nth. On 6 September the vessel sailed past Rangitoto to anchor off Commercial Bay. Anderson, although “highly gratified with the harbour”, thought that it “bears no comparison with the bold and romantic scenery of Port Nicholson” while the pilot who answered their signal “gave us no very flattering accounts of Auckland ...”

. . Like all other towns in the Colonies, the stranger is struck with the immense number of Public houses . . . There are numerous stores some of which are large and elegant. Bain Graham & Coy’s on the beach, a large two story building constructed of scoria is the finest in Auckland. There is only one wharf or jetty of very considerable pretensions at which a great number of schooners, cutters, and small craft lay moored. We were amazed to see the number of Maories managing ‘their own boats. Numbers of Canoes sailing about in all directions. Two or three schooners were at anchor in the bay. two ships, a barque two brigs - The shipping is not so considerable here as it is at Wellington but ... a number of vessels and steamers are constantly ' arriving and departing from the Manakau harbour ... “Monday 7 September 1857. After breakfast the Captain John and I with another passenger Captn McDermott of the 58th proceeded ashore with the Steward and second mate . . . and put up at the ‘Allied Arms’ Hotel, Albert St. . . . The Captain [who] also remained with us all day and night, was of course very elevated; he amply compensated himself for his temperance at sea in bumpers of brandy hot, and pots of beer - We passed the time very well, and in the evening went to the theatre and heard the garrison theatre amateurs, the performances were miserable.” il bio m to matm lonotabah

On the ioth Anderson recorded: “John succeeded this forenoon in obtaining suitable rooms in Shortland Street to carry on Photographic Portraits two doors above the ‘Southern Cross’ Newspaper Office. Very bad weather ..Next day “Left the ‘Allied Arms’. .. and took

possession of our new house, which was in a sadly dilapidated state for our purpose. - The house stands on, and overlooks a very steep declivity at the back, where instead of a yard, we have a wooden gallery, which Commands a magnificent view of Auckland and the harbour. - The house contains two rooms, the front one well lighted being Constructed for Photographic purposes. There is a trap d00r... on the Floor, underneath which is a large space of ground below the house where we kept our fire wood. But like the ‘Martha’ our new premises have one universal and crying evil, viz - the want of a House of Commons-” From the 13 th to the end of the month they made extensive repairs and commenced taking portraits. “Numerous people patronized us, we had a few failures, but in general the oracle was found to work well. - [Throughout October] Continuing taking portraits, and every prospect of making a considerable amount of cash if my brother would only go a little more ahead with the concern. I seldom went out of doors, my department consisting of ‘Cooking’ and sundry other little matters , . . The Camera sometimes baffled all my brothers efforts to obtain a portrait, and one time in particular for two or three days, for some reason or other, the attempts were dead failures - The vexation of this occasioned my brother to close the establishment and we prepared ourselves for a journey to Papakura in quest of land to commence farming ...” ,

Papakura was a disappointment but on their way they enjoyed the hospitality of Captain Ligar, 2 former Chief Surveyor who recommended Whangarei. However John brooding on his photographic failures thought that he had found the technical fault so on their return the business re-opened, successfully at least for a period. Robert undertook to go north to look over land in the Whangarei district and embarked on Captain Robert Mair’s cutter Petrel. 3 Also passengers were Henry Walton of Maungatapere and Lloyd of the Bay of Islands who with Te Tirarau the chief of the district between Whangarei and Kaipara had recently had their portraits taken by John Anderson. On their way north in the middle of the night they hailed the schooner St Kilda with whose Maori owners “we had a conversation for about an hour... in the Maori language, both vessels running before the wind. How singular indeed Mr Lloyd one of our passengers recognized us. It was he who kept the sly grog tent at Meredith and served us with supper the night John and I were on our way to Ballarat and on the occasion of our escape from a bushranger . . . The Captain had a splendid flutina on board and kept me playing nearly all the voyage.” The voyage itself lasted twenty-four hours. The men went ashore, first at Aubrey’s “resident Magistrate and Customs collector on the North side of the river and afterwards to Henry’s 4 Public house on the opposite side.” The next day they weighed anchor at 6 a.m. and sailed up river

but on account of calms did not reach the settlement proper and Rust’s accommodation house, Burnside Farm, 5 until late that night. Anderson was much taken with the scenery at the heads and on the way upstream and was given useful information by both Walton and Rust 6 on the district. “Wangarei is a quiet and romantic locality. There are an immense number of natives... but only about half a dozen settlers and two stores. ...”

“The country it is said is overun with wild pigs, The natives are very expert in catching them, with their dogs, a good pig dog will cost sometimes -£$ or even more. Some settlers catch the pigs by making various enclosures about their fences, with a door so contrived to fall easily - The door is fixed and kept open for a week or so, and corn is laid down as a bait... In course of time herds of pigs come and bring others with them and the door is set in such a manner as to prevent their escape when once in the enclosure, hundreds of wild pigs are caught in this manner.”

Robert agreed to accompany Dr Kenderdine “the Surgeon of the Settlement” to Maungatapere and gives a graphic description of the journey. “After fairly getting out ofWangarei we came to a large stream which the doctor crossed over by making his horse swim for it, I Went further up to a more shallow place, and with great exertions got over the river, the flood carried me a considerable way down we next came to a large swamp and for about half a mile waded through up to the middle in mud water tea tree flax fern etc - we got out of this at last, the rain descending in torrents without intermission - passed over a large hill descending into several gullies, and proceeded for a few miles along the tops of ranges of hills covered with fern, tea tree and small scrub. We entered a bush by descending a steep declivity and continuing our descent which was very steep for upwards of a mile through the forest till we came to the Otaki [Otaika] river which the doctor swam. I was more fortunate here, the natives conducted me to a tree they had laid across the stream in a narrow place and with a little troubled got over. This place is called Otaki Valley and several settlers are scattered about in its vicinity - There are a great number of natives settled here all of which are employed cultivating their land - we crossed a frightful swamp of flax etc and the doctor was rather at fault about the track which we should take. We procured a native guide who accompanied us to Dwyers creek where we had a hard job to cross - This is a savage country in the strict sense of the word, neither roads nor bridges .. . The Doctor again swam his horse, I managed to get over in seven or eight feet of water on some floating tea tree stakes - We crossed over another large swamp extending about a mile where I went in some places over the head, with fern, tea tree, flax growing from five to nine feet high - this travelling surpasses all I have hitherto experienced -we

had two more rivers to ford in one of which the doctor was thrown of [f ] his horse and plunged in the stream - we got gradually out of the valley and entered the forests at the base of Maunga Manu and Taupere ... about eight o’clock we came in sight of Mr Waltons farm, the finest it is said in New Zealand - here the soil is rich volcanic and of extraordinary fertility, it was dark when I dismounted the doctor’s horse which he had given me for the last half of the journey. The sight of an enormous fire cheered us and Mr Walton gave us a kind and cordial welcome ...”

Next day the weather cleared and the three men climbed some distance up Maungatapere to gaze “with insatiable eyes upon one of the loveliest and grandest sights that the world possesses. .. Eden was there fulfilling every requisition of the imagination ...” Anderson’s text continues for a page in lyrical, if scarcely original, praise of the view and the land, so it was only to be expected that the following morning when Walton and Kenderdine showed him an unsold area within a mile of the Maungatapere farm he should have virtually decided upon it. However caution reminded him of his original purpose to inspect some land ten miles further on at Maungakaramea. Equipped with sketch maps he set out spending the first night at Dwyer’s cattle farm. Dwyer “an old Irishman who has been settled with his son and two daughters for eighteen years at Hokianga and recently removed to Otaki Valley . . . I met with a cordial reception as indeed I did at every hut, or settler’s house I called at in the bush.” His journey to Maungakaramea was through the seemingly already familiar swamps and fern hills. The block had recently been surveyed and laid out in sections but Anderson considered it too far from Whangarei.

Maungakaramea stood out - “a volcanic hill, covered with bush at its base, and one large tree standing prominently out on its summit, . . I examined one block after another as they were laid out on my chart, with the aid of a compass, but at No. 15 I could penetrate no further.” After making sketches he accordingly returned to Dwyer’s and the coast. While waiting for the Petrel to take him back to Auckland he was invited by aMr “Pettingale 7 to ‘kill an hour or so’ at his orchard which is the finest it is said and most extensive in New Zealand, here there is a great variety of each kind of fruit from all parts of the globe. The place is situated ... close to the landing place it is kept in splendid order and realizes a large income to its enterprising owner . . . [On the Petrel ] Mr Pettingale was a passenger - a most eccentric character into the bargain - he brought a large kit filled with books for no other purpose but to read on the voyage to Auckland, also a huge fruit pudding which he placed on the cabin table ... [ln Auckland] I was glad to learn that my brother had been doing very well at the portraits, during my absence. I gave him my notes of the tour I had made and advised him

earnestly and often to stick to the Photography, but he was bent on a farmer’s life ... We proceeded to the Land Office and purchased two hundred acres at Maungatapere 8 at ten shillings per acre . . The brothers finally moved north on the Petrel in early December and went immediately to their selection, spending the first night with their neighbour Dwyer. Robert had earlier described the chosen area as on “rich volcanic soil about eighty acres of bush, the rest fern, tupakihi, flax, tea tree, koramika and old native cultivation - Bounded by the Main Government road from Otaki to Taupere, on the south. By the Otaki river and part of Native boundary on the north, by Joseph Land’s bush on the west and by George Edge’s 9 Land on the East - There are 260 acres in the block. There is a considerable quantity of scoria or Volcanic lava all over the land and in the bush some enormous and precipitous rocks, caves, and gullies - The place is called after the river Kai-Kush 10 which runs diagonally through the property . . The bush contains an endless variety of fine timber, abundance of Kauri, Rimu, totara White & Red pines, Puriri or New Zealand Oak Manuka and dense vegetation, the land is very undulating and some fine slopes and picturesque elevations . .

Dwyer arranged with the local Maoris that the Anderson goods would be taken up the Otaika, some three hours journey, by canoe for thirty shillings and two flasks of gunpowder. Back at Whangarei early on the morning of the 14th they saw their stores into a canoe “and proceeded with the native chiefs Rata and Toko who gave us a paddle each. About 10 am we were off. For three hours or so we proceeded quickly down the romantic [Whangarei] stream and all at once the canoe stuck fast. The wind was blowing very strong and it was anything but pleasant to remain for hours idle in the Canoe waiting for the flood. All four of us fell asleep. About five o’clock evening we were afloat again, the natives singing over their paddles in a truly savage style. We got into the mouth of the Otaki river opposite Limestone Isle and in about three hours more reached the landing place at the head of the river. We were very tired paddling all day, and glad to light a fire in the bush...” However John Grant Johnson “the resident Magistrate and agent for effecting sales of land from the natives sent a servant for us to take up our quarters at his house hard by . ..”

The next day was spent entirely in carrying “one small box crammed full.. . towards our new home” but they managed only to get it as far as “Mr Fifield’s house about two miles on our way, the roads, gullies and creeks together with breaking through the; bush being serious work . 7 They went to the selection for a further night with Dwyer and on the 16th resumed the ferrying from the river head, camping that night near the Kai Kush stream for the first time, “... we fixed on one elevation outside and near the bush and at a short distance from the Kai

Kush stream, commenced to clear a track with bill hooks through the fern and bush to it. Next day completed the track and cut poles. . . and erected a tent ten feet by eight. We purchased potatoes, wheat, etc. from the natives ...”

Space does not permit a full account of the first months which were occupied chiefly with clearing, house building, negotiations with the local Maoris for essential supplies, suffering sleepless nights from sandflies and mosquitoes and splitting battens and shingles. At the outset they fell into a new chum’s mistake “We commenced felling a number of trees such as Tepou, Toto rimo puriri lance wood manuka etc. We felled large trees for plates and squared them down the adze, but after all our trouble and expending several days on this work the natives informed us we had used very bad trees, which would only last for about three months, and we had in consequence to pull the whole affair down again after the Upper plates being fixed to the corner posts, this was rather vexatious work ...” After four months labour Robert wrote with foreboding: “I have a presentiment that to make this farm pay, fearful difficulties must yet be overcome.”

The onset of winter found the house still unfinished . worst of all we are infested with mice and rats which eat up grass seed, potatoes, Maize, and everything they can seize - The owls frequently perch over our beds in the house at night and sit till morning watching the mice, sometimes starting us in our sleep by a sudden dive at their prey. - We never interfere with the owls - The natives continue to visit us and put off much of our time with their nonsense - In fine weather our days work is generally half a chain picked up and hoed for grass - Our limited capital will not admit of us purchasing horses or ploughs.” The reference to exercising restraint in not killing moreporks was further to an earlier entry noting “... several pigeons shot and owls, not a few.” On 6 May he left for a visit to Whangarei by “Mr Waltons new road under Maungau Manu, dense forest for twelve miles, precipitous gullies, descents, found it much worse than any other and much longer - reached Mr Rust surnamed Wai Kura at 4 pm. Wai-Kura is famed far and near for his niggardly meals scanty hospitality, poor accommodation and high charges for everything - Tremendous wet weather set in rivers, & creeks, flooded, and stopping all travelling for a season.” However he managed to pass the time at Rust’s “very well” with many other stormbound visitors “among whom were a party of surveyors, Mr Johnson of Otaki and others. I overheard Johnston [sic] the magistrate giving Wai-Kura a long lecture on his niggardly principles - Why I’ve seen you Mr Rust, set a small plate of six or eight thin slices of beef and half a dozen potatoes for the dinner of seven hungry travellers and you charge two shillings each, and so on - ‘Starvation principles’”

On their return home they found that they had had visitors. “. . . a party of natives had cooly [sic] made themselves at home at our house, they had bought a load of potatoes maize kumeras etc to sell us - their impudence passes all description, they exchanged their dirty blankets for our clothes and rigged themselves from head to foot cutting the most grotesque figures imaginable. We found nothing Missing, honesty being a great trait in the character of the natives - But they out of curiosity, ransacked the house. When we purchased their produce we had occasion for a sixpence to give them change, the natives cooly told us there was one in my brothers old coat pocket!” The brothers nevertheless were greatly indebted to the Maoris for supplies, labour and general advice although they cavilled at the cost. Maungatapere sported a large pigeon population in 1858. “In fine weather we go pigeon shooting - and have these birds every day at our meals - the natives are very expert shooting them . . . [and] will not infrequently shoot one hundred of them in a day - One native called at our house with an immense swag of them . . . and asked for some kai kai . . .”

But despite the compensation of cheap food Robert’s doubts about the success of the enterprise deepened. In early September he recorded that John’s expectations were “confined ... to raising pigs and curing pork for the Melbourne Markets - I am much afraid his sanguine expectations will not be accomplished - It is plain a large Capital is required to work the farm to make it pay at all, which we have not got.” He continued to note that “besides a catalogue of the most incredible difficulties we have to contend with” a runaway soldier was threatening the lives of settlers in Whangarei and the countryside. As the house was nearly finished a week’s incessant rain gave them the opportunity to begin making tables, stools, a carpenter’s bench and “a large granary”. And the spring planting was unpropitious - “Cultivating maize, but the swarms of bush rats eat every grain that was planted the same night, very vexatious.” Hence the final decision for Robert at least was not long deferred.

“Taking a general view of this farming Concern, I was convinced all our labour would be lost, My brother had up to this time expended his whole funds with the exception of two or three pounds, and I see no prospect of a penny being returned for a long time yet. The fact is the land is too far from a market, and there is no prospect of any roads being made for many years to come ... I considered I was spending time and labour to no purpose and resolved much against my brothers wishes to return to Auckland to try and get employment.”

So on the morning of 15 November 1858 Robert left the farm “with feelings much the same as when I left Richmond for Wellington three years ago. I had a swag of about 50 lbs containing all my worldly

effects consisting of my plans, designs, notebooks articles of clothing etc. and 27/- in cash my brother gave me. I yet hope to see better days.” In Auckland he returned first to the Allied Arms hotel whose landlady, Mrs Allen, had to ask him to leave when he was unable to pay board. However a Parnell family, the Chisholms, offered him hospitality until his prospects improved. The struggle for any employment was most disheartening and in desperation he accepted an agency position as a shepherd to one May in the Waikato for 6/- per week. Fortunately during the first week of the New Year he was offered a position as a temporary clerk with permanent prospects in the office of the Hon. H. J. Tancred, Postmaster General. And there was even the possibility of a return to architectural work:

“About a month since Mr Hansard introduced me to one Mr Heron a noted builder in Auckland who apprised me of designs & plans etc wanted for the new Union Bank, the Manager (A. Kennedy Esq) of which had recieved numerous designs for the same but not one would meet... requirements. -1 proposed to offer a design for the Buildings, which is not to exceed -£IO,OOO - hoping thereby to earn some reputation in my legitimate line of business...” However some weeks later he was excited to learn that his designs had been approved. “My prospects apparently beginning to look bright, it is not to be wondered at, if I begin to like Auckland better than before - The climate is milder than that of‘Stormy Wellington’ but I think not so good and healthy upon the whole ...” And on that cheerful almost topical note of

meteorological vindication the diary closes. Brother John’s Maungatapere enterprise probably did not long survive Robert’s departure. John Graham Anderson joined the Audit Department as a clerk on 16 July 1862 and before his retirement thirty years later he was Deputy Auditor. His obituary in 1903 11 records that his first job in Edinburgh was in the Post Office and in Melbourne he was in the office of the Minister of Lands. In New Zealand “he purchased a small run in the north of Auckland; but afterwards accepted a position in the Audit Office.” One feels that like Robert his feelings on appointment would be coloured more by thankfulness than regret.

NOTES I The Passenger Regulation Act (Wellington Provincial Council Session VNo 21, assented to, 20 Feb. 1857, in its Acts & Proceedings 1856-57) made it illegal for a vessel to depart before the master had deposited a list of the passengers and crew with the Harbour Master who had to inspect the ship before sailing. Campbell on the Marchioness was taken off in terms of Clause 4 of the Act. 2 F. W. Ligar was the country’s second Surveyor-General (1840-56). When visited by the Andersons he had not long retired and was shortly to accept a similar position for the Victorian Government.

3 A. M. Rust in his Reminiscences of early Whangarei (1934) states that the Petrel was a permanent trader from 1857 until 1864, for part of the time under the charge of Robert Mair but for most of the period under Captain T. S. Carmichael. 4 Henry’s Public House. Possibly kept by Henry Holman who first came to Whangarei in 1844. s John Stewart Rust (1826-76) with his brother first settled in Whangarei in 1854. His grandson in his Reminiscences ... gives much information on the persons mentioned in the Anderson diary which in other aspects obviously amplifies Rust. The name Waikura, A. M. Rust records, was the nearest Maori translation of the word ‘rust’ in English.

6 Henry Walton (Rust, p 68 and Florence Keene, Between two mountains (1966) pp 45-7) purchased from the chief Te Tirarau a large block around Maungatapere which, after a short period in the Northern Wairoa, he proceeded to develop. Mrs Keene, commenting on the Maungatapere Park estate, says that Henry and Charles Walton \ . . were the first in the Whangarei district and also in New Zealand to import sufficient men, stock and machinery to establish a complete farm’. Henry Walton first married a niece of Te Tirarau but after the death of both his wife and half-caste son he married in England where he retired in 1867. 7 Rust (p 67) recorded that ‘Petingale’ had ‘a fine orchard on the waterfront in 1859’ having already sold a portion to Cafler in 1856 and the balance in the year of the Anderson residence to Robert Reybum. 8 Six thousand acres of land at Maungatapere were advertised (Auckland Provincial Gazette, vol 6, p 33, 2 April 1857) as being available for selection two years after their purchase of the block by the well-known Land Purchase Commissioner mentioned in the diary.

9 George Edge (Rust, p 82 and Keene, p 47) had come to Maungatapere about 1842 after working at the Tangiteroria Mission from 1838 for two years and then managing a mill at the Northern Wairoa for Henry Walton. 10 The editor is indebted to Mrs G. M. Lightbody, Librarian, Whangarei Public Library, and to Mr K. M. Stevens of Marsden Bay for information about the location of the Anderson farm and for confirming that ‘Kai Kush’ was a corruption of ‘Kai Goose’. The latter name originated from the fact that Captain Walton owned geese which trespassed on his Maori neighbours’ kumera cultivations. The Maoris retaliated by eating the geese. The Anderson property was lot 37 of 186 acres south of the Whakapai Stream or Otaika River, (NZMS 177 A sheet 20 (1963). The southern boundary was the old Government road or Jackson’s Road. Mr Stevens advises that a small unnamed stream does cross the property but it is not the Kai Goose which was on his father’s farm to the west. 11 New Zealand Times 23 September 1903.