BORN IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 229, 27 September 1928, Page 9

BORN IN AUCKLAND.

DIAMOND WEDDING PARTY.

PONSONBY OCTOGENARIANS.

I'OUR ALFRED NEWDICK.S,

To have four generations at their diamond wedding is, to be the happy experience on Sunday next of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Newdick, of 47, Islington Street, Ponsonby. Mr. Newdiek was born at Fonsonby on August 21, IS4o, and Mrs. Newdick at Hovick on August 20, IS4B. The latter was a Miss Finlay. Both octogenarians enjoy good health, and to a surprising extent retain their faculties. Few pioneers are able to speak as vividly as they of the old Auckland of seventy or eighty years ago. In direct line of succession the family tree includes four Alfred Newdieks. The tirst Alfred was born on the farm of hie father (the late Mr. Richard Newdick), which was where the Wesl End Theatre now stands. He recalls that in his buyhood there were only three other houses in the Ponsonby district. One was on the farm of Mr. Alimore, at Heme Bay: another on the farm of Captain Maine, at Shelly Beach; and the third on Mr. Taylor's large block of ground, on College Hill.

To St. Matthew's Clmrc'i School in those days the track led across Nairn's Gully, down which a creek ran from Newton to Freeman's Bay. With a merry twinkle Mr. Newdick recalls one of his I'outhful escapade*. Crossing the gully one morning on his way to school he espied some temptingly ripe fruit in an orchard at the back of a house which appeared to be unoccupied.

Some of the fruit found its way to school, and on the return journey the adventurer was accompanied by a troop of youngsters in search for more. On the tiptoe of anticipation they entered the house, young Alfred in the lead, but no sooner were they in the passage than a ghost appeared above their heads. The apparition had been mechanically set as a means of protecting the property in the absence of the owner (a Sir. Collins) on a visit to EnglaHd. Thereafter the fruit was safe. Sewpit off Queen Street.

"In my school days.V said Mr. Xewdick, ''Auckland was a very small town. Most of the houses were along High Street, and you did not have to walk far before finding yourself right out in the country. Queen Street extended from the beach.

where Fort Street now runs, to about Wellesley Street. It was planked on either side for pedestrians, and the roadway was fascined for horse traffic. There were few fchops, and where Queen street now adjoins Shortland Street there was. a sawpit. To this pit logs were hauled by means of a windlass from the shores of the harbour after they had been rafted down from Hiverhead and elsewhere. The timber cut in those days was the best of kauri."

When the first whispers of the existence of gold at the Thames floated through to Auckland Mr. Newdick went down, and with bis brother and four others pegged the Long Drive claim. In the course of a year they extracted thousands of ounces of gold, the metal •oming out at rate of 60oz to the ton. Then the lead ran out, and Mr. Newdick's brother, while on a vit-it to Auckland, sold out to the Thames Gold Mining Company for £200. One of the partners refused to sell his share, and when more jold showed up the company two months later bought him out for £14,000.

"We next pegged the All Nations •laim," said Mr. Newdick. '•and through not realising that we were on good gold my brother and Charlie Snowdou sold the claim for £200 to a man named Tantou, from Dunedin. He kept it for six weeks and sold it for £12.000. The purchaser was a man not long out from England, and within six weeks he sold it acraiii for £2.-).000."

That was the way thing- happened in! those hectic, uncertain times of the gold rush. Money came easily und slipped away just as freely. It was a e.i>e of hit or miss, and there were many misses. Mr. Newdick continued as miner in the Thames district lor -'5 years, and came back to live in Auckland 17 years ago. Much of his time was spent in individual prospecting, but although he had a keen wye for gold he was not one of who made a fortune. Hunt for Maori Murderer.

The veteran has many other stirring memories. When he was about IS yefirs of age, and engaged in sawmilling, he took a prominent part in the capture of the Maori for the murder of Mrs. and Miss Thompson, the wife and daughter of a farmer and storekeeper at Kaukapakapa. "Late one night," he said.

"I heard someone-screaming in the bush at the back of our camp. My mates and I went up the hill and found one of the Thompson girls carrying her baby brother on her back. She told us that the Maori* had broken out and killed some of the members of her family and other people in Kaukapakapa.

''We warned the settlers, and next morning 14 young men assembled, with all the lirearms they could find. Mr.! Thompson had gone into Auckland withi the mails. At his farm we found the] bodies of the two victims with, their i

heads almost severed. Military and naval men came up from Auckland, and two days later Ruarangi was caught at Kaipara Heads. He was placed among 1400 Maoris at Helensville. and the Miss Thompson who had got away (a young woman of about 20 years) seized on him and had' to be pulled away by half-a-dozen men. Her baby brother died from fright and exposure. The Maori chieftain Paul was so incensed at the murder that he wanted to burn Ruarangi on a grating of kauri gum, which was all in readiness. Tried to Jump Overboard.

"The authorities insisted that Ruarangi must be tried by a British Court, and so he was brought from Riverhead by boat to Auckland. I was rowing stroke oar, and at a moment when the; two policemen bad fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion the handcuffed prisoner tried to jump out of the boat. That was opposite Pine Island. 1 managed to grab him by the leg and hold him until the constables got hold of him. j

"At the trial it transpired that he had hung about the Thompson's house all day with the intention of stealing money, and that in the evening, while Mrs. Thompson was weighing out some sugar for him. he made his vicious attack with a hatchet. He was sentenced to death and executed."

Mr. ami Mrs. Xewdick liave tlircc son?, 1 ten grandchildren, and one great-grand-child. They are looking forward to a happy family reunion on Sunday next.