OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 58, 20 March 1945, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR RANDOLPH STEWART Mr Randolph Oliphant a well-known identity of the Whakatane district in the early days of settlement died recently at Coroman. del at the age of 87. Mr Stewart was born at Raglan in the year 1858, where his father was the resident magistrate. The family later moved to Whakatane. where his father was the first schoolmaster in the district. At the age of Mr Stewart drove the first herd of cattle over the roadless country between Cambridge and Whakatane. The. herd consisting of 24 milking cows j was taken up the beach by Mr Stewart and another to Ma'ketu, and then through an old Maori track to Rotorua. The trail led them through the Mamaku bush and down the Waikato River to Cambridge. Setting off with a herd on' the journey back,- they swam the cattle across the Waikato and continued through to where Putaruru is now situated. They crossed the Kaingaroa Plains to Galatea and journeyed on to Te Teko- where they swam the Rangitaiki River to deliver the cattle in Whakatane.

After a period during which he was droving Mr Stewart took up the farm in Whakatane which is at present owned by Mr Allan Stewart where he remained for some time.

In later years ? Mr Stewart helped to survey the road from Whakatane to Rotorua.

Two of his sons residing in Wha-i katane. at present are Mr Allan Stewart and Mr Dave Stewart.