A PIONEER PASSES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 09, Issue 21, 6 November 1945, Page 5

A PIONEER PASSES

LATE MR GEORGE CREEKE LINK WITH EARLY WHAKATANE There passed away last Saturday the oldest living Pakeha resident that Whakatane has Jen own in the person of M» George Creeke. The late Mr Creeke who was born in London in 1852 died at the ripe old age of 93Residents of, this town who had grown to recognise the white headed figure who so often .sunned himself, at the Heads, little knew that in/ this grand old man was preserved one of those rare links with the pastji In his full and active life, it is hard to realise that the late Mr Creeke was privileged to see in his span the revolutionary changes of nearly a century of the world's most amazing history. From the comparatively simple living of the Victorian to tlie bustle of the modern world with all its attendant facilities for air travel for radio service and for J electrical devices without limit Mr Creeke was able in his declining years to regard himself as something of an ambassador from the quiet orderly world of yesterday. Sailing with his family from England in 1863, in the ship Nimroud Mr Creeke was able to recall that the passage lasted from three to four months before the vessel finally berthed at Auckland.

Tlie late Mr Creeke was then a lad of eleven years. Under the stress of the Maori War in the proCreeke Senior was called up in the Militia, and attached to the Waikato Regiment which was later '3 transferred to Tauranga for the historic assault on Gate Pa. The family travelled with the troops and on March sth 1865 went to Opotiki following the murder of the Rev. Carl Volkuer. Upon the arrest of the putlaw Kereopa the family returned to Auckland where the late Mr Creeke obtained employment in the Herald Office (then the Southern Cross). He returned to Maketu in 1869, where he worked for the late Mr J. Bennett father of Bishop Bennett. In 1871 he found a position at Matata working in the store owned by the late Mr John McPherin 1879 was appointed manager of the Ohiwa Hotel.

Settling in Whakatane in 1880 he first worked for Mr George Simpkins a general -storekeeper after whom Simpkins Street was named. The entire settlement appeared to be in the vicinity of King Street in the 70s ? and was centred round the soldiers' quarters. However it was later dccided to move the military post to the prominance known as Hillcrest, and from then on. the Strand Avliich was nothing but a waste of tidal began to be regarded as tbe normal place for the town. People began to build houses and the stores erected by Messrs. William Kelly and George Simpkins were re-erected on the waterfront. The only buildings of any consequence were two hotels with stores combined and in the year 1869 of > '9 which Mr Creeke cherished vivid tbe savage Te Kooti fell upon the little settlement and burned the buildings to the ground. One of the major tragedies of this raid was the massacre on Mill Farm on Valley Road of the Frenchman and his gallant little garrison.

The new town in spite of setbacks began seriously to develop and Mr Simpkins, who figured prominently in its early history brought a house which he had erected on Whale Island? and re.erected it on a site fronting the Strand. There were no churches but a small" Native School was operating on the site of tbe present High School. Mr Creeke was wont to recall that his first introduction to Whakatane was far from encouraging. The town experienced a great flood which reached over the whole of Kopeopeo the water coming half.way up the shop counters. He could recall no similar flood to parallel it. Setting himself up as storekeeper Mr Creeke took over premises near the Rock on the site of the present Land Agency and Auctioneering Establishment of Messrs. A. J. Canning and Co. There were turbulent experiences Avith tbe Urcwera na. tives Avho used to periodically come into toAvn in mobs of forty or fifty. There was a sworn rivalry between them and the local Maoris and pandemonium invariably broke loose when they appeared. There were '1 'red fights in the street, and on

these occasions stores and public bouses were closed while the owners »stood and watches the lights in pro-» gress. Mr Creeke saw the development in. the 80s of the coastal steamer service, which used to run from Auckland. The ships used to berth in thenatural stone wharf on which tlx© 9 t premises of the Wha'Katanc Club ara now built. In those days the town-* ship had a weekly mail service which? was brought by pack horse- I'ron# Tauranga. Prior to this ? the Mounted Constabulary carried the mail in're. lays mounted men being stationed: at Tauranga Maketu, Matata, Whakatane and Opofciki for that pur-* pose. Another early feature of Wha« katane j destined to become permanent was the formation of Commerce Street by men of ,the militia who built the road to give access from the settlement to the school.

Mr Creeke was often known to have stated that the whole course of the river was different to what, it is at present. The actual channel in the early days swept along the rear of the pi'esent Borough Council Chambers and the tide, came tight up around the. Rock, behind which, one or two small vessels built loc-» were successfully launched. He had, he on numerous timeSj thrown a line out from his counter and enjoyed good fishing.

As the town developed, it became a distributing and goods * were taken by boat along the Orini! Stream to Te from where produce Avas returned to the township. Matata was also reached via the Orini and the Rangitaiki River. In his early Mr Creeke ,ber* came a foundation member of the Masonic Lodge and was. also a ves-* tryman of the Anglican Church which he assisted to build in 1892.. His combining a bakehouse and general trading depot was well 1 known throughout the Easternßßaty t and became one of the natural meeting places for the transaction of busines-s. As agent for the Northern Steamship Co., he also pitted an important part in the developing of the town as a port.

The late Mr Creeke retired some years ago to Tauranga 5 but being naturally returned and reopened the business- in the town which he had known so well. At an age when most men are content to sit he still persisted in carry_ ing out his business responsibilities and attended perJbnally to the administration of his various proper, ties. Prior to the commencement of the present he retired .at his house at the at the age of S5. Even then, he retained a good memory 6f the past history of the and visitors usually found him in excellent spirits.

The late Mr Creeke left a total of ten children. He was married twice find by his first marriage had eight children of which three only are alive—Messrs Joseph Creeke (Heads y Frederick Creeke (Sydney) and Mrs Pearson (Whakatane). He is survived by his second wife and two other children Mrs; C. S. Armstrong and Mr William Creeie, both of Whakatane. There are thi.rty and seventeen great making a total of fifty living, descendants. The funeral which took place yeswas widely attended. The. deceased was given a Masonic burial, the pall bearers being Messrs. F. G. S. Sliapley and E. Currah. , I