EARLY OPOURIAO

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 41, 5 February 1946, Page 5

EARLY OPOURIAO

FOUNDING OF TANEATUA

MR P. KEEGAN’S NARRATIVE

FIFTY YEARS OF SETTLEMENT

Named after the famous Tohunga whose knowledge and training was largely instrumental in bringing the fabled Matatua Canoe safely across the Pacific to its first landing place at the Whakatane Heads, Taneatua the thriving township at the head of tlie Opouriao, has. also an interesting and checked history. At one time the town figured largely in ad-< ministrative. affairs and was regarded by the Government of the day as the potential town for the whole of the Rangitaiki and the adjoining hill country.

Mr Patrick Keegan one of the original settlers Block in 1896 has the following observations Ho make in a most mter-< esting review of his life's story entitled “The First Generation’ the script of which be has handed to us. for perusal and appropriation of extracts.

“We were the last to arrive,” says Mr Keegan “and the settlement was then becoming established with small shacks and a few better made ones of shingles or raupo.”

Those who had been lucky enough to he drawn in the ballot were Messrs G. Sykes, P. Keegan, A. B. Norton, Alf Capper, .Jack Walker, Bob Martin, George Ball, Joe Moody, Jim McCready W. Morrison, Alex Murray, H. Keegan, H. Peebles, Dave Thom Alex Peebles W. Ward--9 y law, A .H. Sisam Tom Tom Ernest Johnny Rust, Smith," E. Rawson ‘Bluegum’ Wilson .Win. y 9 Phillips John Moorcock, A. Gill, Billy Flowerday, J. and W. Gilmour and Miss A. Bunting, Miss E. Mitchell, Miss J. Morrison and Mrs J. Rust. For the smaller sections of from 10 to 20 acres, the following applied for W. Semmens R. Mason, Jack Johnson Blanchard Ken Ross i? 9 9 Jack Dillicar, C. Haylock and W. Ajdari. Nine farm sections were balloted for two j'ears later and were drawn by Messrs R. Wilkin, Jack Skipper. S. Carpp E. Broderick George Lord, Alf* Sibbitt, Alex McGougan, Jimmy Hamilton and Mrs Howell.

Mr Geo. Wilson was the first to start business in the little township which had been laid out and called Taneatua. He hajd a small store and a baker’s oven. All the township sections had residential conditions which prevented, them from being purchased and held for speculation. The last section was taken by Mr O. Moody in 1907. No settlement could have been started under more ideal conditions. The soil and the climate w r ere. wonderful and the highest rentals ran from 7s to 1 10s per acre of land cleared and in grass and partly fenced .* Everybody planted maize or onions and a little fattening ' was done. A small- boat called the ‘Chelmsford’ with her genial skipper, Capt. Charlie Hopkins ran to Auckland once a week (weather permitting) and it sometimes took a whole week on the trip. A smaller boat, the Tingal’ (Capt. Christopher Faulkner) traded between the local ports and the river.

Maize sold in Auckland from 1/9 to 2/6 per bushel. Potatoes at times did not pay for the digging. Fat bullocks were worth about £5 and a heavyweight fat cow from 30s to £2. A good smart hack could he bought for £1 while good quality draughts unbroken were sold at £l7. Money was scarce and there were no banks in the district. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile was the only firm operi ating and without Its help the -set-4 tiers would have been in in. awkward position.

Once substantial improvement had been made small sums could be.raised through the Advances To Settlers. The establishment of the Opouriao Dairy Company soon made a very great difference. The Loan Company again came to the rescue and helped many settlers to acquire herds. The first factory manager was Mr Tabor. Suppliers received 7d pel* lb for butter fat the first season with no bonus. When it finally reached lOd settlers were becoming prosperous. A happy season occurred when the settlers received 1/- and one of the. largest suppliers said lie was prepared to sign an agreement to supply butterfat for tlie rest of his life for a shilling per lb. Fanners improved

their herds and built better homes.. Maize growing became a thing of the past. New business opened in Taneatua which 1 soon became an important little town. An athletic sports meeting was held each > r ear. Families turned. upin drays, spring carts or gigs. The only four-wheeler belonged to Mr W. t Morrison. Motor cars were not even a dream. They would have been n<> use in any case in the absence of roads; and bridges. The only outlet overland was by* a two-day trip to Rotorua. This was a weary trip in winter on a grassl’ed horse. One had to wait - until low tide to ford the Whakatane River at Patiau, and you then ran the risk of being bogged on the Rangitaiki Swamp. A canoe ferried the passengers across the Rangitaiki at Te Teko, the horse swimming behind. It was necessary to spend the night at the hotel and make an early start next morning when one traversed a risky ford over the Tarawera. The long stretch of fern hills were traversed until the first glimpse of glorious bash-sheltered Lake Rotoma. Another 28 miles brought wear3 r rider and jaded horse into Rotorua.

The. only European to be met on that long journey was Mr Seymour ' the surfaceman who had seen better V days. He was said to be a borther to Admiral Seymour and he led a cheerful solitary - life in his little - 1 ' hut near Roto-Ehu. Travellers made a point of bringing him a newspaper « for which he was very grateful; over his hut tlie Union Jack always wav-i ed and woe betide the careless visitor who failed to salute it. As he' grew old he was too proud to ac->.if| cept charity and stuck to. his job, until one day, sinking down on his /I shovel lie passed away and his body was. later discovered by a traveller and buried in a spot, now perhaps overgrown and forgotten.

A school boy named Kenneth Phil-* lips carried the first mail to Taneatua. It was his job to go to Wlia-* katane every Saturday and collect the mail' in a little bag in front of his saddle.

The motor service crept in. ‘Crept’ was the correct word for they travelled so slowly and. stopped for breath so often that the coach would beat them on .the journey every time. Some people were prejudiced and refused to travel in them, but as the roads improved and the ferry punts gave way to bridges the coaches gradually disappeared . Mr A. Allen, who bought up that! area in Whakatane known as ‘Allendale’ drove the first motor car to Whakatane in 1909, He travelled from Hamilton in a day, a distance of 150 miles, which was looked upon as wonderful.

Mr Walter Semmens brought the first motor lorry to Whakatane, and the writer bad the honour of driving through from Rotoua with him. It took a lot of backing and filling in round bends but we beat the coach to Whakatane by ten minutes and were regarded as champions,