GLENMARK.

Press, Volume L, Issue 149814, 30 May 1914, Page 2

GLENMARK.

FAMILIAR, YET UNFAMILIAR.

v ITS HISTORY REVIEWED,

A PAST DECADE.

(By J. L. W.)

Familiar and yet' unfamiliar, Glenmark has been a household name for an estate and a land owner, both of a high rank. Thousands have passed the celebrated station by road through the charming Weka Pass, either on foot, as many did to the West Coast diggings in 1865, or by coach, motorcar or railway. Its features—plantations of wattles, pines and other trees, well-grassed fields and wonderful limestone outcrops —are well known, being backed by that frowning range known as the "Black Hills." The eighty thousand acres of Glenmark, from tho Waipara into the Waikari 'Valley and on to the Hurunui river with lesser blocks were originally owned by the Duke of Manchester; by Mallock and Lance, Horsley Downs; by G. Mason, North Waipara; by T. Sanderson, . Greta Peaks; by Greenwood Bros*., Teviotdale; by G. E. Mason. Hurunui; and in the direction of tho large Cheviot block, Clifford and Weld, while in the nearer distance J. Macfarlane was laird at Mount Grey. In the "Southern Provinces Almanac" of 1855 is tho following: —"About the end of February a gentleman named Moore, from Van Dieman's Land, purchased 23,000 acres of public land at Double Corner for £1-1,000." Double Corner, as a place-name, is now seldom heard, Gf,>nmark, Teviotdale, and Waipara beiug. more commonly used. Simultaneously with Mr George Uenry Moore's arrival, Sir Cracrofi Wilson leached Canterbury from . India, and became owner of 'Cashmere. At this period tho stock returns for tho infant province were: — Sheep, 115,000; horses, 556; cattle, 6303; goats, 400; pigs, 4000. Mr Moore arrived in New Zealand, as he informed the wriier, by a small sailing vessel. In Lyttelton he was waited upon by those who had blocks of land to sell or, else had them "spotted" upon Government maps as ready for sale. To avoid them, on the second morning after his arrival he disappeared from Port so early as to be reported mysteriously missing. With a woollen plaid around his shoulders, a stout stick, and a little food in his pockets, the future owner of Glenmark had reached the top of the bridle path before the sun, and was leaving tho coast-lino behind him at the rate of from five to six miles an hour. Before noon a Maori woman, with a canoe, had put him over the Waimakariri river, and, journeying on, he passed through Woodend, and evaded tho Ashley river and Saltwater creek. He obtained'some food at an out station near Leitfifield, then crossed the Kowai, and pushed on to tho Waipara river, (which ho crossed about sunset. On the future Glenmark side his first sleep was in a bushy,' 3ft tussock. The tussocks are seldom seen so big now, but tho Omihi then was a dense mass of tussock, with patches of flax. -.Next day was spent in making the first flying survey of Glenmark, and the next in making a return journey to Lyttelton, where, at that time, all the business of Canterbury was transacted. An application, for the land on. the north bank of the Waipara, at Double corner, was put in, and the cash paid. Here it will be as well to explain that all land in tho Canterbury Association's block was selling at *£2 per, acre, bufi Sir George Grey (the Governor) was advertising Government land for 6ale in the Australian and Tasmanian papers at lUs per acre, which was the means of bringing not only, the subject of these notes, but the Hon._ W. Robinson, who acquired Cheviot, and_ others, who: obtained lands in the Nelson nrovince on equally favoured terms. En passant, it may be added, that the ready cash by largo land sales was then, and for many years later, cordially welcomed by those who had their labour to sell. From the advent of Mr Mooro to Glenmark till the present there has been a stern refusal to encourage the scribe to say anything about it. and, thoneh Glenmark is familiar it is imfamilar. and few know its history. The owner had to do much to plough an area that was a little kingdom and put it under crass. Scab, prevalent in all flocks, more or less, imposed burdens not only i* heavy fines, but in.cost of fpricing. Dips had to . bY constructed and sneen washed in a composition of boiled tobacco, sm'rfts of tar. and sulphur. In the e<irly six-tie*, to get rid of the risk of infe"tton from sheep travelling through Glenmark. rrreat expense had, to be incurred in fencing. Up to that time owners from Kaikoura andi runs intervening gave Glenmark notice" when they intended to pass sheep on to the south. The Glenmark hands had all to bo mustered to clear a wide track across the run for the travelling mobs to pass through the home flcck=. sometimes for a whole week no station work could be done. The eradication of scab, after years of anxiety and worry, was accomplished. In the efforts to get clean flocks and clean country, thousands of sheep were boiled down, and more than ono largo mob was driven into . the sea and drowned 1 . From time to tim e bad seasons had to be reckoned with, and in a fire in high tussock in the Omihi valley in March, 1886, 10,000 sheep were destroyed. • . - Mr Moore, with iron will, sunnountod all obstacles. His strong constitution was evident in that he occasionally walked from Glenmark to town in a day. He has been met on the Port Hills before the day of tho railway, making his way to look after the shipping of wool, obtaining his station supplies, and attending to other business. The station supplies were sent from Lyttelton to Saltwater creek, and drawn by bullock teams to Gleninar,k, and the wool from Che station, to the, extent of over 1500 bales in tho season, reached home-going wool ships in small vessels and steamers from Saltwater creek and Kaiapoi. In July, 1856, with his partner, Air Kermode, 29,360 acres were taken up at the mouths of the Rakaia and Ashburton. In February, 1858. 36.000 acres at the Hinds and other blocks were added to their holdings. From time to time, after the opening of the railways,' thousands of sheep from these runs, north and south, were exchanged by means of long stock trains. Glenmark was once offered for sale as a going concern. This was in March, 1873, at Miles and Co.'s wool stores, the occasion being to decide the partnership account between Messrs Moore and Kermode. The sale attracted the Largest gathering of stock and station owners ever seen before*, and some from Australia. Messrs Matson and Co. were the auctioneers. Mr H. Matson having allowed time for "the fortification of the inner man," as stated by the "Illustrated Press," proceeded to business. The first lot submitted was Glenmark, consisting of 35,781 acres of freehold and 11,500 acres of leasehold, with 25,400 sheep. After a bid from Mr Moore of £65,000. there was some lively bidding between him and the Hon. W. Robinson, of Cheviot, till, amid much applause, it was knocked down to Mr Moore at £85,000. The next lot, Deans Peaks., consisting of

4099 acres of freehold and 7500 acres, i of leasehold, with 5000 merino sheep, started at £7000 from Mr Moore, and i after a sharp contest, reached £13,500, I the purchaser being. Mr Frank Courago. j A block of 3959 acres at Waipara was bought by Mr Moore for £6500. The Black Hills, 34,670 acres, held under ; depasturing license, and 12;500 sheep, : was next put under ofter, and wag acquired by Mr Moore for £13,500. The Doctors hills, 82,306 acres, under lease and 84 acres of freehold,'with 12,500 sheep, after fast and furious bidding, was . also secured by Mr Moore for £14,750. -Fifty acres at Weka Pass he secured at 30s per acre, and one hundred acres at' Saltwater creek at £10 10s per acre. The Ashbnrton station provoked much competition ; 7000 acres of freehold and 66,000 acres of leasehold land with 4000 sheep, were secured by Mr Afoore for £52.000, who outbid Mr Jl. H. Rhodes. Messrs Kermode and Moore's properties at that sale realised £186,574. i The Glenmark station appointments, ! as times improved with its progressive order, became the best in Canter* bury. Great energy was shown in regard to cultivation, tree planting, water supply, and subdivision, and the ideas of a gentleman who had. lived a rough and strenuous life, as time and opportunity served, developed in the erection of a palatial house, garden and artificial water worthy of a highly . refined 1 ambition. When the capital valuation of Glenmark-* reached £326.000 it included a house which with furnishings, had cost £30.000. The stately edifice, complete in every way, formed a great attraction to a few privileged visitors, but it had only been in existence a comparatively few years before it was burned down. This occurred on Friday. January 24th, 1891. The valuable furniture, plate, pictures, tapestry, and cabinets of treasures were all destroyed. There was no insurance, and when <asked whether he would build again, Mr Moore quietly said "No." "Well," said the writer, "will yon do as Cheviot owners have done^ —sell to the Government?" After lunch, in the manager's house, with Mr Wynn-Wil-liams andi Mr Withnal. of Miles and Co., Mr Moore produced-a copy of the offer which was then made, tenderling tho Government the whole of Glenmark, minus the homestead block of 4000 or 5000 acres, at a very reasonable price— about £4 Mr Moore left the station and came to live at Park terrace. Subsequently the Government valuators placed a less price on the land than the owner cared to accept. Whilo the Government missed its chance of acquiring one of the finest estates in New Zealand at what is now an extraordinarily cheap price, the owner* of Glenmark have sold' most of the land at considerably over the offer to tho Government, and nersons who purchased have received large offers for the re-sale of their blocks.

Gleumark will be known all oyer the world among museum authorities for the large find -which Mr Moore made in the 'sixties of moa remains, which have gone to enrich the principal museums with examples, of tho giant wingless birds of New Zealand. The remains"were found in a stream on the Glenmark estate in a hollow of the post-pliocene alluvium skirting the hillside. The remains included diiferent species of the Dinomis. Both in the swamp and in other parte of tho estate remains were found. Skeletons of each species of the moa were found, is is proved by reference to the Canterbury Museum.. —