THEN AND NOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 13

THEN AND NOW.

WELLINGTON AND ITS ENVIRONMENTS.

THE SURPRISE CITY OF AUSTRALASIA.

PART I.

It is only fitting that this journal, ! 011 entering tlio arena of tilings that matter in this country, should, have something to say about its birthplace, but this article makes no pretonco to be a history of Wellington. Suiflco that it narrates in general terms tho birth, growth, and later development of this, tho surprise city of Austrr lasta —ona that is destined to beeca mantimo port of tho first instance in the Southern Hemisphere, and a city of great mana and wealth that shall gc.w forth and receivo rich argosies .troni all parts of tho busy globe. The settlement of New Zealand, and .incidentally Wellington, was pre.iestmcd; it was part and parcel of tho i-'olution that meant tho establishment >v Caucasian blood in those parts oi tho world hitherto practically unknown or knov>n to bo peopled bj savago, warlike races. Mow Zealand Land Company. New Zealand discovered, annexed, and its people subduod, it only remained for people imbued with the proper spirit o? .idventuro, allied to courage of no ni'-an order, to undertake the work of pioneer settlement. In the case of Wellington this came through tho medium of tho New Zealand Land Company, of which the late Mr. Edward Ginbon Wakefield was the principal founder and managing director from tho time tho company was formed in England m 1539 until the summer of 18-10, when Wellington \\za firmly established as a township, with every prospcct of a lair future. The capital of tho company was £400,000 in 4000 shares of jtlUO cach, which afterwards entitled tho ov.ner to one aero in tho town and 11)0 acres o! land in tho country. The English Government declared against tlio o;inciplo of allowing its subjects to leavo England to acquire land for settlement elsewhoro under a system of government independent of its own authority, but on this being made known the company made a decisivo move by despatching the ship Tory, of 400 tons; under tho direction of an agent, Colonel William Wakefield, to acquire land from the natives in "the' usual way." Tho Toiy left Plymouth on May 12, 1839, and land was sighted in tho vicinity of Capo Farewell on August 16—a smart passage (96 days) for tiio bhiff-bowcci, hariiir.er-hcaded craft of thbso days. Two days latar sho sailed into Ship Covo' (Marlborough Sounds). For nearly a month tho vessel cruised about the Sounds, for itiis related that it was not until September 20 that the Tory crossed Cook Strait and'ontorod Port Nicholson. Buying Wellington. Colonol Wakefield was not long in purchasing tlio lands ho sought. Tho two ciuois h.pum and Whaiopori (ol the Ngatiawas) went aboard tho vessel tne nrst night sho arrived and ottered to sell tne strangers the harbour and laud around ,it. Tlio next morning they received their olrer, and. alter a canoo trip of inspection up ttio , liutt liiver Colonel WaKeiiold decided to completo tne' purchase, but owing to tho obstinacy' of, the chiefPuakawa, who Was upjioaed to selling tho laud, the bargainv. lis not concluded ' until ' sunset .'/of .January 26. Tho major commodities given in exchungo ipr .the'.'laud consisted of 135 stand of anus, "M. iiegs or gunpoivdor, one cask.of bail .cartridge, nightcaps, pipes, a gross of jews' harps, xiiOO hsh-hooks, and a dozen sticiss of sealing wax. ,On Sppiomber 30 Colonel Wakefield ordered tho New Zealand ilag to i bo hoisted on the liagstiitf asliore> and'at tho main truck oi tlio Tory, which at tlio same time fired a salute of twenty-one guu3 to celebrate tho completion of "tiiodeal," which must bo regarded as a very good one for Wakelield's company even in those days. Tho Aurora. The company at Homo did not wait for. word from tho Tory, but despatched vessels towards the end of 1639, the hrst or which, the Aurora, arrived off the Heads on January 2\J, la-10. Sue did not outer tho harbour, however, until two days later—which day is accounted tho dato of tho. birth brought 146 passengers, was preceded of settlement hero, 'xuo Aurora, which by tne surveying ship Cuba, which nad arrived on January j with tlio surveying party. Tho settlors by these ships landed at Petono, and were ill tho initial stagos of loumuug a township there called Britannia \yhen disastrous floods occurred in the ytlutt V alloy, which quickly proved that tho sito was not exactly tho most desirable, and a general shift was made to the other or southern ond of. tho harbour, where settlement "struck" at Thonidon, ami gradually spread round tho "beacu'' (jUambton (juay) towards tho To Aro pa (which stood at tho loot or Tar.iliaki Street). Changing tha Name. iH'ii/amua louiameu tlio uiuiic of tho secoiuinunt lip uu imj , iOiu, Wnen /.ealunu uaiiuiLti iuu jjriianuia Spectator " aitticu me tvuni •• i>ntiiuini." to " eipiiiiuuiji tne cucumstudcu ui the lotroiling paragraph: — " iic appear lor tiio second time witiiui a iu»- uiontna uuaer a tuuaiuoa wtlo; but wo trust our iruiiius win toi, eousiuer it typical ot our character, vinen wo lirst'issued our jouinai the site oi the tuivn \>as surveyed aud its nauio declared, and we adopted tho one and removed to tho other at our earliest convenience. The directors of tne jNO'.v Zealand Company always contemplated calling tno town or their principal settlement after tho illustrious warrior of modern times. This intention was entertained in gratitudo for its having'given life to tho great principal of colonisation, which they aro extending to tho host of their abilities by advocating tho enactment of the South Australian Bill. Had a better spirit animated thoso in power, Adelaide would liavo enjoyed a name which must live through all ages, but tlioy sought prolit by pleasing tho King rather than honour by paying an honest debt. Tho directors of tho New Zealand Compauy have made this sottloment familiar to thousands throughout Great Britain by associating it with the namo of tho great captain of the ago. Were wo inclined it would now bo a difficult task to roplaco that namo in the British mind by any other, and were tlio attempt made "confusion would be the consoquencn. Finally, the author of tho great principle of modern colonisation, to test the truth of which South Australia was created into a British colony, to whom no little merit is duo, would he pleased to find that we hiul named the town after the able hand .who stamped vitality upon his theory. Consequently, veneration, convenience and gratitudo call at tho same f.imo .upon us at once to appropriate Wellington as tho name of tho town and special title of our journal, and wc say henceforward ho it so."

Ami no Wellington becamo Wellington. The original name Uritannia — that has in its sound all (ho patriotism and national love that stirred in the blood and boinpc of those brave battlmp: pioneers, the survivors of whom may now, alas, bo counted on the finjrnrs of one band —is only lmown to tho few who care to delve into the all too snarse rec.ords of those fnr-a'.vay davs. They are Rood to read in the days -of our prosperity, and are as thriiliiyr in interest to the mind of the mal-wod colonial of fo-d.-w as the nanes of H-n "Swiss Familr Tfohinson " are to the ten-year-old schoolboy.

The Present. It would take moro spaco than wo can afford to record in detail tho gradual advancement of Wellington iroin its birth, and through its childhood and youth, for that progress was not so rapid or clearly delined as that which has marked Wellington's growth from a town to a city. There were perilous times in tho '40's and '50's, when tho settlement was threatened by tho Maori, who had little respect lor the "sale" deed so ckeerlully signed by tho . chiefs of the district surrounding Wellington harbour, and thero were times when tho military (imperial; population was as great as that of the settlement. Slowly but surely that law and ordor that goes everywhere with British settlement took form, in tho establishment of local authorities and provincial government. Then camo the change of tho neat of government to Wellington (in 1861), the abolition of provincial governments in IS7G, and the setting up of general Parliament as it exists to-day, and with theso changes the advancing growth of our maritime interest—the reclamation of beachet' foreshores to provide a business area on tho flat; tho spread of tho residential area to Newtown; tho substitution of brick for wooden buildings in tho central district; and so on to the present aspect of tho Empiro City. Without deprecating tho lino efforts of thoso who mado tho way plain and fairly smooth, it has been left to tho last decade to show tho pace progress is capable of when speeding on the greasy rails of prosperous times. Ten yeai-s ago Wellington was a thriving town —its lovers could say no more-to-day it can lay claim to bo a largo and progressive city.

Within the decade tho available flat land has disappeared under regiments of houses. These have thrown out scouts in all directions to tho hills — the everlasting hills. ThciT reports have been favourable, and regiments, advancing in open order at first, have now to " close up to make room for tho swarmers. In somo directions the 600 ft. high horizon is a silhouette of houses against tho, heavens, and at night tho lights of many homes can barely be distinguished from tho stars that twinkle millions of miles away in the black distance. Many think that rents aro as high as the houses; but tho people that groan about tho cost of living hero in Wellington forget that tho high cost of living is said to indicate a high degree of prosperity. An American visitor and a natural economist said, in reply to the complaint about tho cost of living in Wellington—" Bully for you, too—if yon want to live cheap, go to India and eat rico "—but nobody wont. Signs of Progress. 'During the last ten years an energetic iar-seomg Harbour Board has improved our industrial water-front until our wharves vio with any of tho kind m any part of tlio world, aiid is at present constructing a .dry-dock that will provide for all contingencies. Nor have the municipal authorities been sleeping. Our tramways liavo beeu electrified," and the sides of tho basin tho map calls Wellington have been pierced by tunnels to allow the surplus population to leak out—poi' oloctric car; tho business streets which wore provocative of indignant language in old-time winters liavo been neatly blocked for miles. Great works are now in hand in connection with betterment Tho water sheds at Karori and Wainui aro bring double-dammed, a modern destructor is being erected that will gobble up tho city's refuse without "pulling a jace, ' aud line recreation grounds aro being made in various parts of the city, in tho making of. which Nature has, to break away beforo the importunities of nmn. Tha Doorway of tho Pacific. Not so long ago Wellington was Y' 31 !, by the Hon. William Knox, of. .Melbourne, n financier of standitifj, who has beensaid to have a certain; gift of prescienco in all'airs.of big financial moment. tie was told that as much as £500 a fcot was being asked lor. laud on Lambton Quay. ' Well," said ho, "I don't think that that is too high.. You have'hero oil the promise of a great city. Wellington will becotno the doorway of the Pacific and ono of the greatest ports in. the Southern Hemisphere.' 1 So that when people talk of the excessive value of land in Wellington they liavo to consider not only tho present hut the prospective value. Wo aro a growing community—growth and continual change is as natural to us as is tho steady, fixed, changeless air to an English provincial town, and whei'e there exists all tho essential factors for further growth men are prepared to pay tho price of a gamblo oil tho future, immediate, or remote. One hears from time to time that land can be purchased within a ten-inilo radius of London cheaper than it can be bought round about Wellington. It is not our purposo to dispute or disprove that statement, but would point out that the relative value of money is not the same on both sides of the world. Early in this article it was pointed out that each shareholder in the New Zealand Company was given one aero of land in town and 1(50 aercs in tho country._ At least one of these acres remains intact. It is a long strip facing "tne beach" (Lambton Quay) and is to-day valued at £'450 per foot I Education. Tim last decade has seen the establishment on a firm basis of a University College that presents special facilities tor special study of a diverse elnir-i-.ccer. The Technical School has broadened in character, and is increasingly successful in the sphere of industrial and artistic education, and the question of securing new premises to cope with the rapidly increasing number of scholars has been made a vital question by - thoso intorested in the work of the school. It has been found necessary to build an addition to the Wellington College for tho accommodation of "free piaco" students, and at tho other end of tho city a Training Collego for teachers has been established by the Wellington Education Board at Thorndon School. Population. When* Wellington is called the "surprise city" of Australasia it is done so advisedly. Its growth during flatter years has been phenomenal, having increased from 47,000 in 1901 to G2.000 in 1900 —an increase of 15,000 in live years, and yet there aro no signs of diminution in the influx of people to the peogiaphieal, as well as commercial and' political, centre of New Zonlan.d Tile rapid development of all parts of tho Islands has forced Wellington's supreme, position upon tho whole of the Dominion, a conviction that must only be strengthened by tlio years that aro to ho. The port boasts of ono of tho finest deep-water harbours in the Southern Hemisphere, and its dock facilities aro oil a par with its natural advantages. Wellington is tile natural distributing port for tho whole of tho Colony. By tho end of next year we are promised' direct railway communication y.'ith Auckland, and it is only a matter of timo when tho Main Trunk lino from Christchureh will be extended to connect with the Mr.rlboroii"h scot ion. which will leave only a 200-mimito' journey by sea (across Cook Strait) between Auckland and the Bluff. The Future. This, however, entrenchcs upon tho future. With the aggressive development of the past decade or two, taken into, consideration with the settled opinion .of wise critics from abroad as well as within, who can safely cstiiilato what the future of Wellington will be should the present conditions maintain? There are thoso who take a morbid delight in talking of "slump," "bad times ahead," "tho seven lean years that follow the fat ones," etc.. but guided by wiso legislation tlio destinies of Wellington in common with r.he whole of the Dominion have, a bright prospect. The future of Wellington depends necessarily on tlio '

i'uturo of tho country at large, and it needs 110 words hero to elaborates on the enormous liolii there is for development, particularly in tho sphere of mineralogy, providing facilities aro afforded for tlio introduction and capital to work the great resources that "lie beneath tho surfaco. of the show." Pent lands must bo thrown open for settlement, for wasto is loss.' r,ow Zealand has achieved a namo for excellence in tho great marts of tho world for her staple exports. There must bo 110 lowering of standards in the future—the word "Wellington" should stand for "high-grado" as our export brand, and nothing should bo tolerated in- our trading ethics that will smirch the fair namo of the Empire Port, tho indisputable commercial, maritime, and political centre of, the Dominion of Now Zealand.