HISTORIC HAWEIRA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 15

HISTORIC HAWEIRA.

FIFTY YEARS' CHANGES.

EARLY TROUBLES WITH THE NATIVES.

[JIUSKETAGAINST JERE.

THE FARMERS' ENTERPRISE OF TO-DAY.

. : Hawera and district is "The Land of : tho Golden Cow"—a cheese and'butter knd, of high mill; tests, and higher land values. With its rich warm pas- . tures, garden-like plantations, bright . .and smiling under-beneficent suns and rains, it vies in beauty with the richly- - jewelled settings • which' one sees in Hawko's Bay landscapes. To-day these . two'areavSouth Taraiiaki and Hawke's Bay, are regarded as the best of their ' kind in all New Zealand, but for-dairy country the . Wai-mat-o Plains, some twenty-five miles in length, with Ha- ' wera as its business centre, stands,preeminent-. »- ln-1843. • - -L- ; Years"ago, in 1842 or 1843, ono of V;.the Wakefields who passed, through the . district on the first horse that was over seen by tho Natives, described tho •place as one of surpassing-beauty and potential while Bishop Selwyn declared it to be "a goodly heritage:" In those days the Maoris • " grew large quantities of wheat which they ground in the crude mills near Jfokoia and Hokoriina, but, for many years after the end of the Maori War, . when the most important product of ' the district Was fungus, it appeared as ■- if the prediction of the two illustrious pioneers mentioned would ue; falsified. - However, the growth of the dairying industry in Hawera has at length proved the fact that the district is indeed ' -"a, -goodly heritage," arid it is likely to continue such -while New.. Zealand ; has a history-

The Maori War. . The history of Hawera is a chequeifid one—a talo both of savage war and of industrial peace. For nearly ten years it Was'one of .the principal theatres for the . guerrilla combats intermittently going on between Maori and European, for/possession of the land. i Where today there are lines of dairy factories there were once lines of blockhouses and redoubts, and men who walked abroad from them, then took their lives in their, hands. Some of these fortifications are still in existence, and may be seen \ within o. short distance- of tho town.. It is 'in its entirety an interesting : story—this story of axe and rifle -in'an ago now receding into dimness — and even some of its scattered and unassorted details are', by themselves, sufficiently striking to catch and hold the attention.

The war was commenced in South Taranaki about 1865, when the Maori village of Kakaramea was captured by tho British regulars under' General Cameron, with a loss of ono killed and a few wounded. Over,thirty Natives were killed. Some time later, the Governor, Sir Georgo Groyj' confiscated all tho .land south of the Waingongoro . River, and opened fifty thousand acres of tlio area for selection for farming .purposes. From this subdivision sprung the villages of Kakaramca, Mokoia, and Ohawe, which places have since been easily distanced by Hawera, El- _ tham, and Stratford. An attempt was made about the same , time to fonn a settlement at liawera, and the Government offered ten acres'as a-gift to anj'ono who would consent to take up a. selection. Only a few settlers accepted the offer, and the placfi languished for many years. . In 1866 General Chute, a- valiant,sold-ior,- gifted, it is said, with a marvellous and forceful vocabulary, was in charge of tho operations in the Hawera district. He inflicted several defeats on the Natives, marched right through to Now Plymouth, and then back again to Wa- " Bg&mu. !

The TuruturumOkal Slaughter. ■ In 1866 fighting with tho Natives took place at Okaiawa (about twelve miles from Hawora) whero Ensign Northcroft (afterwards Mr. Northcroft, S.M.) distinguished himself, and In 1867 tho British forces, having left tli© colony, the Government raised militia and_ volunteer forces to keep tho Maoris in check. Major Von Tempsky wag.■ placed in a eub-eonimand undei Cilonol -M'Doiuicll, and tho Natives, having murdored three Europeans with- 1 in a few miles of tho Hawora blockhouses, tho war broke out again with renewed bitterness. At Turuturuniokai, a force of pioneers under Captain Frederick Ross ' was surprised bv the oneeyed chief Titokowaru, aiid three hundred Hauhaus were slain. Between forty and fifty Europeans perished. Amongst the meji who took part in that conflict and still reside in tho Hawera district, were Messrs. C. Johnston and J. Beamish. These two, with Messrs. G. Tuffin, Laccy, I'. Gill, Milmoo, and 11. M'Leod, fought back to back against the. Hauhaus, until rescued by' .Von Toinpsky. Fivo Euro-

peons ran away. Mr.. C. Johnston was in charge of the.little garrison. He still resides within a short distance ol the scene .of that memorable, encounter. Mr. H M'Leod 'is a 'storekeeper now in Melbourne. Mr. P. Gill is at Taradale, Hawke's Bay. Mr. J. Beamish, whoso ■ brother was shot dead at his post, now resides at Patea. Mr. G. Tuffin, who is now a Wanganui resident, sustained five bullet wounds, but survived. It is a curious circumstance that no monument to tho courage of these pioneers lias been erected at Turuturumokai, but possibly justice in this respect will yet- bo done. All of them were, in a measure, tho victims of careless leadership. Titokowara and his band managed to escape easily enough from the relieving ' force. The forty-second an'iiiverk'ary-of-'.-this ■ com.-, bat'will fall 1 on Tuesday nest, July 12.

Death of Von Tempsky. About eight . weeks ls.tor (September 7) occurred the deaths of Von '.LempsKy and nineteen.of Irishmen at To Ngutu o te.Maiiu, ncar.Okaiawa, within about twelve miles of tiie present, town ot Hawera. Von Tempsky attempted to attack ono of Titokowaru's palisades. Ho was one of t-ho first to fall, and his men, while retreating, wero undei tlio Natives' fire for seven hours. Amongst tiio Hawera residents who took part in that fight and who. aro living to-day, were Privates J. Flynn and Livingstone, of the Taranaki Volunteers. Elynn was shot through the thigh, and carried from the field by his comrades. Flynn states, on the authority of a Native, that a number of tho fallen, while still alive, were offered up in the general cremation by moans of which the Natives cleared the field. It is a black story, if true. In addition to Flyiin, there wero twenty-four wounded Europeans who escaped. After this victory, Titokowaru, for whose head £1000 was offered, marched on to Wanganui, but _ was repulsed by Colonel Whitmore, his forces scattered, and ho became a fugitive. This practically ended the war in South Taranaki, although thoro \vere minor disturbances with tlio Maoris even as lafeo as 1886. Early History.—The First Explorers., According to Sir George Grey's Polynesian mythological history, tlio Hawera district was first colonised by tlio Natives of Hawaiki some centuries after Maui was supposed to have fished up the North .Island. Tlio dusky explorers landed at different tinies near Kawhia, inarched right through tho country, and named nearly all ' the rivers_ so far south as Wellington. Manaia was named after one of the exwlulo Turi,' another notorious one, with- a freckled past, 'named a number of the streams in tlio district. Tho descendants of these explorers appear to have mixed tho monotony of their lives with cannibal warfare, until the Europeans came along and redeemed tho land from savagery. Ono -of tho earliest missionaries in tho district was the Rev. Mr. Skevington, of the Methodist Church. He resided near tlio .site of the present Riverdale dairy factory, and was a witness of many senfsational occurrences in tho district between '1837 1 and 1860. A .cannon ball at present in the Public Library at Hawera is a memento of the manner in which the captain of 11.M.5. Alligator dealt with the Natives in an affray in 183!)- near the coast. The First Read. Tho first road in the district was constructed about 1842, and in 18-13 tlio first mob of cattle passed along the track for New Plymouth. Maori troubles interfered with tho progress of Taranaki at that time, and it was not for another twenty years that an at* tempt was made to found a settlement at Hawera. This was effected by a military-grant system, _ about 1865, although prior to that time thero wcro a fair number of settlers about tho district. Hawera.—"Burnt Spacc." The word "Hawera" is understood to mean u burnt space, and the name is said to have been brought about through an incendiary tribe burning tho kaiangas of their opponents. The lire spread and became a conflagration, ravaging the scrub in all directions 1.0 tiie sea const.. Willi tho completion of tho Maori war ill the late 'sixties, settlement commenced in earnest. Tho turbulent tribes in the district were quietened to sonio extent, and in 1871 Cobb and Co.'s coach came through from Wanganui. Amongst tho passengers were Sir William Fox (Prime Minister) and Hone Pihama, a Nativo who was a sort of friend, philosopher, and guido to tho party, who, later, however, were stuck up by Tc AYliiti, and only arrived in New Plymouth on

January 13. Mr. J. Flynn, residing nt present in Hawera, and who previous!;' had"'been wounded in tko encounter wherein Von Tcmslty was killed, wa= ono of the coach drivers for man;years, during which time he dnv<j inany New Zealand notables.

Town Board Formed. A Town Board was formed in 1876, the meetings being held in the genera! store-rooms of Sir. James Davidson, a well-known and resnectcd pioneer, who is still living. Tho" first commissioners were Messrs. F. Finlayson, T. .Middlemas, and J. M'Michael, with Messrs. Southby and Davidson as auditors. Amongst other residents in Hawera. about this timo were: Messrs. Felix M'Guire, S. Taplin, and Muir (storekeepers) ; T. Quinlivan, and T. Espagne (hotellcDepejs); W. Williams and W. A'Court (blacksmiths).' Mr. M'Guire, who' later, was first Mayor of Hawera, represented the district for some years in Parliament, and now is understood to bo a candidate next year again for ■ Parliamentary honours. Other residents were: Messrs. Treweek, Winks, Fitzsimmons, Lyoli, Martin, Williams, Tait, O'Riley, Dyer, Oakes, Redding, Flynn, Bamford, James Livingstone, G. M'Lean, Wilson, Milne, S. Larcomb, W, Douglas, and B. O'Riley.

(Anglican), Torry (Presbyterian), Luxford and Mather (Methodist), and Grogan and Walsh (Roman Catholic). Tho Hon; Sir H.' A. Atkinson. Tho Hon. Major Atkinson was the district representative in Parliament. He had taken an active part in tho Maori troubles, and he was Defence Minister in the early 'sixties. Later ho was Prime Minister of tho colony in several Parliaments, and attained an honourable reputation as a statesman and Minister of tho Crown. Like tho' late.liight Hon. K. J. Seddon, he died in harness..

The late 'eighties were not' prosperous for the little town, still it continued to show progress in a mild .way.' Live stock markets were established by Nolan, 'l'onks, and Co., and others. ■These sales have now increased .to such importance that under the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and Gillies and Nakler,.tho annual horso fairs are-now amongst tho largest in Australasia, while in dairy stock sales Hawera easily leads the rest of New Zealand stock towns.

Munificent Hospital Bequests. A matter of interest in 1892 was tho building of an uj>-to-datc hospital. The first move in this respect was occasioned by a bequest of £200, mado by

present-Day Old Identities. Of these Messrs. J. Livingstone, J. Davidson, G. Bnmforcl, J. Jjl.vnu, (*• M'Lcan, and W. Milne arc alive. In 1874 the total , population of the Taranaki district was not more than about 4000 Europeans. A now era in the-way of settlement was commenced in 1873, when tho present lino of railway, was begun at the Now Plymouth end. It reached liawera in a little over seven years, an average of seven miles a year, and three yeais later through communication with Wellington was effected by driving the last spike at the railhead at Manutahi.

Parihaka. An incident iu the history of tno placo in 1881 was the ( bloodless campaign at Parihaka, wherein 1500 European volunteers, drawn from all quarters, under Colonel Roberts, invaded Tc Whiti's domain, whore ho was understood to have 1600 Maoris under him, and took him prisoner. Tlio capture was effected by Major Tuko, who also captured Tohu, one of the prophets. Proclaimed a Borough. The town had its first local paper in 1881, and in 1882, on January 2, was proclaimed a borough. Mr. Felix M'Guire defeated Mr. James Davidson for the Mayoralty bv twenty votes. The members of the first council weroj Messrs. G. Syine, M. King, Ij. I'/. Pricliard, F. Riddiford, W. Thompson, A. Hobbs, H. Baker, D. M'L. Dowio. and Partridge. Mr. W. 11.15. AVanklyn, well known in racing circles, and now resident at Christchurch, was Town Clerk and Treasurer. Tho progressive ideas of this oouncil aro evidenced by tho fact that it proposed a loan of £5000 for municipal works. The proposal was carried. An attempt to form a gas company was not so successful, and the project was abandoned for some years. The population, however, was a live one in every respect. A Mercantile Union was formed, with Mr. Davidson ns chairman; a football club, with George Bayly, tho wcll-Tcnown three-quarter back as captain; cricket and lawn tennis clubs; Acclimatisation and Building Societies; Volunteer Fire Brigade; Public Hull Company; and last, but not least, a brass band. Then there was? tho Egmont Racing Club, with the Hon. H. A. Atkinson as president. The various churches were fully established, tho clergymen being the Revs. Messrs. Root

a Miss Mitchell.. Mr. J. Brunette was a zealous advocate for the installation . of such an institution, and later it benefited by further bequests from Messrs. Milmoo and Hcywood to tlio extent of £2500. • The hospital is now ono of tho finest establishment;! of ito kind in any inland town in the colony.

Ghampion at Football. Iu the late, 'eighties, and well on to 1896, tho district gained fame as a .ltugby football centre. On the Wairnate Plains there sprang some lustychested giants, in the shape of tho t Goods, the Lambies, and D. Hughes. These young men, with, tho Baylys, made Taranaki a household word in New Zealand Rugby centres. It was Harry Good who scored tho try which gave Stoddart's team its first defeat, and for many years afterwards Taranaki, with the help of its Hawera contingent, was a name to be feared on Rugby footbnll grounds. Gas was installed in the town in 1899 by a private company, and some few years ago an electric light installation was made also by a private company. The competition between tlio two films affords, the borough and its residents somewhat cheaper lighting than can bo obtained in tho majority of towns in New Zealand. Tho town received a sct-back in 1895/ when a fire swept away many of the principal business places, and two men, Messrs. Caverliill and Turner, were burned to death. Of late years tho growth of tho dairy industry lias made Hawera one of the most prosperous inland .towns in New Zealand, and all associations and businesses have prospered. There is an Agricultural and Pastoral Association, with a spring show, and now a Dominion Dairy Winter Show, which promises in the near future to rival its big Palmerston brother.

Hawora To-day. To-day Hawera is a bright, prosperous town, surrounded by the richest dairy land in Now Zealand. The population is increasing fast, but it has to bo remembered that the area of the borough (500 acres) is small. It is estimated that there aro some 3000 people in the' borough, and fully 1000 closely together on its boundary. Tho public buildings include a technical school, fine post office, hospital, and other places. Tho capital value of the borough is set down at £473,231. Street sections are remarkably cheap (from £50 to £65 per foot in the busi- *■

ness area), when it is remembered that tho dairy land outside runs from £40 to £60 per acre. The municipal buildings are tho Borough Council Chambers, Library, and Drill Hall. The town has drainage and sewerago, abattoirs, public .baths, and a park of twenty acres. Within a mile and a half of the town is the historic spot Turuturumokai, where Captain Ross and so many of his men were surprised and slaughtered, forty-two years ago, by Titokowaru. The names of tho past Mavors of the town aro as follow: — Messrs. F. M'Guire, J. AV. Furlong, G. V. Bate, J. Davidson, (J. K. Major, B. C. Bobbins, H. AV. Sutton, J.' AV. Hirst, and E. I/E. Barton. Mr. Barton is the present Mayor, while tho council is composed of: Councillors fl. IC. AVhittington, E. A. Pacey, E. Morrissy, W. Sargeson, J. Campbell, J. E. Corvell, J. Fov, A. Beid, and J. East-oil., Mr. H. S. Elliott is tho Town Clerk. The public debt of the borough is £66,867 19s. 9d.

Mr.'H. W. Davy, wood, coal, and grain merchant, has his yards, stores, and offices situated near the past office. .Mr. Davy has a very extensive business, which has grown to its present dimensions mainly through_ the industrial enterprise of its proprietor.

BENNETT AND SUTTON, IRONMONGERY AND HARDWARE BUSINESS, HIGH STREET. ' ' W. P. Ross, Photographer.

Messrs. Purser and Co., whoso advertisement appears in this issue, havo a very complete stock of furniture, linoleums, and carpets, nil of which is very artistically shown. In the big showroom are to bo seen some choice mitlces of furniture of the latest design. Ono of the newest of these is tho ;iew decorated style of French bedsteads, which arc a decided improvement on tho old style. The sideboard display is quite equal to that of any city, and tho same can bo said of the wardrobes.