OLD HAWKESBURY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1246, 30 September 1911, Page 16

OLD HAWKESBURY.

.--REWNISCENGES OF EARLY MARLBOROUGH. ' INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A PIONEER.

. Nestling 1 snugly in a picturesque valley on the eastern boundary of tho Wairau Plain, about liiiio miles from Blenheim, is situated Hawkesbury Station. This fertile tract of land was taken up by the lato Mr. Cyrus Coulter, several years aftor tho second massacre at Tun Marina in 1843. Although a portion of tho property was recently sold to th« Government and cut up for c'.ese settlement, tho historic homestead, surrounded by somo 25C0 acres of land, is still hold by ■ Mr. Charles Goultor, eon of tha original owner. ; Tho lato Mr. Cyrus Goultor was numbered amongst tho earliest settlers in New Zealand. Ho camo ont in tho Fifcahire, the first immigrant ship (apart from thoao sent out by tho Now Zealand Company) to reach these shores. The company landed at 'Nelson in the yoar '42, jurt twelvji months previous to th» lamsntable eoa-

flict with tho Natives, which resulted in the tragic ending of so many lives. Mr. Goulter was a surveyor by profession, and ho was associated with Ml'. Cotterell in the survey of tho Wairau, which tlio Natives so much resented. On. tho day of -the massacre ho was camped with Mr. . Thompson (another mcmbor of tho survey party) just abovo what is known as "The Narrows," and to the fact that he ■was detached from the main party ho, ' iprobably- owed his-life. ■ When-the 1 Wairau was afterwards {bought by the Government from the Na- ;• tive owners, who claimed it as their right '•by conquest, tho .unfinished survey was completed by Mr. Goulter and his brother- ' in-law, Mr. Joseph Ward, who was afterawards elected as a member of Parliament for tho Wairau electorate. As soon as tho .survey ,was finished Mr. Gculter sinttlcd. _on the land which-comprised theHawkes-. . bury Estate. Tho pioneer soon won the liigh respect of tho residents of the district, and in tho year ISGO was elected to ' represent Upper Wairau on tho fiTst Provincial Council. Tho initial meeting of, tho Council was held' in tho Blenheim Courthouso„in May; ISCO, when-Mr. Goulter was electcd Speakor. THE HOMESTEAD. Tho old HawkesbuTy homestead is situ-, tttcd in Tive Kills Valley, about ono mile from tho more modern residence, which is occupied by tho present owner of the land, . Mr. Charles Goulter.. Although it has •ireatheTed tho storms of fifty-four winters, tho historic old tenement, with its' cob ' walls interlaced with studs of whito pino, ,ia still inhabited, and on winter evenings a family circlo is still drawn round the "huge fire which blazos cheorily in the :up<icious old-fashioned firoplace, warming up the furthermost- corn-irs of the big room. But the present occupiers aro not haunted with tho fear that tho Natives of the valley miafht at any timo yield to the appeals of the savago bands which were wont to como across from tho North Island during the Maori War and urge them to rise up and slay tho whito occupants of tho soil. Tno ceilings of tho old homestead aTo very low, and thero aro quaint littlo rcoms in tho gables, and innumerable cupboards . in tho nooks and corners which aro, tho ■ result of the curious design. The-timber ■ used in tho construction is all whito pine, and was pit-sawn from a bush purchased by Mr. Cyrus Goulter about seven miles from Hawkesbury. With perhaps ono exception, the Hawkesbury homestead is tho oldest residence in tho valley. This cicoption is a i

small cottago Cnaar tho now thrilling), which was built ovw jiity years ago by a carpcut'.'.r named Jack Avis. It wjs used as a resting plnc» fur sheplierdi, vrUo at that timo frequently crosaed th» Waiwu with floeks.of slvcop during th» wAtUmont of the country. So well did tha old builder do hi 3 work that the ancient dwoDing, with its coli walls, is in as porfcct't -state of preservation at tho prcsiait_ timo as when it was first built. Tiio biting frost and driving rain of sixty year, lmvo not even worn tho sharpness off tho angles of tho old mud chimney. Not a patch of matorial appoars to have fallen from its place in the whole building. This interesting old cottage was occupied by Mr. Cyrus Goulter and his family for twelve months, previous to tho crcction of tho first Ilawkesbury homestead. It was afterwards used as a schoolhouso for sorno years, and is now. again the.pomfortablo

little study. A triangnlar-shapod hollow, guarded at iho entranco by tho old sliej> hoxds' hut, and protected on one side by a steep bluff, and on tho other by a deep creek,. formed a kraal into which tho sheep were "herded at night, comparatively safe from the ravages of the packs of wild dogs which in those days used to 6ally forth from the hills and scourgo tho whole plain. FINE OLD TREES. The old Hawkesbury homestead is surrounded by gnarled old wattles and willows, and giant blncgums, which, tower majestically—though defying the law of gravitation—to a height of ono hundred and fifty feet or more. The trunks of. these trees are as straight and symmetrical as the mast of a sailing vessel. Tho timber, now that it has .reached maturity, is possessed of ' excellent lasting

qualities, and it is used for fencing on the station. On a Bmall peninsula at tho back of tho homestead was planted an orchard, which yielded so plentifully that not a titho of tho fruit could be used, and the ground under tho trees would during an •average season be literally paved with delicious peaches and toothsome black-heart cherries. Thesa luscious fruits were fed to tho pigs in dray loads. Although more than half a century old. ' O number of tho

trees aro still yielding heavily each year. On the southern sido of tho old house is a plantation of willows, tho hoary trunks of which arc now bending to tho ground with old age. This area was at ono time a swamp, and tho young willows wcto planted amongst tho clumps of flax as affording protection from tho stock. When tho historic flood of '68 inundated th« land tho flax was completely buried in a bod of silt seven or eight feet deep, but

the willows survived, find in the spring time their waving trss'O.i lend enohantm»at t« the l'tijjad rind historie scen« which surrounds thtra. The narao of tho Ideality, Five HiUj Valley, is derived from n rew of pyramidliko knolls, which stand near .to the ent»anco of tho vale. They are of no great size, tho largosfc of tho five probably not covering an area of more than half an acre. On the summit of one of them a noble-looking troo stands silhouetted azainst tho sky. Tliis tree was planted by Mr. Charles Coulter in corn mem oration of tho Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, the laudable motive being to instil loyal ideas into the minds of liis young sons Tho feeling of exhilaration with which one is filled by tho joyous scene stretching in panoramic new across Five Hilli Valley is .changed to one of reverence when the graves of tho lata .Cyrus Gonltei

and his wife aro pointed out on tho highest mound of tho rolling downs to tho wost of the homestead. Tho old settlor himself choso this spot as tho last Testing placo of himself and his wife, and his expressed wish to bo interred thero was rcspected. On numerous pinnacles of tho more distant hills lono trees, planted by the hand of the pioneer, stand sentinollilco as though keeping guard' over tho mortal remains of 0110 of tho most sterling and loyal of Now Zealand's .pioneers and his bravo helpmeet, who is entombed beoido him.

About ten years ago Mr. Goulter bought tho Blairich run of about 19,000 acres (including soino leasehold). Blairich lies on tho east of Marlborough, about fifteen miles from tho mouth of t'ho Awatero River. It is a very picturesque place, and from an elevated spot near tho homostead a magnificent view can bo obtained of tho Awatefe Valley, with tho snowclad mountains in tho background. The run was originally t'aken up by the late Geergo M'Kae. In a cosy-looking nook about two miles distant, and also surrounded by venerable pines and gums, is tho pretty and historic 'homestead of tho Brookby run, which adjoins Hawkesbury. Brookby was taken up by Mr. Joseph Ward, brolher-in-law of Mr. Cyrus Goulter, but' has since been purchased by Mr. Charles GouUcr as an addition to Hawkesbury. The Tyntesfield range of hills, comprising 20,000-' acres) lio at tho back of Brookby This run was also taken up by Mr. Joseph Ward who afterwards sold it to Mr. A P. Seymour. It has since been divided and again changed hands, Mr. Burnett Ward (son of Mr. Joseph Ward) having bought tho eastern half, and Mr. R. L\ Goulter the western half, including the homestead. THE HAWKESBURY FLOCK, The Hawkesbury flock was started with owes purchased from tho late George Rutherford, Leslie 'Hills, Amuri, and rams and also a numbor of ewes from the world-renowned stud of John Murray, South Australia. After successfully breeding from this strain for a numbor of years Mr. Goulter sold the whole of the flock, about tho year 1891, to tho late Thomas Carter, of Ilillesden, Wairau Valley. In 1882, however, he had founded a separate flock from Gibson's Tasmaninn strain, and this was retained.

In 1881 Mr. Goulter purchased the noted ram Treasurer from Mr. James Gibson, IScllcvue, Tasmania. As evidence of Treasurer's quality, it might bo mentioned that President, who was sold at. Sydney for sixteen' hundred guineas (the highest price over paid for a merino ram in Australia), was one of his direct descendants. Another famous ram which has been added to the floek is Bandmaster 111, bred by the executors in tho estate of the late Thomas Gibson, of Eskvale, Tasmania. Before this ram was purchasod by Mr. Goulter he had sired -the two rams, Tradesman and Guardsman. Tradesman took, tho grand championship of. all Australia at the Sydney Show, and Guardsman annexed first place at Sydney for rams over 2 years and under 3 years, and second in Tasmania in the aged' classes. Mr. Goulter's ilock is known over the wholo Dominion; -as the Hawkesbury Bulldog breed.' The strain is ono part' Tasmanian and three-parts Murray. As a result of in-breeding for nearly thirty years, with careful selection for constitution, a flock has been established which breeds very true to typo and with a very strong combing. The Hawkesbury stud sheep aro very much sought after and command high prices. In the prize-ring Mr. Goulter has a record of which any breeder might bo

proud. He has taken innumerable prizes, including nine gold and thirty-six silver medals, seven silver enps, a solid silver tea service, and five diplomas for wool. At tho St. Louis World's Fair ho captured the gold medal and diploma for wool. HAWKESBURY JERSEYS. In the year 1881 Mr. Gonlter founded his now famous dairy herd, by purchasing three cows from Mr. 11. B. Kill, who was at that timo tho most reputed Jersey breeder in New Zealand. Mr. Hill's herd was afterwards bought by Mr. George Gould, of Christchurch. Later Mr. Gould visited England and brought back two noted Jersey bulls, Dry Monopolo and Monopoly. These bulb were leaEed by Mr. Goulter for two years, ond from th»m eprnHj the present herd. Owing it the fact that h« is in a somowhafc isolated pojitim, Mr. Goulter has net showa hi« Jersey tattlo, but their undoubted superiority ii pr»ved ky tho faat that a hcif«r, Silvor Qumii, purchased by Mr. A. Buchanan, »f Jersey Homo,' Palmorston North, annexed tho championship two years running. Another cow, also bought by Mr. Buchanan, won the butter test at Palmcrston North. Dry Monopole became very famous throughout New Zealand for getting heavy milkers with a good test. The Ilawkcsbury Jerseys were also in-bred, by careful selection, till in lf)00 Mr. Goulter imported tho bull Dalesman and a heifer called Soumiso Lily, both bred by Baron Rothschild, of Tring Tark. Prior to leaving England iioumiso Lily was a prizewinner at, six diii'erent shows. Tho animals wore selected by Mr, Vavasour, of Jj'sbrooke* ilarlborojgh, .if tor landing in

tho colony, Soumise Lily gavo birth to a bull calf, sired' by tho famous bull Combination Jack, and the youngster has been named Soumiso Jack. In 1910 Mr. Goult'er himself visited Jersey and bought a heifer which had secured first prize in her class against fifty-eight competitors iir all parts of tho island. I[o also bought another heifer, and the best young bull iu the island. Mr. Lo lirocq, of St. Ouon's, .Jersey, tho famous breeder and judge, in congratulating Mr. Goulter on his selection, stated that in all his experience ho had seldom seen three better animals leave tho island for one purchaser. Speaking with reference to the

bull, ho stated that he had everything necessary in a show bull—a very handBomo head with horns as rich as gold, lofty carriage, a good straight back, magnificent loins, hips of great width, exceptional width through the heart, showing groat constitutional stamina with the conformation which is so well marked in the Oxford Majesty strains. A large draft of Jlawkesbury Jerseys which were sent to Palmerston North for salo last year averaged over 35 guineas per head, showing what nn excellent repntation they have gained in the Dominion. SHETLAND PONIES. Mr. Gonlter has made a new departure within tho past year, having commenced to breed Shetland ponies. He has started on lines which'should ensuro as great an amount of success as ho has won with sheep and cattle. During his visit to England last year ho purchased threo beautiful ponies from tho Earl of Fifeshire, a noted breeder of theso sturdy liltlo animals. Mr. Goultcr paid very high prices and has secured animals of ■very stylish appearance. In a few years Hawkesbury SlietLiuds will probably bo as famous as tho Jersey and the "Bulldog" merinos.

HAVELOCK. o Havelock is a pretty littlo township of about four hundred inhabitants, situated at tho head of Pelorus Sound, near the mouth of the Pelorus liiver, and is about twenty-eight miles by overland route from Blenheim. Marlborough relies chiefly on Havelock for its timber supply, and there are some very largo mills in tho district. There havo been heavy demands on the timber, and tho bush is getting rapidly cut out. It is brought now from somo distance inland, 'and 0110 mill has over twenty miles of private railway line. Tho timber i 3 brought to Blenheim overland in wagons, and to Picfon by beat. The discovery of gold at Wakamarina in ISGt gavo a temporary fillip to ITavelock, owing to its being a natural centre and the junction of the roads leading to Xelson and Blenheim, and also on account of the facilities offered for shipping. The Havelock district is specially suited to dairying, and this industry is making good headway and adding to the stability cf tho town. A- largo cheese factory is conducted on the co-operative principle. So important is the trade between Blenheim and Havelock ..that a large and costly bridge is about to be erceted over tho Wairau River, near Renwicktown, principally to provide for it. At present the river has to be forded, and at times this becomes dangerous. There is also a daily coach service between Blenheim and Havelock.