COROMANDEL'S ANNIVERSARY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 10

COROMANDEL'S ANNIVERSARY

EARLY DAYS RECALLED, (By Telegraph—Sptoial Correspondent.) Auckland, Juno 29. Saturday last, Juno 28, was tho fifty-first anniversary of the proclamation of Coromnndel as a goldficld, which took place on June 28, 1862. Coromandel was, Tiowever, opened to miners ten years earlier than that, gold being first discovered at Driving Creek by tho late Mr. Charles King in 1852. Colonel Wynyard arranged with the Maoris to let the Peninsula bo prospected from Capo Colvillo to Shortland, now better known as Thames. The first agreement held good for three years, tho arrangement being that the Native owners should bo paid .£1 per annum for each square milo of country from which gold was' dug, and 2s. per month for each man at work. To cover these charges, each miner was charged a fee of 30s. per month. Colonel, Wynyard met the Natives on tho sandy beach at tho western side of tho harbour, between Ruffins and Blackmoro, to talk over matters regarding opening tho field. It must have been an interesting scene, as Colonel Wynyard and his 6la ft went down in a schooner, and many great war canoes were drawn up on tho beach. All tho Hauraki tribes were represented at tho gathering.