ANNIVERSARY DAY

Evening Star, Issue 20133, 25 March 1929, Page 3

ANNIVERSARY DAY

GATHERINGS OF OLD FOLK LARGE ATTENDANCES 'ln accordance with custom, Anniversary Day was spent hy those early settlers who still remain with ns with renewing old friendships and exchanging reminiscences of the early days. In the afternoon the old folk and many of their descendants gathered in the Early Settlers’ Hall, -where they were addressed hy the Mon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie and T)r Merrington. Mr E. \V. Knight presided, and, in opening, referred to the fact that they had with them that day Mrs Allan, formerly Miss Seaton, a passenger on the Philip La mg, and Mrs Woolsey, a passenger on the Magnet (18-10). Mrs Woolsey had hobnobbed with princes, dukes, viscounts, and Prime Ministers, and, as a- matter of fact, ho had actually cm one occasion seen a Prime Minister kiss Airs Woolsey. Dr Merrington said he had not missed one of those gatherings since he had . como to Dunedin five years ago. It had been his pleasure to see that the flag was flown that day at Knox College, and he hoped he would have the honour of continuing to sec that it Hew there in the years to conic. Koine people said: Why keep up these provincial celebrations? They were -New Zealanders. and why not concentrate on Dominion Day? He hoped, however, they would always keep to the fore the names of the John AVicklifle and the Philip Laing, because of what they had meant to New Zealand at the time ol their arrival, what they meant now, and what they would mean in the years to come, lie had asked Airs Woolsey (nee Miss Coleman), who had arrived at Waikonaiti in March in 1840, in the .Magnet, how her people |iad lirst come to the colonics, and she'lnul told him that they had come to Sydney in the Coromandel some years before. That was the very vessel in which his grandparents had also arrived in Australia. They were the children of the pioneer stock that had laid the foundations of these new lands. The speaker said that his father was in business in Nelson in the ’sixties, and, remarkable to state. Air APGeorge, one of his parishioners, who resided in London street, while digging in his garden, had come across an old token, on which was engraved “J. M. Merrington and Co., Bridge street, Nelson.” The speaker went on to refer to the movement which had started in Scotland to settle people in British lands overseas, and referred to what had been done in conveying people to New’ South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, and the part played by Dr John Dnnmoro Laing, the great: pioneer minister of Australia. He was somewhat of an lahinnelite, and used a rather heavy staff to hit, people with. Ho was a contradistinction to their own Dr .Burns, who had a gentle disposition, and never lost his temper. The immigrants were arriving in Aloreton Bay, Queensland, just about the same time' that Dr Burns and Captain Cargill were setting out on their great expedition to Otago. The gathering that day was typical and representative. of the great movement under which Scotsmen. Englishmen. and Irishmen set out from the Old Country to better themselves in the lands of the Southern Cross. There was also something distinctive about this gathering, and that distinctiveness was -, brought out more than anything eisc by the spirit of unity that bad characterised the settlement of Otago and afterwards of Canterbury. This unity was more pronounced than in the settlement of Wellington, whore, in 1810. the Bengal Merchant arrived from Scotland. There was not the same •spirit of camaraderie in the latter case as in the .settlement of the pioneers who arrived in Otago and Canterbury. The pioneers had been chosen by the Free Church of Scotland. They were imbued with religious connections, and they were not selected haphazard they were a selected band of people. They were of good physique. of good character, wdth a certificate from their minister that they were able and willing to work. They were, in fact, specially selected for a groat enterprise. They had character, industry, thrift, and religion, and thank Cod these attributes could bo applied to their people of to-day. The speaker referred to what the Presbyterian Church had done in the cause of education in Otago, and as a consequence, ho said, not only ihe people of Otago, but those of New Zealand had profited. The" spirit thathad guided their pioneers had been one of high endeavour, and they were today the heirs of those pioneers. Let ihem then remember with gratitude and honour those people who bad laid the foundations of the superstructure that bad been built up by succeeding generations. Let them go forward in the spirit that had come down to them, symbolical of sacrifice, and service, and true, progress. Sir Thomas Mackenzie said he was glad to see Afr James Crnigie. At.l. of Timaru. on the stage with them that afternoon. Air Craigio was almost as great an enthusiast as Robert Burns in Ids love for Scotland. (Applause.) The very large gathering, they bad that day was sufficient to inspire anyone. and wont to .show that the spirit behind the celebration was increasing rather than weakening. He thought they owed a deep debt of gratitude to their president, the committee, and especially their secretary, Afr Paterson. It was a wonderful gathering, seeing what a beautiful day it was with all the charms of outside scenes to call the people away. The speaker said lie was strongly in favour of a record being kept of the lives of their pioneers and their parents in Scotland. He referred to the exploration work on the West Coast of the late Afr James AltKerrow, and spoke of the passing away of General Eoeh, the great French general. On Sir 'Thomas’s suggestion the gathering rose and stood in silence in memory of the dead general.

Mr James Wallace moved a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers, the performers. and the committee which had provided the afternoon tea. He might say that lie was one of those who held that the young people of to-day were ns good as the young people of half a century ago. The motion was carried by acclamation. The gathering then joined in singing ' An id Lang Sync.’ Songs were contributed by Mrs Ma(boson, .Miss Lning, and ’Miss Kathleen Cicerin (who sang We’d Better Hide a Wee.’ by request). Miss Norihey gave a recitation, and Miss Ngaio Garland a violin solo. 'The accompanists were Mrs MacConnochie ami Mr T. Kirk-Burnaiul. EVENING PROGRAMME The evening was given oyer to a concert, over which Mr h. AV. .Knight, presided, hi opening the proceedings the chairman read a number of apologies, including those ironi the Prime 'Minister (Sir J. 0. Ward), the Hon. Wh n Taverner, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, and the Hon. W. Downm Stewart, from Mrs Griffiths. __ih« hv ■surviving ol tli« 11 rloliii Ay y.. and Me, ot. Porfcobellu,

who mii.s now ninety-six years ol age. Mr Knight aLo referred to the iact that they bad had with them that, afternoon Mrs Wol-ey, who bad lived longer in Otago than any person now living. Mr Knight wont on in sav that when he was sitting on the platiorni tint afternoon it occurred to him that everybody on the platiorni must he struck by the happy array ol laces bolore them. The old people were apparently feeling young, ami Mere enjoying the entertainment. lie iclt like the drill sergeant, who said, “ J M’isii you could just step out Imre and have a look ut yourselves.” The Early .Settlers’ Association was now a very big institution, and bad something like 3,000 members and a magnificent property which had to lie kept in order, and that: needed funds. As they were aware, the committee had ventured to incur a liability of nearly £4,000 to purchase I,'ho old Art Gallery Hall, hut they would he pleased to know that the venture had been an entire success from tlie financial point ol view, and also from the point ol view ol the utility of the buildings to the association. They still owed about £3,000 on the buildings, and in order to assist the finances they had inaugurated a system of life members, and be appealed to any of the members of the association who had £5 to spare to liecome life members. 'The rates amounted to about. £4O per annum, and, though the City Council could not make a rebate, it treated the association very well.

Mr Knight also stressed the point that it was the duly of every descendant of the pioneers to become a member of tiie association. A great deal of the success of the association was duo to tho committee, and lie thanked the members of the committee for the assistance they had given him during his term of office, and he congratulated them on the .success ol their efforts. He also paid a high tribute to the staff.

HON. JAS. CUAIGIH’S ADDRKSS. Tiie address of the evening was delivered by the Hon. Jas. Craigie, who considered it a very great honour to be on the platform that night and to meet so many of' the old settlers Otago. He was a resident of Dunedin from JBOO to IS7B, so that he was not altogether an outsider. He considered that those men and women who came out between 1818 and the ’sixties were very brave, but they had a great deal ol "that Scotch grit, independence, and self-reliance to lace the long sea voyage. They heard much about the voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers, but their journey was only about one-fourth ol that undertaken by the early settlers of Otago. .Mr Oral gie went on to refer to the large number of the sons of the old Otago settlers who now held high positions in the north, and lie attributed it to I heir upbringing. iMr Craigie then told some of las experiences on his voyage from Scotland and Ids experiences in ‘Scotland in the early days. During the evening songs were contributed by Misses Helen Hoy, N. Mnliinger, M. Howden, Olga Wynne, and Messrs W. Ruffe 11 and ,f. S. Anderson: a duet was snug by Misses Roy and Wynne, Mr 10. Rnffell rendered a violin solo, and’ Miss Molly Baker recited. Miss 10, Williamson was the accompanists.