THE WANGAIMOANA ESTATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2079, 14 May 1907, Page 1

THE WANGAIMOANA ESTATE.

RENTED AT £2O PER ANNUM IN 1853-

The recent very successful sale of the Wangaimoana Estate for the sum of £101,484 has led a resident of the Wairarapa in the early fifties to become reminiscent. ,Mr. George Leslie, who is now a resident of Wellington, who, upon leaving the "VVairarapa was well known as coachman to Barney Rhodes the millionaire, in a letter to Mr. A. Murray, of Greytown, writes as follows “What changes! Time certainly works wonders, and fifty-four years, seo many developments. But little did I think when I was a working hand on Tauranganui Station in December, 1853, that I should live to see the Wangaimoana Estate fetch £101,484 at the hammer, This estate was originally leased from the natives for the sum of £2O per annum. How X know that this was the price is because, when I was on the station I have named above, at the shearing time of 1853, which station was owned then by the late Joseph Kelly, the sale of the Wairarapa blocks took place there. The natives gathered in full force, there being over one thousand present, all armed with native spears and flintlock guns, potent enough persuaders, I can assure you, in those days, especially as we were practically unarmed, Little wonder that we felt some slight qualms of fear lest hostilities might break out. Luckily, however, no such untoward eyent took place, and all was settled amicably. Sir George Grey, Dr Featlierston and Richard Deighton (interpreter) were present, but Sam Mahupuku was not there. His sister Penelope was there, qnc[ qq a matter of course every settler in the district was in attendance. Feasting and war dancing were the preludes to business, and when these were over Sir Geo. Grey read out all the names of those who had leased lands from the natives. Among the list I well remember J. Kelly’s at £l2 per year and P. Harvie at about the same price, McMaster paid proportionately for the Wharakaka plains —the present site of Martinborough. Captain Smith then had some cattle on the lands now in the occujmtioii of the Martins. The sale lasted two days and the second of the two was pay-day. When the Maoris received payment of their rents they gave it to the children to play wjt}i fqr u time- A sovereign more or less was nothing to the natives. After the sqlo tliere were more speeches, and the question of the right to open up tho spit at the Lake Settlement was discussed, and I think there was somo money paid for the lake rights. I could go on indefinitely about tho ancient history of the IjVairarapa.but will co.ncludo for the present by stato ing that the nativo name of the Wairarapa was Widropa.