CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2325, 6 September 1921, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

TARGET AND RACECOURSE RESERVES.

HISTORIC FACTS BY MR J

KEBBELL.

Sir. —In your issue o£ August 20th I noticed that a correspondent states that the late Chief Ihakara Tu Kumaru gave a number of now valuable sites in or near Foxton. In this he is very far from being correct. The Awahou Block purchase was completed by Sir Donald McLean in 1859, and I was present at the signing. It was not,however, dealt with by the Government for some years on account of the Maori wars. There was, however, a lot of surveying done, and some sections sold before 1808, when the fighting recommenced. Soon after the Government purchase a petition was drawn up to the Superintendent of the Wellington Province, asking him to grant the racecourse as a public reserve for racing for all time. In 18,69 an Act was passed by the Provincial Council reserving the racecourse and appointing five trustees; F. Robinson, T. U. Cook, Alex. Gray, ,J. T. Dalrymple, and myself. This is the history of the racecourse. With regard to the Target Reserve, which was also government land, and was first used for shooting, when the Militia was called out in 1808 at Foxton, and shortly after was reserved under the following circumstances. Some time in 1869 I happened to be in Foxton —I lived up the river—and at the hotel met Col. Harrington, O.C. of the N.Z. Forces. He told me that Sir Donald McLean was staying at Otaki for a day, and would be in Foxton the next day, and wanted to inspect my company of Militia. This company was 120 strong, and its members extended up to Palmerston, which at that time had a few residents; also Fitzherbert. On my remarking the time was very short, he replied, “Do your best.” The next day, at 2 p.m., J put 80 men on parade. After the inspection was over, in an interview with Sir Donald, I asked that the range might be made a reserve. He replied, “Get if surveyed, and send the plan in.” I replied. “W e have no money.” He then agreed to have the survey made, and asked who were to be trustees. I suggested the Defence Department. This is as far as I know the only reserve for shooting between Wellington and Wanganui. After some years it appears to have been handed over to the Borough Council, either as a Domain Board, or for its own use, with the right for shooting on it reserved. My opinion is that any net monies from the use of it should be used as prizes to encourage l'ille shooting. I think I have shown that Ihakara did not give those two reserves. With regard to the others,., no doubt lie gave the burial ground, and possibly the school ground, as I he former was used before the sale to the Government, but I doubt very much if he gave the courthouse site.

“Now I am writing I should like to draw public attention to the site of the stockade built in 1808, when Titokowaru, from north of Wanganui, and To Kooti, from (he East Coast, were reported as joining form's at Foxton to march to Wellington. It was never used, hut it gave, assurance to all the settlers of a place of defence if needed, and they all went hack to their farms after coming into Foxton in numbers. 1 think it is up to your Borough Council to lake some steps to secure the section as a public domain for all time, just to keep in remembrance wlial the early settlers had to go through. For then it would be useful to the school just across the road in many ways. I noticed this week school plots on this section. Possibly the Council may have some funds from other reserves in hand which, with public subscriptions, to which I should he happy to give, would get enough to purelfnse it. I am, etc., J. KEBBELL.

We are a lire the above letter will be read with interest, by the local public. In looking over an old file of the “Herald,” under date of October 25th, 1870, we came across the following letter, which was inserted by Mr Kebbell at that time, and which we reproduce as showing the interest the writer then took in setting aside these reserves for posterity:—

“Sir. —As an old resident on the Manawatu River, I was much pleased to read the article in your last issue on the Foxton reserves. You certainly deserve the thanks of the inhabitants of Poxton and its vicinity for it. My object in writing to you is to call attention to the second clause of the Act, and the provision in it, which are very good -as fains they go, but to my mind there ought to be two more, viz., a provision that was inserted in the old Provincial Act when that, part known as the Racecourse Reserve was granted to trustees, to the effect that the ground was to be open at. least ten days in the year for races —I write from memory as regards the number of days—and that The rifle range should be open to all volunteers, militia, or colonial forces. I can speak from my own knowledge that these were the conditions on which the range was given. The idea of a range first suggested itself to me when the late Sir Donald McLean visited Poxton to inspect the Cavalry Volunteers and the Manawatu Company of Militia, which I had the honour to command. After speaking to him on the subject, and receiving, a favourable reply, Lgot up the petition, and the reserve was granted, subject to the volunteers having it surveyed at their own expense, Upon my point-

ing out that it was for the use of the militia and colonial forces, the Government had the surveying made, and the range was to be vested in the Defence Minister of the Colony for the time being.

“I trust, Sir, that having through your columns drawn the attention of the inhabitants of Foxton and of the local Board to these provisions, they will see it is only fair to these people who like racing and shooting that these sports should he provided for in the conveyance the Board will receive from the Government, not that I thing it necessary as regards the present Board, or their immediate successors, who know the circumstances, but to bind those who at a distant time may have the custody of these reserves, and who may forget some of the purposes for which they were granted. I feel certain that this matter can be safely left .with the Chairman of the Board, who was one of the original trustees with myself and others for the Racecourse Reserve, and with the other members who take an interest in racing or shooting.”