OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.—No. 24.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 122, 3 May 1884, Page 2

OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.—No. 24.

[by our special reporter.’ NEWSTEAD. This is the name of a very pretty little spot situate four and a-half miles from Gisborne, on the Gisborne-Ormond Road, and is owned by Mr. E. Espie, who has succeeded to the estate by inheritance. Mr. E. Espie is an Englishman, born in Poverty Bay. His father came to this Colony from Australia, in company with the late Mr. J. H. Harris, and, Captain Jackson Barry-like, was engaged in whaling pursuits. His boats were stationed at the Mahia, East Coast, near Tokomaru, a place referred to in some of my previous sketches. This was about 50 years ago. The property now known as Newstead was acquired by the late Mr. Espie 40 years ago, shortly after tho issue of the proclamation affecting Native lands. Although passing through many troublous times here, his life was not spared to witness the dreadful sacrifices of human life that followed the advancement of Te Kooti on this district, for he died the year preceding the massacre. The Lite Mr. Espio’s marriage with the mother of ■ M a. \>bnilj]ie then young iii'l having remained in Poverty Bay whilst on a vo.-.jigo, through Hrcssof weatheiy were the nuptials of the first white couple that have (cleb.a'ed in this district. There is tiier fore a special interest attached to the b ; -' of / : i l. i<-pie. Noone travelling the Gisborne-Wairoa road can fail to notice the stretch of beautiful flat land an 1 the / >od siz I house, situate about half-a-mile from ihe Roseland Hotel at Makaraka. The house now seen from the road is a comparatively new one. A short distance acru.'.s the giounds will be found the course of th - Taruheru River. On its banks at this spot in the olden times of Poverty Bay there stood two cottages, at one time occupied by

Mr Parker and Mr Robb respectively, and also a grain store, adjacent to which was the wharf, from whence grain was shipped away. This commodity was at that time the leading export of the district, vessels of 60 tons, including one known to old identities as “ The Henry” going alongside and loading. The state of the river must have been much better at that period than the present. The cottages and buildings, whaif, Ac., have disappeared, having been destroyed by the Hauhaus at the time of the massacre, the only vestage of them remaining being some foundation piles of the wharf and the posts on which the houses rested. On the death of his father, the present Mr. Espie, who was born at Te Arai, succeeded to this desirable little estate. He, however, did not immediately settle upon it, but leased it for a time, and visited the Thames goldfields, where he resided during the trobleus times in this locality. Finding the place wrecked on his return, he built a small cottage, which now stands at the rear of the new residence, surrounded by a close and high quick-thorn fence. The estate is small, comprising only 160 acres. It is bounded at the rear by the Taruheru river as far as Mr. Dunlop’s property, and along the front by the main road, and is used as a stud sheep farm. The stock at the time of my visit comprised 850 sheep, including a number of thoroughbred Lincoln rams from Mr, Read's farm at Oamaru, and Messrs. Anderson, of Mangare, Auckland. The wool clip this year averaged 11 j lbs. all round. Mr. Espie has been a successful exhibitor at our local Pastoral and Agricultural Shows, and therefore won considerable fame for the good qualities of his stock. One end of his wool shed is literally covered with prize cards and certificates of merit. Agricultural pursuits he pays little attention to, excepting growing small quantities of grass seed, the amount produced this year being 650 bushels. In the face of the fact that there was no land in the district that yielded better crops of wheat, in the olden days, than that comprised in this estate, it is a matter for regret that wheat-producing is not pursued—especially on a spot like Newstead, from where there is such good water and road communication. (To be continued.)