EARLY DAYS IN PUKEKOHE

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 103, 3 November 1915, Page 2

EARLY DAYS IN PUKEKOHE

Chatting to a 'Times" representative, Mr E. McWhirter, how a resident of Unewhero, made some interesting references to hiu coming to Pukekohe some 52 years ago. He arrived in Auckland by the Nimrod, a sailing ship, after a voyage of 18 weeks from London. After serving for 12 months in the mttitis, under Captain Bishop, of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, against the Maoris in the ' more important engagements of the Waikato, he was discharged and left Auckland with two friends (now deceased) for Pukekohe, making the journey on foot, via a ttack to Diury and thence through the scrub to their destination, a trio that occupied from earlv morning till eventide. A hamper ot tools and blanket?, etc, was carried by each man. iha o.ily habitation in the district id t:■ se day a was a punga whare occupied by Mr Thomas Havckc and family (father of Mr William Hawke). It stood on tfae site of tne old Presbyterian Manse, adjacent to the waterworks power house. He worked for s number of years on Mfjor Hams' faim with a Mr John Potts, who afterwards returnd to England. Virgin bush' grew luxuriantly, where the busy township of Pukckobe is now firmly established. A combined store and post office, the closest to the district, was conducted by a Mrs Middlemiss at Drury, and from there Mr McWhirter very often carried a sack containing a hundredweight of flour on his back to Major Harris' farm. There was no delivery of mail and letters like the stores, had to be called tor at Drury. The Kev. Thomas Noma, Presbvtrrisn minister, used to conduct service in- Mr Thomas Moore's house (now standing empty) adorning .the present cemetery. As the district pfVgress.d a Mr Bates, the first schoolmaster to enter upon educational pursuits in the district, airived. Parents were then obliged to pay for their children's tuition, there being no ( such thing as Government grants.