EARLY WHAKATAKI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1938, Page 9

EARLY WHAKATAKI

FIRST SETTLERS IN VALLEY LIFE OF THE PIONEERS. RECOLLECTIONS OF MR PICKETT. Born at Waikaraka, on the East Coast, on January 9, 1857, Mr John Pickett, a well-known resident of Masterton, spent the early years of his life in the Whakataki Valley, near Tinui. Recalling some of the events of those days, Mr Pickett said his parents, Mr and Mrs Thomas Pickett, were the first white people to settle at Whakataki. He was two years old when they took up a section there. Before going there they were for a short period residing at Tinui, where they were flooded out and had to spend three days, with four children, under the shelter of a tutu bush, with a blanket for cover. The first settler at Tinui was Mr Arthur Nicholls, who bought 100 acres of land. There were only Maoris in the Whakataki district then, said Mr Pickett — some hundreds of them —but the settlers never had any trouble with them. They were always very good. When his people arrived at Whakataki there was hardly a track there. Actually the first roadwork was carried out when a track was cut from Tinui to Whakataki over Mount Misery and, added Mr Pickett: “My God! it was misery going over there.” In those days Whakataki was largely manuka and light bush, with a heavier growth in places. The trees reached right across the stream, which was then a small creek, but now, he observed, was as much as ten chains wide, the banks having been washed away following the destruction of the bush by fires and clearing. It was fine looking country in those days, he added. Some years later an eight or ten foot road was formed on the present route from Whakataki to Tinui to provide access for bullock waggons, then the approved means of transit, although pack horses and pack bullocks were also largely used. The remains of the old track over Mount Misery were still to be seen. The next settler to arrive in the valley was Mr Thomas Hales, an old 56th Regiment soldier, whose descendants now lived at Wainui, said Mr Pickett, who referred to the great hospitality that existed oetween neighbours in those days. “We used to help one another,” said Mr Pickett. “There were so few of us that we shared what we had. I don’t know how we would get on now,” he added, when comparing the present-day conditions with those of the olden times. No one, he said, would think of passing a house without calling in and having a cup of tea. Their staple food at that period consisted of wild pigs and cattle, of which there was any quantity. In case of having trouble with the Maoris, the residents of the district used to drill, said Mr Pickett. His father walked as far as thirty miles, from Castlepoint to Cripps’s, to attend drill. Captain Guthrie and Captain Cleland, an old army man, used to have charge. Captain Cleland was killed on the Rimutakas when his horse thrt '■ him as he was passing a coach. That just about finished the drill on the East Coast. “My father received 5s for attending drill,” said Mr Pickett, “and he was fined 5s two or three times for not being present. He and Fred Maunsell were good chums. If he did get fined he would not pay it. They were good times.” All their goods, said Mr Pickett, came via Castlepoint, which was the main shipping place on the coast. Mr John Groves had a hotel there in the early days, but it was only an old shanty. Later a hotel was erected at Whakataki. Mr Pickett said he helped to cart the timber for it from Castlepoint. A man named Robert Kenrick built it, though it was later twice destroyed by fire.

Recalling some of the boats that called at Castlepoint, Mr Pickett said the Kitty Clover, which was owned by Mr Guthrie and was in charge of Captain Williams, was wrecked at Castlepoint. It was only a small boat and carried about twenty bales of wool. Sometimes they used to run her ashore and. refloat her again. Captain Croucher, of the Bee, was drowned at the mouth of the Whareama River. He was throwing the lead over when he fell overboard and never came up. Then there was Captain Campbell of the Esther and later of the Kiwi, a steam boat, which was lost at Flat Point after striking a rock.