EARLY MASTERTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1938, Page 7

EARLY MASTERTON

ARRIVAL OF lORNS FAMILY ADVENTUROUS TIMES. BIG EARTHQUAKE RECALLED. Early Masterton, as described by Mrs A. W. Cave, is the subject of a further article in the series specially written for the “Wairarapa TimesAge,” by Mr Charles Bannister. Mrs Cave was a half-sister of Mr Bannister, having been born in Wellington in 1848. v • Wellington at that time, Mr Bannister writes, was a poor, scattered settlement, the sea then being close to the hills. The strip between, which was the principal highway, was known as the beach. However, reclamation soon widened the gap, and enabled shops to be built, although during the earthquake of 1855 a tidal wave came in and almost wrecked the buildings. A barque was brought in and became a total wreck. An enterprising settler acquired the hulk, and converted it into a shop, this being known as Noah’s Ark. Referring to the coming of the lorns family to Masterton (Mr Bannister continues) Mr Masters and his son-in-law, Mr R. lorns, had made good progress with their work of erecting a house for their families and early in 1855, when Mr Michael Dixon was making a trip to Wellington for stores, he conveyed a letter to Mrs lorns telling her to be ready in the following week, as Mr lorns was coming to Wellington for her and the family- Mr Dixon delivered the letter on a morning in February, 1855. They were sitting at the breakfast table. HOUSE ROCKS AND LIFTS UPWARD. While she was reading the letter with her mother, Mrs Masters, they heard fearful rumbles underneath. Then the house rocked and lifted up. They managed to get outside just in time to miss the falling chimney which crashed through the roof, flattening the table and the chairs on which they had been sitting. As luck had it, the three younger children were sleeping in a room well away from the chimney. They were got put ihrough a window. Wellington was a scene of desolation. The sea front had lifted nine feet. Mr lorns came to Wellington see how they had fared. He came over the Rimutaka to see if the newly cut track was passable for pack bullocks. He decided it was. When he arrived in Wellington and saw what was left of it, he made up his mind to get out of it as soon as possible. They packed two bullock loads of necessary things, and the others they packed into the two undamaged rooms. The next morning they left for Masterton, some undertaking. Their belongings were placed on a bullock cart on which they rode, leading a two-year-old heifer in milk, with a pack on her back. Mrs lorns had broken her in to pack and she would feed the children, of which there were four. JOURNEY TO MASTERTON. Things went very well till they came to the Hutt River, which had to be crossed in a punt.. The cart ana luggage were put on, but “Mr Bullock” would not go aboard, so he and the heifer were made to swim across. The party stayed at the Hutt the first night. On the second night they got as far as the Mangaroa, the adults riding and walking by turns. A couple of pack bullocks were waiting there for them. In the morning these were loaded. The quietest and most reliable one was picked out to carry the two uoys. William lorns, aged five, cn one side, and Joseph lorns (who is still living) on the other. As he was lighter he was weighted to equalise ihe pack. They rode in cases well lined with pillows to make them comfortable. Mrs Cave, then aged seven, walked over the Rimutakas and up to ihe Waiohine River. The youngest child, aged nine months, now Mrs Cox, of New Plymouth, was carried on her mother’s back in a shawl. She is still alive. When (he two bullocks and the heifer were loaded, Mrs lorns took ihe lead with the heifer. Mr lorns came next, leading the bullock carrying the boys. Then came the second bullock tied to the first bullock with a long leading rope. Luck seemed to be with them as they reached Burlings in good time, where they stayed that night. Mr Burling kept an accommodation house at the foot of the Rimutakas on this side. ARRIVAL IN MOONLIGHT. From Burling’s to Greytown was their easiest day, as the going was all level and clear, the weather was fine and the river was low. Their destination for ihe day was reached in good time. They stayed for the night with Mr Kempton, one of the earlier arrivals. Next morning they made an early start, in a roundabout way, for Masterton. They went to Papawai first, then crossed the Waiohine River in seven branches, coming out at Parkvale, where they were met by Mr Masters with a cart of his own make, mostly out of kowhai wood. This was drawn by a hefty bullock called Tiny, who had a spread of horns of over six feet, a real Durham. When the cart was loaded, and the occupants seated, Mr Masters drove them over the Taratahi Plains. They stopped for lunch and gave the animals time for grazing, as it was a strenuous time for Tiny, for he had been in the shafts since daylight. After lunch they resumed their journey, crossing the Waingawa River just before dark. They decided to have tea cn the banks of the river and wait till the moon got up, as it was full moon and a perfect evening. It was a sight never to be forgotten by that band of pioneers, with the huge moon rising over the bush in the east. Tiny was made ready to proceed on the last lap of the trip, which was up past Mr Donald’s Manaia homestead. INQUISITIVE CATTLE. Here they were surrounded by a mob of inquisitive bullocks, numbering over a hundred. When these were shooed they galloped away, only to ring again a bit further on. This they did till they got tired of the fun and gave it up. The party crossed the Kuripuni Creek near where the bridge is now, then struck east to cross the Makora Creek at Colombo Road. Once over the creek they came straight up past Dixon’s house at Worksop Road, then on to their own little cottage, where C. Smith’s shop is now. Mr lorns’s rural section was along Colombo Road. The lorns family still retain part of it. This band of pioneers arrived at their destination at midnight, to find the billy boiling, and a supper laid by Mr Eaton, who lived close by. After eating it, they made themselves comfortable for the night. In the morning when the newcomers got up and went outside,

they stood in rapture to see such a wonderful aspect. WELCOME BY MAORIS. About ten o’clock Maoris appeared on the scene, with welcome offerings for Mrs lorns and family. They came in twos and threes (not like Europeans in a mob) till the whole of the Ngamutawa inhabitants had assembled. Each one had a gift of some sort for Mrs lorns and family, potatoes, pumpkins, pork, pigeons and lots of other things. They danced a haka of welcome, and then presented the gifts (one peculiarity of Maori custom is that one must never thank a Maori, for a gift, it is not considered etiquette). The Maoris also brought provisions for a dinner, which were cooked in a Maori oven, “umu.” They would not make this umu in front of the house as it would have brought bad luck. It was constructed about where Dawson’s baker’s shop stands. One of the presents that Mrs lorns received was in a nice little kete (kit) packed in green leaves, two Maori rats picked Snow white and cleaned ready for cooking. These were supposed to be one of the Maoris’ special food presents. While preparations were being made for the feast the Rev Donaldson, Maori missionary and Anglican minister, with his hoa Maori (Maori friend) came along. He stayed for the feast, which he blessed in the Maori language, and also interpreted the speeches for the benefit of the listeners. In the evening- all the Maoris left .for their homes. FORMIDABLE TASK. After this it was continual toil to make things comfortable. New settlers were arriving every day. Mr Edmund Chamberlain told me that when he came past Mrs lorns’s house she gave him a good drink of milk and a bun. Tea was too scarce and too dear to give away. Mr lorns worked away enlarging the house, as they intended to open a store as promised by Mr Masters. In the spring he caught a chill. It happened this way. His wife made him some new under-flannels. In those days flannel was not the nice soft silky’ stuff one gets now, but a rough, thick, hairy make. He was working very hard and when he got warm the flannel irritated him so he pulled it off. Then up came a southerly squall and he got a chill which ended in pneumonia, from which he died. He was the first person to be buried in the Masterton cemetery. Mrs lorns was left to manage for herself with four young children. Mr Masters had shifted to his rural section in Johnstone Street. The Maoris came to her aid. They could not do too much for her as she had to grow her own wheat, grind it ih a small hand mill, sift it through a sieve, then make bread out of the whole meal and bake it in a camp oven. The Maoris taught her how to make pakeha “arrowroot” —by washing some large potatoes, grating them into a receptacle, draining off the liquid and washing the sediment. This was repeated three times. The residue was then dried in the sun. This made good food for children. One could brown it in the oven for a change with eggs and milk. This made a good pudding. THE FIRST MAIL. In 1856 Mrs lorns had to go to Wellington and, as horses were getting more plentiful she procured one and rode it home. While there the Post Office officials asked her if she would be Postmistress for Masterton. She said she would. They informed her the salary would be five pounds a year. They asked her if she would take the mailbag, the first to Mastertori. The bag contained one letter! When she came back to Mnsterton she opened a small store, having arranged for some goods to be sent by cart to the top of the Rimutaka, then packed to Burling’s, where her father took charge of them, bringing them to Masterton in his bullock cart. The ordinary price for carting goods from Wellington to Masterton was £2O a ton. In 1856, Pat Cockery was mail boy. The mail was carried on horseback, twice weekly. Mr Hastwell was the contractor, This was the start of Cobb and Company’s coaches in the Wairarapa. Mr Oates, of Carterton, brought the first vehicle over the Rimutakas. It was a wheelbarrow on which he had a 1001 b bag of flour and some bluegum seedlings, also some parcels. While he was having a rest at Greytown someone took two of the trees for fun. Mr Oates was going to Mr Carter’s place at Carterton. Those bluegum trees can be seen growing there now, I believe. The “pinched” ones came to light in the English Church grounds at Greytown.