Otago 175th Anniversary Tabloid

Theplace we call home

Otago isadistant place on the map, but its historyisone of close ties to places faraway, MikeHoulahan writes.

PEOPLEhavealways yearnedtoexplore to theouter limits, andfew places areasfar from anywhere as Otago

Itseastern coastlinewas as far as Māorisettlerscould navigate when they landed here,most likely sometime in the13th century.WhenEuropeansailors made it to theseshoresabout 400 years later, they plottedits landmarks at thefar extremities of their maps.

When mana whenua trekked inland in search of pounamu, central Otagowas as remote aplace as they couldimagine.

When Europeansdug for gold or mustered sheepoverthe same land they perceivedthemselves at theendsofthe earth, almost nowhere. An internationalflight to Otago todayhas to navigate throughmountains before comingtoland.

DistantthoughOtago might be,assusceptibletothe vagaries of itsfourdistinct seasonsasit is,peopleremain determined to callithome.

The people of Otago have always been proud of their province. The earliestsettlersinthe region might nothaveleft written recordsbut Waitahaleft artistic ones. Rock artdepictionsof thelandscape,people, flora and fauna whichpopulatedOtago remain frozen in time on cave wallsand under overhangson cliffsasremindersfrom centuries long past of howtheysaw themselvesand their surrounds

Whilethose first peoples, literally, lefttheir mark on the landscape,theyhad no calendar on whichtomarka dayand say this waswhenOtago began.

Once KāiTahuand Kāti Māmoe came to thelandthe iwithrived, butdid notestablish an annual celebrationofits presence.

In 1770 Joseph Banks, sailing aboard HMS Endeavour with JamesCook, spiedafire on what is nowthe Otago Peninsula, thefirsthinttothe wider world that people were living in this remote place

Thatglimmeringlight was enough to entice arangeof EuropeanstoOtago in thenext fewdecades, as whalersand sealersflockedtoexploit the richness of thesea.Inthe process they transformedthe livesof thosealready residentonthe coast, bringing vices such as

tobacco andalcohol, diseaseand modernweapons,and virtues such as literacy, educationand a newreligion.

In 1840 came word from the Norththatatreatyhad been signedbetweenthe northern chiefsand therepresentatives of QueenVictoria. On June 13 that year Korako andKaretai signed theTreatyatTaiaroa Headson behalf of KāiTahu.

In general, whalersand sealers did notseektoestablish a permanentlarge settlement, rather make theirprofit andthenretreat Making alasting return on investment wasthe aimofthe New ZealandCompany,acollection of prominentshareholderswho wanted to settle this far-distant place accordingtothe arbitrary designs andprincipalsofthe morallyquestionable

Gibbon Wakefield

Edward

On July 31 1844 company representativestookadvantage of abrief window of opportunity when theBritish Crownwaived themonopolyithad assumed over land purchasesinNew Zealand, to buya400,000 acre parcel whichtheycalled the Otago blockfrom 25 KāiTahu chiefs, for £2400.

However, it took threeyears of legalwranglingfor the company’sclaim to have good titletothe land bordered by Ōtākou,Kaikarae,Taieri, Mata Au andKarorotobetolerated.

Meanwhileworkonthe ground to buildwhatwas intended to be called NewEdinburghbegan in 1846, andrecruitment began for ahardy bunchofScottish andEnglish settlerstoset forth andrealise theambitious plan to recreate alowlands settlement almost as farfrom their original homesascould be imagined.

The first ship boundfor what wasnow renamedOtago,a Gaelic corruption of theKāi Tahu settlementofŌtākou,the John

Wickliffe,set sail from Portsmouth on December141847.

Ahundred days laterthe ship’s passengers stoodand stared at theOtago peninsula,nodoubt wonderingwhatawaited them on thesestrange shores.

Twodayslater,onMarch 23, they sailedintoOtago Harbour, made landfall,and settoturning their bare plotsoflandinto homes, farmsand businesses.

Three weekslater John Wickliffe’s sister ship, Philip Laing,arrived on April15, having ridden outa violentstorm on theway.Its 247 passengers,plusseveralcrewwho deserteduponlandfall,swelled thecolonialranks andset about creating Otago’s principal town, Dunedin.

Despiteambitions forOtago to be aFreeChurchofScotland settlementagoodly number of people from othercountries and of otherfaithswereattracted to thenew colony.That said, thedourPresbyteriannature of settlementleaderssuchas theReverendThomas Burns andWilliam Cargillmeant thetownshiphad aSabbath ordinancewhichoutlawed games, manual labour andshops openingonSundays.

It also meantthatfree public primaryeducation, as in Scotland,was available, immediately settingthe value Otago placedonteachingits younginstone

Almostassoonassettlers had bridgedthe distance from Europe to Dunedin, they set outtobridgethe distance from Dunedin to inland Otago

By the1850s largesheep runs were establishedaround Lake Wakatipu,the Maniototo Plain, Earnscleughand in the Manuherikiavalley,and aflotilla of shipsawaited back in Dunedin to conquerthe tyrannyof distance andexportthe wool clip back ‘‘home’’

Otago wasstartingto prosper, butthe making of the province wouldcomein1861, when prospectorsdiscovered commercial quantities of gold in theTuapeka. Thatmodest discoverydrewminersacrossthe Tasmansea from theVictorian diggingsand oneofthem, GabrielRead, struck it bigwhen he found ‘‘gold shininglikethe starsinOrion’’ furtherupthe river, near Lawrence Furtherdiscoveries of gold in Naseby,Arrowtown and QueenstowntransformedOtago Quiteapart from theinflux of minersfrom allparts of the globe, settlements sprang up by thegoldfieldsand drew amap of theinlandwhichwould be well familiar to amodernday observer.

Accountsfrom Wetherston’s describe this place to be as rich as Gabriel’sGully. The hill sides and gullies aredaily discovering fresh evidences of their wealth, and it is hoped thatgold will ultimately be traced into the immense flatonwhich the various gullies open.

In just threeyears the population of Otago increased by about400%, augmentedby thearrival of Chineseminers employed by local businessmen to extend thelifeofthe goldfields. The precious metal found in theheartland fuelled thedevelopment of Dunedin, whichploughedthe moneyinto developmentofits port andthe buildingofacommercialcentre.

By 1870Otago waswellestablishedasthe most importantprovincein New Zealand: aquarter of thecolony’s population livedhere, many of them involvedinthe industries whichaccountedfor athirdof thecountry’s exportearnings. By this time thestocksof precious metalswerewell plundered andOtago had to create wealth from itsother resources. The Teviot valley suppliedfruit andvegetables farand wide,and thefleeces off thebacks of the province’s sheepcontinued to fuel economic growth

By now, though still fardistant in bare miles, Otago waswell connected to theNew Zealand andworld economy, atie which would strengthen furtherin 1882 after thefirst successful shipment of frozen meat from Port Chalmers to Britain. Although thesecondsuch shipment failed,the problem was swiftly overcome andopenedup alucrative second market for the province’s plentifulsheep To succeed Otago needed ships, andplenty of them. Intrepid entrepreneur JamesMills establishedinthe UnionSteam Ship Companyin1875 andby 1900 it hadavirtual monopoly on transTasmanshipping. Knownasthe ‘‘southern octopus’’due to itssizeand reach, thecompany wasnot only thelargest shipping firminthe southern hemisphere butalsofor atimethe largestprivate sector employer in NewZealand. Whilethe region’s businessmen profited,there were those whoweredeeply concerned at themethods by whichthey made their fortunes. In 1888 Dunedin PresbyterianMinister Rutherford Waddell took to hispulpit to deliverablistering denouncementofsweated labour in thecity, claimingthatmany workerslabouredfor wages

ODT: The gold rush. December 11, 1861.

belowsubsistencelevel, often in hazardousworkplaces.

The sermon caused an outcry,eventuallyprompting acommissiontoinvestigate labour practices in theclothing sectorand beingthe catalystfor lawchanges.

Many of thenames of activists in thefightagainst sweated labour recurintwo of theother great socialbattles of thetime, temperanceand women's suffrage. Whilethe fight againstthe ‘‘demon drink’’was ultimately unsuccessful,New Zealand made history in 1893 when it became thefirst countrytogrant womenthe vote.Otago menand womenwereprominentinthe national struggle andthe great suffragepetition, preserved in theNationalLibrary todayoffers proofin blackand whiteofhow many Otago women demanded equality with their menfolk.

Anotherbastion womenofthe province stormedsuccessfullywas theUniversityofOtago

Foundedin1869 as thefirst universityin NewZealand and oneofthe first in thesouthern hemisphere,in1878 —over much opposition —Caroline Freemanbecamethe first womantoenrol there.

Despitehavingpaved the way, anddespitethe university councilhavingagreedthat both womenand mencould studymedicineatOtago,Emily Siedebergencountered similar opprobriumwhenshe enrolled in 1891 as thefirst female medical student

EthelBenjamin had her ownbattles to winbefore becomingthe first womanat anyuniversityinAustralasia permitted to studylaw.When shegraduatedLLB in 1897 she made theofficialreply on behalf of thegraduands,the first time awoman had ever made an official speechatthe university

While Otagowas faraway, in some respects it was notfar enough away

In 1889, fuelledbya spurious scarethataRussian invasion might be in theoffing, a disappearing gun wasbuilt at Tairoa Head to protect Otago Harbour. Although it never opened fireon an enemy vessel thegun —installed on aKāi Tahu pa site —remains as atourist attraction,sitting alongside thefar more benign Royalalbatross colony Wardid cometoOtago though, despiteitbeingleagues away from anyactivebattlefield. When warbroke out in SouthAfrica betweenBritain andthe Boersin 1899 Otagowas swift to send its sons to war.

Casualties were relativelyfew in that limitedconflict,but the wars to come were farmore devastatingfor theprovince.

The GreatWar to ‘‘end’’all wars cutaswathethrough theyoung menofOtago.Theregiment

whichborethe province’sname wasin thefrontlineofall the majorbattles foughtbythe New ZealandExpeditionary Force; an estimated1830 Dunedin menand about4000 people from across Otago did notcomehome. Many more sufferedseverewounds, both physicaland mental Whilethe Axis forces were a visibleenemy,the invisibleviral enemywhichsprangupnear theend of thewar wasasjust as deadly,claimingcivilians as well as combatants. Otago,still beingone of themostpopulous regionsinNew Zealand,was one of theplaces hardesthit by the influenza pandemic. Of the9000 estimatedinfluenza deaths in NewZealand,224 were in Otago and273 in Dunedin.

After aneardecade of misery theprovincewas in direneed of somethingtolookforward to, anditcameinthe form of the NewZealand andSouth Seas International Exhibition, held in Dunedin in 1925-26. The Exhibitionliterallychanged the face of Dunedin —muchofwhat

• Circa 13th century. Estimated time of Māori settlement of the South Island.

• 1848. On March 23, settlers aboardthe John Wickliffe makelandfall in whatwill become Dunedin.

• 1861. On May 25 Gabriel Read discoversarichdeposit of gold creating agold rush which boosted Otago to be NewZealand’s economic powerhouse.

• 1869. University of Otago founded.

• 1873. Otago Daily Times co-founderSir Julius Vogel becomes Premier of New Zealand.

• 1882. First frozen meat shipment leavesOtago.

is nowLoganParkwas reclaimed to buildthe grounds to hold 6.5 hectaresofpavilions,displays andanamusement park Although more than three millionadmissions to the Exhibitionwererecorded, its successmasked thefactthat Otagowas slowly declining. Post-warbothdairyingand industry continuedtoexpand in theNorth Island,and cities on theother side of Cook Strait were proving amoreattractive destination for migrantsthanthe fartherflungsouthernprovince. Thattrend wasonly exacerbated by anotheroverseas disasterwithawfulconsequences forOtago,the GreatDepression. As businessesand central government followed economic orthodoxyand retrenched, joblessnumbers andpoverty soaredacrossthe region Councils andchurchescreated public worksprojectssuchas buildingcroquet lawns, tennis courts andabowlinggreen, levellingChisholmParkand wideningthe road to Aramoana, butfrustrationsboiledoverintwo riotsin Dunedin in early1932.

Theywereobviously promoted by that element in the community which is concerned in the exploitation of the economic situation for political ends and were participated in by the moreirresponsible of the workers.

Whiledisgruntlementdied down in Otago,far away in Europe it festered andfostered theriseofextremist political movementsin Europe.AsNazis andFascistsassumed powerin Germanyand Italy, in 1939 the worldlurched once more back into global conflict.

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• 1888. The first British rugby team to tour NewZealand plays its first match, against Otago.

• 1893. Women vote in the general election, after adetermined suffrage campaign led by several prominent Otago women

• 1901. March 29,Skippers Bridge over the Shotover opens.

• 1907 Plunket Society formed afteraMay 14 meeting in Dunedin Town Hall.

• 1912. February24, HMS Earnslaw launches on Lake Wakatipu.

• 1917 October 12, bloodiest dayinNew Zealand’s militaryhistory: 843 men, many from Otago, killed at Passchendaele.

• 1925. November 17,New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition opens.

• 1932. April 9, second of two unemployment riots breaks out in Dunedin.

• 1942. December 8, fire at Seacliff Mental Hospital kills 37

• 1943. June 4, 23 killed in rail crashnear Hyde.

• 1947. Dunedin-born artist Frances Hodgkinson dies on May13.

• 1952. July 23, in Helsinki, Dunedin’s YvetteWilliams becomes NewZealand’s first female Olympic gold medallist, in the long jump.

• 1973. June 28, HMNZS Otago sailsfor Mururoa to protest French nuclear testing.

• 1990. November 13, 13 shot deadatAramoana.

• 1994. April 23, Clyde Dam powerstation officially opened.

• 1996. July 23, Dunedin swimmerDanyon Loader wins his second gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics in the 400m freestyle, having wonthe 200mthree days earlier

• 2013. February24, artist RalphHoteredies.

• 2018. May4,site fornew Dunedin Hospital announced.

ODT: The Depression riots, 1932.

(Left) Earlydays... Dunedin looking south from Bell Hill, nowthe site of First Church, in 1860. —TePapa (O.030503)

(Right) Prominent signatory... Margaret Gordon Burn, former Otago Girls High School and WaitakiGirls High School principal and signatory of the greatsuffragepetition.

OVER theprevious century Otago’s residents had feared, mostly groundlessly, that they were at risk of invasionbyaforeignpower FormuchofWorld War2it wasnot afar-fetched prospect. German submarineswerein thesouth Pacific seas,and New Zealand’smilitaryleadershad identifiedseveralpossible landing sitesfor aJapanesearmy, which includedcoastal Otago DespiteOtago beinginperil, itsyoung menwereoncemore sent to distantshorestofightin defence of theprovince, many of them in the23rdBattalion—the Canterbury-Otago Battalion.

Otago sent soldiers, support personnel andnursestothe Middle East,Greeceand Britain, to NorthAfricaand Italy, and to thePacific. Again, many did notcomehome, although the appallingslaughter of World War1was not repeated TheycamehometoanOtago wherethe provincewas starting to prosper.Farmers were reaping rich reward fortheir produce, andonthe nearbyriverssuch as theWaitaki andClutha large powerstationswerebeingbuilt to lightand heat thecities.

The population of Oamaru grew by 75%, Balcluthadoubled in sizeand Alexandra and Mosgiel’stripled.Dunedin, whichhad been shrinking before thewar,grewits population by

more than aquarter as thebaby boom generation settleddown.

The 1970s and80s were a time of furtherexpansion, butnot withoutcontroversy

Acontainer terminalwas builtatPortChalmersand theManapouri damwas built —New Zealand’sfledgling environmental movement taking flightinthe process. Part of Cromwell disappeared after theClutha was dammed at nearby Clyde, but Aramoana dodged thedevelopment bandwagonbystaving off the construction of an aluminium smelter.

In the1990s Ngāi Tahu and thosewho used thedistinctive southern KāiTahu, mana whenua before theBritish arrived,

succeeded in gainingredress for thelossofmostoftheir land

In 1991 theWaitangiTribunal foundthatthe Crownacted unconscionablyand in repeated breach of theTreatyofWaitangi in assumingcontrol of most of theSouth Island,sparkingseven years of negotiation betweenthe iwiand thegovernmentbefore aSettlementAct waspassedby Parliament

Although therewas some dissensiononall sides of the transaction, NgāiTahuisnow oneofthe most powerful businessesinthe southand has made considerableinvestmentin land,property andindeveloping itspeopleinOtago.

Many of thoseinvestments were made in thetourism sector Once itsdistancefrom theworld preventedpeoplefrom visiting to seeOtago’s wonders, but now hundreds of thousands arrive in theregioneachyear, either by aeroplane or on shipsofimposing magnitude compared to John Wickliffe and Philip Laing

Those whocamebefore, be they Waitaha, KāiTahu, Kāti Māmoe, Scottish,Irish,English,Welsh or Chinese, or be they from anyof thescoresofother places which people hailedfrom beforethey called this place home,built the foundationsuponwhichOtago stands today.

Historyhas drawn alinewhich directsthatOtago is 175 years oldtoday,March 23, 2023

Of course,the whenua existed long before that andthe land will endure during theyears ahead, even as people comeand go Thatisworth celebrating, both theimportanceand abundanceof ourplace,and theinitiative and achievementsofthose wholive here,pastand present andfuture.

mike.houlahan@odt.co.nz

Todaythe Otago Daily Times marks the 175th anniversaryofthe arrival of John Wickliffe,the first ship carrying British settlers, making landfall in whatisnow Otago. We acknowledgeKāi Tahu,who at thattime called Ōtākou home, and the peoples from throughout the world who have cometothis place and called it home. Many of the following articles ran25years agoina special ODT publication to mark Otago's 150th anniversary. These stories encapsulate the triumphs and tragedies, the tenacity and toil, which combined to makeOtago whatitistodayand will be in the future.

Continued from Page 3

Poweringup. The Clyde Dam nearscompletion. ODTFILES

Haair-raising settlement tales

ASIMPLE plaque at Wellers Rock marks thelanding place on theOtago Peninsula of theWeller brothers,whalerswho founded theregion’sfirst European settlementatŌtākou in 1831

There wasasignificant history of European colonisation here long beforeour God-fearing Scottish forebearsoff the John Wickliffe and Philip Laing set foot on Port Chalmers soil in 1848 Those early whalers who preceded them tend to be all butforgotten now, apart from colourful characters like the whaler andlandbaron, Johnny Jones, of Waikouaiti, who continuedtobeadominating presence throughthe defining years of theinfantprovince

Although little recognition hasbeenaccorded them in thehistory books, theWellers contributedmuchtothe developmentofOtago andleft behinda villagethatwas not only oneofthe mostimportant whalingsettlements in New Zealand, but is thelongest continuously occupied European settlementinOtago

The taleofthe pioneering Wellers—Edwardand Joseph, their brotherGeorge, who directedthe family's fortunes andbusinessconcerns from Sydney —and thewhalers whoaccompaniedthemacross theTasman, is oneofhigh adventure, disasters,triumphs andhair-raisingconfrontations with localMāori

Joseph was27and Edward 10 yearsyounger when they arrivedfrom Australiaonthe

company barque, the Lucy Ann, in September1831, to setup thefamilyenterprise, whichalso includedtradingin flax andtimber. George wasayear youngerthanJoseph.

The whalingsettlementburnt to theground thefollowing year.Rebuildingbeganalmost immediately.

Laterthatyear, Edward Weller waskidnapped.Stories abounded aboutthe incident. Onewas that he escapedbeingeaten after his captor drew lots andafriendly chief wonand spared hislife.

Joseph wasalsoseized at one stage, whileinthe NorthIsland andwas rescued by missionaries.

By 1834 relationswith500 or so KāiTahuheadedbyChief

Taiaroa, buoyed by bloody raidsatCloudy BayinMarlborough,tooka dramaticturnfor theworse.

The Lucy Ann wasboarded,its crew barely escaping massacre

and, fearing for their lives, theincreasinglybeleaguered whalerspreparedtoabandon thesettlementand return to Australia.

Aletterwritten to George Weller by CaptainHeyward of Ōtākou,on September29, 1834, waspublishedin the Sydney Herald on October16thatyear.

Extracts follow:

‘‘ .They make no hesitation in tellingusthattheywillmurder us alland divide ourproperty amongthem. Sincetheir return from Cloudy Baytheyhave been so much emboldened by their successin plunderingthe whitepeoplethere andthey takefrom us whatever takes their fancy, such as ourclothing andfood off ourveryplates— help themselves to oilinsuch quantities as they requirefrom ourpots.

‘‘ They say white people areafraidofthem, forgreat numbersofvessels have been takenand plunderedbythem andwhite menkilled and Europeans dare notcomeand punish them for so doing.

‘‘We asked them whythey wishedtokillus? Theyanswer with as much indifference as a butcherwould do

‘‘We areunder constant apprehensionofbeingburnt in ourbedsevery night,and of the nativesrobbing andshooting thosethatremain, as they attempttoescape.

‘‘Once or twice Taiaroa, who is oneof theworst disposed of thechiefsand ahorrid cannibal, came up withhis mob with that intention, armed, butwas persuadedtodesist by therelatives of thosechiefsin Sydney,until thearrivalof the Lucy Ann

‘‘ Thenewsthattwo shipsof war were comingtoNew Zealand to seek revenge for themurder of people of the Harriet,surprised them a little,but when they heard the small number of men(nearly 60) theylaughed ...Inmy opinion,thatverycircumstance has saved the Joseph Weller from being taken andall of us from being massacred thenight after her arrival.

‘‘ Weput greathopes in the statementswhichhaveappeared in the Sydneypapers, that two men-of-warwereonthe coastand in all probabilitytheywill visit this place.Iftheydonot come here after having told thenatives they wouldand seekrevenge our fateswillthenbecertain.

‘‘However,weare allprepared for the worst andweare determined to die like menand notgive up theghost withouta struggle.Weare allwell-armed andare determined to sell our livesasdearlyaspossible.

‘‘We have petitioned the Government forassistance, butIamfearful that it will arrive toolatetorescueusfrom destruction

‘‘If youshouldget this letter, send down anothervesselwellarmedwiththe Lucy Ann. ‘‘...IhavedespatchedMr Snowden, in hopesthathe mayarrive in time to make arrangements forsendingdown twovessels to bringupall our property;asthe wholeofus intend to abandonthe place shouldour livesbespared.’’

Continued on Page 6

A lithographic print, published in 1835, illustrates whalers going about their business State Library of NSW

A plaque on Wellers Rock marks the landing place of the Weller brothers in 1831

How tensions explodedand peacerestored

OTAGO historianIan Church explainedthe background to the situation, puttingthe letterintocontext.

Becauseofthe increasing threattothe settlement, the schooner Joseph Weller,withthe eldestbrother aboard,sailedto Sydneyfor help. It wasjoined bythe Lucy Ann,captained byWilliamAnglem, which carried acoupleofinvoluntary passengers,minor chiefs, whom hehad enticedonboard to serve ashostagesfor good behaviour while theshipwas away.

The ruse worked,although whentheydiscoveredthe loss oftheir chiefs, theMāori had threatenedmurder.

The Joseph Weller wasreturned toŌtākou armedwithcannon and atruce was declared,though Taiaroa’s peaceful aboutface probably hadmoretodowith the news that twowarships, the HMS Alligator andthe Isabella, werebombardingthe Taranaki coast,seeking revengefor the plunder of the Harriet,awhaling shipwrecked off Cape Egmont and themassacreofits crew

Like Cornish ship wreckers ofold,the Māorihad had

thesameconceptofmuru (plunder), said Mr Church

‘‘Up untilthe Alligator went over andbombarded Taranaki, theMāori plundered anyship that landed up onthe coastand to hellwiththe crew.Theship owners of NewSouth Wales in Sydney gotsickofitand petitioned theGovernorofNew SouthWales to do something about it

‘‘Although therewereafew eyebrows raised in England about oneofHM'sships beingusedtobombardpoor defencelessMāori;it's afactthat no othershipafterthattime waseverplundered on theNew Zealandcoast,withthe exception of aFrenchwhaler,ransacked in theChathams.’’

The Harriet incidentisdescribed in HeartlandofAotea,ahistory of Māoriand European in South Taranaki,beforethe Taranaki wars,written by Mr Church

After making it to shore safely after thevesselfoundered,the ship’s companywhichincluded theco-owner John Guard, hiswifeBetty andtwo young children, wasattackedby200 Māori. During thefighting severalpeopleonbothsides were killed John Guardmanaged to bribe

hisway outwithabarrelofgun powder,eventuallysailedto Cloudy Bay, wherehemet up with Joseph Weller andaccompanied him to Sydney to petition the Governor for armedassistance Meanwhile, Mrs Guardand herchildren were captured and imprisoned in variousSouth Taranaki pa.Mrs Guardhad been woundedand some of theMāori had lickedthe blood from her wounds andwhenitceasedto flow, attemptedtocut herthroat with apiece of iron.She then had

to watchwhile herbrotherand otherdeadsailors were cutup andeaten.

Aransom wasdemanded for Mrs Guardand herdaughter, buttheyfled when troops were landed at Te Namu.Her baby son waslater rescuedbyanold Māori chief,who wasthenshotinthe ensuingfracas

By thelate1830s racial tensions had easedand Ōtākou wasa thriving community of well over 100, includingwomen and children anda school

Many of themen also intermarried with thelocal Kāi Tahu.Edwardtooktwo Māori wives, Paparu andNikuru, the latter thedaughterofChief Taiaroa, andhad adaughterby each

An essaybyDunedin historian PeterEntwisle, in Advance Guard,records theWellers’ store as having been atradingpost, notonlyfor Otago,but forthe wholeofthe SouthIsland.

The whalepopulation appeared to have dropped sharply at thebeginningofthe 1840s, as whalingdeclined, but aman namedLanglands describing thearealater,wrote of:‘‘Quite alarge settlementofwhites comprisingarunholder (who occupied Kelvin Grovedairy

Dunedin Airportproud to be the region’s gateway

As Otagocelebratesits 175th anniversary, DunedinAirport is proud to connect the region with the rest of the country.

Sincefirstopening at Momona in 1962,we have been the gateway to thebestpart of NewZealand -the lowersouth.

This stunning region incorporates many wonderfullandscapes,including Otago Peninsula,Central Otago,and the Southern Lakes

Theseplaces offeravast array of unforgettable experiences,fromwildlife tours, jetboating, bungy jumping, cycle trails, andsome of the best walks on Earth.

For over60years, DunedinAirport has

proudly served visitors allowing them to exploreall that this region has to offer.

“Weare passionate about promoting everything Ōtepotiand theLowerSouth has to offer, to New Zealand and the world,” ChiefExecutive Daniel De Bono says Having offeredvital supportto the wider Otagocommunityfor oversix decades, Dunedin Airport strivestosustainably share the lowersouthwith therest of theworld. Ourpassionateand hardworking team pridesthemselves on providing excellent customer servicetoour locals andvisitors to the region.

“Our airportrunway is themost important

farm)and hisshepherd, a chemist,two hotels,aretired whalingcaptain, atinsmith, theex-managerofWeller Bros’ whalingestablishment anda mixtureofcarpenters, boat builders, boatmen, sailorsand retiredwhalers.’’

PeterEntwislewrote that although it wasJohnnyJones who wasalwayscreditedfor assisting theinfant colony at Dunedin with supplies andfood,the 1848 settlerswereoftenasmuch indebted to Ōtākou as they were to Waikouaiti for their survival during thefirst difficultmonths.

As for Joseph Weller,hediedof consumption, afamilyaffliction, in 1835, at theage of 31 andhis body waspreserved in apuncheon of rumand shipped to Sydney Edward returned to Australia in 1840, afterhis second wife diedand eventually drowned in theloft of hishouse in West Maitland,trapped belowthe roof by risingwaters.

Despitediversification,the family fortunesfalteredand George andEdwardwere declared bankrupt in 1842.

main street in town, and is akey economic driver forDunedin and the lowerSouth Island,” De Bono says.‘‘Weare sharply focused on ensuring DunedinAirport continues to grow and thrive.”

He addsthat Dunedin Airport is dedicated to respecting our social license tooperate, as well as showing leadership in the enduring wellbeing of our region, community,our people,and the environment.

“Wewillremain committed to ensuring sustainability becomes an inherent part of everything we do.”

EdwardWeller

(Right) Weller’sWhaling Station, with the first wooden house built in Ōtākou,oil on canvas by Jane Colville. —Toitu Otago SettlersMuseum collection

Givenourhistoryanddedicationtoquality,WrensisanameOtago knowsandtrusts.We’vebeenaddingcolourandtransforming businessesandhomesacrossDunedin,SouthOtago,Central OtagoandLakesDistrictregions.

Locallyowned&operatedfor127years

On the 15th January 1896, Mr James Wren started business on his own account as a painter and decorator The business grew and a small retail outlet was established in Stafford Street The rest, they say, is history The management of the company was taken over by the founder’s sons, Percy and Chris Wren in 1920.

In 1928 Chris died and Percy took over the running of the company Initially, Alex, Percy’s son, was employed but sadly killed in action in World War Two Percy’s second son James (Jim) Wren entered the family business

Jim Wren spent 46 years in the company until his retirement in 1988

The company was purchased by Stewart Driver and Alan Dunbar This partnership continued until 2003 when Alan retired. Stewart retired in 2005.

The company is now owned by Richard Daniell, Brian Black and Blair Mitchell

The head office is now at 50 Carroll Street, Dunedin.

Painting, Tiling &Plastering

Makeovers or newprojects, residential and commercial, Wrens gives youquality finishes for all painting and interior decorating requirements.

Aprofessional team of Craftsman Solid Plasterers and Tilers ensuring a quality job from small home repairstolarge-scale commercial builds.

Our Values

• Threecoats means three coats

•Togothe extramile

•Tostrongly uphold our company name

•Tobeopentogrowthand newideas

•Totreat allpeople fairly

WrensproudtraditionofbeingoneofOtago’smosttrustedContractorsstartswithitsloyal,dedicatedand long-servingstaff,somehavingbeenwiththecompanyforover30years.

Whenaclientwantsworkdonetheyknowtheywillgetapproachable,trustworthyandreliabletradespeople,who respectthemandtheirproperty

Ourpeopletakeprideinwhattheydo,carryingouttheirworktoahighstandardfromthefirstcontactto completion ItisthesequalitiesthathavemadeWrensstandthetestoftimeandstillcontractingafter127years

Itwasoveracenturyago,whenJamesWrenfirstset outtobecomeapaintingcontractorinDunedin

Naturalresourcesshaped province

OTAGO in theyears before whitemen first sailed to its shorespresented averydifferent landscape from theprovincial sceneoftoday

Back then both sides of the harbourwerecovered withdense bush down to thewaterline,the TaieriPlain wasalonelyswamp, andthe inland districtswere clothedinatangledjungleof tussock, matagouri, speargrass andmanuka.

Here andthere atrack penetrated into thebush, in oddspots smoke from asolitary firebetrayedhumanpresence, butoverall thescenewas undisturbed

With thepassingofthe centuries, however, this countrybecame thehomeof people whosedeedshavesince been encircled in an aura of legendary glamour.

Whoprecisely were thefirst inhabitants of Otago?

Nobody cansay with accuracy, butitisknown that they congregatedinvillages along thecoast —atŌtākou, at Waikouaiti,atthe mouthof theMolyneux Riverand other scatteredlocalities

Sincethe seaoffereda food supply andanavenueof transport, fewwereattractedto theinteriorasapermanent place of residence

It is obviousfrom archaeological recordsthattheyknewabout thewealth of inland resources

Almost everyyearthe coastal dwellersjourneyed inland,often as farasthe LakesDistrictand theWestCoast,onexpeditions of huntingand trading.

Most prized wasthe greenstone foundinthe vicinity of Lake Wakatipu andonthe West Coast. On their return,theyspent many months at placeslikeMurdering Beach(Whareakeake), chipping andgrindingintoornaments, implements andweapons

Apartfrom greenstone resources, theinteriorheld anotherimportant attraction for theoriginalpopulation.About four or fivehundred yearsago, largeflocks of moaroamed aboutOtago

Despitetheir sizeand heavy build, themoa were no matchfor their Māorihunters.Among the Māori, their fleshwas considered agreat delicacyand it wasused as amediumofexchangefor NorthIslandgoods.

Thiswealth of richesbrought disaster to theOtago Māorias news of their abundantfood andgreenstone resources was beginningtofocus attentionon them from theNorth Island.

Thisinterest, especiallyamong theweaker northern tribes, ledto organisedefforts to sweepdown andoustthose whohad settled in themorepeacefulsouth Foryears Otago became abattlegroundofbloody encounters as wavesofconquest followed oneafterthe other.

Fortunately for theScottish migrantsatthe beginningof the19thcentury,the struggle had almost burntitselfout.By that time,the Māoripopulation hadattaineda certainstability and, to alarge extent, victor and vanquishedhad coalesced into onepeople.

After so much bloodshed, it wouldnot have been surprising if their numbershad been seriously depleted.Therehad never been many Māoriinthe South Seriousdepletion might have occurredhad it not been for the introduction of the potato early in the1800s. The new food crop alteredthe fabric of society as

become an almost negligible factorinOtago affairs.The deathin1844 of their most famous chief,JohnTūhawaiki, symbolised for them theend of their dominion.

During this eventful decade in Māori history the whaling industry passed through a similar cycle of maximum prosperity and rapid decline Early in the 1830s whaling stations were set up on the Otago coastline Some of the best known were at Reservation Inlet (1829), Ōtākou, Moturata Island at the mouth of the Taieri River, Waikouaiti, Moeraki and Waikawa

Foratime, thewhaling industry wasveryprofitable and menfrom allnations,including ‘‘theveryscumofPortJackson,’’ hurriedtoOtago to gain ashare in thespoils

They may have been unscrupulous and hard drinking, but theirs was a dangerous and difficult job in which their conditions and pay encouraged excesses

Of the Otago stations, the Ōtākou establishment owned by George and Edward Weller was for a short time the most

successful.For anumberof years, when it employed 70 to 80 men, it wasasceneofgreat activity andwildadventure

As theWellers’ namesare associated with theOtagoand Taieri ventures, so the name of John Jones is part and parcel of the Waikouaiti establishment. Shrewd, determined, and of very strong character, Jones had bought the Waikouaiti fishery in 1838

Unlike so many of his contemporaries, however, he did not confine his attention soley to the whaling industry

farasfood gathering went You don’thavetohunt or travel far to harvestpotatoes, you don’t even have to live in an especially warm climate to grow them Society changed to such an extent that by themid-1830s, when European visitors beganto frequent theseshoresinany numbers, theOtago Māori reached a maximum population of 2000

From theMāori point of view, thewhalerswere the most significantEuropean visitors There canbelittle doubt that the rapiddeterioration of the Otago Māorifrom 1855 onwards was largelybroughtabout by these seafaringmen.

The diseases white men brought spread thorough the Māori population like wildfire After 1840 they were so reduced in numbersand prestige as to

(Above)Uplandmoa (Right) John Jones established the first permanent European settlement on the east coast of the South Island, at Waikouaiti, and pavedthe wayfor the Union Steamship Company of NewZealand which at one time wasthe largest shipping company in the southern hemisphere

He purchased aconsiderable acreage of land in thevicinity of Waikouaiti.In 1840hesent10 families in the Magnet to start farmingthere.

Although hisschemedid notworkout exactlyashe had planned, it wasthe first systematicattempt at permanent whitesettlementinthe South.

From beinga labourer on the Sydney wharves, Jonesfor atime became theuncrowned king of theprovince.

By 1839 he ownedseven whalingstations, each employing 30 to 40 men. During the previous season he hadtaken 1000 tons of oil.

Towardsthe endofthe decade returnsbegantofalloff. In theearly 1840s thenumber of whales caught in Otago dwindled rapidly. The wholesale indiscriminate slaughter

over yearshad caused the disappearanceofwhales from the Otago coastline.

Almostassuddenly as they had come,the whalersdeparted. By 1843 allthatremained of Wellers’ once thriving stationwas an abandonedfisheryand afew deserted, crumblingbuildings.

The brief hegemony of the whalerswas significantinOtago’s history. Their cominghad been responsiblefor anew and unexpecteddevelopment —the arrivalofthe missionary

ShortlyafterJones hadbought it,the Waikouaiti station became notoriousasahotbedof drunkenness, vice andimmorality. Although for fivemonthsofthe year thewhalerstoiledlikeslaves, most of theremainingseven they spentindebauchery.

To remedy this stateofaffairs andits consequenteffect upon

theMāori,Jones sponsored theappointment in 1840 of a Wesleyan missionary,James Watkin.

Otago’s first representative of theChristian Church wasthus broughtherebyawhaler

On arriving at Waikouaiti, Watkinfound hisworst fears more than fulfilled.Hewas forced to takea determined standnot only againstthe vices of thepakeha, butalsoagainst thesavagecustoms of theMāori Throughoutthe provinceheset up anumberofMāori schools to whichhesentpartlytrained Māori teachers.His parish wasextensive,stretchingfrom Kaikoura to FoveauxStrait. Although he wasa poortraveller, he spentmuchtimejourneying over swampyvalleyand bush-clad hills, andtravellingbycanoe or boat,toits most distantcorners.

At Ōtākou,the largest settlementsouth of theWaitaki, threechurcheswerebuilt soon afterhis arrival. Missions sprang up elsewhere too. Allsolid testimonytothe abilityofa man whosetaskfrom theoutsethad neverbeeneasy. Yetinthislonely spot,amid the stenchofoil andblubber and surrounded by adissolutewhite society andadwindlingand debauchedMāori race,Watkin carried outzealously theduties entrustedtohim. Upon hisdeparture in 1844 he wassucceeded by CharlesCreed Like Watkin, Creed wasaman of outstandingability andenergy. Atirelesstraveller,hespent much time journeying from onemissiontoanother.Hewas thefirstwhite preacherofany denomination to hold aservice on thesiteofDunedin.

Creed wasexceptionally popularwithhis Māori congregations, forheunderstood notonlytheir language,but also their customs andetiquette. Such wasthe man, esteemed by whiteand Māoriraces alike, whocontinued thetradition establishedbyWatkin. When thefirst settlers arrived in 1848, therefore,muchofthe preliminary work essentialtoany newsettlementhad been carried out. If theOtago sceneappeared strangeto them,how much more hostilemustithaveappearedto Creed,and to Watkin, andata stillearlier date to thewhalers?

Withoutthese menofthe presettlementdays—missionaries andseafaring menalike —who did so much to prepare theway, thepioneerswould have found thetaskofestablishingthe new settlementevenmoredifficult.

William Gilbert Rees,explorer and first European settler of Queenstown/Tahuna, New Zealand is The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s namesakeand historical inspiration. In 1861,William and his wife Frances created their homestead by Lake Wakatipu. Gold was discovered in the ArrowRiver in 1862 and Queenstown became athrivingtown in 1863.

The Rees Hotel dedicates this year to itsnamesake, William Rees,withan exciting campaign of packages, events and experiences to celebrate Queenstown’s re-establishment as avibrant international destination. Check out our full range of offerings from scenic and historical tours to magicalheli-wine residential experiences.

Site of Johnny Jones' 'Prospect Farm' near Waikouaiti PHOTO: JANE DAWBER

Stoic efforts of anonymous settlersbuilt foundations

THE foundingofOtago province hasnot been theachievement of thefew,like Cargill,Burns and Macandrew(although these threeoccupiedleadingroles), butofhundredsofothers, now anonymoustoanyoneexcepttheir directdescendants.

These first settlers were for themostpartsimpleand unpretentiousin their living, completelyabsorbedin their ownnarrowcircle, andseriously intent on overcomingthe immediate obstacles.Doing this, they builtfor themselves and their families some assuranceof future security.

Butinstolidly pursuing their dailyround,in accepting with unquestioningstoicism theinevitabledrudgeryand indescribablemonotonyofthe pioneer’slot,theywerehelping to found aprovince— although they maynever have realised it

Indeed,without herpioneer postmenand pilots, without thedrivers of theold bullock wagons andthe first coaches, and withoutall thosenow nameless menand womenofhumble origin, butsterlingworth,Otago couldnever have survived the first uneasythroesofbirth

The businessofsuccessfully foundinga settlement in anew countrydemanded theservices of very many different types of men. In earlyOtago,communication with neighbouring provinces (not to mentionwiththe outside world) waserratic andtransport difficulties were almost beyondconquering Long before settlement was made areality,Otago had heradministrators in theOld Country. Forexample,Captain Cargill in London,DrAldcorn in Glasgowand John McGlashan in Edinburgh— allkey men manning strategic posts

These were theagentsof propagandawho travelledwidely andcorrespondedincessantly, pressingforward theclaimsof emigrantsand extolling—at timesrathertoo heartily —the charms of Otago.

Andwhile they were thus occupied at Home,the first surveyingparties, thetrue vanguard of colonisation,had reachedcolonialshores.

Otago, with itshillsand forests, washardlya surveyor’s paradise.Evenso, CharlesKettle, with assistants Barnicoat and Davison, worked on undaunted foralmosttwo yearssothatthe first settlers, who arrivedlate in

March1848, might findthe sitesin readiness. With thearrivalofthe fir ships, the John Wickliffe andthe Philip Laing,the settlementassumed a more interestingand respectable aspect Untilthenithad been thehomeofa small Māoripopulation and thehaven of still fewer derelictand brokendown seamen, thelast relics of theriotous days of whaling. In keepingwiththe principles of theOtago scheme, FirstChurch was

heir rst

establishedimmediately under theRev ThomasBurns and JamesAdam. Adam,who later made hismarkinprovincial politics, wasappointed precentor andbell-ringeratwhatwas then considered amunificentsalary of £10 perannum.

Continued on Page 12

William Walter Cargill wasa wine merchant, bank manager, Captain in the British army, colonialist in Otago and founder of Dunedin. With Agnes Moodie Cargill.

Europeans arrived in the Ngāi Tahu lands known as Ōtākou in the early 1830s, drawnbythe whales which migrated past itsshores. AScottish settlement wasestablished by the

this1852 photograph is the earliest known imageofDunedin in its infancy. ODTFILES

Dunedin, 1858, by John Bunney. Te Papa

OTAGO FIRSTS

The first known writ for criminal defamation in New Zealand wasissuedbythe first Resident Judge of the Supreme Court in Otago, Mr Justice Stephen, in 1851. He filed acomplaint in his owncourt against agroup of Dunedin residents whom he alleged hadconnected his good name with adistasteful local scandal.

Founded in 1861 OtagoDaily Times wasthe firstdaily, newspaper to be publishedin NewZealand.Itwas preceded by the Otago News,which wasissued forthe first time on December13, 1848, and the Otago Witness,which wasfounded on February 9, 1851. The Otago Daily Times occupied abuilding overlooking QueensGardens from 1928 to 1977,and now occupiesthe Allied Press Building in lowerStuart St.

The first practical development of coal gas in NewZealand occurred when the Dunedin GasLight and CokeCowas formed on July 1, 1862. Gasmade from tallow wasusedinthe RoyalHotel, Dunedin,bythe proprietor Mr George Duncan, as early as January1858

Settlers who helpedbuildfoundations

Continued from Page 11

Whenthe first excitements of arrivalhad subsidedand thenovelty of unfettered freedomhad lost somethingofits first appeal, Otago’s children settleddown once more to the‘‘three Rs’’ under theclosesupervision of their schoolmaster,James Blackie, Unfortunately for the community,the servicesthat Blackierendered so efficiently on boardthe Philip Laing,and laterDunedin itself,weresoon losttothe settlement. Although hissojourn wasashort one, and thereforecould notreapthe fruitsofmaturity, JamesBlackie will always standasthe true founder of provincial education.

Anascentsettlementlike Otagocould not, however, have subsisted long on religionand educationalone.Consequently it wouldhavepromised ill for futureprogresshad not, earlyin 1849, theValpy family arrived to stimulateagricultureamong a community of town dwellers.

WilliamHenryValpy was Otago’sfirstlandowner on alarge scale. Around hisestate, ‘‘The Forbury,’’ grew up acompact agriculturalcommunity.From

theveryoutsetheemployed at least20onthe home estate

Later, as he branched outbeyond thesettlementbounds, hisnew ventures providedstill further traininggrounds for future provincialfarmers lndeed,Otago todayhas every reason to paythisman great honour.For W. H. Valpy, the manwho asearly as 1852 had made thefirst shipmentoffat stockfrom Otago to Canterbury, left behindhim atradition of soundfarming.This tradition wascarried still furtherin lateryears by othernotable

agriculturalists, such as Donald Reid,ofthe Taieri.Valpy thereby bequeathed to ourfarmers a heritage as rich in promiseasit had been in achievement

Forthe first years, Otago’s progress wasveryslow. Immigrantscontinued to pour intothe province,but fewof thesehad either thecapital or inclination to promotetrade or foster commerce.

Admittedly therewereafew stores, butthese fewwerenot stampedwiththe bold spirit of enterprise so essential to initialdevelopment and growth.For some time then, Otago struggledon, viewing with some embarrassmentthe rapidprogressofits neighbour Canterbury, which, though establishedtwo yearslater,was steadily outstripping Otago

The arrivalin1851ofJames Macandrewinhis ownvessel, the Titan,withaspeculative cargoof merchandise, wasthe first step in theprovincialcommercial awakening. Macandrewwas a manofmanyparts. Abounding in enthusiasm andnew ideas, he wasanever-ardentcolonist —justthe rightman to pierce through theapathyand the inertia whichhad untilthen enshroudedthe settlement.

Besides hisundoubted business

capacity andhis enthusiasms, he wasaman of magnetic personality. He wasrecognised at once as apotentialleader

It is difficulttodojustice to Macandrewand hiscontribution towardsthe founding of Otago.Asamerchanthewas enterprisingand progressive, marchingwellabreast of his times, whileasachurchman he wasdevoutand sincere, readyalwaystoacceptthe responsibilities of honorary office However, Otago will remember him best as superintendent; for nineunbrokenyears the avowed head of theprovince. In colonial politics too, he served long andwell. However, because of hisgreat love for hisown province,itishereinOtago that Macandrew’scontributionhas withstood most successfully the passageoftime.

The beginnings of aprovincial systemofgovernmentearly in the1850s opened up for Otago colonistsagreat avenue of political opportunity.Those ninecouncillors, whowith superintendentCaptain Cargill comprisedOtago’s first provincial government,werein their own sphere just as much founders as were theearly surveyorsand thefirstimmigrantswho had preceded them.

William HenryValpy

The first provincial representativesweredrawn from widely different backgrounds.

In menlikeJames Macandrew andW.H.Reynoldsthe settlers found an assuranceofgeneral businesscapacity andpromiseof future enterprise andleadership There wasacertain professional qualityabout John Gillies, W. H. Cutten, John Hyde Harris andlater J. L. C. Richardson, whichwould,theyhoped,no doubtact as avaluablecounter to thevisionary enthusiasms of Macandrew. In thehosts of lessernames,likeJames Adam, Rennie,Andersonand Edward

McGlashan(menunskilledin thepractice of governmentsand unpractised in theart of oratory), theOtago colonist found histrue representative. These menfor all their ignoranceofofficialdom, remained always interestedinand alivetothe needsofthe settlement andOtago’s rightful place in the councils of thecolony.

To thesemen were entrusted thelives of thepeopleand the welfare of theprovince. It was they whowereresponsible for themanagementofCrown lands, forthe controlofimmigration andeducation —infact, forall thoseissues whichappeared

at thetimetob consequence even thehum Thustoall first administ earlysurveyi thepioneer immig andtheir leader religion, educ agriculture,w menofcomme well as thoseo Otagomuste homage.For thecountlesso co-operatedw thetruefounde province

be of so much

Gl h ( kill d i the time to e to thelives of mblestofcolonists thesemen, the stratorsand the ing parties, immigrants adersof ucation and weretothe merceas e of politics, ever pay r theseand s others that with them are ndersofour

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JamesMacandrew,who succeeded Captain Cargill as superintendent, wasone of the most able and popular early NewZealand politicians. He inaugurated aprogressive scheme of public works.

(Inset) Rattray Street, Dunedin in 1864. From the album: Early Dunedin, Meluish- Burton -Muir & Moodie. —TePapa(O.030522)

Early explorersslowto ventureinland

MOSTofthe emigrantswho arrived in Otagoin 1848 were artisans andtradespeople whoseinterests did notextend beyondthe originalblock Forthem, thehazardousand uncertain joys of exploration held no attraction,and for almost adecade after the establishmentofDunedin they remained ignorant of the resources andthe configuration of thehinterland.

Anyadventurous spirit which might once have promptedthem to leaveScotlandseemedtohave been crushedduringthe voyage out. By farthe greaterpartof theprovincialexploration was carriedout by surveyors, sheep farmersand gold-diggers rather than by thepioneersthemselves.

In pointoftime, and of importance,Otago’s first explorerwas Edward Shortland, ProtectorofAborigines, who in 1843-44 setout to studythe southern Māori. Although he did notventure farfrom the coast, Mr Shortlandnevertheless collected much useful material aboutthe interior,whichhe reproducedinhis journal.

Closetohis footsteps came FrederickTuckett,DrMunro, andJ.WBarnicoat,who were searchingfor land suitable for theproposed Scottishsettlement.

From theOtago Harbourthey travelledoverthe hillstonorth Taieri, across theplain, down the Taieritoits mouth, andalong the coasttothe Molyneux.Ontheir return,theywalkedoverthe Tokomairiro Plain, past Waihola, and, once again, down theTaieri to itsmouth. Throughoutthis overland trip,the weatherwas bitterly cold; in themornings the travellersusedtoawake stiff and whitewithhoarfrost,their shoes frozen hard.AfterMrTuckett’s expedition, no explorationwas carriedout until1846, when Charles Kettle arrivedtodirect thesurveyofthe Otago block. In 1847 he climbedMaungaatua, from whichhecould see theeastern edge of Central Otago stretchingtothe Strath Taieriplain. Forthe first time,

European eyes had gazed upon theundulatinggrassydowns and rugged hillsofthe interior Such wasthe extent to which theprovincehad been explored by 1848, andevenaslateas1852 no-one had ventured more than 30 miles inland west of Dunedin. In thefollowing year,however,a mannamed NathanialChalmers persuaded aMāori to guidehim throughOtago to Canterbury by an inland route. Towardsthe endof1853 they setoffupthe Mataura andoverthe hillstothe Nevisand theKawarau,which

they crossedbymeans of the naturalbridge. Living on eels and ducks, andwearing sandalsmade from flaxand cabbagetrees, they made their waytoWānakaand Hawea, whereMrChalmerswas so overcomewithexhaustionhe couldgonofurther.

Although no report of this remarkableexpeditionwas publishedatthe time,itmust have givenaconsiderable impetustoexploration,for shortly afterwards there were signs,especiallyamong prospectiverunholders, of

mounting interest in this region

Of thesheep farmers oneofthe best knownwas J. Chubbin who, in 1856; setout with aparty in search of good sheepcountry near Wakatipu.Theparty had to spendthree days forcingits way through miles of speargrass and matagouri. Upon arriving at the lake they setfire to this tangled vegetation,accumulated during thecenturies, andsofierce was theblaze that they had to take refuge in thewater

In thesameyearasMrChubbin’s expedition, J. T. Thomson was

appointedchief surveyor,and with hisarrival thescientific survey of theprovincewas undertaken. Hefound the newsettlementfractiousand discontented,asituationwhich he felt couldbestberemediedby theopeningupofthe hinterland. ThusinNovember1857heset outoverthe HorseRangefrom NorthOtago to theShagValley, andthe ManiototoPlain, theIda Valley,and theManuherikia The followingmonth he went from theWaitakioverthe hillsto theUpper Lindis.Reachingthe summitofGrandview,hesaw belowthe dark blue waters and whitegravelshoresofHawea, andtothe west Wānaka, with itslongnarrow arms thrust into theencirclingsnow-tipped mountains.

No soonerhad thereportofMr Thomson’s extensiveexplorations been published than thewhole area wastaken up by sheep farmers. Among thesemen, possibly thebestknown and most successful were W. G. Rees andN.von Tunzelmann who, towardsthe endof1859, set outfor Wakatipu from Oamaru by wayofWānaka. No-one had yetapproachedWakatipu from this direction, buteven thedifficultiesofthe journey up theCardrona, througha growth of pricklyscrub,did notdeter thesemen. Once they had climbedtothe crestofthe CrownRangetheyfeltthattheir efforts hadnot been in vain, for amagnificentpanoramagreeted their eyes. After descendingto thelake, they paddledalong thedeepbluewatersona raft made of driftwood untilthey couldsee in thedistanceKinloch andGlenorchyFlats. On their return,theyfollowedthe usual procedureofsetting firetothe vegetation,but they had to hurry to getthe Shotover betweenthem andthe flames.

Messrs Rees andvon Tunzelmann were but twoamong many who, by 1861, had explored most of thegrazingcountry to theeastofthe sprawling mountain ranges. Notuntil the discoveryofgolddid theadvance to themountains begin.

Asettler'snew home near Dunedin, 1865, by Nicholas Chevalier —TePapa (1919-0002-7)

In January1863 P. Q. Caples went up theDartValley and alongthe southbranchofthe Routeburntothe snow andice around Lake Harris. By cutting steps with ashoveland following channels in theice,hecrossed thesaddle anddescendedto ariver whichhenamed the

Hollyford. Unfortunately, although he came within afew miles of theocean,the loneliness of theregionoppressed him so much that he turnedback. Mr Caples’solitaryattempt was followed by an expeditiontothe West Coastunder theleadership of Dr Hector.About thesame

time,too,MrHaast travelled through thePass whichnow bearshis name. By theend of the’60s, therefore, theprovincial geographical patternwas well knowninits essentials.The work of exploration,begun in an elementary waybythe Māori

andwhalersand continued by surveyors, sheepfarmers, gold diggers andscientists, had revealed assets whichwithin thebrief span of 20 yearshad revolutionised theprovinciallife.

Almostthe only remaining field in whichfurther exploration wasrequired was that embracingthe fiords district of theWestCoast.The coastlinehad been familiar to mariners formanyyears,but little wasknown of thecountry that laybetweenthe sea andthe lakesbeyondwhatDrHector andafew venturesometravellers had reported Twonames that will always be associated with theregionare thoseofQuintonMcKinnon and Donald Sutherland.Bothled adventurouslives, andthe names of both arecommemorated in the nomenclature ofthe district Mr McKinnon’s in theMcKinnon Pass andMrSutherland’sinthe Sutherland Falls.

Mr McKinnon is sometimes credited with beingthe first mantoreach anyfiordfrom theTeAnaudirection, but this statementisopento considerabledoubt

Donald Sutherland settledat MilfordSound,probablyin1876, afterspendingsomeyears golddigging andfighting in theMāori Wars.Itwas in 1886 that he and John Mackay commencedto explore thePoseidonand Arthur rivers anddiscoveredthe now widely knownSutherlandFalls.

On February15, 1882, the first cargo of frozen mutton was shipped from Port Chalmers to London on the Dunedin Thesheepwereslaughtered atTotaraEstate, south of Oamaru, and each morning 240 sheep carcasses went by the first train to Port Chalmers, wheretheywerefrozeninthe ship’s hold.Altogether,5000 frozen carcasses were shipped to London,and theentire cargo arrived unspoilt

On August 22, 1871, New Zealand’sfirst dairyfactory co-operative, theOtago Peninsula Cheese FactoryCo Ltd, wasformed at Springfield farm on Otago Peninsula by John Mathieson and seven others. It is recognised as the NewZealand dairy industry’s earliest link with the cooperativeprinciple, the basis of its futuredevelopment.

Donald Sutherland, "The MilfordSound Hermit", January1888, by Burton Brothers, Alfred Burton. —TePapa (C.015022)

Pioneer women rose through hardship to win equality

TOembarkonalong voyage into the unknownsouthern seas wasamomentous step forany womanto takeinthe mid-19thcentury.Yet when the John Wickliffe andthe Philip Laing anchoredinOtago Harbourearly in 1848 there was, amongthe menliningthe decks, aconsiderablesprinkling of women, conspicuousintheir crinolines, bonnets andshawls. TheyarrivedinOtago at the beginningofaverysevere winter.For almost twomonthsit rained incessantly,sotheywere forced to remain on boardwhile themen builtbarracks on shore Whenever thecloudslifted,they wouldwearily pace thedecks andgazeatthe raupohuts(their newhomes) dotted alongthe foreshore.Their discomfortwas, however, insignificantcompared with that of thosewomen who had alreadymade their homes in Otago.

Eight yearsearlier,Mrs James Watkin had landed with her husbandatWaikouaiti. No whitewoman wasthere to greet her as she stepped ashore; no comfortable house awaited her coming

Instead she found a halffinished whare in the midst of a Māori village of ramshackle huts From the huge whalebones which lay scattered about, a nauseating odour rose, penetrating everywhere There was no school her seven children could attend and not a single one of the amenities which were quickly provided for the pioneers of 1848

In this less-than-congenial spot, Mrs Watkin, despite continual ill-health, for four years assisted her husband in his work Upon

herdeparture in 1844, shewas replacedbyMrs Charles Creed, whose ‘‘ open countenance beamingwithkindness, and frank, kindly conversation made her at once popular and useful’’

In the same year that the Creeds arrived at the Waikouaiti mission station, Mrs John Anderson and Mrs Alexander Mackay, the first white women to live by Otago Harbour, had made their homes in the vicinity of Dunedin After exploring the harbour thoroughly, the Andersons pitched their tent near the bay, later named after them There, on the rising foreshore, they built a house of rushes and rough timber Until 1846, when Mrs Kettle and Mrs Park arrived with the survey party, they did not see another white woman.

Forthese people whohad establishedtheir homesinOtago in theearly 1840s, thecomingof the John Wickliffe andthe Philip Laing meant the beginning of a new life Gone now were the days when time hung heavily on their hands All their interests were centred upon the founding of a new settlement

Most of the women pioneers of 1848 had not been long ashore before they discovered that the gypsy life they were forced to lead was not altogether preferable to the cramped quarters on board

A number set out with their husbands and families for country districts By bullock dray or unsprung wagon, on horseback or on foot, through dense bush and tangled undergrowth, over

creeks wherealog wasthe only bridge, acrossrough tussocky wastes, they journeyedtotheir newhomes, leavingbehindall that was familiar

As a rule, houses built for them had none of the amenities they had long taken for granted Where timber was available, they were rough slab huts with unglazed calico windows, floors of beaten clay, and open fireplaces

Furtherinland, in Central Otago,where timber wasscarce, they were builtofcob or of sods which, as time went by,were inclined to become rather dusty.

CatherineOrbell, whocame to Otagoin1849, described the home shewas taken to as an unlined two-roomedcottage builtofweatherboards, with a shingleroof. Therewas no ceiling andthe rain frequentlypoured notonlythrough theroof, but also throughthe weatherboards. The cottagestood upon a lineofsandhills andwhen asouthwesterlyblew, as it frequentlydid,the sand was blowninthrough theroof. Once thenew homehad been reached, therewas thetaskof learninghow to cook in acamp oven. The kettles, pots andpans of thetimewereofiron,heavy to liftand difficulttoclean.Until she had acquired theknackof shiftingthe utensilsabout on their bars andhooks, many ahousewifewas ashamed to presentthe resultsofher cooking.

In theevenings, when thehard day’swork—carryingwater, baking bread and washing had been done, these pioneer women sat down by the light of a slush lamp (a piece of rag wound round a stick and set upright in a pannikin of fat) to repair clothes, which wore out with disastrous rapidity

Continued on Page 20

Painting by Captain D Robertson depicts the arrival of immigrant ships John Wickliffe and Philip Laing at Koputai Bay, Port Chalmers on March 23 and April 15, 1848 respectively

Passengers from the John Wickliffe, from left, MrsThomasFerens, MrsWm. Maxwell, MrsW.Allum and Mrs P. Nihil dressed forsucess foranew life. ODTFILES

OTAGO FIRSTS

The first women’s union in NewZealand wasformed in Dunedin on July 11,1889, by Dunedin tailoresses.

NewZealand’s national anthem, God Defend New Zealand,written by Thomas Bracken, wasfirst performed on Christmas Day, 1876, in the Queens Theatre, aroom to the rear of the Queen’s Buildings, Princes St, Dunedin. Exactly 100 yearslater,aplaque to commemoratethis event was placed by theHistoric Places Trust and unveiled by the then deputy mayor, T. K. S. Sidey.

In 1871, the first woollen mill in NewZealand was established by Mr Arthur Burns in Mosgiel, Dunedin. Weaversand machinerywere transported from Scotland for use in the factory

The first Normal School, or teacher-training school, in the countrywas openedin Dunedin on February15, 1876, on the site wherethe Dunedin Public Librarynow stands. The opening roll listed300 pupils and by June 1876the number hadswelledto700. The teacher-training department originally established within the school is todaythe Dunedin College of Education, and the Normal School itself eventually became GeorgeSt Normal School.

The first place in NewZealand to have gasstreetlighting wasDunedin, onMay 9, 1863. It wasafurther twoyears until Auckland hadgas lights. Wellingtondid not have gas lights until April 22, 1871.

Theworld’sfirst female Anglican diocesan bishop was Bishop Penny Jamieson (pictured), who was episcopally ordained Bishop of Dunedin on Friday

June 29, 1990 The ordination ceremony took place in St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin

Courageous pioneer women made mark

Continued from Page 19

FOR then,astoday, fashions were eagerly followed andthe civilisingcrinoline had notbeenbrought to Otago to be suddenly abandoned there.Atthe time of theExhibition, held in Dunedin in 1865,Otago womenseized theopportunity to promenade thestreets in thelatestfashions —their dressescovered with voluminouscloaks, their hair

adornedwithpork-pie hats, their feet encased in white or striped stockings and elastic-sided boots.

Theycould also be gay. The papers of theday make it clearthatentertainments were eagerlylookedforward to and well attended,especiallyin countrydistricts.Dances were usuallyheldinahotel or,if none washandy,shearingsheds andbarns.

Onereport, culled from the oldfiles,tells,withwhatappears as reluctantadmiration,of‘‘the occasioninCentral Otagowhen ayoung lady clad as ajockey danced asailor’shornpipeas an extra, which, though much admired,was notrepeated’’. Becauseofthe complete absenceofefficient communications,partings betweenwives andhusbands were generallyofuncertain duration.Thewifeofone Southlandpioneer wrotethat she andthree otherwomen with their children were sent by the schooner Star to Invercargill,the voyage taking more than three weeks. On beingunitedwith herhusband,who had driven their cattle overland,thisbrave womanset out with him into the wilderness andhelpedtobuild thesod hutwhichwas to be their home

There were compensations, though.‘‘Yearbyyearour surroundings improved,’’ she wrote, ‘‘andasthe population increased, thecomforts and conveniences of lifeweremore easily obtained.Our family grew up around ustogladden ourhearts, andthe storyofour earlystruggles andtriumphs will be remembered by them andrecounted in turn to their children.’’

The experience of this pioneer wife wastypical of that of hundreds more gallantwomen whoassistedtheir husbands to hewtheir homes from the wilderness.Courageousand uncomplaining, they accepted each newsituationwith equanimity,equallingtheir husbands with displays of ingenuitytoovercomeshortages andprivations.

To theremotestcountry districts, thesewomen brought ataste of culture andrefinement from thelifetheyhad left behind.

The pioneerwomen were diligentgardeners andspared no efforttorecreatein this new land thefamiliarvegetation styles of theold.Mrs Cargill setapraiseworthyexample Shecultivatedmanyvarieties of flowers,aswellasfruit and vegetables. Hers were thefirst grapes seen in Dunedin.

It is also on record that thefirst scarlet geranium wasbrought to Otago by awoman whotended it carefullyinaflower potduring thelongvoyageout.

Such wasthe life they led. Forced to turn their hands to many taskstheyhad never done before—cooking,baking, sewing, washing, making butterand cheese,nursingand gardening—theydid notshirk their responsibilities.

Little wonder then; that many of theirdescendants, modifying this tradition of hard work to changing circumstances,have wondistinction in many fields. In most professions,Otago womenwerepioneers.

In 1891, Miss EmilySiedeberg enteredthe medical school, where

she was,for atime, theonly womanstudent. Hers wasnot an enviable position untilthe men students became accustomedto herpresence. After completing herdegreeatthe medical school in 1895, Dr Siedebergcontinued herstudies abroad anddid not setupapractice in Dunedin until earlyin1898.

Whileshe wasestablishing women’srightsinthe medical school,Miss EthelBenjamin had embarked on abrilliant career at Otago University:tograduate in 1897 with thedegreeofBachelor of Laws. Shewas thefirst woman to winthishonournot only in NewZealand, butalsointhe BritishEmpire. Akeenadvocate of women’semancipation, Miss Benjamin wasone of the outstandingfiguresofthe day.

Within 50 yearsofthe arrival of the John Wickliffe andthe Philip Laing,Otago’s womenhad progressed furtherthantheir contemporaries at home.They had wonthe franchiseand they had equalrightswithmen in theuniversities, yet, even inthe midst of their emancipation, it is open to doubtwhether they were anyhappier than their mothers andgrandmothershad been beforethem.

Todaywemay pity ourpioneer womenfor theirwantofcomfort, lack of mechanical aids,utter isolationand loneliness, butthey did notpitythemselves.

The knowledgethattheywere participating in events,small, even insignificantinthemselves, yetall moving towardsagreat andnobleend,was for these womenadequaterewardfor the hardships.

This watercolour of DunedinfromLittle Paisleywas painted by EdwardImmyns Abbot in 1849. The work was acquired by Dr T. M. Hockenwho describedthe artist as ‘a young surveyorofsuperior abilities’.

Vision Scots could not resist

LIKEmostother movementsbound up so closelywiththe lives of ordinary people, theso-called Otago Free Church Settlement was theresultofmanydiverse and contributory forces rather than of onemainspringofinspiration, thechurch.

Thatitwas ostensibly,and practically up to acertain point, areligious settlementnurtured by themissionary zeal of the newand vigorous Free Church needsnoemphasis; andfrom the church it gained acertain moral andsocialstability which, in its formative yearswas very real ButEdwardGibbonWakefield, to,could claimagood deal of itsoriginalinspiration,for had it notbeenfor hisprinciples of careful selectionofasuitableand uniformprice forland, andofa systematicpeoplingofthe new settlement, Otagocould never have surmounted itspioneering difficulties as soon as it did.

Yetneither thereligious appeal of theFreeChurch, northe scientific impulseof theWakefield theory canclaim to have been thedominant moving force. For themajorityofthe pioneers,the

social ills at home layatthe root of theirvoluntary transportation. Theymay have been ardent devotees of theWakefield theory though,indeed,thisisunlikely; they mayhavebeenzealous Free Churchmen—and this is very probable, but it wasprimarily in an endeavourtoameliorate their ownlot that Otago’s first immigrantsset outfrom Scotland late in 1847.

Had18thcentury conditions in ruralEngland andScotland remained static, theseemigrants might have spenttheir lives contentedlyin thedistrictof their birth.

Industrialismmeant urban squalorand class cleavages. This andthe failureof staple crops combined to produce asituation wherea fifthto aquarter of the totalpopulation was, within thebrief span of 40 years, crowdedtogetherin theClyde Valley;and no preparation was made to receive that influx save thehastybuilding, without plan or design, of exceedingly inadequateshelters.

In England, too, greatmultitudes of labour were beinghuddled into slumsand cellars. Andfrom most of thenew manufacturing

centres from places like Paisley andGlasgow,Rochdale, Wigan, andCoventrycamethe familiar taleofunemployment, distress andstarvation.

In fact, in thewealthy England of 1831 —still therichest countryin Europe —10% of the wholepopulation were on relief, in spiteofthe dreadful conditions on whichitwas granted conditions whichassured for recipients theremoval of every vestigeofhumandignity and humanfreedom.

In Scotland thesystem was both better andworse.The Kirk Sessions attempted, as a rule, with adecenthumanity to keep bodyand soul together in the disabled;but theunemployed whowereunfortunate enough to be able-bodiedcould only starve untiltheyceasedtobesuch.

Againstthisbackground of gloom, thetheories of emigration attractively expounded by E G Wakefield andhis friends, and more particularly thespecifically Scottish scheme mooted by George Rennie,gavepromise of future prospectsand relief from present realities.

Continued on Page 22

Captain William Cargill

—Alexander TurnbullLibrary

Continued

from Page

THE Scot wascertainly too cautious to be sweptup suddenly by theemigration maniaofthe forties; and consequentlyinearlier colonial ventures he wasonlysparselyrepresented

Butaslivingconditionsremained unimproved at home,his thoughts turned increasinglytothe ‘‘NewEdinburgh’’ scheme plannedbyGeorge Rennie.This scheme embracedmuchofthe Wakefield theory of systematiccolonisation.

There wastobethe same delicatebalance betweenland, capital, andlabour; there wastobethe same carefulselection of emigrants, although,as yet, in 1842, there wasnosuggestionthatsuchselection shouldbebased on theFreeChurch principles of soundmoralityand religion; therewas thesameever-recurringtheme of thecompact andself-supportingunit representing acompletesegment of Scottish society

Before therealisationofhis scheme, Rennie insisted that thereshouldbe extensive preliminary preparationsby apickedbandofsurveyors,engineers, mechanics andlabourers

The town,the focalpoint of the settlementsite, wastobecarefully laid out, preservingall that wasgood in the oldEdinburgh; andprovisionmade for schoolsand churches.

Thisschemeasitwas originally envisagedwas to be broadly Scottish in characterand contemplated thecreation, somewherealong theeastcoast of the SouthIsland, of an extensive suburban farm,cropped andstocked with agood breedofcattlewhichwould meet,atleast some of themorepressingneedsofthe first settlers.

It wasthe scheme of atrueScotinits insistence on national exclusivenessand in itsregard for thechurchand for learning; it wasalsothe scheme of an earnest apostleofsystematicemigration in its studiedemphasisonbalances, selection andcompleteself-sufficiency.But it had as yetnoofficialconnectionwiththe Free Church nornegotiationswithits zealots, ThomasBurns andWilliamCargill

The Disruption of theScottishchurch in May1843, that dramaticclimax of 10 longyears of evangelical strife,involved infinitely more than thereligious scruples of afew ardentchurchmen —for religion wasfundamental to theScottishcharacter.

In alandwhere material things were not easily come by,where national divisions were notaccordingtoclass butwere

First Church from the corner of Moray Pl and Princes St, date unknown. Then as now acitylandmark, “First” Church is actually thefourth building to house Dunedin’s Presbyterian congregants, earlier buildings being on High St and Dowling St. The foundationstone forthe churchwas laidin1868onlandwhich wasformerly Bell Hill, and the church officially opened forworship in 1873 —ODT FILES

rent sometimesbypersonalhonourand clannish pugnacity (and at others by deepseated spiritual disagreements), religion andphilosophy became almost naturally associatedasnationaltraits.

Andthe Disruption —withits divided families andcongregations, bitter arguments andmaterialsacrifices assuredfor thenew awakeningacertain permanence whichmen like Rennie,and later, Cargill,werenot slow to appreciate. Moreover,revival wasessentially an evangelistic movement,charged with true missionary zeal,and in 1843 the appointmentofthe RevThomas Burns as first minister of theproposed New Edinburghcolonyforgedthe first official linkwithPresbyterianism.

Unionwiththe Free Church inevitably wroughtchanges andmodifications of the originalRennie plan.Theschemeitself became knownasthe ‘‘Otago’’ rather than the‘‘New Edinburgh’’planaspreviously. Thischangeoftitle wasdictated, it was said,bysomeunpleasantassociationsthat had been linkedwith‘‘New Edinburgh’’; andaftermuchdiscussion‘‘Dunedin’’ was decidedasthe future capital

The plans of thepromotiontriad, Rennie,Burns andCargill,began increasinglytoshowsigns of differences anddisagreements. It was, however, clearlyacaseofmajorityrule, and Rennie’s broadlyScottish character wassacrificedmoreand more to the narrower andmoreuncompromising viewsofthe Free Church apostles, Burns andCargill Throughout, Burns’ determination was franklyacompactFreeChurchcolony, with church,schooland constitution impervious to allintruders

Unfortunately for Rennie,circumstances were toomuchfor hismoreliberalviews, andthe differences betweenthe three menbecame irreconcilable

And when at last,in1844, Frederick Tuckett, thecompany surveyor,decided finallyonthe site of theFreeChurch colony,itwas alreadyclear that Cargill, notRennie,would be thedirector of the newsettlement.

The enthusiasm of 1843,however,did notlongremain on theside of Scottish emigration.Asthe weeksand months passed,exaggeratedreports of Māori disturbances andofNew Zealand Companyembarrassmentsfiltered slowly throughtothe homeland

And in spiteofwidespreadpoverty andmiseryathome, theScot, more cautious than ever,resolutelywithheld hissupport

It must,indeed,haveseemedironic to themen at thehelm, Burns, Cargill andDrAldcorn, that it wasthe Scots, andmoreparticularlytheir ownFree Church people,who remained so suspiciously aloof.

Their labourswerenot,however, altogether in vain. In 1845 theLay Association wasformed, andwhen at last in thesameyearthe British government agreed to countenancethe Otago Scheme,renewed preparations for thelong-retarded surveying immediately resumed.

To Charles HenryKettle, theyoung surveyor appointedtoundertake the somewhat arduoustask,the Otago block, stretchingfrom Otago Harbourin thenorth to theMolyneux in thesouth, wasscarcelyavirginfield.

Tuckettand hisassistants, Barnicoat andDavidson, had made careful record of thenatureofthe country, thepotentialities of itsharboursand rivers,and theapproximate locationsof possible settlementsites.Abeginning had been made

Arriving by the Mary Catherine early in 1846, theKettles andtheir partywere greetedbya sceneofgreat beauty,but naturallovelinesscompensated little for twolonelyyears in surroundings made sordid by aderelictcommunity of whalersand runawaysailors,and aMāori population ridden by the European vice of drunkenness.

Still,the work of surveyingproceeded apace,and although on completion it resembledthe more Utopianideals of theRennie plan,Kettlesucceeded admirablyinthe face of thebroad and masterfulsweep of forest-cladhillsand thevaststretches of flax-coveredswamp

Indeed,itwas notKettle’sfault that thefirst emigrants foundontheir arrivalneither thewell-planned roads, theflourishingfarms andgardens, northe imposingjetty —those social inducements on whichRennie had staked so much

Throughoutthe long yearsof preparation—dating, it might be said, from 1840, when George Rennie’s enthusiasm for plannedand systematic emigration first took tangible form in theNew EdinburghScheme,until finallyonMarch 23,1848, when from thedecks of the John Wickliffe asea of anxiousand expectantfaces peered out uncertainly at theirstrange surroundings —the Otago Scheme experiencedmanyvicissitudes.

It had itsraremoments of enthusiasm andvirilityaswithits first union with theFreeChurchmovementinthose earlydaysof1843. More frequently it wasconfrontedbyanuncompromising anddisapproving officialdomand the suspicious incredulityofthe thrifty Scot.

In itscause,manyhad sacrificed unselfishly theirleisure,their health and their substance; andalthoughfinally much of theoncebroadly Scottish characterofthe wholemovementwas lostbeneath aforbiddingarray of Free Church doctrine andprinciples, the name of George Rennie must ever stand as thetrueinitiator.

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The Globe Hotel, Oamaru Built in 1879 for William Maitland, it was described by the Oamaru Mail as “one of the most elegant hotels in the town”, but things got off to a rocky start when a number of hotel keepers including Mr Maitland were charged with watering down their brandy

Clyde in the 1870s Founded as Dunstan in the middle of the 1860s gold rush, it was renamed in 1865 in honour of Lord Clyde, who had recently suppressed the Indian mutiny

An early view of Queenstown. Known as Tahuna (shallow bay) by Māori, two competing stories exist as to how the town got its European name Either Irish miners, filled with patriotism after Cobh in their home country changed its name to Queenstown, decided to do the same in their new southern home . . . or that a reference at a public meeting to the lake town being “fit for a queen” transmuted into “Queenstown”

St Bathans in 1878 Although a rough and ready mining town, St Bathans did have a horse racing club The 1879 December meeting was postponed due to “execrable” weather, but when racing got under way, Mr Keenan’s Manx Boy scored in the feature race, the St Bathans Handicap, a 15 sovereign race.

Packing peaches forthe marketinMrA.Birch’sshed at Roxburgh, in December 1909. At that year’sDunstan Horticultural Society ShowMrBirch’sclingstone peaches came second behind those of Mr Pocock. His apricots were awarded thirdplace, but he wasjudged to have the best prunesinthe show. —ODTFILES

Happy Birthday Otago

From humble beginnings,the muddyScottish settlement nicknamed‘Mud-edin’would grow into thewealthiestcityinthe wealthiest province in NewZealand within afew yearsof thegoldrush.

Otagoand itspeoplehave hada lottobe proud of sincethen, andweliketothink we’re apartofit. Alittlelocal success story, MTF Finance startedherein1970asan alternative to borrowingfromthe big banks, andwe’ve sincehelped over amillion Kiwisall over thecountry to do more

So here’stothe pioneers andtrailblazerswho sawpotential andput down strong roots. Here’s to theadventurers,the entrepreneurs, thecommunity leadersand allofuslucky enoughtolivehere

We’reproud locals, andwe’re looking forwardtothe next 175years.

OTAGO FIRSTS

Winifred Lily Boys-Smith w the first female professor in the country and the foundi dean of the home science school at the University of Otago. Arriving in Dunedin in 1911 to take up the Chair o Home Science, she retired through ill-health in 1920 a returned to England where, among other activities she put home science principle to practical use in London slums. She died at Milford O Sea on January 1, 1939

(Right) Winifred Lily Boys-Smith, when she was just appointed as Professor of Home Science and Economics at Otago University —Otago Witness, March 8, 1911

The Otago School of Art was the first public art school in NewZealand, opening within a week of its first master David C. Hutton, arriving in Dunedin in February 1870

Founded in 1871, Otago Girls’ High School is the longest established girls’ high school in the southern hemisphere and believed to be the sixth oldest in the world It shared its present Tennyson St site with Otago Boys’ High School for the first 15 years, although the schools were separated by afence Notable ex-pupils include two of New Zealand’s first female doctors, Emily Siedeberg-McKinnon and Margaret Cruikshank

The University of Otago has been a vital part of Dunedin life since its opening in 1871 This 1879 photograph was taken just after the university moved from the centre of the city to the north, and into the distinctive clocktower and geology department buildings, still university landmarks today. The buildings were inspired by new construction at Glasgow University and bear a striking resemblance to them

The 1860s goldrush transformed provincial life

INthe early1850s, Dunedin wasasober andquiet little town wherehardworkand thriftwereconsidered the all-important virtues. Stories of an interior rich with gold might be told in thehalfformedstreets, butthiscanny Scottish population refusedto listen to them. Theyhad not migratedtoa newcountry to stakeeverythingonawild goosechase into an unknown hinterlandaftergoldwhich might or might notbethere Deliberately shutting their ears to thesereports, they went about their normal work resolutely discouraging anytalk of goldmines, whichdid notenter into their plans for thenew province

Butwithevery year,the rumoursgrewmorepersistent andfrequent; so much so that they couldnolongerbeignored

In 1861 GabrielRead, ashrewd andstraightforward Tasmanian digger, translated rumoursinto realitywhenhediscovered, near Lawrence,after10hours work with inferiortools,seven of gold.

At first,Read’snews wasdisbelieved, but when it wasconfirmed by an advance-guard of more credulous adventurers—always thefirst on anynew field —the rush began in earnest.

From beingan insignificantdot on the map, Tuapekabecame, for themomentatleast, themostimportant place in Otago. Even whileeyeswere focusedonGabriel’s Gully, otherparts of theinteriorhad been attracting attention. Earl in 1862 twoAmericans setout for theUpper Clutha Valley where, in thevicinity of what is nowCromwell, they kept their cradles at work from dawn to dusk.From the outset,theyattempted to keep their location a secret and, as they learnedmore aboutthe riches embeddedinthe Molyneux, they became all the more anxiousthatno-one should discover theirgood fortune

When, at theend of sixmonths’ hard work in thelonelygorges near Cromwell,Hartley and Reillydeposited 87lbs of gold in theTreasuryinthe middle of 1867, excitementinDunedin reachedfever pitch

Clerks left their desks, shopmen their counters,businessmen their offices, andtogetherthey jostled alongonthe roughand difficulttracktothe Dunstan, an impetuousand motley

procession, equipped in most caseswithnothingmoretangible than an optimistic spirit.The severity of thewinter—the worst within European experience,the lack of provisions andtimber, theinaccessibility of theDunstan —not even theseobstacles dampened their enthusiasm in thosefirst days of therush.

Discoveries such as thosemade in Otago in theearly 1860s soon transformedprovinciallife.

Over theface of CentralOtago, formerlyadesolatewaste known only toafew runholdersand surveyors, dozens of canvas townshipsappearedalmost

overnight.Roads andbridges were built, trade expandedby leapsand bounds,and wealth beyondthe wildestdreamsof thefirst immigrantspouredinto theprovincialcoffers.Dunedin waschangedintoanew city; handsomestone buildings sprang up everywhere,the streets were improved,entertainment facilities were providedand last, andperhaps most far-reaching, thedistinctScottishatmosphere of thecitywas lostunder the cosmopolitan veneer broughtby thehordes of invadingdiggers. Such prosperityasOtago experiencedinthe mid-1860s

couldnot continue indefinitely Within adecade,the returns begantodiminish andfor a time thegold-fieldswerealmost forgotten. Their fall from popular favour wasmerely temporary, as events were soon to show As earlyasthe mid-1860s, a developmentingold-mining techniques had been taking place whichwas to bring, for a time at least, somethingoftheir oldglory to theOtago fields. This wasthe evolutionofthe gold dredge which, towardsthe turn of thecentury,brought CentralOtago into thelimelight once again. Driven mostly by

steam, thesedredges were so successful in reclaiminggold that aboomofunprecedented proportionsset in.

Hundreds of companies, some efficient, others lessso, were floated.Possiblythe best known of thesewerethe ‘‘Electric’’ and ‘‘Hartleyand Reilly’’, whose dredges wonanextraordinary amount of gold.Many, however, failed dismallyand thenumber of bogusconcerns whichflooded themarketsooncausedthe bubbleofprosperitytoburst, so that graduallythe gold-fields fadedfrom theforegroundofthe provincial picture.

(Above)A canvascity.. Gabriel’sGully in 1862. —TePapa (O.001638)

(Left) Gold digger on Stoneburn, near Dunedin, 1876-1880. —TePapa (C.014911)

In this subordinate position theyremain today. There is littleleft nowofthe days when the pioneerdiggers flocked so hopefully to theinterior. Here aruined pipe-line, there aderelictsod cottage, hillsides

scarredbytwistingwater-races, conglomerationsoftailings marring thecountryside thesealone remain, signposts of thedayswhenthe gold-rushes instilleda newvigourinto provincial life

In May1861, Gabriel Read collected sevenounces of gold from the TuapekaRiver, Central Otago. The area became known as Gabriel’s Gully and the discovery led to NewZealand’sfirst major gold rush. By the end of 1861, morethan 200,000 ounces of gold, valued at750,000, hadbeengathered from the Otago Goldfields.

The first coal-mine in Zealand wasopened at SaddleHill in 1849. The first discovery of coal in NewZealand had been made fiveyearsearlier in 1844, by Frederick Tuckett at Coal Point, Kaitangata. In 1876 the KaitangataCoal Co. constructed abranch railway linetoStirling andthe first consignment of coal from Kaitangata reached Dunedin on June 19.

Manuherikia dredge and claim, March 1, 1902 Te Papa (O026527)

First Dunedin homes

THE first settlers— passengers on the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing found, insteadoftheir accustomedpatterned simplicity, awildnaturalbeauty, unkempt and ubiquitous on their arrival.

The buildingofahouse,even averyhumbleone,was notan easy task in such awilderness of wood,flax andfern. In 1848 even Princes St wasstrewnwithtree stumps andtussock.

The pioneerswho had notso very long agodreamed of new homesacrossthe seas —homes accessibletofresh airand sunshine, wheretheir children might grow up free from the crampinginfluences of theOld Countrytenements —wereat first sadlydisillusioned.

Theylookedinvainfor the familiar fourwalls andthe reassuring welcome of the smokingchimney.But forthe moment they had to sinkthose first aspirationsand to resign themselvestoafurther period of communalexistence in the ‘‘immigrants’’barracks, along, lowbuildingofflax, rushes and small timber.Here, near the beach, betweenRattray and DowlingSts, womenand children settleddowntoawait patiently thebuildingoftheir newhomes.

The architecture of thefirst houses wasnecessarily simple

Oneortwo more fortunate settlers broughtwiththemwooden frames, butmostfavoureda mixtureof‘‘wattleand daub’’ and tree fern.Labourwas scarce At leastone enterprisingpioneer made good useofthe grove of treesthatcovered hishome site.Asitwas quite impossible,

withoutagood deal of assistance, to clearthe trees, he choseinstead to leavethe outeronesand to fell thosewithin. Once this wasdone he topped theremainingtrees andcompleted thefourwalls by digging holes andinsetting the tree trunks cutdown. Thus, by degreessmall houses sprang up here andthere about theharbour front. Many of

thesefirsthouseswere‘‘wattle anddaub’’—claymixed with chopped grass —and thatched with tussockortoetoegrass Even towardsthe closeof thefirst year of settlementthe earlytents andthe unattractive barracks were becomingless andlessconspicuous amongthe steadily increasingassemblageof permanentdwellings —someof

EXCEPTIONAL 10YEARS

wood,but themajorityofmud, grassand tree fern.Looking back nowtheyappearbut crude dwelling-places, amererefuge from thestormswithout.But to thepioneerswho had spent months in cramped quarters on boardship, andlater had been forced to sharethe communal existence at thebarracks, thesod hutwithits thatched roof and clay walls, itssolitarywindowand calico flap, symbolised ‘‘home’’ With passingyears and changing circumstances thefirst humble homeshewnfrom their virgin surroundings gave place to many hundreds more of wood, stoneand brick.

To thesettlersofthe 1850s and1860s thecob hutwas ‘‘home’’ indeed,but in spiteof thefresh airand thesunshine, thefirst Otago housewives must have often weariedofcooking in makeshift camp ovens, of keepingthings dryand clean in surroundings of clay,and of making their ownsoapand candles amid hardshipshitherto unknown. Butasthe settlement expandedand increasedin prosperity,soalsothe tallow candles andthe slushlamps gave waytothe uncertain flickeringsofgas jet, andlater to thecomfortablesecurityof electricity.

Princes St, Dunedin in 1861. —Burton Brothers, William Meluish. Te Papa (O.000757)

• The first golf club in the country, the DunedinGolf Club,was formed in 1871.

Otago Daily Times 1871-1877,was a founding member.(Pictured above)MatthewFogarty on thefirst tee, 1871.

• The first radio programme in NewZealand wasbroadcast by Professor Robert Jack (pictured left) from his University of Otago laboratoryonNovember 17,1921. His broadcasts were aired twice aweek and continued forfour months. Reception wasreported from alloverthe country.

• The first long-distance telephone call in the country wasmadebetween Dunedin and Milton on February 2, 1878. Charles Henry, a Dunedin electrician, organised the demonstration, which coveredadistance of 57km. In 1879, telephone offices were established at Port Chalmersand Portobello, which enabled shipping information to be relayedto Dunedin quickly and effectively

• Mason andWalesArchitects Ltd, ofDunedin,was the firstfirm of architects established in New Zealand. It wasfounded in 1862by William Mason. He waslater joined in partnership by Nathaniel Wales. Mr Mason waselected the first MayorofDunedin in 1865.

• The first manufactureof sulphuric acid in NewZealand wasbyKempthorne Prosser and Company at the Burnside FertiliserWorks, Dunedin, in the 1880s, closely followedby the first production of super phosphate.

• In 1869, the first legally made whisky,gin and spirits of wine in the countrywereproducedin Dunedin, at alarge distilleryin Cumberland St.

• The first interprovincialrugby match to be playedinNew Zealand wasbetween Dunedin Clubs and Auckland Provincial Clubs on September 22, 1875, at the Dunedin Southern Recreation Ground Oval, nowknown as the Oval. Dunedin Clubs won, 9and a-half to a-half

• The first condensed milk in the countrywas made by the Roseville DairyCompany,atSawyers Bay, Dunedin. In 1890, aproprietary condensed milk factoryopened at Wallacetown,and wasthe first in NewZealand to produce condensed milk under vacuum.

• The first and only female to be hanged foracrime in NewZealand wasMinnie Dean(pictured above), who wasconvicted on June 21, 1895, of murdering an infant at her babyfarm in East Winton, South Otago. Shewas executed in InvercargillonAugust 12, 1895, and wasburiedinWinton cemetery.

• The first hydro-electric power generation in NewZealand took place in the 1880s, among the gold-mining operationsat Bullendale, near Queenstown. The Phoenix quartz minehad a generator forlighting purposes in 1884, and the much larger hydroelectric installation in 1886 was the country’sfirst major generation andtransmission of hydro-electric powerfor industrial purposes

• St Dominic’s Priory in Smith St, Dunedin, designed by F. W. Petre, wasthe largest buildingof poured concrete in the southern hemispherewhen built in 1877

• The first freezing worksinNew Zealand, and the second in the world, wasestablished at Burnside, Dunedin, by the NewZealand Refrigerating Company in 1881.

• The first doctor to liveinNew Zealand wasDrJosephCrocome, who settled at Waikouaiti in 1838. He worked among the scattered whaling stations and settlements along the Otago coast until his death in 1878.

• The NewZealand pulp and paper industrybegan at the Woodhaugh PaperMill, Dunedin,in1876, when the first machine-made paper was produced by Edward McGlashan

• In 1907,the first Karitane Hospital in NewZealand was opened inDunedin in the Karitane home of Sir Frederick TrubyKing (1858-1938), who founded the RoyalNew Zealandsociety forthe Health of Women and Children, or Plunket Society.The society wasnamed afterits firstpatron, Lord Plunket, thethen Governor of NewZealand. TrubyKing began his life’swork forthe health of mothersand babies while he wasmedicalsuperintendentof Seacliff Asylum.

W. D. Murison, editor of the

The imperious William Larnach

WILLIAM LARNACHwas

born in Castle Forbes, New SouthWales, in 1833 to awealthyland-owning family and, as aboy,heworked both in thegoldfields andon the land

He began a career in banking with the Bank of New South Wales in Victoria before being lured across the Tasman Sea to Dunedin in 1867 to take up the position of manager of the Bank of Otago

Unable to revive that bank’s fortunes, he subsequently became the first Dunedin manager of the National Bank of New Zealand, which took over the troubled Bank of Otago, but left after only a short time

He later clashed with the bank’s inspector, John Bridges before the committee of the Dunedin Club, Bridges charged him

with dishonourable conduct and Larnachresponded with a scathingattackonBridges in the Otago DailyTimes Larnachthenabandoned banking as acareerand became involvedina number of commercial enterprises, farming and land speculation

He bought thepastoralruns of Eyre Creek, Middle Dome, Longridgeand Conical Hills and, togetherwithWalter Guthrie, establishedGuthrie andLarnach’sNew Zealand Timber andWoodware Factories Company, atimberand hardware company which Larnach claimed employed 500, more men than any other firm in the colony

He was essentially a promoter and a financial backer, sought after as a member of boards of directors

He was a shareholder in many ventures, including coal-mining companies, railways, banks and newspapers, and was instrumental in many nationally important ventures He was the first managing director of the New Zealand Refrigeration Company responsible for the first shipment of frozen meat which

sailed from Port Chalmers in 1882, an eventofgreat significance for thefutureof NewZealand’sfarming industry

Foratimehewas immensely wealthy—heboasted that his land investmentsalone were earninghim about£10,000 ayear during the mid-1870s

He built a magnificent home on Otago Peninsula which he called The Camp, popularly known as Larnach’s Castle

Built as a ‘‘monument to his enterprise’’, it is now an important Dunedin tourist attraction and has ensured his is still a household name

The castle was designed by R A Lawson, the architect who also designed First Church and the Municipal Chambers It was of the Gothic revival style, popular in Europe at that time, although colonial verandas surround the first two floors

Construction beganin1871. Aboutthree yearswerespent on the‘‘shell’’ of thebuilding, employingsome200 workmen; it took another12years to completethe interior. Wherehis housewas concerned, Larnachwas a perfectionist Only the best craftsmen were employed, many from overseas, and the best materials were used marble from Italy, glass from Venice, tiles from England and timber from everywhere Timber, Oamaru stone and imported materials had to be punted across Otago Harbour and dragged up the 300m hill by ox-drawn sleds Larnach’s motto ‘‘Sans Peur’’ (without fear) was incorporated into many features the tessellated hall floor, the windows on the stairway and over the entrance door

ver more than460 images from the Otago Daily Times tion showcasing thelifeand times of Otagoand Southland.

William James Mudie Larnach (1833-1898), was a prominent entrepreneur and politician in colonial New Zealand Between 1873 and 1887, Larnach constructed a large mansion on the ridge of Otago Peninsula, now known as "Larnach Castle". ODT FILES

The estimatedcostofthe castle was£125,000, at atimewhenthe average wage wasone shillinga day. It wasacclaimed at thetime as oneofthe most magnificent privateresidences in New Zealand, employing46 servants to service andmaintainitand thegrounds

The peninsula wasatthattime regarded as remote andLarnach conceivedthe ideaofbuilding ahotel, theDandie Dinmont, at what is nowWaverley, where he couldleave hishorse and

carriageand completehis journeytoDunedin by paddle steamer

The buildingwas designedby architects Masonand Wales, butthe ideaofa hotelwas abandonedand thehouse,which came to be knownasthe White House, waseventuallytenanted Larnachsoonbecamedogged by avariety of financialtroubles andturnedtonationalpolitics, winningthe City of Dunedin andlater thePeninsula and Tuapekaseats.

At varioustimes he heldthe positionsofcolonialtreasurer, minister forpublic works, railways commissioner, minister of stamps andminister of mines, aposition at whichheworked tirelessly, establishingschools of minemanagementand editing acomprehensivesurveyofthe miningindustry.

As apublic figure, Larnach knownfor hispractical jokes around Parliament.Hewas an athletic horserider,a vain yet changeablecharacterwith

King’sHigh School

ThePursuit of PersonalExcellence

areputationfor beingableto relate well to hisworking class constituents in SouthDunedin. However, although a prominentDunedin figure andinvolvedinmanyventures in this city,hewas regarded with suspicionbymanyof itsinfluentialresidents. An honourableman,hewas often tootrustingofothersinhis businessdealings andwas, surprisingly, often disorganised Hispersonallifewas marred by tragedy. Hisfirst wife,Eliza Jane Guise, themotherofhis six children. diedin 1880. In 1882 Larnachmarried herhalf-sister, Mary Cockburn Alleyne. Four years after herdeath in 1887 he marriedConstance de Bathe Brandon, thedaughterofa Wellington solicitor. However, it wasthe deathofhis eldestand favouritedaughter, Kate,in 1891 that devastated him. He became alonely andtired man. Allofhis children were educated in England, spending many yearsawayfrom home When they returned they reportedlyfound life at thecastle tedious.They were notcloseto their stepmothersand called them ‘‘aunt’’ He regarded businessashis true vocation,but hisfinancial problems magnifiedwithfalling land prices andarecessionary economic climate.Hereputedly lost£60,000 when hiswoodware companywas woundupand an associationwiththe Colonial

Bank of NewZealand,which foundered in 1895, appeared to be thelaststraw

He committed suicide at Parliament Buildings on October 12, 1898. Hisestatewas then valued at under£5000, but its networth maywellhavebeen much less. He wasburiedinhis imposingfamilytomb at the Northern Cemetery

Larnachhad thetombbuilt after thedeath of hisfirstwife, Eliza. Also buried thereare Mary,his second wife,his eldest daughter,Kate, andhis eldest son, Donald

The Larnachchildren sold the castle to theGovernmentin 1908, aftersellingthe contents andoriginallandseparately Forsomeyears it wasusedas amentalhospital andshellshocked soldierswerehoused thereduringWorld War1.The castle wasthenabandoned In 1927 it wasboughtbyMr andMrs JacksonPurdie. It was restoredand refurbishedamd enjoyedasecondheyday.

It wassoldagain in 1939 and aperiodofneglect followed. Soldierswerebilletedthere during WorldWar 2and then it wasabandoned again. At one stagethe ballroom wasusedfor holdingsheep

In 1967 it wasboughtby theBarkerfamily, whohave since dedicated themselves to restoring this historic building, making it oneofDunedin’s most outstanding attractions.

Looking replendent under acoating of snow PHOTO:STEPHEN JAQUIERY