The Prow 10 Most Recent Added Stories

Fruit for the picking

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:57:55 +1200

There is a little known secret in the Top of the South - Free Food for the picking. Yes, fruit trees are now being grown in public places, parks and schools, for us to enjoy. Over the past 20 years the Councils in the Top of the South have planted hundreds of fruit and nut trees in publicly accessible places. This is the product of several initiatives over the years, and while local councils naturally reap the kudos, credit belongs to several caring and very creative individuals.

Open Orchards logo
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Fruit trees in public spaces offer a myriad of benefits. Most obvious is making natural healthy food available to all. In fact, one initiative, Open Orchards, was initiated by the Nutrition and Activities Programme (NPA) of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (NMHDB) to fight obesity. The NPA identified obesity as an epidemic. Open Orchards is one element in turning around this epidemic, and the district is the first in New Zealand, and one of the first in the world, to adopt such a holistic long term approach.

Hand in hand with the strategy is education and community involvement. Open Orchards works with schools and pre-schools, offering fruit trees and helping them build vegetable gardens. In addition, these hands-on learning experiences extend to healthy meal preparation, thus establishing comprehensive life-long healthy eating attitudes.

In Nelson, an eager partner to Open Orchards was found in the Nelson Community Organic Gardens Trust, which has coordinated the establishment of six areas in Nelson and Tasman to plant fruit trees. These include Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council park space and some schools. And that, said Chairman Nick Kiddey, is just a starter. The Marlborough District Council has also planted edible fruit trees on public land in their region as part of the Council's commitment to providing resources for the community good.

Open orchards displayed on Top of the South maps. Click image to enlarge

The Open Orchards plan had a five year budget from NHMDB. Outside of this, individuals make incredible contributions to the programme, the community and to our environment. The Top of the South is blessed with an abundance of passionate and knowledgeable gardeners and nature lovers. In 2000 Nelson's small Jewish community planted an olive orchard alongside QE II Drive, as a symbol of peace and gratitude. In conjunction with the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary Trust, Edith Shaw ‘single-handedly' spearheaded the creation of ‘wildlife corridors', continuous green habitats connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities such as buildings and roads. Towards that end Edith grew trees from seed, and approached nurseries and organisations to donate hundreds of fruit bearing trees. These she proceeded to offer to residents at no cost, and has even harnessed them to keep track of the bird activity triggered by the trees.

Clearly, Open Orchards are healthy beyond the scope of nutrition. The planting-bees, education, and awareness associated with them all contribute to building stronger and more resilient communities. People have something in common, a shared project, and one which is designed to serve in perpetuity. Indeed, planting a tree is an act of utmost optimism and altruism, as the fruit will most likely be enjoyed by subsequent generations, not necessarily the person planting.

Growing food in public spaces, even beyond fruit-bearing trees, is a growing trend worldwide. More and more, communities are realising that better use can be made of public land and, rather than spend money on extensive lawn care and unproductive park or indeed wasteland, food can be grown. In a world where transport issues are undeniable and the benefits of fresh locally grown produce are a concensus, change must accomodate reason. The holistic trend is therefore sure to continue and expand within our beautiful region as well.

Free fruit for the picking is a secret no more. Nelson City and Tasman District Council's GIS Top of the South Maps and Google map both show the precise locations of these fruit and nut trees in the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough regions. The websites may not be fully current, and many more trees have been planted or matured since it was last updated. And even more are yet to come.

So keep your eyes open, you'll see them. Help yourself. But "Be fair, take just your share... and leave some for others," advise local councils.

Enjoy.

This article was submitted as part of a Nelson Marlborough Insititute of Technology Creative Writing assignment, 2013

Demon drink in Nelson

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:23:31 +1200

Early Nelson was well served with public houses, despite the vigorous agitation for abstinence by the Temperance Movement. Patrons often had to travel long distances over difficult terrain and, as well as having alcohol, hotels had accommodation, meals and were popular meeting places in the community. The first publicans' licences were issued in Nelson in April 1842.

Demon Drink walk map (numbers relate to numbers in the story). Click image to enlarge

Wakatu Hotel (1)

In 1843 merchants Nathan and Joseph built large store rooms on land that is the current site of Westpac Bank. Alexander Perry converted the building to use as a public house, licensed as the Wakatu Hotel in 1845. The Colonist newspaper said “a visit to the Wakatu Hotel had been regarded by country residents as the one relief from their struggles, as they had always been sure of finding congenial company there”. The Bank of New South Wales bought the property and the buildings and their contents were auctioned off in July 1877. The buildings were purchased for thirty nine pounds by Thomas Harley, who had been born on the premises.

Wakatu Hotel. F N Jones Collection, Nelson Provincial Museum 28542
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The Freemason's Arms (2)

The Freemasons’ Arms was licensed in 1842 and became a centre for members of the Oddfellows Lodge, and the name was changed to the Oddfellows’ Arms. William Akersten took the licence in 1858 and changed the name to the Marine Hotel, reflecting his interests at the Port, where he had a well-known chandlery. Charles McGee took over in 1859 and let the hotel in January 1864 to George Potter. The new licencee, gave the hotel a new name – the Coach and Horses. The building was replaced in stages, with the Trafalgar Street frontage in 1870 and Bridge Street extensions starting in 1877. The hotel had its final change of identity in 1906, when it became the Central Hotel. It closed in December 1972. The building still stands and is presently used as a backpackers.

Harper's view, Coach & Horses Hotel, Nelson Tyree Studio Collection. Nelson Provincial Museum
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The Royal Arms (3)

The Royal Arms was licensed in 1851-1857, then in 1865 Charles McGee rebuilt it as the17-room Nelson Hotel. This hotel was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1866 that started here and spread to all corners of the intersection, fanned by a strong wind. It was quickly rebuilt and the famous public meeting to form the Nelson Rugby Club was held here in 1868. During the 1890s the licence lapsed and the building was used by the Anchor Boot Company. Mrs Digby Andrews took it over and renovated it as the Ranfurly Boarding House. This accommodated sixty visitors and a balcony was added in time to provide a view of the Jubilee Day procession in February 1902. Mrs Andrews also operated a fruit and confectionery shop on the groundfloor in Bridge Street. In 1903 it changed owners to become the Metropolitan Private Hotel. In 1916 it once again became licensed, combining with premises next door in Bridge Street, to become the Royal Hotel. A hotel continues to operate at this site today.

The Mitre Hotel (4)

The Mitre Hotel was built in 1859. Another victim of the 1866 fire, it was rebuilt the same year and renamed the Criterion Hotel in the 1870s. It became the unlicensed Temperance Hotel by 1887, which lasted until 1912, gladdening the hearts of the temperance champions across the road. A change to petroleum spirits came when the Silverton Service Station was built on the site.

Salvation Army Barracks/ Temperance Hall (5)

Salvation Army members were strongly devoted to the Temperance movement, feeling that alcohol was a root cause of social evil. Individuals were encouraged to sign the pledge to abstain from alcohol.

Carpenters’ Arms (6)

This was the first hotel at the intersection of Bridge and Collingwood Streets. Built in 1843, Harley’s Carpenters’ Arms was a popular location for balls and dinners. The licence appears to have lapsed in 1851, when Harley moved to the Wakatu (in Trafalgar St). The present Wakatu Hotel was licenced by Fred Vause in 1900, in premises built in 1866 for H.V. Phillips’ Beehive Stores. The new venture was an immediate success, and the building was extended along the Collingwood Street frontage early in 1902. This provided eight further bedrooms upstairs and a large room downstairs, suitable for supper parties.

Four Spirits Corner

The junction of Collingwood and Bridge streets became known as Four Spirits Corner. The name was adopted in the 1930s because there was something relating to spirits on each corner - two hotels, a petrol station and the Temperance Hall, where spiritual guidance was available.

The Miners’ Arms Hotel (7)

This hotel was built in 1855, and Henry Jasper was an early landlord. It was rebuilt in 1883 by which time its name had been changed to the Panama Hotel. The Panama closed in July 1976 and the building is now used as legal offices and shops. Roughcast cement covers what was once a wooden exterior and a large basement cellar is a reminder of its early use.

Commercial Hotel, Nelson Tyree Studio Collection. Nelson Provincial Museum.
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Commercial Hotel (8)

A small brick building built in 1842 housed the Commercial Hotel, licensed in 1851 by J. Winterburn. In 1883 this was replaced by a two storied wooden building. A brick extension was added to the Hardy Street frontage in 1907 and the wooden portion was replaced in 1936. Renamed the Hotel Nelson, it stood until 1986 when it was demolished. It had a number of famous visitors including the young Queen Elizabeth on her first New Zealand tour. It is now the site of the Nelson Provincial Museum.

Victorian Rose Hotel, now Vic Mac'c Brewbar.Nelson Provincial Museum.
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The Victorian Rose (9)

Now known as the Vics Mac’s Brewbar, this is a good example of adaptive reuse of a heritage building. Built in 1889 for the NZ Insurance Company, it was taken over in 1916 by solicitors and used legal offices until 1979 then as council offices. It was converted into a public bar and restaurant in 1992.

Fifeshire House (10)

This was built circa 1911. Originally Fifeshire House was the homestead of the Harley family for over fifty years and called Raglan Villa. Charles Harley and his family eventually owned five hotels, a malt house, a brewery, a cordial factory and some hops plantations. Their Raglan Breweries was located right next door where the Rutherford Hotel now stands. Joseph Auty Harley, Mayor of Nelson from 1949 to 1956, and his family were the last generation to live in Raglan Villa.

2013

The Grove Okiwa

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:58:39 +1200

The name Okiwa probably refers to a chief named Kiwa, as does Anakiwa (the cave of Kiwa). Until the Ngāti Awa attack of 1829-30, Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuia were established in the district – afterwards the land was under control of the North Island tribes. Joseph Thoms, an early whaler, bought 400 acres of this land from his father-in-law Nohorua, and later it passed to various other settlers. They gave it the name of The Grove due to the extensive kahikatea forest there, which they promptly set about felling.

Grove wharf. 19th Century. Picton Museum
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Alexander Scott Duncan arrived in 1861 with his family and set up the first steam sawmill in Marlborough, calling it the Victoria Mill. Before it was packed up and moved to Tennyson Inlet in 1870, this mill is believed to have shipped out 18 million feet of timber from The Grove. Not only timber, but also shipping, was an important element of pioneer life, providing both trade and provisions. There was even shipbuilding at one stage. The bridle track to Picton was started in 1861, but was a very rough affair. and it was not until 1898 that work was begun on a so-called road. A coach road through to Havelock had been opened four years previously.

One of the prominent seafarers was Captain A.A.A. Hood, a former whaler, with his schooner Augusta. Captain Hood was drowned at The Grove while at anchor in August 1866;¹ his sea-chest is on display in Picton Museum.

The Duncan family, Alexander and later his son John, were active in the district, leading the push for schools, acting as Postmasters, and during the gold rush providing a building for use as Henderson’s Grove Hotel. The Duncans were able to obtain much of Captain Hood’s land after his death, and eventually bought all the land through to Shakespeare Bay, excluding Māori reserves. Farming was developed once the land was cleared, but fire was always a hazard and the land was poor. Much of it reverted eventually to the Crown as reserve.

The gold rush from 1864 onwards led to great activity at The Grove, as it was the main access point to Cullensville and Mahakipawa. It remained important to the farmers who made a success of the fertile Linkwater district, as their dairy factory (making cheese) was established there in 1911,² to be convenient for shipping out the product, which gained many prizes. The Company continued until 1953.

Originally written for Picton paper Seaport New, 2010

Flaxbourne

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:59:32 +1200

Life of a pastoral station

Prior to European settlement, there was an abundance of seafood, eels and ducks in the area which was to become the South Island's first and largest pastoral station. However the open country meant Māori were vulnerable to attack. In the 1830s, there was a battle near the mouth of the Flaxbourne River between Te Rauparaha's Ngāti Toa and Ngāi Tahu, with considerable loss of life.¹

Plan of Flaxbourne Settlement, 1905. Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc. Click image to enlarge

Initially Charles Clifford and Frederick Weld leased a huge block of land from Ngāti Toa stretching from Lake Grassmere to the Waima/Ure River ² for £24/annum in 1846. Within a short time they had settled as far south as Kēkerengū.³ They began with 3000 merino sheep, bought from New South Wales, and by the 1870s there were 70,000 merino sheep on the station.⁴

Thomas Arnold described Flaxbourne in Passages in a Wandering Life. He left Wellington on 4 October 1848, in a small cutter navigated by Weld: "We steered for Cape Campbell.... The station, a wooden building in two wings, with a kind of veranda connecting them, painted white, with stables, sheep-yards, &c., stood about a quarter of a mile from the beach....At that time there were about 12,000 sheep on the run, which was the joint property of Weld and his cousin..Clifford...."⁵

Flaxbourne homestead group. Standing (L to R) Unknown, J. Conolly, Miss Mien, Mrs Walter Clifford. Sitting L to r E.S. Rutherford, W. Trolove, Bursill, Jean Rutherford, Mrs W. Trolove, Mrs Ballantyne. Sitting on ground L to R E. Weld, J. Greenfield, Mr Ballantyne. Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc
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Flaxbourne Estate map as in 1904 Reproduced 1968 and redrawn 1984 for Marlborough Historical Society field trip. Click image to enlarge

Many people were employed at Flaxbourne: run managers, shepherds, fencers, cooks, and later, rabbiters. Before fencing materials became readily available in the new colony, boundary riders were employed to keep the stock under control and safe from wild dogs.⁶

The first shearing machines were used in the late 1880s on stations such as Galloway in Otago, and Flaxbourne.⁷

A pair of silver grey warren rabbits were sent to the Flaxbourne manager and, when Clifford paid a visit to the station in 1881, he commented on the ‘excellence of the rabbit shooting'.⁸ In the 1880s, Flaxbourne (along with Richmond Brook) bred and released about 800 ferrets a year to combat the rabbits.⁹By the 1890s the rabbit plague on Flaxbourne was severe, with more than 500,000 skins exported from the estate in 1893. It was eventually brought under control but cost thousands of pounds.¹⁰

On 16 October 1848 an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.5, centred in the Awatere Valley, shook central New Zealand.¹¹Weld wrote in his diary: " It threw down our ware..... A succession of minor shocks for two or three days. Large fissures are everywhere seen in the ground and one of them stretched right across the ware at the outstation." ¹²

Shipping wool from Ward beach - wool was lightered to waiting ships. Image courtesy of Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc
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Flaxbourne suffered severely during an earthquake (estimated magnitude 8.2) in January 1855. About 16 new cottages were flattened and a land uplift of two metres closed the little harbour at the Flaxbourne river mouth.¹³

Members of the court and council working on the Flaxbourne Compensation Case held in Blenheim courthouse, Dec. 1904. Image courtesy of Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc
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There was a need for more land as New Zealand's population grew. In 1894, a Lands for Settlement Act was passed by Parliament, which allowed the Crown to compulsorily take estates and award compensation.¹⁴ One of the Dominion's most important land law cases resulting from that Act, in 1905, concerned Flaxbourne, which the Government wanted to buy for resettlement. It was claimed by the owners that the capitalised value of the property should not only be of the actual income earned, but also of the income that might have been earned from the property. While the official valuation of the property was £112,000, various witnesses claimed it was worth as much as £560,000.¹⁵

Flaxbourne show (early 20thC.) Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc
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The Crown eventually compulsorily acquired 45,600 acres of the estate for more than £181,000. Four Clifford brothers who, by then, were the main owners of Flaxbourne, exercised their legal right to retain 10,511 acres, which they subsequently sold by public auction, in eleven parcels, in 1911 and 1912. The homestead block of, what by then was known as "New Flaxbourne," was purchased in the 1912 public auction by the manager, Everard Aloysius Weld, a son of Sir Frederick Weld.¹⁶

Within four years, about 300 people lived there,¹⁷and the area continued to be known as Flaxbourne. In 1911, when the main trunk railway went through, the town became known as Ward, named after Joseph Ward, Minister of Railways at the time.¹⁸

Footnote

Both Clifford and Weld were elected to New Zealand's first parliament in 1853, and Flaxbourne was just one chapter in their lives.¹⁹ Sir Charles Clifford was a Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1854 to 1860, when he returned to England with his family. He died in 1893.²⁰

Sir Frederick Weld relished the challenge of establishing pastoral stations (he was involved with three), but commented in May 1855: 'colonizing, exciting enough in its early struggles becomes very milk & waterish when it resolves itself into merely going certain rounds to visit sheep stations and staying a week in this settlement & a week in that. He became Minister of Native Affairs in 1860, Prime Minister in 1864, left New Zealand in 1867 and was a colonial governor in Australia for 18 years. Weld died in 1891.²¹

2013

Emma Heke

Sun, 05 May 2013 17:48:54 +1200

Director, Film-maker: Red Heke Productions, Nelson

Within our small community here in Nelson there are people who are passionately working on projects to inspire and empower, not just our own locality, but people far and wide across the globe. Such is the power of film, and one woman’s belief in her path.

Emma Heke migrated to Nelson from Whangarei in 2006, where she had been an art and photography teacher for twelve years. In her new role as mother to her young son Connor, she became acutely aware of the lack of inspiring well-made programmes and films available for children. Where many of us reluctantly felt helpless at this plethora of unappealing viewing choices, Emma began obsessively writing and brainstorming ideas for films that would inspire and educate, not only children, but also their parents and caregivers.

Emma Heke. Image supplied by author
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‘I spent endless nights waking up at all times of the night with ideas flowing through me that I just had to write down, it was as though they were coming in from another realm, as though I was downloading them.’

Within a couple of months Emma had written the plans for no less than ten films. Each aimed at bringing creativity and education into the lives of our children, respecting their intelligence, and using the New Zealand landscape and its people as inspiration. Having never used any filming equipment in her life before, Emma enrolled in a six month film and editing course at NMIT, up-skilling from her previous background in photography, and remorselessly picking her tutors' minds on everything she would need to make her dream become a reality.

‘I think they must have thought I was mad! I had this huge vision and such little experience.’

In 2007 Emma formed Red Heke productions and, in 2009, the first in the series of DVD’s for children, OURS; an alphabetical journey exploring New Zealand’s natural life and landscapes, was released. This production led Emma to win the 2011 Green Ribbon Award, for ‘Environment in the Media.’ The huge success of OURS was followed, shortly afterwards, in 2010 by the release of OUR Creative Children. This uses New Zealand nature as the starting point and inspiration for art, ideas and creativity.

Fuelled by the success of her first two DVD’s, Emma’s next mission was to head off around the country, on Our Green Roadie, filming families who are supporting themselves through eco-conscious, creative and economically viable businesses. After a winter of research, September 2011 saw Emma, and her seven-year old son Connor, rent out their house in Nelson, and head off in a van on a self-funded (from sales of the previous two DVD’s) seven month trip that took them the length and breadth of the country, from Whangerei in Northland down to Riverton in Southland.

Emma Heke and son, on the road. Image supplied by author
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Our Green Roadie is a feature length documentary of their journey, telling the fascinating stories of fifty ordinary Kiwi families, who have all made the conscious decision, and often incorporated huge changes into their lives, in order to live their dreams of a more sustainable lifestyle.

‘I wanted to dispel myths about green living and that it's only hippies or a lucky few that can afford to run away and live off the land. I hope that most people will find something in the film that is pertinent to them and can be a catalyst for real change.’

The focus is on organic and environmentally sustaining businesses, ranging from natural skincare, to innovative waste and recycling solutions, farming, horticulture and crafts, amongst many others. From multi- million dollar companies to small businesses run from a shed in the back yard, Emma got to the heart of what motivates and inspires these families and how their lives and our environment are enriched by the way that they live.

On their return to Nelson in April 2012 Emma set about editing the footage, but needed to raise funds to employ an additional local editor to help get it to the standard it deserved, and to complete the production process. At this stage Emma turned to the fundraising platform ‘Pledgeme’ to reach their goal of $9750.00. The target was reached within the allowed 28 days, thanks to some generous pledges coming in from both Nelson and all over the country. Our Green Roadie is now a beautifully crafted documentary, and the DVD is available to buy online.

As well as home schooling her son Connor, Emma is the one-woman band for the research, filming, sales and marketing of the DVD’s. A true example of kiwi ingenuity, multi-tasking, and trusting in the flow of life when on the right path:

‘When I am filming and working on these projects I know that I am doing exactly what it is I was put here to do at this time.’

Emma’s talent and passion for her mission in life is easy to see, and is a shining example of how one person can make a huge difference, when fear and doubt is discarded and a direction and intent chosen. One of the many snippets of wisdom that is shared from the families throughout the making of this film is to take one step every day towards the big dream.

Emma Heke, her latest film, Our Green Roadie, and the story behind its creation, are sure to be an inspiration to all ages and an empowering catalyst for change to many.

This article was submitted as part of a Nelson Marlborough Insititute of Technology Creative Writing assignment, 2013

Russian Explorer Bellingshausen

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:39:57 +1200

On 8 June 1820 (29 May in the Russian calendar), Russian captain Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen (in Russian: Фаддей Фаддеевич Беллинсгаузен; Faddey Faddeyevich Bellinsgauzen) entered Queen Charlotte Sound in the ships Vostớk and Mirnyy. He was in command of the second Russian expedition to circumnavigate the globe. During this expedition Bellingshausen became the first person to see the continent of Antarctica.

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. 19th Century portrait
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A commemorative coin of the Bank of Russia, dedicated to the first Russian Expedition.
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They had no interpreter with them, but had the records of Captain James Cook ’s explorations, also a copy of Cook’s Māori word list. The ships were welcomed and escorted in by a fleet of Māori canoes.

Bellingshausen and his company made detailed descriptions of local people and customs, and traded for a considerable collection of Māori artefacts which are now in Russian museums. In return, the Māori residents supplied the ships with fresh fish. They also explored about 21 km up the Sound (roughly just past Dieffenbach Point). The astronomer, Ivan M. Simonov, kept a journal which described in great detail everything he observed. There is also an account written by Midshipman P.M. Novosil’sky, and drawings made by artist Pavel N. Mikhaylov, now in the State Russian Museum.

An excellent account of the visit and its importance in providing information about Māori life of the time, both pictorial and documentary, can be found in Hilary & John Mitchell's book, Te Tau ihu o te waka, vol. 1, pp. 200-207.

This article was originally written for the Picton Seaport News, 2010

Seasonal Workers in 20th Century Motueka

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:40:56 +1200

Motueka has long been a highly productive agricultural region, with a focus on tobacco, hops and apples. The region has often struggled to meet the demand for labour, particularly at peak harvest times.

Even with mechanisation agricultural work remained very labour intensive - especially fruit picking and tobacco. At first the work load could be handled by the family on the farm, with some help from the neighbours, but as production expanded more and more workers were needed. Advertisements luring people to sunny Motueka for a harvesting holiday were broadcast all over New Zealand, the army was called in and workers were even flown in from Fiji to meet the demand. Of course, not all at once, but various recruitment schemes were a feature for most of the twentieth century. Countless people passed through Motueka during harvest season, the following is only a glimpse into their lives.

Seasonal workers at Motueka. Camp. Motueka Museum.
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Calling in the Army

The Second World War caused a disruption in daily life, to say the least. Many growers and their sons were called up to serve overseas and wartime pressures to save money and restrictions on shipping called on the tobacco growers to produce more leaf for local consumption. While the Tobacco Board was able to get a few growers exempted, on the basis of their niche expertise, this still left a labour shortage. Many of the would-be seasonal workers were also overseas and the women who stayed behind were working the full time jobs left vacant by the soldiers.

After some negotiating The Tobacco Board managed to arrange for territorial soldiers to help with the 1941-1942 harvest. Camps were set up at the Motueka Beach Camp, Richmond Show Grounds and the Pokororo Hall among others. The soldiers lived in tents and travelled to the farms in army vehicles. Many of the soldiers found the work exhausting and had trouble keeping up with experienced workers. Wages were paid directly to the army.

Recruiting

The wartime labour shortage made it clear that farmers had to be more proactive about recruitment. Growers were resistant to the idea at first, ignoring questionnaires sent out to gauge the number of workers needed, but by the 1950s they realised they needed to advertise.

Pleas to the Department of Labour for a dedicated labour office in Motueka were to no avail but Drury & Bradley Accounting were subcontracted to do the recruiting as a compromise. Advertisements were taken out in newspapers, on the radio and in cinemas. There was even a £4 travel subsidy if workers stayed on for at least four weeks to sweeten the deal.

In 1962 the Department of Labour finally relented, opening up a full time seasonal labour office in Motueka in January of 1963 with M.M. (Snow) Glynan at the helm. In addition to advertising, Glynan also made trips out to areas such as the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay to recruit potential workers.

Influx of North Island Maori sparks a cultural renaissance

The recruitment efforts saw many North Island Maori come to the Nelson region in search of seasonal work in the 1940s and 50s. The region didn’t have the resources necessary to support such an influx at first, but Maori Welfare Officer Kia Riwai worked to develop a better sense of community in the region.

The cultural renaissance eventually led to the building of a new modern Marae. Hau School was purchased in 1955, moved to Pah St and reopened as Te Awhina Marae after renovations.

Motueka's seasonal problem. Nelson Photo News, May 4 1968
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Workers gone Wild

The 1950s and 60s attracted a rowdier bunch of seasonal workers giving locals headaches and entertainment in almost equal measure. Young New Zealanders looking for a break from conservative urban society, and overseas visitors wanting a working holiday, were drawn to the region for the summer.

Seasonal workers descended on the town’s bars, dance-halls and movie theatres in droves dressed to the nines on Friday nights turning Motueka into another world. A few locals would park on High St just to watch the ‘exotic goings-on.’ Stories of fights, fires and mayhem abound but the town’s only policeman, Constable Bob Smith, worked hard to keep things in line. He even went so far as to turn away known trouble makers before they got off the bus at the start of the season.

Watch a clip of Selwyn Toogood's 1964 interview with a Motueka pub keeper about seasonal workers via Te Ara.

Knives crafted by seasonal workers at Motueka in the 1970's. Motueka Museum.
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The Fijian Work Scheme

Some 300 Fijians were flown into New Zealand between 1971 and 1981 as part of the scheme. Growers paid for airfare in advance and then recouped the costs through wage deductions. Most Fijians saw the scheme as a chance to earn money to send home, something which local retailers resented.

In 1960 local shop keepers reported earning £700 per week during the harvest compared to just £50 in the off season, so you can understand why they would have been concerned. Seasonal workers brought in a lot of money.

Over the course of the decade locals got used to the friendly, polite Fijians and they are remembered as being stable and reliable: very desirable traits when compared to other workers who rarely stayed the whole season. Many of the Fijians developed excellent relationships with the growers. Some growers even visited their former employees while on holiday in Fiji. None of the Fijian workers ended up settling permanently in the area and the program was discontinued in 1981, when pressure from increasing unemployment within New Zealand made the scheme unfavorable.

Late Twentieth Century

Tobacco is no longer grown in the region but fruit growing remains strong, attracting backpackers and seasonal workers from near and far even today.

This article is based on research complied for an exhibit on tobacco at the Motueka District Museum in 2013.

2013

James Marsden and his Isel Farm

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:14:46 +1200

At the age of 34 years, James Marsden inherited Isel estate, a 930-acre property laid out by his father, Thomas Marsden, who died in a carriage accident in 1876. At the time James Marsden was already immersed in the farming activities around the estate and, despite the size of the property, did a great deal of the work round the place without staff.

James' grounding and learned nature had come about from his years at Nelson College. In his youth, he walked to the college every day, as his father said they could not afford to buy him a pony.¹

Barraud, C.D. (1889) On the Waimea Road, Nelson, overlooking Stoke and Richmond [Isel can be seen in distance at left. Thought to be north boundary of Marsden’s farm]. Alexander Turnbull Library, D-035-002
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No doubt, prior to Thomas's death, James had worked very closely with his father, sharing the workload and the technological lessons found in some of the many books they read. Isel was renowned locally for its efficient and productive output - an astounding achievement given Thomas had come to Nelson with the skills of jeweler, rather than a farmer.

As early as 1871, lectures on the management of farming, singling out Isel as an excellent example of good farming practice, were being published in the local newspaper.

"An excellent example of the efficiency of this [river bank protection] system can be observed at Stoke, near Nelson, on the property of Mr. Marsden, where a dangerous and troublesome stream has been carefully and judiciously planted in this manner with willows in the bed and European trees on the bank, and thus changed from a destructive torrent into a pleasant brook, which greatly adds to the beauty of the grounds."²

The Marsden's knowledge was not kept at home however. In July 1872 the newspaper reported that, at the monthly meeting of the Stoke Farmers' Club, James Marsden presented a paper on the cost of planting forest trees. It was described as being a valuable and practical paper for the local farming community.

The quality of Isel's sheep and beef meat products were also heralded in the local newspaper, gaining consistent praise in reports over a period of 30 years.

"The sheep and lambs were a credit to Mr Marsden, of Stoke, who had reared and fattened them, as well as to the butcher who had killed, and by a few dexterous slashes of his knife, ornamented 'them in thoroughly artistic style."

"...Here we found two enormous sheep from Mr Marsden's paddocks at Stoke. Thence to Mr Trask's, and here again we found Mr Marsden asserting himself as the producer of some of the finest mutton that ever met the eye, or made the mouth water."³

At the Christmas meat fare in Nelson the Marsden's sheep were described as being "...perfect marvels in the way of mutton, a mountain of fat about the size of a shilling cake rising over the tails of each. Such sheep have never been seen in Nelson before."⁴

Jones, F.N. [ca 1920] View of a wheat field on the Isel estate of James Marsden, Stoke, Nelson. Alexander Turnbull Library G- 11420-1/1
Click image to enlarge

James's success with his sheep and beef can be attributed to his extensive knowledge and understanding of the geology and pastoral elements of his property. This is illustrated in a letter to the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail in 1896:⁵

To the Editor of " The Evening Mail.
Sir,- ln your issue of Saturday last I noticed a letter signed "'Nemo" asking if Chewing's Fescue was a grass adapted for poor land.
Nemo's question is a somewhat vague one, as there are so many different kinds of poor land, such as poor clays, poor sands, poor gravels, with many others; and he can hardly expect the one grass to be equally at home upon these widely different varieties of poor land.
Chewing's Fescue is, however, a grass of wide adaptability and thrives in most soils having a dry bottom; in wet clays or swampland it is of little use.
It is a true perennial pasture grass, deep rooted, drought resisting, very fine in the leaf, and well adapted for soils of a dry and rather gravelly character, such as much of the land about Hope, near Richmond.
It is no doubt a variety or sport of the Hard Fescue (festuca duriuscula) and was first grown in Southland, where it was called Chewing's Fescue because it was first grown for sale on an extensive scale by Mr Chewing, of Glenelg, Mossburn, Southland.
I believe I was the first to introduce and experiment with this grass in Nelson, and if "Nemo" would like to see it growing either separately, or as a mixture with other grasses, I shall be glad to show it him, and give him any further information he may require.
I am, etc., J. W. MARSDEN, Stoke, 16/4/96.

The success of the Marsden family's meat products ended in 1902 with the butchers, Fairey Bros, advertising the last beast sold by Mr J. W. Marsden, of Stoke, as being close to 8001bs, a ‘better beef one could not wish to see'.

Farming Isel was not without problems, however - for both the Marsdens and the public. In February of 1877 the Waimea Road Board sent notice to Thomas Marsden to clear the road leading to the new cemetery site at Stoke of gorse. The Board was not able to complete the works, as the gorse hedging along its edge covered more than one half of the road.

Stray sheep and cattle were an ongoing issue, and caused concern for the farm's wellbeing. In August 1878 James Marsden took George Cook to court for allowing some of Cook's diseased sheep to wander onto Isel's land. The sheep, recognized by a ‘C' brand were suffering from scab, and were locked in a stable at Isel until the Inspector of Sheep could pay a visit. Mr Cook admitted that he only knew of one sheep that had got away, and was fined £2 by the court.⁶

James also placed a notice in the newspaper in 1881 saying:

"A brown and white steer, about 3 years old, with back notch in near ear, and front notch in other, has been running in my paddocks for the last 13 months. If not claimed within one month from this date it will be sold to defray expenses".

Isel Harvesting scene. Photo from Isel House.
Click image to enlarge

But it was not only wayward stock that caused James Marsden grief. In 1881 he had to place another notice in the newspaper warning off 'parties of lands and children (chiefly from Nelson)' who carried out ‘wanton chopping and destruction of native trees and shrubs'. He threatened anyone caught on the estate with prosecution for trespassing.⁷

The farming endeavours of James Marsden may also have contributed to the success of Marlborough's sheep industry in its earlier days. In March 1884, James shipped 11 Border Leicester rams to George Monro of Marlborough. Mr Monro planned to cross the rams with merino ewes, with the aim of breeding sheep adapted for the frozen meat trade.

The Nelson Evening Mail editor commented at the time; "The complete success of the freezing process will doubtless lead to extensive changes in the class of sheep bred on such runs as are capable of carrying the heavier kinds.⁸

Twelve years later, James Marsden found himself on the committee to progress the development of a freezing works in the area, a plan begun in 1896 through the Nelson Agricultural & Pastoral Association.

The development of a freezing works at Stoke however was still no closer to being realised in 1900. Despite going to every farmer in the Stoke district, James found that no financial support could be gained.

The problem was that the Canterbury Freezing Works had built a large works in Picton, so the local farmers felt that this was adequate, without expending funds. Farmers were also wary of new share investments as the Farmers' Co-operative Company had caused some financial loss, and made investors wary.

To help get the freezing works underway, James offered to take 100 shares towards establishing freezing works, hoping to entice other investors to join in.⁹ The Freezing Works at Stoke were finally opened in 1909, 13 years after the idea was first mooted.

James continued to farm the property and he had stud flocks of several breeds of sheep, being a keen exhibitor at the annual show. He was President of the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association in 1896.

James Marsden, c. 1906. Cyclopedia of NZ. NZETC
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From around 1902 James Marsden began selling off sections of the estate and purebred flocks of Shropshire Down, English Leicester and Romney Marsh sheep. At the time, these sheep were thought to be one of the oldest pedigrees in New Zealand, the original Shropshire Downs having been imported in 1862.¹⁰

By 1904 Isel estate had shrunk to a manageable 400 acres. James leased out the remaining farm except for the homestead and front paddocks. The lease agreement specified that the land was to be kept clean and the fences in good order. Two windmills were also to be kept in good order and certain patches of trees were to be preserved.

In addition to his sheep, Mr. Marsden grazes fifty head of cattle. The land is nearly all ploughable, and it yields splendid crops of barley, wheat and turnips. Mr. Marsden's homestead is complete in every respect; and the outbuildings, stables, granary, sheep dip and yards are spacious and modern in style.¹¹

James Wilfred Marsden died in 1926, leaving a considerable estate. The estate was split into two sections. Nelson Diocese received the house and 52 acres of land, with a stipulation that the trees round the estate should be maintained with great care.

The Cawthron Institute received 65 acres of land for "the encouragement and advancement of agriculture and forestry, the experimental cultivation of useful trees and shrubs, of grain, grasses, and forage plants, roots, pulse and potatoes, and other subjects connected with agricultural farming and research."¹²

Those who knew James Marsden remember him as a courtly old gentleman. He had a profound knowledge of New Zealand trees and birds, and with his encyclopedic mind, he could remember when all the fences and buildings on the place were erected.¹³

Although described as being reclusive by some, James was generous in sharing his knowledge and his estate for the betterment of the region's farming and agricultural industry.

2013

Murder and suicide at Molesworth

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:32:47 +1300

The tragic and true story of Ivanhoe Stanley Augarde

In 1866 Ivanhoe Stanley Augarde gained employment on Mr Thomas Carter's sheep station, St Helens, located in the upper catchment of the Clarence River. Today it is part of the mighty Molesworth cattle and conservation station. Ivanhoe (Ivy) was appointed as overseer and had responsibility for the workforce running the station. Mr Carter was the typical absentee landowner who would make infrequent inspection visits from time to time, while Ivanhoe made the day to day decisions that enabled this vast station to run efficiently.

Thomas Carter. Cyclopedia of New Zealand (1906) from NZETC.
Click to enlarge

In 1867 Ivy was courting Kate Gee, who was living in the Wairau Valley settlement. It seems that Kate was a member of the Gee family who were based at Renwick. George and Hugh Gee owned an accommodation house in Wairau Valley settlement and Kate was probably employed as a housekeeper at the accommodation house. In his final letter to his younger brother Percy, Ivy gave clear directions for Percy to find both George Gee and Kate at Wairau Valley.

The Nelson Provincial Council financed strategic accommodation houses along the main stock routes to provide safe havens for travellers on foot and horseback. Rainbow, Tarndale, Acheron, Jollie's Pass and the Hurunui were all established by the Council. Usually these were located at river crossings, where journeys were often broken due to impassable fords.

Ivy believed that he and Kate would marry. He left deeds to land he owned at Wairau Valley and important correspondence in her safe keeping, and deeds to property owned by Ivy at Renwicktown were held by George Gee. Kate must have been having doubts about her relationship, however, as Ivy wrote her a pleading letter sometime in late 1867. He entrusted this letter to German Charlie (Smith or Martin), a worker at neighbouring Tarndale Station, to deliver to Kate. Why Ivy trusted German Charlie is a measure of his desperation, as he had a quarrelsome relationship with him when he worked on St Helens for about seventeen months, before moving on to Tarndale. As overseer at St Helens, Ivy may have been instrumental in German Charlie's departure. Charlie opened the letter and saw a golden opportunity to "spite Ivy".

Charlie shared the contents of the letter with his drinking mates at several accommodation houses and enjoyed a laugh at Ivy's expense. One witness at the inquiry, Charles Mathews, a shearer at Jeffreys, stated that Charlie showed him the letter addressed to Kate Gee and reported Charlie as saying "This will spite Ivy." Further, he indicated that the letter was shown all over the place and this fact was revealed to him by none other than Kate Gee herself. Ivy's humiliation was complete and the seeds for the subsequent tragedy were sown.

Ivy soon heard of Charlie's betrayal, but the opportunity for satisfaction had to wait. Ivy's reputation as a passionate man was well known, but he took his responsibilities as overseer seriously, and his personal needs took second place to work commitments. When the two antagonists finally met up, Ivy challenged Charlie to a boxing fight following the rules of the day (Queensbury perhaps) but German Charlie laughed at that preferring "rough and tumble". Ivy came off second best and the fight was broken up by someone. It should be noted that the inquest described German Charlie as follows; "a man of about thirty years of age, strongly built and about five foot five or six inches high." No wonder Ivy was out matched!

Gully, John, 1819?-1888. Gully, John 1819-1888 :Tarndale, Accommodation House [1860s?]. Ref: A-178-007. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22892294. Click image to enlarge

Ivy decided that satisfaction could only be achieved by a murder/suicide plot. He carefully planned how this was to be executed. He wrote to his younger brother, Percy, to come to Clarence (St Helens) as he had secured employment for him. Percy was eighteen at this stage and was happy to oblige although, of course, he was unaware of Ivy's real intentions. Ivy was effectively arranging a replacement worker for his employer Mr Thomas Carter, since he knew that he would soon be short staffed. In the course of the evening Ivy told Percy about his altercation with German Charlie and asked Percy what he thought he should do. Percy stated that Charlie should be horse-whipped.

Gully, John, 1819?-1888. Gully, John 1819-1888 :Polly put the kettle on. Tarndale [1860s?]. Ref: A-178-008. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23120079
Click image to enlarge

John Show, the accommodation house keeper at Clarence, was witness to the events on Tuesday evening. He reported to the inquiry that Ivy borrowed a pen to write some letters and that he was disturbed by Ivy twice during the night. After breakfast, Ivy set Percy to work on repairing fences and then later that morning left on horseback. That night Show and Percy went to bed, but were disturbed at one or two in the morning when Richard Kemp called in en route to Nelson from the Amuri and offered to take any letters. Percy gave him one for his sister in Stoke near Nelson.

At about 5pm, Wednesday 29th January 1868, Ivy rode up to the homestead at Tarndale and cooeed. Charlie the German was assisting Charles Sparrow, the brickmaker, at the brickyard and although they heard the cooee the rider was not recognised. Charlie stated "He has a horse, let him come over here". Ivy rode up to the brickyard while the two workers carried on with their tasks. German Charlie was some distance away; up to 20 or 30 metres, when Ivy greeted Charles Sparrow and then asked "Is there anybody at the station?" Charles replied "No, sir they are all down at the woolshed, except us two," while carrying on with his work. Charles did notice that the stranger had a rifle on his left shoulder, which he then drew and rested above his left wrist while talking. Addressing German Charlie, Ivy said "Charlie, I have a letter for you" and then proceeded to discharge one round. The bullet hit Charlie in the back, just below his right shoulder blade, but he remained on his feet. Ivy took off at full gallop straight past the startled brickmaker heading in the direction of the Clarence. Before falling to the ground, German Charlie identified Ivy as the gunman, before Charles ran to the accommodation house for help.

Charles met Edward Hope half a mile from the house at the end of the lake. Edward rode hard to the house and collected Mr Shrimpton and the keeper of the house, George Goble but, by the time they reached German Charlie, he was dead.

Later on Wednesday evening Richard Kemp was returning to Nelson from a survey at the Amuri. He had collected a letter from Percy Augarde for delivery to Nelson while passing Carters house at Clarence. As he approached the junction of the Alma and Severn rivers, he noticed a horse with its saddle and bridle still on. No rider was in sight but, alongside a stone cairn marking the main route between Nelson and Canterbury, he saw a dead body. He deduced that the rider of the horse had accidentally shot himself, possibly while shooting ducks. He rode on to Tarndale, where he met Edward Hope and reported the finding of the dead body. From the description of the body and its dress, Edward concluded that the body was that of Ivanhoe Augarde. Mr Shrimpton explained to Richard that Ivy had shot German Charlie earlier that day.

Edward set off to inform the nearest magistrate. By Friday he had reported news of the tragedy to Mr Graham Lord Greenwood of Motueka Valley and then joined the party of inquest jurors that Mr Greenwood rounded up en route to Tarndale. This party included Adolph Wiesenhavern, the owner of Tophouse accommodation house, and any reliable citizen who had an available horse. A total of ten men were sworn in as inquest jurors, arriving in Tarndale on Saturday evening, 1st February. The urgency was needed as it was summertime and the body of Ivy had lain undisturbed at the stone cairn since Wednesday evening. Care had been taken to protect the body, by covering it with grass and a blanket anchored with stones. Another person who reached Tarndale, before the inquest started on Sunday, was Louis Augarde, Ivy's father, who had also been informed of the tragedy. News spread quickly and was even reported in the Nelson Examiner on Saturday 1st February.¹ The report indicates both the intimacy of the 6,481 strong Nelson community in 1868 and its empathy for the Augarde family.

Acheron Accommodation House. Department of Conservation
Click image to enlarge

News of the deaths also reached Clarence when Mr Shrimpton rode there by midday on Thursday. Percy immediately asked Mr Shrimpton if Ivy was at the tent camp at Acheron. Mr Shrimpton informed John of the deaths, while Percy tethered the horses. Percy knew something had happened and produced Ivy's letter. John Show then accused Percy of knowing Ivy's intentions, implying that he could have prevented the terrible tragedy. Percy proceeded to fetch the horses, while Mr Shrimpton read the letter. John Show then revealed to Percy what had transpired at Tarndale to which Percy responded, "My brother has had satisfaction out of Charlie at last." The three saddled up and rode to the scene of Ivy's suicide, where Percy dismounted and identified his brother. The party continued on to Tarndale.

At the inquiry it became clear that Percy had had some idea of his brother's intentions. He admitted that he had read the letter before dinner (midday) and understood that Ivy might do something rash such as go away or do away with himself.

The letter in question was included as evidence in the inquest:

"Clarence Station, Jan. 28.
Mr. Percy Augarde,
"My dear Brother-I bid you goodbye. We shall never meet again in this world. I'm very sorry to leave you, but it must be. I leave you all I have in the world; all is yours. You can get my mare when she comes from the Wairau Valley. You must go to Mr. G. Gee, Wairau Valley, and he will give you the deeds for my land in Renwicktown, and you must ask Miss Gee for a packet of letters that I gave her to take care of for me. She has got the deed of my land in Wairau Valley. I have five months' wages due from Mr Thomas Carter. You must pay any debts that I have; the people will send their bills in when they hear what has happened. You must pay all that is right. My house is let at present to Mr John Smart, but you can do as you like with it; he is only renting it. Perhaps Mrs. Smart will give you a bill for two pounds, but don't you pay it. Now, my dear brother, I must bid you goodbye and I hope you get on better than your unhappy brother. We shall never meet in this world again, my dear boy."
" I.S. Augarde"
"My dear brother, never trust her in anyone's keeping but yourself."

A second letter addressed to his employer was also used as evidence by the coroner.

"To Mr T. Carter,-
Dear Sir,- I have engaged my brother for twenty five shillings a week. I hope he will suit you, he is a smart lad."
"I. S. Augarde"

With this evidence it was not difficult for the inquest jurors to reach their verdicts; in the case of German Charlie, "That he died from the effect of a gunshot wound, the bullet entering the back of his body, below the right shoulder, and coming out below the heart in the front of the body, inflicted wilfully and deliberately by Ivanhoe Augarde." In the case of Ivanhoe Augarde; "That he met his death by committing premeditated suicide, by blowing out his brains with a rifle."

Ivanhoe Augarde's grave at Molesworth Station. Department of Conservation
Click image to enlarge

The jury concluded their business to allow Louis Augarde to bury his son, and it was understood that German Charlie was buried somewhere nearby. At the request of his fellow jurors, Adolph congratulated the acting coroner, Graham Lord Greenwood "for his energy and zeal in conducting the painful business of the day, under circumstances, which, from the nature of the country and the distances to be travelled, were of a peculiarly difficult and trying character."

View from Mount Augarde, Molesworth Station. Department of Conservation
Click image to enlarge

What happened to Kate is a continuing mystery. My speculation is that after the mortification and shock and once the scandal of the Tarndale tragedy became public, Kate would have sought anonymity. Marlborough was a close community where everyone knew everyone and Kate may have fled to a new life well away from Marlborough. Reports on the Tarndale tragedy were published throughout New Zealand in all the colonial newspapers, and it was even mentioned abroad, in Australia and United Kingdom.

It is interesting to reflect on how history views the tragedy. Charlie, the "victim", is largely unknown and his grave is unmarked with no gravestone. Ivanhoe, the "murderer", has a prominent grave with a handsome headstone and further the Geographic Board of New Zealand has seen fit to recognize Ivanhoe and the Augarde family by naming a significant nearby mountain after him in 1973. Mr McLaren, a Great Great Grandson of Louis Augarde, put the case for recognition of the Augarde family's contributions to sheep farming in the Marlborough high country. Public sympathy has become aligned to Ivanhoe over time. A crime of passion, such as Ivanhoe's, arouses stronger empathy because he administered his own justice by taking his own life immediately after the murder. It is the passion of the man that we respect.

2013

Buxton and Company Nelson Merchants

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:43:39 +1300

E. Buxton & Co Merchants was an importing and exporting business, selling everything from apple trees to firearms, women's hosiery to sausage skins.

The business, first opened in 1855, was located in central Trafalgar Street. Founder Edmund Buxton lived at Broadgreen in Stoke. Each morning Mr Buxton was driven from Stoke to Nelson in his buggy and pair.

Mr Buxton. Nelson Provincial Museum, Tyree Studio Collection: 18614
Click image to enlarge

Described as an irascible man, he fell out with a great many people and was regarded with awe, fear and sometimes rebellion by his employees.¹

At this time, the importing business was not all plain sailing. On Wednesday, October 24, 1860, Buxton brought a court case against Captain Thomas, for £2 9s. 6d. for broken goods. This was for a hogshead of draught ale, which was found short of several gallons on arrival. Thomas Hill sworn: "Am landing waiter at the port of Nelson. Received a warrant to bond ten hogsheads of ale ex John Phillips. Found one of the casks had been spiled about nine inches from the head. There were twelve gallons deficient; the beer had leaked out to the line of the spile, from which there was a continual dripping. Believe it was done on board ship. E. Buxton sworn: Am importer of goods from England. I consider that a cask partially full would in the course of a very little time turn sour it is only fit now for immediate sale". The Magistrate said the captain must pay for the actual loss, £1 45 costs 15s.²

The company appeared community-minded, despite its owner's reputation. E. Buxton & Co contributed to local events, presenting a ‘handsome plated tea and coffee service, to be appropriated £8 a special prize for any object the Committee chooses' for the Nelson Exhibition in 1873.³

In the same year a show of gold and quartz was displayed in Messrs Buxton's window. The display appeared to have had a slightly political motive, having letters to the Editor of the Colonist to explain;

"The display of quartz and gold brought over last week from the Decimal Mine, is very refreshing, more particularly as the returns from the Perseverance mine have greatly fallen off. Considering that the Decimal is a next door neighbour, that the division is so fine as hardly to be discernible, now is a fit and proper time for the Decimal Company to make an eligible offer for the rental of the Perseverance".⁴

E Buxton & Co, General Merchants, Trafalgar Street. Nelson Provincial Museum, Tyree Studio Collection: 179987. Click image to enlarge

By 1878, however, the company had out-grown its premises. An application from Messrs Buxton and Co., was lodged to Nelson City Council for a license to store 2000 gallons kerosene and 75 pounds gunpowder, in a covered passage adjoining their warehouse. This application was matched by one from Mr Wilkins (of Wilkins & Field), for storing 800 gallons of kerosene in a storehouse at the rear of his premises. A note from the Surveyor reported that both these places were unsafe, and recommended the construction of a building on the mud-flat, near the Post office as a kerosene store. The building would be divided into sections, and offered at a low rate of rental to the businesses. It was suggested in Council that the magazine in Albion Square was the proper storing place for gunpowder, and, after much discussion, it was resolved to refer the whole matter to the Works Committee, to report at its next meeting.⁵

In 1881 the business passed into the ownership of Mr Francis Hamilton of Greymouth. Buxton & Co had suffered financial losses in the 1870s, and this, coupled with the death of Edmund Buxton in 1877, forced the bank to dispose of the business.

Buxton & Co Ltd, Hop & Grain Store, Nelson. Nelson Provincial Museum, Tyree Studio Collection: 181083
Click image to enlarge

Hamilton greatly expanded E. Buxton & Co., carrying on a large wholesale and retail trade in agricultural, mining, building and household equipment, and groceries. Wool, hops and barley were purchased directly from local farmers. The barley was malted for supply to local breweries. Buxton's Hop & Grain store was built in Vanguard Street, connecting directly to the port via railway tracks.⁶

A Big Fire at Nelson - a Corner of Buxtons Store. Nelson Provincial Museum, F N Jones Collection: 311063
Click image to enlarge

Newspaper editorial, 1884: "A tour through Buxton's through the courtesy of Messrs E. Buxton and Co., we were enabled to make a thorough inspection of their recent additions to premises in Trafalgar Street, and were pleased with the result. Messrs Buxton and Co., finding their old building too small for them, determined to enlarge their borders and build commodious warehouses at the back of their old premises. We can only say that the new buildings have given every satisfaction, and are a great convenience to the proprietors".⁷

The breadth and quality of merchandise sold by E Buxton & Co was highlighted at the Nelson Agricultural & Pastoral Show of 1905. An editorial sung the praises of E. Buxton's stand;" Messrs Buxton & Co make a large display, special feature being made of the celebrated Shacklock ranges, and a number of specially valuable implements to the farmer and orchardist are also exhibited. A novelty is the Jones patent dairy bucket, which is set at an angle which does away with the necessity for the milker tilting the bucket as in the ordinary practice. Burges' stumping jack is an invaluable aid to the bush farmer, a man single handed being able to get an eight ton lift with the larger size...".⁸

In March 1917 a large fire engulfed part of Buxton & Co's farm department at their Trafalgar Street premises, along with several other buildings. Buxton's main store - a large brick building separated from the next shop by a narrow right of way, was saved.⁹

The business was rebuilt and continued to trade until 1963, when it was taken over by Wright Stephenson & Co. Today Farmers Trading Co is on the site, and Buxton Square, behind Farmers, is an enduring reminder of this long-serving local business.

2013