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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Tamahere

Tamahere.

Tamahere is on the main road from Hamilton to Cambridge, at the junction of the road leading on the one hand from Tauwhare and the railway station, and on the other to the Narrows Bridge. It is a flourishing farming settlement, and there is a creamery belonging to the New Zealand Dairy Association situated close to the railway station—a flag station on the Ruakura Junction-Cambridge branch, distant ninety-four miles from Auckland, and standing at an elevation of 172 feet above sea level. The local governing body is a road board, and the district is within the Waikato County.

Tamahere Road Board. The district includes the greater portion of the parish of Tamahere, and a small part is in the Cambridge road district. A rate of £3/4d in the £ is levied, and the revenue from rates and subsidies is about £275. Present members: Mr. Aston T. F. Wheeler, chairman, and Messrs A. Furze, A. Ramsay, J. Barugh, and E. Rhodes, with Captain McPherson as clerk and treasurer.

Mr. Aston Thomas Foxhall Wheeler, Chairman of the Tamahere Road Board, was born in 1846, at Broom Park, near Cleobury, Mortimer, Shrophsire, England. He is a son of Mr. George Wheeler, of Eardington, Shropshire, who died in 1891. Mr. Wheeler was brought up to farming, and came in 1866 to Queensland, where he was for some years a grazier, but owing to Mrs Wheeler's health, he removed to Auckland in 1879. After being a year at Onehunga, he settled at Tamahere. Mr. Wheeler has for fully twenty years been connected with the local road board, of which he has been chairman for several years. He is a lay reader at the local Anglican church, and people's warden; also a member of the Waikato County Council and of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and chairman of the Tamahere branch of the Waikato Farmers' Club, and of the local school committee. Mr. Wheeler's farm at Tamahere is named “Eardington” and contains 130 acres. He was married, in 1879, to a daughter of Mr. R. E. Livingstone, of Lanarkshire, Scotland.

page 759

Mr. Joseph Barugh, noticed in another article in connection with Wartle Farm, is a member of the Tamahere Road Board.

Mr. Arthur Furze, noticed in another article as a member of the Waikato County Council, is a member of the Tamahere Road Board.

Mr. Andrew Ramsay, who has served on the Tamahere Road Board since 1898, was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1842, and arrived in Auckland by the ship “Nimrod” in 1863. He was engaged in farming at Rangiaohia for about twenty years, but removed in 1892 to Tamahere, where he has a farm, and is proprietor of the local accommodation house.

Mr. Edward Rhodes, who has been a Member of the Tamahere Road Board since 1880, was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, in 1830. He came out to Victoria in 1852, and had three years' experience at the diggings. In 1855 he arrived in Auckland, found employment in survey and bush work at Drury, and was afterwards a road contractor and made a portion of the first road to Mercer. Mr. Rhodes became a settler at Pokeno, and was compelled to leave his farm in 1862 on account of the Maori disturbances. He then leased some land and engaged in storekeeping at Drury for about five years, when he returned to his farm at Pokeno. In 1880 he sold out his property and settled in the Tamahere district, where he has a property named “Wentworth, and 230 acres in extent. Mr. Rhodes was married, in 1859, to a daughter of the late Mr. T. Runciman, who is said to have been the first settler to cross Slippery Creek, and has three sons and two daughters.

The Tamahere Post And Telegraph Office is centrally situated on the Hamilton-Cambridge Road. It is connected by telephone with Hamilton, and a daily mail is received and despatched. The building used is a cottage of four rooms, and the public office is in one corner.

Mrs Priscilla McChesney, Postmistress and Telephonist at Tamahere, was born near Bristol, England. Mrs McChesney, who has been twice married and is a widow, arrived in Auckland, in 1881, by the ship “Lady Jocelyn.”

The Tamahere Public School contains a large class room and two porches, and has accommodation for sixty children. There are fifty pupils on the roll, and the average attendance is forty. A good playground surrounds the school, and there is a covered shelter shed. The master in charge is assisted by a pupil teacher.

Mr. James Harvey Johnston has been in charge of the Tamahere School since May, 1900. He was born at Larne, in the north of Ireland, in 1869, arrived in Auckland at an early age with his parents, and was brought up as a teacher.

The Tamahere Creamery (New Zealand Dairy Association, proprietors) was erected in 1900, and is close to the Tamahere railway station. It is built of wood and iron, with a concrete floor, and contains a six horse power portable steam engine, which drives two Alexandra separators.

Mr. John Smeaton Blackmore, Manager of the Tamahere Creamery, is the eldest son of Mr. J. C. Blackmore, Government Pomologist, Christchurch, and was born at Whangarei in 1869. He was for some time engaged in the grocery business, and afterwards became a compositor at Gisborne. In 1887 he settled in the Waikato, and became a dairy farmer. Subsequently he had charge of the Newstead Creamery for two years, and was afterwards for three years at the Pukekura Creamery, and for one year manager of the Grey Valley Butter Factory, one year first assistant at the Ballance Dairy Factory, Wellington, and was for two years in charge of the butter department of Messrs Murray and Co.'s Factory at Whangarei. He accepted his present appointment in 1900. Mr. Blackmore has a farm of 141 acres in the Tamahere district, where he milks about twenty cows, besides attending to the creamery. He was married, in 1894, to a daughter of Mr. W. Baker, of Newstead, and has two daughters and one son.

Botteley, photo.Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Blackmore.

Botteley, photo.
Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Blackmore.

Tamahere Butter Factory, the property of Mr. Cornelius Day, is situated on the Cambridge-Hamilton Road, near the junction of the cross roads. The machinery consists of a three-and-a-half horse-power stationary engine, which drives an Alpha-Laval separator. There is a complete butter-making plant, and the produce of the factory finds a ready sale in the district.

Care, George, General Storekeeper, Tamahere. The premises occupied by Mr. Care were erected in 1898, and consist of a two storey building, containing a shop and dwellinghouse, in which accommodation is provided for the travelling public. Mr. Care was born in 1842, in Kent, England, and was brought up to farming. He arrived in Auckland in 1874, and found employment for some time in road work at Mahurangi. Since 1875 Mr. Care has been a settler in the Waikato. He was married, in 1871, to a daughter of Mr. H. Rogers, of Hautapu, and has two sons and six daughters.

Barugh, Joseph, Farmer, “Wartle Farm,” Tamahere. Mr. Barugh is a native of Yorkshire, England, and was born in 1857. He left the Old Country per ship “Paeroa” and arrived in New Zealand in 1880. Mr. Barugh, after looking round the various farming districts in the North Island, decided to settle in the Waikato, and purchased his present property of 950 acres in 1881. This is now one of the best farms in the district with fine stud flocks of Lincoln and Romney sheep, which have been very successfully exhibited at the various agricultural and pastoral shows. Mr. Barugh takes a prominent part in all agricultural and local matters.

Day, Albert William, Farmer, Tamahere. Mr. Day formerly farmed about 113 acres of arable land, in the Te Awamutu district, but has been farming at Tamahere since 1899. He is third son of the well-known Mr. C. Day, the Jersey cattlebreeder, was born at Razorback in 1879, and educated in the Waikato. He was for a number of years employed on his father's farm. Mr. Day is married to a daughter of a well-known Waikato settler, Mr. James Wells.

Hanna, photo.Mr. A. W. Day.

Hanna, photo.
Mr. A. W. Day.

Day, Cornelius, Farmer, “Pencarrow,” Tamahere. Mr. Day's farm, which consists of 1000 acres of splendid land, is one of the most admirably cultivated properties in the Waikato. Mr. Day makes a specialty of Jersey cattle, and in 1893 imported two valuable cows of that breed from Mr. Fowler, of Southampton, England, at a page 760 cost of over 230 guineas. With these he has been successful in carrying off several champion and special prizes. There is also a stud flock of Shropshire Down ewes, which have been equally successful as prize-takers. Mr. Day has a very complete creamery on his farm, furnished with a small steam-engine and supplied with the milk of fifty cows daily. The farm products are sent to the Auckland markets; a year's turnover in bacon alone sometimes amounts to over £1000. A fine new and well-ventilated byre has been erected and everything is carried out on scientific methods. Each week the milk is weighed and tested, so that the yield from every cow can be compared. One cow one season gave a total of 1200 gallons of milk. Mr. Day was born in Kent, England, in 1836, and attributes the success of his operations to the sound knowledge of farming he gained at Home. He came to this Colony by the ship “Persia,” landing in Auckland. For some years he was engaged in farming in the Razorback and Whatawhata districts, and purchased “Pencarrow,” his present property, in 1886. He has devoted much of his time to local matters in which he has always been willing to assist, has been chairman of the Cambridge Road Board for many years, and generally connected with the school and various other committees. He is a well-known and much respected settler. Mr. Day is an excellent authority on stock and was chosen judge of Jersey cattle at the Hawera and Christchurch Shows in 1897.

Mr. C. Day.

Mr. C. Day.

Ewen, Charles, Settler, “Claremont,” Tamahere. This old colonist, who has resided in the district for over twenty-eight years, was born in Cambridgeshire, England, where he received his education and agricultural training. He came to this Colony in 1853 per ship “Agra,” and was farming for ten years in Otahuhu; he then removed to Panmure, and after spending another ten years there, decided to settle in the Waikato, where he purchased Claremont farm in 1873. Mr. Ewen has a nice compact place of 300 acres, all under cultivation. He married a sister of Mr. Charles Lewis, of Remuera, and has seven sons and one daughter; two of his sons assist him on the farm.

Mr. C. Ewen.

Mr. C. Ewen.

Furze, Arthur, Farmer, Tamahere. Mr. Furze was born at Ipswich in 1857, and was educated at Secford College, subsequently studying law for a few years. Visiting Australia, he filled up a period of about seven years in New South Wales, gaining experience on various stations. In 1886 he crossed over to New Zealand and purchased his farm of “Warawara,” at Tamahere, a property of about 330 acres, on which he carries on general farming operations. Mr. Furze, who was for some time a member of the Waikato County Council, of the Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and of the Tamahere Road Board, takes a general interest in all local affairs.

Milne And Son (Alexander Davidson Milne and Joseph Alexander Milne), Farmers, Tamahere. The property held by Messrs Milne and Son consists of 460 acres of freehold, which is all under cultivation, and is worked as an agricultural and sheep farm. Further particulars concerning the members of the firm appear on page 1056 of the Wellington volume of this Cyclopedia.

Petersen, Rasmus, Sheep and Cattle Farmer, “Rooholt,” Tamahere. Mr. Petersen's property, which is nearly 800 acres in extent, carries about 700 sheep and fifty head of cattle. Mr. Petersen was born in 1850 at Rooholt, Denmark, where he was educated and brought up to farming by his father. He came to Hawke's Bay in 1876 by the ship “Fritzreuter,” and two years later removed to Stratford, in Taranaki, where he was engaged in farming for about twenty years. In March, 1898, he sold his interest at Stratford, and settled in the Tamahere district. Mr. Petersen became a Freemason in Stratford, but is unattached in the Waikato. He was married, in 1877, to a daughter of Mr. J. Cook, of Sydney.

Mr. and Mrs R. Petersen.

Mr. and Mrs R. Petersen.

Way, George, Farmer, “The Narrows,” Tamahere. Mr. Way was born in the Isle of Wight in 1859, and was educated in London. He arrived in Auckland in 1879 by the ship “Ironsides,” and settled in the Waikato. After eighteen months in the Te Awamutu district he bought property at Tamahere, where he has 350 acres. Mr. Way was married, in 1890, to a daughter of the elate Mr. J. J. Barugh, and has one son and one daughter.

Mr. Joseph Johnson Barugh, Old Colonist, came of an old farming family, and was born at Brachen, Yorkshire, England, in 1818. He and his brothers were the first Yorkshire farmers to introduce steam threshing machinery, and he made the first straw elevator in England; he also introduced the first reaping machine into the district, and originated the seven course system of cropping, which proved a great success, crops of all kinds being much better than under the old four course system. Mr. Barugh made chemistry a special study, and was one of the first men, if not the first man, in England to make superphosphate, and manufactured this fertiliser, now considered indispensable, before there was a factory in England. He was well read on almost all subjects, and was looked upon as a kind of walking cyclopedia by his fellow Yorkshire farmers. Mr. Barugh page 761 took a leading part in the original volunteer movement in England, and remained an officer almost up to the time of his leaving for New Zealand. In 1880, on his arrival in the colony, he took up land in the Waikato, and farmed it in the most scientific style. He became a member of the local governing bodies; his politics were Liberal, and he was frequently requested to put up for election as member for the district. Mr. Barugh died at the age of seventy-eight, a much missed and universally respected man.

Hanna, photo.The late Mr. J. J. Barugh.

Hanna, photo.
The late Mr. J. J. Barugh.

Mr. Henry Reynolds, Old Colonist, who is well known in the Waikato district, is generally regarded as one who has done a great deal more than his share towards advancing the farming interest. It was mainly owing to Mr. Reynolds' energy and perseverance that the numerous creameries and dairy factories were established in so many localities. Whilst manager of the celebrated “Piako Swamp” estate, he established the first creamery at Tamahere. Mr. Reynolds was then twenty-five years of age, and managed an estate of 90,000 acres, which was by no means a light undertaking for so young a man. On resigning that position, he turned his attention to dairying on a large scale and established a factory on his own account. This venture proved highly successful, and was quickly followed by factories in various parts of the district. The settlers were not slow to take advantage of the enterprise displayed by Mr. Reynolds, and entered heartily into the new industry. Having seen the scheme placed fairly on its feet in the Colony, Mr. Reynolds went to London, where he opened his cool storage depôt, and for the next ten years passed about six months of each year in the Old Country superintending the disposal of factory produce as it arrived from the Colony. In 1896, whilst in England, he was approached by the directors of “The Dairy Association of New Zealand” (Messrs. Lovell and Christmas, of London) with a view to taking over the business, an idea which was at once acted upon and the transfer of interests was made. Since that date, Mr. Reynolds has been engaged in furthering the development of mining properties in the Hauraki Peninsula, with which he is largely concerned. Mr. Reynolds is a native of Cornwall, where he was born in 1850, and received his education. He came to the Colony with his father, the late Mr. William Reynolds, in 1868, per ship “Maori.” His father was one of the first of the settlers who resumed possession of their lands after the Maori war. Mr. Reynolds is married to a daughter of Captain Steele, a well known Waikato colonist and has two children.