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Annandale Past and Present 1839-1900

Chapter XII. — Farming and Fencing

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Chapter XII.
Farming and Fencing.

His land question being settled, Mr. Hay now began in earnest to improve his estate. A new house was built in 1850, and completed about the time the first four ships arrived—a commodious, comfortable, two-storied house, the same which formed the back premises of the Annandale we remember. They had by this time a large dairy—large for that period, viz., 22 milking cows out of which they averaged a cheese per day, of 35 lbs. or 40 lbs. which they sold at 1s. per pound; butter at this time was 1s. 6d. per pound.

From Mr. Hay's Home letters of this date to his brother we learn of Mrs. Hay having whitlow in the forefinger of her right hand, the first joint of which was removed. She suffered intensely with it for six months, and was never able to write or sew as well as formerly after the removal of the joint. She had to undertake a journey to Lyttelton in a whale boat and remain under the care of Dr. Donald for a time. Dr. Donald came out in the survey ship, "Phoebe Dunbar" to Canterbury, and spent all his useful life in Lyttelton. He died in 1884.

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Sketch of Lyttelton from Mount Pleasant, 1851-2.

Sketch of Lyttelton from Mount Pleasant, 1851-2.

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In the same letters Mr. Hay gives a good idea of the work that then occupied him, his two Perthshire plough men, and willing gang of Maori labourers. First they began to drain the land and prepare for cropping by extracting the roots in the clearings. This, however, proved to be too expensive, as well as too hard work, as sometimes a whole day was occupied in the extraction of one tree stump; so that, after clearing two paddocks in this way they left the rest to rot out. Later these paddocks were ploughed, as also one other—the Fernhill paddock, a fine slope of land where no very large trees had grown, and which consequently was more easily cleared.

Fencing was now begun on new and improved plans, the Maori fences being done away with and replaced by the stronger post and rail fence. Soon after the settlement of Canterbury it was made a condition of land sales that each property must be fenced in within a certain limit of time. This was found to be entirely unreasonable and useless, besides being to some ruinous. Mr. Hay had got a considerable extent of this boundary fencing finished before the absurd stipulation was cancelled, and, being of no practical use whatever, it remained a "white elephant" during its term of existence. Some years after, most of it was burnt in a bush fire.

At that time Mr. Hay's property consisted of 500 acres, all bush and fern except the paddocks cleared. To have fenced it all round would have cost at least £500. Needless to say, practical men set their faces against it, as also against the £3 per acre charge for land, which was soon reduced to £2. These mistakes were inseparable from the formation of a new country, whose laws were made by men more theoretical than practical; but gradually, as the public interests were threatened, they were brought to page 156more common sense ideas of the fitness of things. As the land became settled, and bush cleared, then it naturally followed that fencing between and around properties was done at the option of the owners; when between neighbours the expenses were shared by each.

In 1852 the crops grown on Annandale, besides the usual potato crops, were 20 acres of wheat and 20 acres of oats. There were no sparrows at this time to bring destruction to crops, and dismay to the hearts of grain-growers; no blackbirds and thrushes to rob us of our fruits; nor rabbits to devastate the fair lands of the clean young country. A propos of this: year's after this time, when Hay brothers were asked by the Secretary of the "Acclimatisation Society" for a subscription for the introduction of more Home birds to New Zealand, they replied with an emphatic "no," but they "would gladly subscribe handsomely towards the extermination of the rubbish that had been already imported "an answer that somewhat astonished the grave and reverend seniors, who were so indefatigable in their efforts to introduce and propagate every species of Home vermin—notably sparrows. This was a sad mistake, that has been disastrous enough in its results, and yet the Acclimatisation Society are prone still to fall into similar snares, and singularly slow to take warning from past errors. In those days farmers had the rare pleasure of reaping abundantly what they sowed, and the virgin soil yielded her increase to their entire satisfaction.

Mr. Hay had at this time a gang of sawyers at work clearing the heavily-timbered land. The timber was brought down in bullock teams to the beach, and there shipped in crafts to Lyttelton, where it was used for building purposes. A large proportion of the houses, shops, wharves, &c. first built in Lyttelton, were built of timber grown, cut down, and sawn in Pigeon Bay.

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Sketch of Lyttelton from Charteris Bay, 1854.

Sketch of Lyttelton from Charteris Bay, 1854.

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Such was the state of the Peninsula roads at this time that the teams might almost he described as floating ones. Especially after traffic or rain it was quite a common sight to see the bullocks—patient animals—as they floundered through the liquid mud, literally pushing it in front of them with their "briskets." We can imagine what it must have been like for pedestrians, or even riders, at such times.

Mr. John Hay, about 1850-1, leased part of Mr. Hay's land near Annandale, and built a house, which he occupied for some time, making it a house of accommodation for travellers. This was an immense relief to Mrs. Hay, as they were often, especially after Canterbury Settlement was formed, so inundated with visitors as to be obliged to improvise a wholesale dormitory arrangement in the barn. Crowds ever passing through on tours of inspection, they were rarely a night without at least two or three guests. Even when this house was built there was often need of all the spare accommodation of Annandale to house benighted travellers. Akaroa was then quite a centre of attraction for all who fancied the hill country, and, as the ships kept coming with their full complements of passengers, all eager to see the country before settling down, it is easy to understand how the Peninsula came in for so much notice. Mr. John Hay secured the services of Mrs. Peter Brown (now of Akaroa) as his housekeeper in this undertaking.

Mrs. Brown and her husband were fellow-passengers of Mr. and Mrs. Hay's in the "Bengal Merchant." After some time spent in Wellington, they removed to Akaroa with their family; there she still lives at the advanced age of 89.* She was an energetic woman, who did her duty page 159creditably to her family amidst great domestic trials, and has always been a staunch upholder of the "Kirk." She was so enthusiastic about forming a Presbyterian Church in Akaroa that she allowed the partition wall between two of her rooms to be removed, so as to accommodate the people who assembled there before a place of worship was erected. For interesting details of her early days in Wellington see "Tales of Banks Peninsula."

How long they continued to carry on the "Pigeon Hotel, as it was called, we know not, but about 1853 Mr. John Hay started away for a trip Home, rid Melbourne, where he remained for some time. He returned in 1855 just in time to manage Annandale for Mr. Hay, while he went to Melbourne with a shipload of produce, an account of which voyage will occupy our next chapter. By the same ship Mr. J. Hay returned in, came a Miss Barbara McCreath, daughter of an Ayrshire farmer, a neighbour and friend of Mr. Hay's, of "Knockindale"—Mr. John Hay's father. Having been friends at Home, they continued so here, and the coincidence of coming out in the same vessel, no doubt, helped to strengthen the bonds between them, which in a few years resulted in matrimony. Judging from Mr. Hay's references to the matter in his letters Home of this time, the unfolding of this genuinely Scottish romance was a source of great interest to them all. Miss McCreath remained some time at Annandale before her marriage, and was, like her good husband, greatly liked and respected by all who knew her. To quote a sentence of Mr. Hay's about her in one of his letters Home—"She's just the kind of woman best fitted for a new colony," warm-hearted, energetic, self-reliant, she had her own share of roughing to do, as we shall see, and it is hardly necessary to add that she always proved equal to the occasion.

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As well as the new house, Mr. Hay built a schoolhouse at the foot of the old orchard—to use his own words in his letter of date, January, 1852—"for the benefit of the children in the Bay, fifteen of whom attend; and I have a schoolmaster living in the house with me. The three eldest, for their ages, read pretty well, and I intend at the end of the present year to send them to Wellington, or some suitable place, to improve them." This was not done. However, because Pigeon Bay School in course of time improved. It will thus be seen that a few new arrivals had by this time settled in Pigeon Bay. Mr. Hay had three tutors in all for the children, the first two. Messrs. Donaldson and Woodley, proved failures from physical causes, which—combined with the fact that, although educated men themselves, neither had the necessary gift of imparting their knowledge—greatly incapacitated then: as teachers. One became non compos mentis at times, and was so frequently "indisposed," as to necessitate a change as soon as it could be arranged. The other had a sleeping disease, which rendered him often quite impervious to sights and sounds. His somnolent tendencies were so overpowering that even during meals he was unable to keep awake, frequently his head drooped till his nose rested in his soup-plate! Often in school the boys would stand for half-an-hour spelling the same words, whilst the poor man sonorously slumbered!

It is therefore little wonder that the progress of the children's education was slow, and by no means sure, at this early period in their history. To be quite candid, however, we must confess our young New Zealanders proved at times somewhat rebellious over their tutors, when, as happened on several occasions, opportunity allured them to revolt. A school punishment, even in the tutor's days, was always followed up by the paternal rod, page 161which was the one article of home rule that commanded the respectful awe of our young heroes. Even this powerful deterrent sometimes failed of its effect. James, who was naturally the most amiable and merriest of lads, one day on receiving an unexpected and undeserved punishment, rebelled, by showing fight to the master in the heat of his anger at being unjustly accused. He got the worst of it in the end, poor boy, for his temerity, and never forgot the sting of that double punishment.

On another occasion, Tom, also, on getting a flogging from the teacher, retaliated to the best of his fighting powers, using both feet and fists till the astonished "Dominie" had to retire from the contest, baffled to say the least of it! He had his revenge, however, when he told Mr. Hay, who gave the young rebel a stinging thrashing, and then—"unkindest cut of all"—made him kneel down and beg pardon of his offended teacher! Tom never forgot his feelings during the latter exercise; he would thankfully have taken the thrashing daily for a month to be let off the kneeling process! This first little school was the scene of many a revel, for some of the older boys were incorrigible when possessed with the spirit of mischief, so that the school at this time had not a very creditable reputation.

There was not at that time such a systematic mode of teaching as we have now. Christ's College Grammar School, Christchurch, was, the school in Canterbury, and it was conducted on strictly denominational lines, ruled by traditional English Grammar School work and discipline, without competition, inspection, guidance, or any whole-some stimulus. The results proved that the system was weak as a whole, the curriculum old-fashioned, and unsuitable to the conditions here—young life in a new country.

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Old Christchurch.

Old Christchurch.

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Naturally, too, Mr. Hay had great difficulty in getting good teachers, Christchurch and Lyttelton claiming first choice, but he left no stone unturned to secure the best available. It called for a man's earnest interest and best efforts after the school increased, and so many of the pupils were (or should have been!) advanced ones, to ensure its success, and these necessary conditions were generally lacking. An average morning's work for old and young in those far-back school days was "Dictionary Exercise, that meant the finding of ten, fifteen, or twenty words in the Dictionary, and writing words and meanings down. Besides this, the English Church Catechism and tenets were made a specialty in the day's studies, and Mr. Hay, a practical Presbyterian of the old school, would have preferred those studies to grasp more rigorously "the three R's," which, like "Will-o'-the Wisps," eluded the roving fancies of the scholars, to whom laughter appealed more than learning.

Thus matters continued for some considerable time. Mr. Knowles—who was the third and last of the tutors—became the first resident schoolmaster, and he it was who stalled the first boarding-school for boys in Pigeon Bay—the school that soon afterwards became well known as one of the beat in New Zealand. After some months stay at Annandale with his mother and sister, who came out to New Zealand with him, Mr. Knowles removed to the house previously occupied by Mr. J. Hay. This being large, with plenty of apartments, was suitable for the purpose, and was used as a boarding-school for many years thereafter. Even at this early stage in its history this school was well attended by resident scholars as well as boarders. Mr. Knowles was only teaching problem, however, his ambition being to enter the Church as soon as possible, thus his energies were divided between his own absorbing studies and the school-work.

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In due time Rev. Francis Knowles became a successful clergyman, and has been for many years past a Canon of Christchurch Cathedral. Some years before he left Pigeon Bay he was married, and his two sons were born here; the elder of whom—Rev. Walter Knowles is now (1901) Vicar of Little Akaloa, Okain's Bay, Port Levy, and Pigeon Bay, having been placed over this district in 1898. [Rev. Walter Knowles has a wide parish under his care, the many duties of which he faithfully discharges, assisted ably by his bright, capable wife, who shares with him the respect and love of the entire district. The young people of Pigeon Bay at this date owe much to Mr. and Mrs. Knowles for their ready help in various ways. The Mutual Improvement Society and the Choir have especially benefited by their untiring exertions.]

Meantime these intervening years were full of incident and earnest endeavour for the elders, if for the young folks they sped on shining wings, skimming merrily over rough places, adding fresh delights to the vigorous young lives, so full of the love of nature and all things beautiful. How can we doubt that full compensation for every loss was given in the building up of strong, true characters, fitted to bear with brave self-reliance the future burdens of life? God's will concerning us cannot err; therefore, whatever is is best, so long as, seeking God's help, we strive to do our best in the circumstances in which we are placed.

* At this date, January, 1901, in full possession of her faculties.