Chapter 5
The Earliest Days

In 1843 my Grandfather, George Vaile, arrived with his wife, sister–in–law, five sons and three daughters; Captain Fitzroy, the second Governor, being a fellow passenger. Owing to his decided opinions and vigorous manner my grandfather became known as the Bull Buffalo. A super–respectable old Aucklander (formerly he must have been a bad boy) told me of a trick he had played on Grandfather. It seems that before there were any newspapers, or any local authority, public meetings were called for debating public questions. Grandfather always occupied the same chair. One evening it was known that he meant to be more positive than ever. My friend decided to curb Grandfather' eloquence, and placed some adhesive wax on his chair. When Grandpapa rose, full of froth and fury, to smite the enemy hip and thigh, his chair rose with him and entirely upset him! He was afterwards elected to the first Auckland Town Council.

In 1863 my father went to England, where he married, and in 1869 returned to Auckland with his wife, my eldest sister and me. At the start of the voyage I was only 3 months old (something of a record for one so young to travel 14,000 miles and I believe an absolute record in that I doubled my age on the voyage).

The very first thing that I can remember is my going out to Otahuhu with my father in one of the old four–wheelers (called “growlers”) to see Mr. Wm. Goodfellow about an extension of his lease of the southern corner of Queen and Wyndham Streets to justify his building in brick. While this was being seriously debated in the house I inspected the garden, and, noticing large numbers of flies entering and leaving a box I lifted it up to see what all the fuss in there was about, and was well and truly stung. I was rescued alive, and Mr. Goodfellow gave me a peacock and two hens to compensate me for my pains. When the cock died I had him skinned and mounted by Wendells, the taxidermists — and still have him. The two hens I gave to a curious little zoo that used to exist in the Domain, wherein a few monkeys and some other not very rare animals were kept. Tbis was my first gift for public purposes. My father, I may mention, got his lease extended, and imported eleven shiploads page 9 of English pavia bricks with which he built the premises now occupied by the Australia and New Zealand Bank. This reminds me of the terror current in those days of the Scotch thistle — not because of Nemo me impune lacessit but because of its capacity (like its countrymen) to take possession. At the time of our arrival at Otahuhu Mr. Goodfellow was cutting them out with a hand hoe.

My first visit to the Waikato was in 1877, also with my father. The railway then had reached Frankton, and we took a gig to Hamilton, which then consisted of Mrs. Gwynne's hotel, the Bank of New Zealand, the Loan & Mercantile Agency Co., the Shipping Offices, and about a score of houses. Next day we drove round Te Awamutu (where quite a lot of wheat was grown), Ngaroto, Alexandria and Cambridge — then a larger town than Hamilton, being the head of navigation. I saw much of the land, which had been ploughed for the first time, and later was struck by the resemblance of the pumice soil to it.

Another journey I took as a boy was in company with a cousin of mine by marriage, Mr. S. B. Biss, for so long Chief Postmaster in Auckland. He was on a tour of inspection of the Kaipara district. We proceeded by the s.s. City of Cork to Riverhead; thence by a short railway to Helensville; thence by s.s. Minnie Casey to all ports on Kaipara Harbour. By the way, the Post Office used to make the libellous error of calling Helensville “Hellensville”. When, some years later, I drew their attention to the matter, the postal authorities corrected their spelling.

One great aid to travel that used to have a wide circulation has, unfortunately, disappeared. I refer to the A.B.C. guide. This useful little publication had all places in the province of Auckland set out in alphabetical order; gave transport available, spots of departure and arrival; times of trips. It was published by Mr. Arthur Cleave, an enterprising citizen who also owned and drove one of the very first motor–cars in Auckland.

It is really remarkable how many people appear to imagine that New Zealand was handed over to us fully furnished with wharves and roads and waterways; and have no idea of the immense labour expended in providing these facilities. Even in these latter days I had a pretty good experience of it in bringing in “Broadlands”.

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