.jpg)
The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
The Eastern Districts
The Eastern Districts.
It is deemed advisable to describe the towns in the Provincial District of Wellington in their geographical order starting from the Capital, taking first the eastern side as far as the boundary of the province of Napier, and then the western portion, ending at the Taranaki boundary. The compilers feel confident that this arrangement will meet with general approval, as it must give a clear idea of the connection of these towns with one another, and also their relation to the two main lines of railway. Preference is given to the eastern districts, because, generally speaking, they have some advantage in the matter of age, and because they were the first to be served by rail.
It will, of course, be seen at a glance that the importance of these towns bears no relation to their nearness to the Capital; and it is a curious fact that some of the oldest are also among the smallest. Some of those that were in existence before the railway was opened have been greatly benefited by that change, and it would appear that the growth of others has been thereby retarded. These and other points will be referred to in detail further on in the several articles on the towns themselves, but it may here be remarked generally that the rate of progress in the eastern districts is not nearly equal to that of the western, though certainly Pahiatua and the country around it must be considered a strong exception to this rule.
The railway through the eastern districts—which is at present known as the Wellington-Eketahuna line, but must soon be named “Wellington-Woodville” or “Wellington-Napier”—was first opened as far as the Lower Hutt, and reached Masterton by 1880—several years before any portion of the other line of railway was opened. So much more rapid, however, has been the extension of the West Coast railway that for many years Napier has been in unbroken communication with the Capital by the West Coast route. The final portion of the old route—from Eketahuna to Woodville—is in course of construction, and its completion will be of much benefit to the eastern districts. The coach service at present doing duty for the railway is fairly efficient and well conducted; but its death and burial will doubtless be a cause of general rejoicing.
Unfortunately for the Eastern Districts, that route from Woodville to Wellington will be some fifteen miles longer than by the West Coast, the latter line being so much straighter that Palmerston (only eighty-eight miles from Wellington) is really about twenty miles further north than Eketahuna (ninety-three miles from Wellington, or eighty-eight miles, deducting the addition for tariff purposes between the Summit and Cross Creek). The effect of this must be that the West Coast line will get a much larger proportion of the through traffic from Napier than the eastern line can ever hope to get from Wanganui and New Plymouth, which are fifty miles further from the Capital by the eastern route. Notwithstanding this, however, the completion of the Eketahuna-Woodville line will be of very great advantage to both sections of Wellington railways.
The points of historical interest connected with the various towns and districts will be referred to in their turn, and it is confidently hoped that the following pages will give readers most useful information, which will be helpful to those contemplating settlement in these parts, and at all times interesting to the present and future residents.
page 809As the Wairarapa contains some of the best specimens of deer in New Zealand, the following sketch has been inserted here in the hope that it will prove of no common interest to colonists:—
Of all countries in the world, New Zealand must be regarded as one of the most suitable for deer. It embraces every requisite necessary for their breeding and development. There is an abundance of good succulent food available all through the year, plenty of pure water for them to drink, and the numerous valleys containing ferns, grasses, and bushes, afford splendid shelter during cold and stormy weather, while extensive and dense forests provide ample cover and immunity from the sportsman's rifle. There is also an entire absence of natural enemies. That they thrive well under such conditions has been amply verified by their wonderful increase wherever liberated. Red deer at Wellington,
.jpg)
Nelson, and Otago; fallow deer at Motu Tapu (Auckland), Nelson, and Tapanni; and Sambur (or Ceylon Elk) at Carnarvon, on the west side of the North Island. At each of the places referred to, deer have multiplied in a most gratifying manner. The increase of red deer has been specially remarkable in the Wairarapa district, near Wellington, where, from a trio, have sprung the thousands that now roam over the Maungaraki Ranges, and all the country east thereof to the sea coast. The progenitors of those herds formed part of three deer sent from Balmoral by His late Royal Highness the Prince Consort, as a present to the Colony of New Zealand. Of the one stag and two hinds that were shipped from England, one hind died on the voyage, the two other deer arrived in Wellington on the 6th June, 1862, on board the ship “Triton,” after a passage of 127 days. About the same time three other deer were shipped from England for Canterbury, but as only one hind was landed there alive, it was sent to Wellington and placed with the two others. They were kept for some time in a stable on the reclaimed land, opposite Barratt's Hotel, Wellington. Subsequently Dr. Featherston arranged with the late Mr. C. R. Carter,
page 810
then M.H.R., to have them removed to the Wairarapa district. They were carted over the Rimutaka Ranges by Mr. Hastwell, and placed in charge of Mr. James Robieson, at Parkvale Station, then known as Mount View, and owned by Mr. Carter. After being kept in confinement for several months, they were liberated on Mount View Station early in 1863. They afterwards crossed the Ruamahunga River, and settled on the Maungaraki Ranges, and it is from those ranges that heads with the largest and best antlers have been obtained. As showing the possibilities in deer stalking in the Wairarapa, it may be mentioned that Messrs. John and William Strang, of Glenside Station, Gladstone, Mr. James Cooper, of the Taipos Station, and Mr. T. E. Donne, of Wellington, shot fourteen stags in five days during the first week in April, 1894. The heads were of splendid quality, bearing from twelve up to seventeen points each—a result that would be considered highly satisfactory anywhere; while five large heads shot respectively by Messrs. Nat Grace, John Strang, T. E. Donne (two), and C. Tully, will, for weight, thickness, width, and length of horn, bear comparison with the best heads that have been obtained in Scotland, or other deer countries, during recent times. Commencing in 1895, new regulations in connection with shooting red deer came into operation in the Wellington district. The season opens on the 7th of April and terminates on the 30th of April. Each licence-holder is restricted to shooting not more than three stags, and no stag is allowed to be shot if it carries a less number of points than eight. Motu Tapu Island carries very large herds of fallow deer. The island being the property of Messrs. Reid Bros., permission to shoot there has to be obtained from those gentlemen. At other places it is generally necessary to get leave from property owners to shoot over the land occupied by them. The Sambur deer are not yet considered to be sufficiently numerous to make it advisable to permit of their being shot. They are therefore still on the list of protected animals. The above illustration is of red deer stags' heads that were obtained from the Wairarapa district.