Muhunoa East being somewhat off the beaten track did not develop into a town, or even a village, but is more of a Country Settlement; neither can it be divorced from the Ohau Township upon which it was and still is dependent, the Railway Station [now gone], Store [now gone], Post Office [shown on the right] and Petrol Station being situated there. Its chief renown as far as history is concerned centres around the first settlers who were indeed pioneers in the truest sense of the word. These men and women, most of whom had families, braved the hardships of real pioneer life in forest clad surroundings with no roads, no travelling facilities except on foot or on horseback, if fortunate enough to possess a horse, having little or no money and little opportunity to spend it if they had any.
I well remember one lady who came to reside there with her husband and family, and when she left some 7 or 8 years later, appeared to be wearing the same hat she wore when she came there, and whenever she went to town, which was not very often, it was always the same hat. How would that do today?
It was no wonder that we boys who were growing up and very observant became familiar with it. We knew exactly its size, colour and shape; and this was after the turn of the century too. Times were still hard and difficult, and the women folk truly shared the hardships with their husbands. Brave women they were.
During the 1880s and early 1890s there was little contact with the outside world, their main living contacts being wild pigs in the bush (real Captain Cookers with very long sharp snouts) wild horses on the river bed, mosquitoes by the million, wild pigeons (plentiful at that time) and moreporks.
Incidentally we older 3 brothers – Samuel, Robert and myself, during the first 3 or 4 years of our school days rode out to school at Ohau, about 3 miles distant, on the last wild horse that was caught on the Ohau river bed, by our uncles the Whiley brothers.
The cooking facilities of those days were somewhat primitive (there was no gas or electricity then). In most cases it was just a couple of iron pots, a kettle and a camp oven. The latter could have the fire underneath for baking in the oven, and also on top for boiling the kettle and pots which were hung on chains or wires fastened on an iron crossbar fitted in the chimney.
The men cut one another’s hair and trimmed their whiskers. The wives did the cooking and washed and mended their clothes. These were boiled in kerosene tins outside and then washed in small iron baths. There were no washing machines not even a wash-house.
Washing day was a strenuous affair for these pioneer mothers, especially where there were a number of children. Sometimes mother would engage two fairly robust Maori women to come from the Kuku, to do the washing for her when hard pressed owing to sickness etc. These would walk about 4 miles each way. They squatted on the ground in the back yard and rubbed away with their hands until the job was done and received 3/- each. These ladies brought their own lunch.
One pakeha lady I remember came on several occasions to do the washing. She walked from Ohau, 3 miles distant, carried her baby in her arms, did the whole of the washing, received 6/-, then walked home again. I remember one occasion she brought her husband with her (he must have been out of work at the time, and not very fond of it either) and he looked after the baby while she did the washing. Baby sitting was not a paid occupation those days. Whether the wife or the husband received the money for the washing has not been recorded, perhaps they shared it. Who knows? Both are long gone. The ironing was done with a small flat iron heated on the top of the camp oven.
From the camp ovens the women turned out bread and scones that would put the modern bakers with all their facilities to shame. The butter, real butter, hand churned and home-made, was worth at that time 4d to 5½ per pound, and the value had to be taken out in groceries. The grocer set the price for the butter and for the groceries as well. Rather a one sided affair surely. Still those were the days????
It was truly with that wonderful indomitable spirit which characterised those brave men and women that they set out to carve out a home for themselves in the bush. What a heritage their toil has left to posterity.
These pioneers have come and gone, but they have left us their descendents, with deep respect and memories of deeds well done.
They had no motor cars, no picture shows, no newspapers, no entertainments (except what they made themselves) no holidays, no wireless, no television, no telephone, and the nearest Doctor at Otaki some 15 of 16 miles away.
They just toiled and won.