Community Contributed
Land Settlement
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:51:16+00:00Mr. Robert Whiley Snr. bought the section between the Arapaepae Road and the bridge on the day of the sale, and resold it to Mr. W. Gorrie the same day at a profit of 10/- per acre. The property now owned by Mr. Death, was bought at the sale by Messrs. Walter and Alfred Whiley (sons of Mr. Robert Whiley Snr.) but they did not reside on it and some time later disposed of the property. Mr. R.A. Rolston bought the 35 acres adjoining his own section, and Mr. M. Walsh bought the balance. This was later sold to Mr. A.S. Death.
Mr. R.A. Rolston paid £3.2.6 per acre for the section where he built a slab whare with wooden shingles on the roof. This structure was close to where the homestead was later built.
The stump of the rimu tree which was about 6 ft. high and some 3 ft. 6 in. in diameter and from which the slabs and shingles were cut, remained in the corner of the front garden till about 1920.
The settlers of that time had to go out to work bushfelling or road making, until they could get their own bush felled. This they did piece-meal as they were able, burned it off [as shown in this photo of burning stumps at Cheslyn Rise] and sowed it in grass and it became productive.
The writer was born at the homestead and by the time he was old enough to take notice of things surrounding, the bush on the farms on both sides of the road had been felled, and was all in stump and logs. Behind the farms was all standing bush.
Montgomery Road was formed about the same time as Muhunoa East Road. Mr. James Bassett who was actually the first settler to take residence had his home there, and later, about 1900, Mr. & Mrs. H. Cooper resided at the extreme south end of the road.
Florida Road near the school was formed about 1908, and follows north and round to the Ohau river to the old ford, where it crosses to Kimberley Road.
Mr. & Mrs. Nicholson and family came to reside there about 1906. Their outlet from the farm at that time was down the river bed. Mr. Nicholson was responsible for the metalling of the road. Originally the road was surveyed round the east side of the large foothill, but this route was later abandoned.
Other settlers who came to reside about this time were Mr. & Mrs. A. Dean and William Dean, who pit sawed the timber for their home, which was later destroyed by fire which swept the country side fanned by the terrific gale in 1908. Other who came to reside on this road were Mr. & Mrs. J. Stratton and family, Mr. & Mrs. J.H. Taylor and family, Mr. Frank Drake and Mr. Tom Field.
Arapaepae Road extension. About 1910 this piece of road where the Creamery stood was formed and extended north thus linking the Arapaepae Road with Muhunoa East Road.
<<Click here to go back to the Table of Contents for the book. Click here for the Next Section of Mr Rolston's book.>>