BY DAVID HARRIS

This selection of streets — let's call them eastern central Levin - might be tied together by four threads - famous people, sporting people, farming people and out-of-the Way place's! Famous people . One of Levin's most memorable and popular early citizens was Harriet Emma (Daisy) Bowen, long serving postmistress of both Weraroa and Levin. While some criticised the appointment of a woman to such a job, she "ran her post office very efficiently and controlled her customers admirably" According to Corrie Swanwick. Her deep community involvement . included training . actors, speakers and singers to do fundraising con-certs for various good causes. Not only was she a long-term (and for many years the only female) borough councilor; she was also honorary mayoress at a time when the mayoral chain was worn by bachelor Herbert Phillips.
Daisy Bowen was also said to be Levin's first woman cyclist Some of the streets she may have ridden can be linked to outstanding citizens of their English namesakes.
King Alfred's capital Winchester claims to hold the round table of the legendary King Arthur and his knights.
A tale about St Dunstan tells of him turning a group of monks into eels for their lack of holiness and so the town of Ely (pronounced eel-ee) grew there. On the south western corner of England is Kent, the densely-populated 'garden of England'. It includes the towns of Sandwich (a lazy, gambling earl reputedly invented a lunchtime institution there) and Canterbury where Archbishop Thomas Beckett was martyred. Dorset was home to the - Tolpuddle ‘martyrs' who were deported to Australia for 'daring to discuss a drop in their wages, so sparking the trade union government in Britain. Cambridge University hosted researchers such as New Zealander Ernest Rutherford who "opened the door" of the atom; and the teams who discovered the intricacies of proteins and DNA. Another Cambridge phenomenon is 'punt-bombing': students jump off little bridges (over the River Cam) trying to soak - and preferably jettison - the occupants of tiny leisure craft. Sport this may be to some — but Soccer is far more popular in England.

Picture: The fire brigade leads the 1951 funeral procession of Frank Parker across the railway line in Queen Street.

includes such memorably named spots as Lands End, St Ives, the Scilly Isles and Ding Dong Mine. The name Baden is German for swimming - or taking a bath - and so, not surprisingly, is the name of spa resorts in both Austria and Switzerland. There is a German town known as Baden-Baden (twice as good as the others perhaps?) In some ways Rutland and Middlesex are the most out of the way of all - they no longer exist, as counties, at least. Rural Rutland was [famous for the 'Tolpuddle martyrs' who were deported to Australia for daring to discuss a drop in their wages, so sparking the trade union government in Britain. Cambridge University hosted researchers such as New Zealander Ernest Rutherford who "opened the door" of the atom; and the teams who discovered the intricacies of proteins and DNA. Another Cambridge phenomenon is 'punt-bombing': students jump off little bridges (over the River Cam) trying to soak - and preferably jettison - the occupants of tiny leisure craft. Sport this may be to some — but Soccer is far more popular in England.

Sporting people
In the round-ball game Highbury is synonymous with the home ground of the Arsenal team, whose greatest moments have been their 'double' seasons (twice in the last thirty years) when they have won both the championship and FA Cup in the one year. Geographically the name applies to the north London suburb where they are based, which centuries ago was dominated by a notable manor. Few would hear of the city of Manchester without thinking also of their most famous football team: United. They were the first English team to become champions of Europe in 1968 and they have been overwhelmingly the most successful club in the country during the 1990s. Other claims to the city’s significance are its role as a bustling industrial centre, a major international airport and a thriving culture venue. In an earlier century Frederich Engles cited it as an example of the evils of capitalism.

Nearby Liverpool on the River Mersey is Britain’s econd-largest port and the birthplace of the Beatles. It too, is home of another reknownd team (Everton fans would say two!). As a 30 year supported of the Liverpool team (even before their great successes of the 1890s) I was delighted to see the city’s importance recognized in a major artery of our town – until I realised that the street’s major feature was a hospital pass.

Soccer followers who live around the River Tyne in north-east England tend to support the Newcastle United team – nicknamed the Magpies – who play in black and white.

Perhaps they are coalminers colours – the surrounding region has produced coal for over 600 years.

Horse racing, too, claims large following which includes British royalss – they traditionally attend the scot meeting. The Derby- race at Le Epsom course is also a popular Derby of course is also a Midlands county renowned for rail and aircraft engineering.)

Levin 's sport lovers owe a debt of thanks to Frank Ernest Parker - and course the generous former-owner Henry Playford - for the establishment of the expansive Playford Park.

Picture: On left: Frank Parker and Mr T G Vincent, business partners who were merchants.

Frank Parker and his wife Jessie, who was a daughter of pioneer sawmiller Richard and Christina Prouse.(need to get copy from Chronicle archives.

A keen bowler and golfer himself, Frank Parker served on the borough council for over thirty-three years. He was acknowledged as a man of farsightedness and zeal for his work in ensuring a quality gas supply for the town.
With Tom Vincent he operated a grain and general store on the corner of Bath and Oxford Streets (where Public Trust is today); customers had access to insurance, valuation and land agency services under the same roof. He chaired the fire board, among many Committee involvements. His approach was marked by a readiness to speak his mind and a close monitoring of council spending.

Farming people

Another man active in community leadership was Phillip Wharton Goldsmith. He left his Gisborne paddocks to take on a new role at the Central Development farm (from which the name CD Farm Road comes).

His grandson, Phil Goldsmith remembers hearing of a lively cow, which the others couldn’t control.
“Untie her and I’ll show you how!” said the old hand – and he did.
When he served later as town clerk, county clerk and power board secretary, he became known for his oderlyness and thoroughness. These qualities suited him well for his role at mayor from 1932 -1941. The land on which long-time resident Joe Cottle milked cows, was bought by Irishman Joe Quinn who had been a South Island ploughman just before the outbreak of the World War. On seeing the imminence of his conscription into the service of an English king, he made plans to avoid it - he joined the police force. The irony of this alternative service to the sovereign was not lost on his daughter Therese Ryder. For most of his working life Joe Quinn was a publican and on his retirement to Levin he built stables and trained racehorses.

Lancashireman 'George Astridge also farmed dairy cows on his own fifteen - acre block. He had the title of Noble Grand as leader of the first Manchester Unity friendly society here: His fellow countrymen in the low lying country of Norfolk are known for a wide range of farming produce – from turkeys to barley.

Picture: PhilipGoldsmith, mayor of Levin 1932-41 with his wife Catherine.

Dover is the World's -busiest passenger harbour - despite the, 1994 completion of the nearby Channel tunnel (Chunnel), to France, The Lonely Planet Guidebook says, the Dover, foreshore is "basically an, enormous, complicated (though well-signposted) and nattractive vehicle ramp for ferries". People appear to be in a hurry to get somewhere else. Perhaps to some of these more out of the way Places? Like Cornwall - the 'feet' on an English, map. The county, is the furthest west point in England and the UK's southernmost reach. Its as good as the others perhaps?) In some ways Rutland and Middlesex are the most out-of-the-way of all - they no longer exist, as counties, at least. Rural Rutland was the smallest county in England till absorbed by neighbouring Leicestershire in 1974. Middlesex, where George II once resided in Hampton Court Palace, has been similarly swallowed in London's expansion. The opposite process has occurred in Levin where subdivision of land adjacent of the former Kebbell homestead in Winchester Street has created a newer street - right-of-way actually – Winslow Place. According to Murray Low, the name was chosen by fellow developers of her English origins, a fondness for Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy and a quirky Combination of Winchester and Low. It's great to know the full story. Yet there are still questions and possibly untold stories - about other street names. Was Baden Street subdivided by an Austrian? Was Highbury Drive named by an Arsenal supporter, or Ely Place by a former monk? I'd like to know – wouldn’t you? Thanks for invaluable. assistance: Mark Parker (including'photos) Marshall Teal (re.. George Astridge),Therese Ryder (re- Joe Quinn) and Horowhenua Historical Society (resources ,and photos)

Murray Low

Phil Goldsmith

Maude Hinde, a Clark family member has offered some more information – and a correction – regarding the article on her family. Walter Mace Clark, who founded the Levin clothing business, initially worked for Te Aro House in the (Which later became James Smiths).

His father William George Clark did not (a caption obtained in good faith, and used in an earlier article, stated he did). Rather he was the first direct importer of soft goods in New Zealand, owning his own shop on Wellington's, Lambton Quay as early as 1843!

Street of the year

Does your street have an extra green sign? The entrances to Homewood Avenue and Marlborough Street, do - proudly showing their titles as streets of the year in 1994 and 1995 respectively The awards - and the judging that led to, them - were the work of the Keep Levin Beautiful Society promoting pride and property presentation.

The group is currently in recess yet with a few enthusiastic types it could be reactivated, according former secretary Dennis Cole. How about it Go Levin? Perhaps a real-estate firm might be interested? Or a retired person with gardening interests? Or someone else? Mr Cole can be contacted at the Horowhenua District Council.

The milkmen...

Timber was Levin's first major industry; dairying was its second. Ernest Lancaster and Sam Broadbelt each contributed forty pounds and twenty cows to establish the Levin Co-operative Dairy Company in 1899 with six other shareholders. Broadbelt continued as a director for nearly fifty years - and was chairman for most of them. He must have been a real 'meeting man', being a country councillor and A & P Association co-founder among other involvements.

Within a year the company had built a factory on Queen Street, and owned creameries at Koputaroa and Ohau. By 1909 under the chairman-ship of James Prouse there was a second factory . In those days horse drawn drays took whole milk in large cans to creameries (or separating stations). Cream was processed into butter at the factory whereas the skimmed milk was returned to the farm for feeding to calves and pigs. Local factory manager James Smellie was an award-winning butter maker. He shared prize-money amounting to several thousand pounds amongst his staff while keeping only the trophies for himself. The next manager was Bernard (Bunny) Parsons who continued the tradition of success. His father James had arrived sometime before the railway completion to assess timber - milling potential on behalf of the Prouse brothers. He later became their bush foreman. The 50 acre Parsons family farm stretched from Queen St, to the area occupied by Levin East School and Waiopehu College. As tree felling diminished James Parsons took to dairying and became a supplier to the company. Tom Vincent became a supplier (and later a director) after his return from World War One. He was the Power Board Chairman, a keen bowler and local YMCA leader. The latter role was a significant one at the time as the YMCA was a popular centre for many leisure activities: trips, dances and visiting speakers. Under Duncan Guy's leadership the company changed its way of operating and built a new factory. Guy was very involved with fanning - related organisations. His nineteen years service as country council chairman saw a number of major works completed including the country council chambers (the front part of today's council building in Bath St) and the Otaki River bridge for State Highway One. His son Malcolm was later mayor while grandson Nathan is a current district councillor. Charlie Webb, his successor at the dairy company was also a keen committee man. He was a widely respected breeder of Ayreshire cattle, a judge for 50 years and a founder member of the Horowhenua Vet Club. The last chairman of the company was Dr Doug Easton who earned a Diploma of Agriculture at what was then Massey College. He ran a dairy farm near Waitarere. After extensive involvement with school committees and boards he joined Massey Alumni, later becoming chairman. He was a National appointee to the Massey Council. When he lost his place in a change of government his fellow councillors recalled him as Chancellor. Apparently the Vice-Chancellor particularly valued the insights of this man whose back-ground was somewhat different to those of his academic colleagues. The old factory buildings are now occupied by AllFarms and the Performing Arts Society. The Levin Dairy Land Trust has subdivided the involvement with school committees and boards he joined Massey Alumni, later becoming chairman. He was a National appointee to the Massey Council. When he lost his place in a. change of government his fellow councillors recalled him as Chancellor. Apparently the Vice Chancellor particularly valued the insights of this man whose back-ground was somewhat different to those of his academic colleagues. The old factory buildings are now occupied by AllFarms and the Performing Arts Society The Levin Dairy Land Trust has subdivided the adjoining land for the polytech and residential sections - there being less than ten left for sale. , One exciting prospect for the area is the public reserve which will have access from Vincent Drive, Martin Harvey St, and Easton Way. This 1.6 hectare site - about the equivalent of three rugby fields will be a welcome oasis of green. The first stage of development will begin in early 2001 after which we will be asked for our ideas. Be ready! Apart from those mentioned already, other nearby streets honour men who were directors of the dairy company at the time of the factory closure - Charlie Wright, Alan Lynch, Jack Aitchison and George Gimblett.

...and missionaries Samuel Marsden (1765-1838) led New Zealand's first Christian service in the Bay if Islands on Christmas Day 1814. He was based in New South Wales, where he was an Anglican chaplain, magistrate, farmer and successful businessman. Marsden was the driving force behind the first missionary efforts here through his seven visits over a 23 year period. He saw such value in passing European know-how on to Maori that his first missionary team comprised of a teacher, a twine-spinner and a carpenter. Just a few years after Marsden's last Visit, Charles Selwyn (1809-1878) sailed from England - a man of great mental and physical energy. After shipboard study he preached in Maori on his first Sunday here. Within two weeks he had commenced a three thousand kilometre journey around New Zealand reaching as far as the Chatham Islands and taking six months. He was called the walking bishop - though he rode and sailed as well! When Maori raided Kororareka (now Russell) he hurried there to tend injured on both sides and quelled feelings of revenge. He like-wise ministered to both Maori and Pakeha on the Waikato battlefields. Selwyn became the target of some settler anger when he criticised the government's forced purchase of the Waitara block in 1859. When he was transferred to England after twenty-seven years he went reluctantly. His last words on his deathbed were said to be in Maori they translate as 'It is light'.

When Maori -raided Kororareka (now Russell) he hurried there to tend injured on both sides and quelled feelings of revenge. He likewise ministered to both Maori and Pakeha on the Waikato battlefields.

Selwyn became the target of some settler anger when he criticised the government's forced purchase of the Waitara block in 1859. When he was transferred to England after twenty-seven years he went reluctantly His last words on his deathbed were said to be in Maori they translate as 'It is light'.

Octavius Hadfield (1814 - 1904) was not the robust physical specimen that his fellow bishop Selwyn was yet this man of delicate appearanc e soon impressed New Zealanders as being as brave as a lion and in spite of Chrome ill health he lived to the age of ninety. His inspiration for bringing Christ’s message to the outermost islands was reading his master's command like `Go and make disciples of all nation':

Soon after arrival he volunteered to serve on the dangerous Kapiti coast reasoning that he could only the once. In Otaki he unknowingly broke tapu in the garden of the chief, leading an elderly tohunga to put a curse on him. Next morning Hadfield was still alive, but the tohtunga was dead; the newcomers mana skyrocketed, though he was quick to attribute the old man's death to natural. causes. He established Hadfield Town which in time became Otaki; His work saw the remarkable transformation of three great tribes, - Ngatitoa, Raukawa and Ngatiawa (involvedin cannibalism, infanticide and other destructive practices) to professing Christians who lived differently. Like Selwyn he spoke out against government handling of Maori land and he was a peacemaker in the wars of the Mid 1800s. One highly visible fruit of his life was Otaki's Rangiatea Church - sadly burnt to the ground a few years ago. Perhaps as the replacement structure arises, so too will local appreciation of a true hero who accomplished much good in Horowhenua.

Photo: Some of the special constables fro m Levin including Torn Vincent, Leslie Adkin a nd Bernard Freyberg - From right [? left]: - , Tom Vincent, Hector McDonald, - , Bert Denton, Jack Bartholomew, Bernard Freyberg, Leslie Adkin. Zac photo, from the G. Leslie Adkin collection.

INFORMATION
Thanks for information to Doug Easton, Jack Aitchison, George Gimblett, Maurice Spicer, (re Dairy Company Men), Horowhenua Historical Society & Peter Shore (Parks and Recreation Manager.)

Supplementary material
Dairy Company Chairmen of Directors:
1909-01 Ernest Lancaster
1902-8 Sam Broadbelt
1909-18 James Prouse
1919-45 Sam Broadbelt
1946-54 Tem Vincent
1955-69 Duncan Guy
1970-73 Charlie Webb
1974-76 Doug Easton
Long serving Managers:
1909-44 James Smellie
1944-63 Bunny Parsons

Keen to know more? Tony Cleavers book Horowhenua County and its people contains a fascinating readable chapter on dairying

– Octavius Hadfield's life is recorded in several hooks, including 'Hadfields of the Kapiti Coast' by Ormond Burton and 'The Wounded Lion' by Christopher Lethbridge.
All available at Levin Library.

Photo: A 1950s view of the dairy factory. The piggery is in the background: the dairy farm surrounds the site.

Photo at left: The dairy factory in the 1970s.

Photo:Charlie Webb, left, and Doug Easton.

View of Queen Street with the Oxford St intersection in the background. The Bristol St corner is on the left and the old town hall (built in 1898) is on the right. The building to the left of the town hall is the old Bank of New Zealand, now occupied by Todd Whitehouse solicitors. It was built in 1902 and remodelled in 1927.

Photo used by David Harris in his StreetWise article Travelling the Royal Block published in the Weekend Chronicle on 28 October 2000.

Eels, Europe and early settlers

13v DAVID HARRIS

The street names of north-west Levin suggest a panorama from early Maori times through European settlement to the present day.

Tiro Tiro was a man-made clearing where today's road intersects Kings Drive. MuaUpoko grew vegetables there; in 1888 there were still a few whare On the site. Kawiu was a much larger space; it was also the name of the nearby canoe landing. The Word `kawhiu' refers to a scaffolding for drying eels which was a notable - land-mark. Later the 'h' was dropped (coincidentally kawiu means ‘to be shrunk', which, of course, is what happened to the eels on the rack). No doubt they were still plentiful in the early 1870s, by which time an Italian man named Nicola Sciascia had arrived in Horowhenua. He pilotted ocean-going vessels up the Manawatu River. After marriage to Foxton's Rina McGregor, their son John De Tomba Sciascia was born in 1884. John served in World War One and was injured in the Battle of the Somme. While recovering in an English hospital, he met Alice Stonehouse, a nurse whom he married and brought to New Zealand. After raising 10 children at Koputaroa, they settled on the two and a half acre block which now bears their names.
The Ministry of Works employed John Sciascia as an overseer in the depression years when tent cities (so-called single men's camps) were established near major work sites. His team was involved in the reconstruction of the main highway near Napier after the 1931 quake, as well as the building of the Ohakea air force base, and the Whirokino trestle bridge near Foxton. This enthusiasm for construction must have been passed on to his sons; from 1951 to the early 1990's they operated the major commercial building firm here. Their workforce, which numbered about 50 at its peak, built a number of prominent local buildings including the War Veterans', Horne, Horowhenua Hospital, Waiopehu College as well as banks, churches and schools. The most renowned building of the English city of York is its Gothic Style cathedral, with a stained glass window the size of a tennis court. The city is unique as the coronation venue of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great — the only time this happened outside Rome. It's city wails from that era still stand; one travel writer says tourists today will, however, encounter greater obstruction from the layout of the streets: windy, rarely labelled and the longer ones changing names block-by-block! The former Roman fortress of Chester -- a bulwark against the Welsh -- has similarly enduring walls. Lancaster Street's link with York Street gives a picture from history. The Lancaster and York families fought for the English crown in the War of the Roses till enmity was dissolved by the marriage of Henry VII, the Lancastrian, to Elizabeth of York.

Picture: The Clark's shop in 1898. Notice the large kerosene lamp over the entrance and the hitching rail at the Side of the street Left to right: William Clark (of Te Aro House, one of the first drapers in Wellington), Walter Mace Clark (founder of the Levin business); Frank Phillips (staff); Maud Clark (wife of Walter) with daughter Edna.

According to Levin man John Lancaster, the street's name was part of our town's English links but the choice of Lancaster for that particular street was acknowledgement of his great-uncle Ernest Lancaster who owned a dairy farm on the hillside. Ernest Lancaster was the second dairy farmer in this area and - the first dairy company chairman. He was also an adventurer who crossed the Tararuas a number of times, once at the age of 60. He was the first president of the Levin Waiopehu Tramping Club. With Leslie Adkin he cycled around the northern half of the South Island'(just think how different bikes and roads were then to what we enjoy today!) When he embarked on a world trip in 1907 he apparently paid his way from a money belt containing a 150 gold sovereigns. Charles and Hester Read were also travellers — from England, on board the sailing ship Kaikoura with their four children. They settled on land at the corner of Roslyn and Fairfield Roads Where their family grew by ten.. Their youngest son was Ken, who walked many miles (people didn't walk kilometres in those days) to and from school, each day, after having milked the cows. In adult life he was a butcher, later a farmer. He wife described him as 'a 'very strong man who loved hard work'. In time he subdivided his 80 acre dairy farm to form Read Street, and Dudley and Graham Streets after his two sons Graham the younger is now a land surveyor involved in land development in Auckland; he would have seen this activity first hand as a child. Dudley's 'semi-retired' role as a pastoral assistant for a Taupo Church also has echoes of his father's life; Ken Read was closely involved in the Open Brethren church here, and later the formation of what is now the Assembly of God.

Stan Read is pictured in this group photo, standing

Photo A Leslie Adkin photo showing Ernest Lancaster, second from the left. left, Bill W. and an unidentified woman at Mangahao Dam during construction in the early 1920s.

Ken's older brother was Stan who had nearly drowned as a two-year-old while his mother was washing clothes in the Ohau River. One family member described his childhood as probably being of 'limited schooling, hard farm work, milking cows, cutting firewood, helping with bush clearing'. He built — and named -- Argyle Avenue and Hillview Terrace himself, carting the road metal with horse and dray. While the latter name seems to refer to the outlook from the high ground, Argyle Avenue is likely named for his Scottish-born wife, according to family sources. Argyll is a mountainous district in west Scotland which includes many islands -- the inner Hebrides. It is known as the home of the Campbell clan. Perhaps later streets in this block followed the Scottish theme. Like Dee -- a river known for salmon, a region known for castles. The waterway enters the North Sea at Aberdeen, which has prospered from nearby undersea oil deposits. The Stuart family followed the Tudors onto the English throne when James VI of Scotland also became James I of England in 1603. For a century their rule was marked by royal grasping for power and a struggle by parliament for more say. It was also the time of the Gunpowder Plot, Civil War, the plague and the Great Fire of London. There is a leap of half a world and 200 years to the fledgling township of Levin where William Mace Clark operated his own business from 1894. The sign above the shop which read: 'Draper, Clothier, Boots and Shoes' suggests more of an emphasis on cloth rather than ready-made apparel. He started the golf club here and his son Bill won many championships and trophies. Another son Elsdon was closely involved in the development of the Moutere golf course Elsdon Clark readily walked to Feilding or Paekakariki in a day; he apparently walked to Shannon 27 times. He married Blanche Reeve. After their death their land was given to Presbyterian Social Services. It now has a name that is a hybrid of husband's and wife's: Reevedon. The modern subdivision at Claremont Heights completes this survey. It was an easy one to research. I rang the developers who told me a very simple story about the names Claremont Rise and Hillcrest Lane and Amberleigh Place: they like them! Of course the first two highlight what is probably the principal attraction: a view, Mounts Ruapehu and Egmont are visible from many points here; from some homes even Mana Island. But even in this display of modern architecture there is an element of history. At the start of Claremont Rise there is an old Titoki tree — the road curves around it in order to preserve it. A living tree is, of course, hard to date — it may, be only, say, 50 years old. There are others who believe it to be 150, maybe more. If so, that would make it part of the original bush cover. Thanks to: Dudley Read, Margaret Read, Mary Russell, Sonny Sciascia Mr. Clark and John Lancaster for your generous assistance in preparing this article. It would not have been possible without you.... —.also thanks to Heather Mataamua (Levin Library) and Hellen Eyles (Historical Society) for finding some of the photos.

STUMPED! There are a small number of streets for which, as yet, I don't have much information -- if any. They are: George Street, Gordon Place, Green Avenue, Dellys Grove, Paisley Street, Morgan Crescent, Fairholme Place, Quinn Road If you have information please get in touch through the Chronicle. All help given will be acknowledged.

If you were taken back in time to Horowhenua 130 years ago, what Would be your first, striking impressions? Probably quietness and bush. Everywhere - virtually.

To early Maori the forest was a rich provision; and they were inge­nious in their ways of tapping the supply: To them the totara was the 'paramount chief of the forest' and it's timber the most sought-after for canoes and buildings. One means of felling the giants was for two men to slide a heavy plank attached to a large adze blade (or chisel) across horizontal poles; once two grooves were made, more portable adzes would remove the wood in between. Techniques of steering the logs down. rivers and along coastlines were similarly impressive. Karaka berries were an important part of Maori diet. Apparently Te Rauparaha's people brought them from the north and they proliferated here. They were prepared by a spe­cific process of stomping, cooking and soaking - otherwise the kernels were toxic, and the usual remedy was burial of the patient up to their neck, until symptoms disappeared.

Our only deciduous native (though it sheds it's leaves just briefly) is the kowhai, beloved of the tui for it's nectar. The appear­ance of it's yellow blooms indicates the time for planting kumara. The bark was found to heal bruises and

fractures; the tough wood was suit­able for axe handles: ..Renowned All. Black George Nepia apparently used a solution of kowliai bark to treat a broken. blood vessel; avoiding not only an operation at the time, but also trouble with old injuries in retirement.

The world's southernmost palm

tree' the nikau has several edible parts and provided thatching for whare.

The slow growing miro which . may take 500 years to reach maturity, was sought for a range of healing needs from fever to gonorrhea. It's berries are the 'favourite food of the kereru (native .pigeon), a fact exploited by Maori, when they placed. hidden nooses by 'Water troughs to snare the gorged and thirsty birds.

Long thin spears .made from tawa trees allowed other bird hunters to be hidden metres away from their quarry.
In other places, the clearings themselves, such as Mako Mako and Tiro Tiro provided food through the vegetables grown there.

The Te Kama clearing seems to have been an exception. This 'park like opening', which would have straddled present day MacArthur Street at about its halfway mark, was a sanctuary for Muaupoko sur­vivors of Te Rauparaha's attacks. Later, the first European settlers on the Horowhenua block, (site of the new town), Mrs Ostler and her daughter Helen, made their home here. The 1800s and 90s brought massive change, to the Horowhenua. The completion of the Railway line linking Lortgburn to Wellington in 1886 caused many to move from the coast and , lake, closer to the new lifeline.

W.G.- Adkin (father of Leslie) wrote that the iron highway made a "cutting like a huge, trench in the solid forest".

In those days if someone was missing in the dense bush, passing trains would sound their whistles continuously in order to guide the person to the tracks.

The establishrrient of sawmills, first by Peter Bartholomew and, in 1891, by Richard and James Prouse brought employment opportunities for many and radically altered the landscape.

Scotsman Peter Bartholomew began milling at Roslyn Road, build­ing houses for employees and a hall which became a hub of their social life. The Prouse brothers began a similar operation of Weraroa where they were later joined by Bartholomew's, Richard Allan Prouse described the working relationship of the two groups as being without 'rivalry or 'aninimosity' as they milled alternate strips from the rail-way line east to the hills.
Early accounts suggest a strong move at the time to clear the land quickly for farming; certainly the Liberals, who governed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, championed the small farmer. The sawmillers may have seen matters differently. Richard Prouse, for example, had , a policy on his own land, of planting 500 trees per annum. There were three species whose , timber was particularly in demand: totara, matai and rimu. The value of the durable and easy-to-work totara was recognised by European arnvals too; it was put to a range of building purposes from door andwindow frames, to fence posts. Initially it wa sone of the'main ones miiled along with the plentiful Matai. This pleasant-grained timber favoured for flooring gave an unexpected bonus to loggers:- `matai beer', the refreshing sap with a bitter aftertaste, thought to be 'effective in checking tuberculosis.' The treefellers used a combination of bullocks wvinches and horse-drawn tram wagons to move the massive logs to the mills. One of the tramlines was Queenwood Read. By 1905 the main species being felled was rimu, a pattern seen New Zealand-wide once kauri numbers were reduced. Maori had found rimu heartwood so resinous that they used thin pieces of it, tied in bundles, to make torches. James Cook took rimu leaves (along with a bit of rum, manuka and brown sugar) to concoct a anti -scurvy brew that his botanist rated as good as champagne.

Photo: Mark Parker ber of the

The strong hard-as-teak timber of the puriri led it to be chosen for railway sleepers and house frames. Maori used a solution of it's leaves to treat sprains, backaches and ulcers. A person renowned for her healing skills in the heyday of treefelling was Christina (Granny) Prouse, wife of Richard. She delivered babies, performed surgery, dealt with injuries and more, at a time when the nearest doctor was in Foxton. A number of returned World War I soldiers were tended by her, as were victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic. On one occasion she was referred to a forest fire fighter, enroute to Wellington hospital, suffering from smoke damage blindness. Approaching him on the train, she licked the film from his eyeball and he as immediately able to see and walk back to Work. Before -bank was established in Manakau, this remarkable woman regularly rode from Levin to Wellingtonto:pick up the firm's pay-roll. She died here,aged 91. In her day rata. was found to be a top quality firewood and was sought by wheelwrights for it's strength. The crimson flowersdraw necatr seeking birds; the tree itself had suchsignificance to Maori as a shelter, that a great chief would often be compared to one.
Lesser known membersof the bush cover are the reddish-brown leafed Matipo, the tough titoki (known for surviving strong 'winds and drought) and the hard - and oily Maire whose timber was , at times, preferred, to steel inmachinery. The fast growing ngaio prefers the coast.
Even in those days there were some who regretted the loss of greenery and bird life. However at least one species of bird, the kotare, (native kingfisher) has been aided by the bush clearance and opening up of farmland. Unlike it's British cousin which eats only fish, the 'down-under diver' likes mice, cicadas, lizards, shrimps and mud crabs as well. ,It's fascinating - and surely cause for awe and thanks - how bountifully the land provides, even after the bush is cleared. Not just through farming either. Further north, in Coromandel and Northland, the mighty kauri, which had earlier provided timber for carving, building, canoes and boats, gave even more. The gum, which seeped onto the under the soil was recognised as a valuable ingredient -for paints, polishers and floor coverings. Hundreds of Dalmation immigrants - among others - made a living from it. It just seems to be how forests had been designed. Even the famed Sherwood gave deer to the king, a living to Robin Hood and nowadays yields coal from underneath. To the extent that we endanger trees, we imperil ourselves. I'm just thinking of one other quite helpful thing they provide for us .... what is it now??? Ahh yes oxygen!
Flashbacks
•Pat Roe, daughter of Fred Roe (and therefore related by marriage to Peter Bartholomew) tells me that Whakamarina Bartholomew (daughter of the above) had her name shortened to Rina, hence the street name. A photo of pioneer Ernest Lancaster at Mangahao Dam in an earlier column included an unidentified couple. Nola Fullerton recognises them as her parents: Bill and Emma Walker. Bill Walker was a keen tramper and great friend of Leslie Adkin's; together they made the first northern crossing of the Tarartia Range. (in European times, at least) from Ohau to Eketahuna. Could Baden Street's name be linked to the existence of a scout hall at the Playford Park end? Gwen Hayes has a theory that the name acknowledges Lord Baden - Powell's founding of the movement.
Hungry for more?

Perhaps you Would like to read more about some aspects of Horowhenua, history. The following publications have been consulted repeatedly for these articles, are highly recommended and are all available at Levin library.

• On Horowhenua: 75 years in Levin compiled by Doreen, Sewell and Chetwin. Photos with captions.
• The Chronicle Jubilee Supplement (1956)
• Horowhenua County and its People by AJ Dreaver. An overview of major events, trends, and significant personalities of the region, from Maori occupation till the latter twentieth century
• Horowhenua by GL Adkin. A reference text of local names, maps and artifacts discovered.
• An Eye for Country - The Life and Work of Leslie Adlkin By AJ Dreaver all interesting 'background to early Horowhenua life.
• On New Zealand trees: The Natural World of New Zealand by Gerard Hutching. A fascinating, well-presented collection, suitable for children too.
• On Great Britain: The Loney Planet Guidebook: Great Britain
• On New Zealand generally: The Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia A wide ranging his-torical reference book.
• who migrated to New Zealand,

Scene on the streets

• Recycled letterboxes: petrol can (Winchester Street) billy cans (Kavviu Road and Queen Street) and a microwave oven! (Mabel Street).
• A cactus taller than a house (Norrie Street) and if the TV aerial doesn't perk up, it will outstrip that too!
• A bird-shaped hedge top (corner of Kennedy Drive and Te Kama Street).
• Skateboarding boys.
• A bike-car-combo on a Read Street lawn.
• More children outside in Maire Street and it's off shoots than any other residential streets.
• A back lawn in Parker Avenue, crowded:with radio aerials - and the initials, on the letter box A.W.A (you'd have to be my age or more- - to see the humour in that).
• Lots more Skateboarding boys.
• A delicious aroma from the licorice factory in Tiro Tiro Road could it perhaps be piped towards the lake....?
• A steady stream of sections on 'which one old house is replaced by two or three compact modern ones.
• A proliferation of child care care centres.
• One or two skateboarding girls.

photo: Peter Bartholomew was a Scotsman, arriving in Wellington in 1867.

Heroes of the 20th century

Many of this town's leaders live in north-east Levin.

The street names, too, are flavoured with local and international leaders — from mayors to generals, admirals, a president and more.

Basil Gardener ran a general store and bakery on the corner of Queen and Oxford Streets. Ile became Levin's first mayor in 1906 - the town's population was about a thousand at the time. Under his lead­ership a high pressure water supply, street lighting and other improvements were implemented. He was also closely involved in the establishment of the first Masonic Lodge here.

,Succeeding mayors were Charles Blenkhorn (191549), Donald Matheson (1919-23) and Thomas Hobson (1923-29).

In retirement Hobson lived into his nineties (at least). His term of office was followed by Charles Blenkhorn's second (1929-32).

Whether these men ever had their hair cut at Wilkinson's hairdressers I don't know, but they were certainly around town at the same time.

Clifford Wilkinson went straight from his own schooling in the 1920s to work there till the 1980s. His• leisure was dominated by sporting interests: fishing, hunting, rugby and training young gymnasts. The name Clifford Close was chosen in his honour by,grandson, Roger Wilkinson ( an electrical worker) and his teacher wife Pauline.

Walter and Mary Gordon were attracted here by the climate, and moved from the Wairarapa in l939. They milked cows and bred jerseys on a property adjoining the Avenue.

The barren setting was steadily transformed into one rich in gardens and trees — many still standing today alongside the well-preserved homestead. Greenfingers were a family trait.

Several were associated with the Horowhenua Rose Society and one daughter, Nola Simpson, breeds roses in Palmerston North.

She recalls the novelty and excitement of trains passing Within 100 metres of her childhood home.

The family land which extended as far as Stuart Street was subdivided in the '1950s.

Just a little south along the highway was a block of land owned by a Mr Mortenson whose distinctive accent betrayed his Scandinavian origins. He worked as a blacksmith and wheelwright in Manakau - fixing drays and carts — before retiring to Levin in the 1920s. Paisley Street was named in honour of his wife, of Scottish ancestry. Audrey Cameron, a long-time resident of that street recalls seeing around town, many of the revolving -clotheslines made by him.

The Scottish thread continues_ over the railway line - in Glen Street (glen is Scots for a "narrow val­ley") and Burn Street ("a small stream").

Roslyn Road is possibly linked with the village of Roslin near Edinburgh but as it is one of the earliest -named streets here, it

The Welsh corner includes Cardiff Street, named after the capital of Wales. Sited on the River Taff,' it has long been one of the great coal ports of the world.

The town of Conway is known for its castle - a massive fortress atop a rocky promontory with sater on three sides - virtually impregnable. At the oppostie extremewas the 'castle of lost Causes' in Harlech. This Cardigan Bay town is also a popular beach resort. The town, of Newport on the heavily-industrustrialised south coast evokes memories -- for New Zealanders and Welshmen — of a famous rugby victory by the local club in 1963. 3-0 over an All. Black team which - included Whineray, Lochore, .,Tremain and the Meads brothers.
The Welsh connection is likely linked to. the Morgan family's former ownership of this block of ten acres. They also owned the original homestead of sawmiller Peter Bartholomew from 1907 till very recently (See photo at left). Hereford is an English county just over the Welsh border which has suffered in the crossfire of battle over the centuries. It is also the name of a breed of cattle sought around the world and known for its hardiness in extremes of climate, rapid growth and early maturity. It is tempting to surmise that Highfield Street and Fairfield Road are named for the original landscape.

The next cluster of names are synonymous with the Second World War.
FranklinD. Roosevelt was elected American president during the Great Depression and became renowned for his 'fireside 'chats' - regular radio messages to the People. Despite being Stricken by polio and confined to a Wheelchair he became the only four-term leader in US history.
Sir Winston Churchill's earlier jobs included being a war correspondent during the Anglo-Boer War and an unsuccessful novelist. He later authored highly regarded histories of both world wars and a biography of his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough — the general who led the English to several great victories in the early 1700s. -

Churchill was a member of parliament for half a century, at times being a 'voice in the wilderness' who urged preparation for the enemy threats he per­ceived. When he became Wartime PM in 1940 his speeches and fighting spirit inspired a nation.

Sir Anthony Eden, his secretary of State for War, later gained acclaim for his role in the resolution Of international disputes. However he is also said to have bungled British handling of the 1956 Suez cri­sis. Eden later became the Earl of Avon. (Whether this made his wife the Avon lady I'm not sure).

Field-Marshall Bernard Montgomery was the most renowned British military leader since the Duke of Wellington. He led the British 8th Army in North Africa, Sicily and Italy; and the Allied forces in northern France in 1944. He excelled in set piece battle strategy and was renowned for his interest in the well-being of his troops.

William Halsey (who later became Admiral) led virtually the only operational Allied battle group in the Pacific after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. In 1942 he led the carriers' which launched aircraft for a surprise raid on Tokyo. This gave a timely boost to American morale and forced Japan to keep a number of fighter groups at home. He gained admiration for his brave and creative strate­gies and led the naval operations around Okinawa prior to the final Japanese Surrender.

General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the South-West Pacific, wrested back island after island from their enemy occupiers. He led the UN forces in Korea in the early 1950s, however when he criticised the policies of President Truman he was sacked.

Photo: Looks east along Macarthur Street from the rise near Cambridge Street. Queenwood Road can be seen on the right. (Circa 1912). -

The US link in Levin is Maintained by Fairfield School's apparent designation as an American "Civil Defense Post" (going by the spelling on the yellow signpost outside!)

The period after World War II Was .marked by a frosty antagonisb between East and West known the •Cold War. 'In the.latter decade of this era the United States elected a young charismatic Presi­dent: John E Kennedy.

When American-backed forces attempted to land in the Bay of Pigs and ignite a Cuban uprising, all would be invaders were killed. Kennedy accepted full responsibility, while privately resolving to ques­tion his military leaders more searchingly in future. Soon afterwards the Soviet Union deployed missiles — capable of reaching the United States - on the island. Kennedy insisted on their removal and the planet edged away from the brink of nuclear war. When he was tragically killed by a sniper in 1963 it seemed that much of the world mourned.

From the Cold War to a `war against cold': the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen was an outstanding Arctic explorer - who at one reached furrther north than any human.

On one journey he devised an interesting strategy. By travelling up the east coast of Greenland – uninhabited and less frequented – he deliberately cut off his own retreat and so forced himself onward. Noting the westward drift of the,polar ice he initiated another novel approach: building a base ship which would be lifted, rather than crushed, by the ice. This vessel, the Fram (which means 'forward') is preserved in the ,Norwegian capital Oslo.
Nansen was a hero to many Norwegians, of course. One countryman who admired him greatly was the farmer Arne Larsen who owned the four and a half acre block encompassing these two sireets. According to his wife Nancy, Arne would occasionally encounter the renowned explorer in his university days.
The American Richard Byrd - appropriately named for an aviator! - was a naval officer who explored both the Arctic and Antarctic. His heroic flights over both poles made him internationally known. He also greatly developed support systems offered to polar travellers.
Clearly this section also includes not just leaders but heroes of one sort or another. Outstanding characters who can inspire us all with the stories of their lives.

Thanks for help with this article:

• Margaret Waters and Nola Simpson (Gordon family)
• Audrey Cameron and Bert Richards (re. Mortensen family).
• Leonie Gormanley, Marie Harper (Morgan family), Nancy Larsen, Maud Hinde
• Roger Wilkinson, Robin Barry
• Jack Blenkhorn
• Horowhenua Historical Society (for photos)
• Levin Library

INVITATION (as published in original publication - In Kete please feel free to add any information you have yourself- online)

A large number of readers have helped with information in recent weeks. We welcome feedback on these articles corrections, additions or otherwise. If anyone has information regarding Green Avenue please contact the writer through the Chronicle.

Flashbacks:

• Sorry Prince Charles — there are no Levin streets named particularly for you, despite two attempts (one of them mine!)
• Walter Gordon originally wanted to name what is now Stuart Street after Charles. He had an affinity for the young royal whose birthday was one day before his. However the council disallowed it and instead he chose to acknowledge his Scottish roots (Stuart and Dee Streets).
• Jack Blenkhorn, born here in 1907,. explained to me that Charles Street honours his father Charles Blenkhorn, our second mayor. The name was chosen by the Kilsbys when they subdivided the land around the 1960s.
• Charles Blenkhorn at one stage. owned a mine during the Coromandel gold rush and was decorated for bravery in the Anglo-Boer War. Arriving in Levin in 1907 he was only the second lawyer in town. His son Jack recalls that during the influenza epidemic in the early part of last century, he was one of a number of locals who took stiffering Maori - who were loathe to seek treatment - to the makeshift 'hospital'.

A fortnightly column by David Harris on the origins of Levin street names.

A recent arrival in this part of Levin soon senses a pattern the street names.

"Truly a Royal Place," the new-comer muses, "one Regal Street after another."

Kings Drive (according to one of Leslie Adkin's early maps) was the second street built in this group. Its tree-lined verges and apparent width give it a majestic feel today.

Egbert was the first English king. Many memorable monarchs followed him.

Like Alfred the Great - cake-burner and evictor of the attacking Danes; William I - the last successful conqueror; Henry VIII who treated his wives appallingly; Richard the Lionheart, a friend of Robin Hood's (according to legend) and a Crusader (the original sort).

The longest reigning sovereign was Queen Victoria, by whose time England had combined with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to form the United Kingdom.

The royal role had also changed by then with Parliament holding the real power.

Victoria's successor was Edward VIII who was said to be mainly interested in socialising and inter-national affairs. George V, his son, reigned in a time of significant conflict including World War One. Several months was all Edward VIII lasted before abdicating to marry an American divorcee. George

reigned longer. He was a widely respected king who led Britain during the Second World War. His wife is the current Queen Mother.

On the death of King George VI in 1952 the heir to the throne, Princess Elizabeth, was visiting a remote part of Kenya She hurried back to London to be crowned Elizabeth II.

The following year she and her husband completed the broken voyage to Australia and New Zealand, being here at the time of the Tangiwai tragedy in 1953.

Elizabeth's only sister Margaret is four years her junior. The younger princess had a difficult decision to make in her 20s when she began a romance with Group Captain Peter Townsend, a highly decorated fighter pilot and official of the royal household but also a divorcee.

To marry him would go against the church teaching which Elizabeth had sworn to uphold - and the Queen's approval was needed, by law, before the marriage of any of the Royal family.

She chose not to. Instead she married Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a former Cambridge rowing cox and a very capable photographer. He was honoured just before the birth of their first child, by being named the 1st Earl of Snowden. (Sadly and ironically the couple were divorced in 1978).

Originally an earl was an official appointed by the King to have responsibility over several counties. Today it is honorary only, the third highest of English titles, after a duke and a marquis (Puss-in-Boots was aiming high).

There are a number of dukes in the immediate Royal family, the most senior being the Duke of Edinburgh, also known as Prince Philip.

It would probably surprise many of my generation (as it did me) to learn that he is a great-great-grand-child of Queen Victoria, as of course his wife is (thus they are third cousins).

Prince Philip is also related to the royal families of Greece and Denmark, and gave up any rights of accession to their thrones on his marriage to Elizabeth in 1947.

Earlier in his schooling he had attended Gordonstoun School in rural Scotland where outdoor survival skills and resourcefulness were fostered. He later encouraged these qualities himself through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Prince Philip's grandfather and two uncles (one of them was Earl Mountbatten) had enjoyed out-standing naval careers. He, too, served in the Mediterranean, Far East and other places. Indeed he witnessed the final Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay in September 1945.

His sons, the three Princes, have also tasted navy life to varying degrees.

Andrew flew patrols in Sea-King helicopters operating off the air-craft-carrier HMS "Invincible" during the Falklands War of 1982. Edward had a brief career with the Royal Marines (perhaps adding weight to the complaint of many older siblings that the younger ones have it much easier).

While serving in the RAF Charles flew every available type of aircraft except supersonic jets; his Navy experience included all kinds of vessels minus Polaris sub-marines. Later he captained HMS Bronington, a 360 ton minehunter, in a role which parallels the crusade of his late wife Diana against mines.

These streets thus honour many members of the House of Windsor - the surname of the British Royal family. However, it is only a quite recent name. In 1917, amidst the anti-German feelings of World Wax I, King George V renounced his German family names. The triple- barrelled Saxe-Coburge-Gotha came from the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert. No doubt this move made it much easier to sign his name too! He chose instead to bear the name of Windsor Castle - a residence of English monarchs since the 11th century.

This leaves three smaller roads in this group from whom to seek a royal connection.

For Huia Place there is a clear link because the feather of this unusual species of bird were worn only by those of chiefly rank. When a Maori guide in 1901 placed a feather on the hat of the Duke of York it was to show that the Englishman was a great chief.

One intriguing feature of the huia was that the female had a very rounded beak whereas the male's was perfectly straight. There is evidence that numbers shrank prior to European arrival but later factors, such as demand for museums and overseas collectors, certainly finished them off. The last authenticated sighting was in 1907. One of New Zealand's foremost ornithologists, Sir Walter Buller (incidentally Buller Road is named after him) is said to have caught and killed many.

I can find no regal relationship with Puriri Place (perhaps some-one there has visited Buckingham Palace) so I will include it in another article.

Walnut Grove's link seemed similarly elusive until I remembered the nursery rhyme: something about a silver nutmeg, a golden pear and a curious Spanish princess?

Doubtless the young Princess Elizabeth heard it. One who knew her at two years of age was Winston Churchill, later to be Prime Minister of course. He apparently recognised an early air of authority in her. This is further illustrated in Kenneth Rose's account of a palace guard who asked the baby princess whether she'd like her pram moved. He received a wave of a hand and a slight inclination of a bonneted head which he took to be assent.

Since 1952 her reign as queen has been long and busy; much like the street named for her. It was formerly Horowhenua Road, the first in the township to be laid out.

As late as the 1970's railcars would stop at the Queen Street platform (still visible behind Mitre 10) as well as at the main station.

This made something of an impression on me as a holidaying teenager enroute to my cousin's dairy farm. Not quite as much an impression, however, as stopping for refreshments - hot dog on a stick and coke in a glass bottle - at Palmerston North!

All but one of this batch of streets is named after a leader of 19th or 20th century New Zealand. Their stories offer snapshots of a power transition from the largely single-handed control rested in early Governors to the more hands-off responsibilities of recent Governors-General. (Notice I learnt my plurals at school).

George Grey became Governor in 1845 at a time when relations between Europeans and Maori had been damaged by the Wairau massacre. This fertile valley near Nelson was the scene of a dispute between settlers (bought by the New Zealand Company) and locals. The tragic killings of some from each party raised questions about European settlement here.

Grey rapidly established friendly links with some chiefs, while overcoming the northern leader, Kawiti, and imprisoning Te Rauparaha (illegally). He apparently spoke Maori very well and had an understanding and admiration for Maori culture matched by few Pakeha of his day.

However he had - and has - many critics, among them Britain's General Cameron, who resigned in protest at Grey's confiscation of millions of hectares of Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Waikato land.

Grey served a second term as Governor after New Zealand had gained a degree of self-government He was then premier from 1877-79, this country's most influential figure of the 19th century. Soon after William Fox's arrival here in 1842, he became a representative of the New Zealand Company, a business which organised travel and land for migrants.

Photo at left: BERNARD FREYBERG

After entering Parliament he became a four-term premier ( however they were not consecutive and some lasted only a matter of weeks). He was an articulate writer, admired painter and an explorer, who accompanied the renowned Brunner and Heaphy on ventures in Nelson. Our current mountaineering PM will be doing well to match his feat of climbing Mt. Egmont at the age of 80! Frederick Weld was one of the first to bring a flock of sheep around the coast from Wellington to the open grasslands of the Wairarapa. After moving south he became an MP (for Wairau, interestingly) and eleven years later, an acknowledged administrator, was invited to lead the Government At the time, many South Islanders were loath to continue paying the costs of land wars and were urging independence from the North. In accepting the leadership, Weld insisted Britain withdraw her troops and that the London-appointed Governor heed his local advisors. He also arranged for the government to be located more centrally (in Wellington), thus making himself unpopular in Auckland (the former capital) as well as Otago.

It was that southern province - and its gold - which lured Julius Vogel from Australia. When his search proved fruitless, he returned to his earlier work - journalism - becoming founder and first editor our first daily newspaper: The Otago Daily Times. However he promoted South Island secession so strongly that he was sacked by shareholders.

He was then elected to parliament, serving in several ministries and being twice prime-minister and twice deputy.

Issac Featherston was an ally in this strategy; as an MP he travelled overseas to raise funds. He had earlier served as a doctor, and out-standing soldier in the Land Wars (he won the New Zealand Cross) and also as superintendent of Wellington Province in the days of Provincial Government .

This explosion of building was worked out at a local level by people like Horowhenua’s John Kebbell (1840-1931). His father established a sawmill and flourmill at Te Paiaka in the 1840's. This was a river settlement - close to present day Koputaroa - which could be reached by coastal schooner. John Kebbell (senior) milled timber in preparation for expected settlers. However the grand plans of the New Zealand company fell flat - in more ways than one. A government rushing that land had been unfairly acquired was followed by the destructive earthquake of 1855.

John Kebbell (junior) farmed sheep on the north side of the Ohau River. He served as a JP and was a Horowhenua county councillor for many years (being chairman for 8).

His greatest political achievements were in road building. He gained approval for an inland road from Waikanae to Whirokino to be cleared and roughly surveyed. Later he negotiated government loans to build a metalled road from Otaki northwards. In family life he knew tragedy: his son died of wounds received at Gallipolli; two daughters had earlier drowned in the Ohau River. Another daughter Marjorie was a well-known horse-rider at A&P Shows - side-saddle! When she married a member of a notable Wellington family, partners in the Kirkaldie and Stains department store, she became Mrs Kirkaldie.

From 1856-1917 New Zealand had both governors and premiers (today called prime ministers). The former gradually had more control to the latter.

One family which straddled these changes was the Fergusson family. Bernard, a solder, poet, historian and biographer was our tenth Governor-General, his father the third. Grandfather James was the eighth Governor. Lord Bledisloe was a British MP and lawyer turned keen agriculturist. As Governor General in the 1930s depression he took a voluntary 30 pay cut. The Waitangi Estate was his gift to the nation. He also donated a trophy for transtasman rugby in 1931 - the Bledisloe Cup (incidentally first won by Australia in 1934).

One who had the classic pedigree of many vice-regal representatives was Charles Norrie. He was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst - training college of British army officers. He served in both wars.

His successor was Lord Cobham, a highly literate man whose speeches made such an impression, that they were collected and published. Canterbury settlement was founded by his ancestors in 1850 and the port of Lytt leton bears his family name. Bernard Freyberg was London-born but Zealand bred. He was a classmate of Leslie Adkin at Wellington College where he won national swimming titles. Freyberg later worked in Levin as a 'dental mechanic'. At around this time he joined Adkin in responding to a government call for volunteers to bolster police numbers in containing rioting strikers on the Wellington water front. Apparently the tension was, broken in one confrontation at the sight of the inexperienced Freyberg's flailing limbs struggling to stay on, let alone control, his horse. He joined the Royal Navy at the outbreak of World War One. At Gallipolli in 1915 he volunteered to swim ashore, in order to divert to Turks from the main landing at Anzac Cove. He came under heavy fire while coated with lampblack and grease and towing a bag containing lights, flares and a revolver - yet escaped unharmed. His disregard of fire and danger inspired his fellow soldiers and he won the Victoria Cross for bravery at the Somme in France. During World War Two Freyberg was invited to lead the New Zealand division through Greece, Africa and Italy and soon after was chosen as Governor General.

Photo at left: Cheslyn Rise, the Adkin family home, in the early days of bush clearing.

Pioneers and a slice of Scotland

Rub-a-dub-din
Six men of Levin
Pioneers - their families too.
2 butchers, 3 makers
a photograph taker
all made their mark on Horowhenua.

The names of these men are honoured in three streets of lakeside Levin. There is much more to tell about each one. Our survey starts, however, with a nearby `slice of Scotland'.

Clyde and Forth are rivers which emerge into long-inlets on opposite sides of Scotland on a map they resemble large nicks in the Scottish neck (of Scotland is the head, Wales the stomach and Southern England the feet).

Port Glasgow, on the Clyde estuary was well placed to receive trade from the Americans once they were opened up to regular European con-tact. The Scots later noticed the lull when commerce dwindled during the American War of Independence. Today the city of Glasgow is Britain's third largest.

The Clydebank region has been transformed in the last 130 years. Large coal deposits fed the factories of the Industrial Revolution. Nearly fertile land helped feed the burgeoning workforce. Starting with a shipyard in 1871 and a sewing machine factory soon after, the area rapidly gained a reputation for excellence in engineering. The shipyards produced the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, the QEII and other renowned vessels.

The Firth River flows into a long arm of the North Sea with the quaint name of Firth of Forth (sounds like a real lisp). Dunbar is a twin-harboured fishing village on it's southern edge, home to some-thing over six thousand people. Oliver Cromwell's English forces routed the Scots here in 1650.

The Dougas family included a Scottish mother and a father (George) born just over the border. They emigrated in 1894 to become pioneer New Zealanders. George built approximately 300 houses between Feinlding and Paekakariki including the former family homestead in Weraroa Road. This building, noticeable for its pair of green domes and an upstairs conservatory, stands opposite Horowhenua College's southside carpark.

One of the Douglas boys, John (Jack), qualified as a joiner and then a carpenter. Father and son, could say at one point in the first half of the 1900's, that they had built half of the town's dwellings. Another son, Kenmar had great engineering skills. Though Ken (as he was known) had no formal training, he became known for his ability to work from a chalk drawing on his workshop floor to a quality construction. He built a small train which gave rides around the Lake Horowhenua Domain.

Later both brothers combined to form a ready-mix concrete business whose Otaki and Paraparaumu operations still exist as part of the Golden Bay Company. They were also well known motorbike racers and stunt riders - along with their sister Helen. Daring exhibitions with obstacles and fire were held at local venues.

When the Ryder brothers, Walter and John, came to Levin in 1890 they became the town's first butchers. Their shop was in Queen Street just west of the railway line, their slaughter hgouse on land now occupied by Horowhenua College.

Photo at left: Leslie Adkin...achievements show evidence of God-given tal-ents combined with his own zeal to develop them.

Both later moved into farming with Walter having a wide range of animals on a block west of Tiro Tiro Road, which includes what is now Ryder Crescent. John was a councillor for both Levin Borough and Horowhenua County serving the latter for 25 years (other family members have continued this involvement).

Photo at left: E.M. (Mort) Ryder with plaice caught in a net south of Hokio Stream 1927.

Walter helped found both the Levin AP & I Shows and Levin Racing Club. He was president of the second from 1935-6, the office being later held by his two sons Mort and Dick, as well as his grand-son Gordon. The most recently developed street in this area is Lakewood Grove, a pleasant cul-de-sac, whose name sums it up (don't go looking for La Kewood in your French dictionary - it's Lake-wood).

It's attraction to one resident I spoke to, is it's rural/urban flavour. As he trundled his 'green wheelie' to the gate he told me about the rich wildlife - both the welcome (birds) and the unwelcome (lakeflies). While I admired the massive garden spaces he did a quick tally: Yes, most people here do have a ride-on mower, and those that don't, call in a contractor. Understandable! Finally, Adkin Avenue honours a third pioneer; a man whose out-standing legacy has been recognised, not just locally, but nationally: Leslie Adkin. He was born in 1888, two years after the railway was built, at a time of rapid bush felling, farmland clearing and the building of the town of Levin. He lived on the family farm at Cheslyn Rise (on Queen Street East opposite Waiopehu Reserve) from the age of ten. Much of his own energy was put into the clearing of paddocks, fencing and maintaining stock This was his adult living; he sought to satisfy his spirit with hobbies, which supportive friends and family freed him to develop. He tramped and mapped large areas of the Tararuas, while developing a deep botanical knowledge. In at least one case he was asked to co-ordinate a search and rescue effort in the nearby ranges. When William Massey's government called for help to control striking seaman, he volunteered as a mounted special constable. A companion was Bernard Freyberg - later to become Governor General. Adkin was a much admired photographer who developed and mounted his own work. His book "Horowhenua" is a respected compilation of local names and facts that may otherwise have been lost. He wrote three other books and published 50 papers. Leslie Adkin's geological observations and theories brought him national renown - and some controversy as well. He was not afraid to challenge professors in their own field. He had the ability to inspect rock strata and fault lines and so deduce their likely history When the Mangahao Dam was being constructed in the 1920s, Adkin challenged the conclusions of the site engineers and was later found to be correct; he was made an honorary consultant and team worker. At the age of 58 he won a position with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; very much a practical man among academics but a valued member of staff appointed on his merits nonetheless. Adkin was also an excellent archaeologist, having the patience to collect, examine and record many artifacts of the Horowhenua. It was his skill as a gatherer and organiser of information which set him apart. He was a meticulous record keeper whose collections of diaries, photos, artifacts and maps are maintained at the National Museum, Alexander Turnbull Library and DSIR. Adkin's achievements show evidence of God-given talents combined with his own zeal to develop them. His biographer, Tony Dreaver, mentions the influence of several teachers in nurturing the skills of young Adkin. Learners today - and isn't that all of us? - might take inspiration from the life of a local who apparently made every minute count. Thanks to: Ken Douglas, Gordon Ryder and Horowhenua Historical Society for help with this article.

Factual corrections

There were some typesetting errors in the last article:

· James Cook first sighted New Zealand in 1769.

· Admiral Rodney fought a French fleet which was helping the colonists; he was fighting for England.

· Admiral Collingwood took over Nelson's role.

Levin's southern street names are a cultural collage. Set on a strong Maori back-ground, there is large "tartan" in the Scottish corner with thinner threads of England and Ireland. The design is embellished by the names of two stand-out settlers. One of them was Fred Roe, later to become a borough councillor. He arrived in 1888 to manage the business side of the sawmilling operations of Peter Bartholomew - his brother in law. He also handled mail and groceries at the Roslyn Road mill site which for a brief time was the most substantial part of the new settlement. Roe gained a reputation as an outspoken and tenacious advocate for a cause - whether it be resisting borough status for Levin or the possible placement of Massey Agricultural College here. E.J. Graham later recalled that in the former debate: "Mr Roe ..... fought a hard clean fight and although his opponent and himself were hard hitters, they were on the best terms with each other".

Another battler in a more universal cause was St Patrick the great missionary to Ireland. It is said he used the single stalk and three leaves of the native shamrock to illustrate the mind-stretching biblical teaching that there is one God - who is also a threesome (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He rather shrewdly made his base in Armagh where many leaders lived since its founding by the pagan queen Macha (so legend says). Nowadays this northern Irish city is home to the" national leaders of both Anglican and Catholic arms of the Christian Church. Churchgoers in the English city of Coventry attend services in a impressive Basil Spence - (architect of the Beehive) designed cathedral, which according to some, stands out in a landscape damaged by: "World War 11 bombs and architects and town planners of the 1950s and 60s".

Not so in Sheffield. Urban designers have earned praise for their "ambitious and imaginative" housing developments in this city with a 500 year cutlery manufacturing record. In the Falklands War of 1982 HMS Sheffield was sunk along with her crew.

From northwest England one can cross Solway Firth, an arm of the Irish Sea, into Scotland.

The variety of Scottish livelihoods includes the fruit and cereal growers of Strathmore (central lowlands) and the crofters and fisherman scattered over rural Ross (a northern district which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea.) The inhabitants of the ruggedly beautiful isle of Arran - often called 'Scotland in miniature' - have sought to draw tourists there. The wild mountains and lochs of Gaelic - speaking Skye were a refuge for Bonnie Prince Charlie, a claimant to the English throne, after his defeat by the Duke of Cumberland. There are seven battlefields visible from the castle in the crossroads town of Stirling -such as Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce won Scottish independence in 1314. Later, walls around the township were built to protect Mary Queen of Scots from Henry VIII.

The troubled and unpopular Mary was imprisoned by her own countrymen on an island in Lake Leven. The shores of this lake include the town of Kinross whose formerly unproductive farms greatly lifted their yields with 19th century knowhow. The ancient capital of Perth was a hap-pier site for kings - they were crowned on the nearby Stone of Destiny.

A favourite place for more recent monarchs is Balmoral, the castle built and restored by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria who called it "this dear paradise". The surrounding forests are a deer paradise. British royals still holiday there and annually attend the traditional games (athletics, caber tossing and more) at nearby Braemar. The encircling hills, draped with purplish-pink flowered heather, are popular with walkers; the higher mountains slopes are among Britain's best cross-country skiing locations. Back in Aotearoa, Levin's back door mountain range contains a particular crest 'having two peaks', the Maori term being Tararua. • This 4,500 ft summit was attainable only by those equipped for rock climbing according to Leslie Adkin, and can be seen against the skyline between the station and railway bridge at Otaki. Adkin believed the name Arapaepae to mean 'a track along a horizontal hill-ridge' namely the one due east of Lake Horowhenua. He saw that it could have been an excellent route for bird-hunting expeditions. He records the alternative view of Rod McDonald who thought it was an old trail used by raiding parties across the range. McDonald also said that Wai-marie (which means 'gentle flow of water') was a MuauPoko term for the intermittent stream which ran alongside Queen Street after prolonged rainfall. The more modern Reed dictionary interprets waimarie as 'quiet' which seems apt for today's street, an elderly enclave. One of the canoes of the Great Migration, Tainui, (according to Reed) landed at the Tarnaki isthmus and was dragged across the narrowest part Of the North Island. The new arrivals then sailed to Kawhia, their modern descendants • being Ngati Maniapoto and Waikato. A more modern Muaupoko war canoe was Hamaria. Kaumatua Jim Broughton says it was used in conveying the dead to burial; a photo in Dreaver's biography of Leslie Adkin shows it also being used for eel fishing on the lake in 1926.

The most famous woman of Maori legend made a renowned journey without a canoe. From her home on the Lake Rotorua shore, Hinemoa heard the flute of her admirer Tutanekai. Her family attempted to thwart her travelling across to see him on Mokoia Island by beaching all the waka. Instead she floated across on gourds. Once there, she impersonated a man, speaking gruffly and acting roughly towards a servant. When Tutanekai came to sort "him” out, he found Hinemoa, whom he married. Some present-day Rotorua inhabitants claim descent from them.

A story from our region says that Hokio Stream was named by "Hau", the ancient to hunga, who ran past so speedily "the wind whistled past his ears". Leslie Adkin argues that the 'rustling' aspect of the name refers to a "gigantic extinct bird of prey" the hokioi.

The stream, valued in the past for a rich food supply and other resources, is the solitary outlet for Punahau (Lake Horowhenua). Hokio Beach, where it meets the Tasman Sea, was a far more significant place in the second half of the 1800s than today. The sand was literally a coastal highway stretching from Paekakariki to Wanganui.

When Cobb and Co began a coach service in 1858, Hector McDonald, ex-Kapiti whaler, gained a licence to run a hotel (including changing stables) and a ferry service - one of a number on this western route. Tony Dreaver describes the McDonald homestead at the time as a "store, trade centre, medical clinic, place of employment, post office and a 'citizens advice bureau’, a bridge between Maori and 'Pakeha worlds". - The children who grew up bilingual included Hector Hugh (later a licensed interpreter) and Rod, a key source for Adkin's historical writings.

A comment from a speech made by Hector McDonald in later life is, perhaps, as telling of his times, as of the man him-self. "I never really excelled at school. There was so much to do on the way there and the way back. I was often called a truant and an incorrigible, but look at the fish that were caught!"

Thanks to Nick Tubb (Horowhenua District Council),

· Jim Broughton (Kaumatua),

· Pat Roe

· Bert Richards

· Sue Swierczynski (Taitoko School) (photo)

· Horowhenua Historical Society (photo)

· Dennis Welby

More Please! The mystery of Green Avenue has been answered; look out for a future column.

If you can illuminate the origins of Stanley Street, Bruce Road or Bolton Road, please contact the writer through The Chronicle.

Very odd numbers

People who love maths often enjoy predicting the next in a pattern of numbers. How about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 If you're travelling down Roslyn Road you'll notice that the house numbers jump from 9 to 20 and continue as evens. The explanation for this pattern is that the beginning of the road has only space on one side only and by number 20 the rural numbering system is used. (Here the number measures how many metres since the start of the road. A great help for fire brigades ... and others).

Miro Street is all even and Kauri Street virtually all odd.

Lakewood Grove is missing some numbers, presumably as some sections have been combined under single titles. Queen Street is numbered from the middle of town outwards, allowing for growth of course. The westward arm has the lower numbers, reaching 183 at Te Kowhai. However the eastern branch, beginning at the Oxford Street intersection, was arbitrarily set to start at 500. (So beware someone who gives their address as 322 Queen Street - it doesn't exist!) The strangest of the lot is the T-shaped Ryder Crescent which is numbered normally (up to 20) on the left branch but on the right suddenly leaps into the hundreds. The reason is that there was a much larger subdivision envisaged here in the 1970s; it was cut back after the 'oil shock' and economic downtown of that decade.

Developers 'of Surrey Place and Cumberland Court, Warren and Susan Diffey sat down with a map of England to choose names in keeping with surrounding streets.

Corrie Swanwick has pointed out that Bernard Freyberg was not a 'dental mechanic' while in Levin - rather a qualified dentist Peter McKenzie, whose father Stuart employed the future Governor-General, confirms this, explaining that Freyberg carried out a range of dental work in the town. Interestingly this "mechanic myth" has been perpetuated in at least three publications. Please speak out if you spot any such errors in these columns.

A couple of facts from the last article which were lost in typesetting errors: George Street is named after George Astridge

Winslow Place was named by Sue Welsh who grew up in England.

This article is the thirteenth and final one in a series covering the streets of Levin and its immediate surrounds. The final collection is not confined to a particular area, rather they are those whose stories, by and large, have been rather more challenging to discover.

Photo at left: Postcard with Early - about 1909 - views of Levin including (top right) The Avenue - the surrounding ferns and forest of matai and tawa explain the origins of the name.

Thomas Morgan was a local dairy farmer whose parents had migrated from the UK arriving in Wellington in 1842. He married Mathilda Brown, whose father David, a Tawa grazier, owned hundreds of acres on Kapiti Island. Her mother Rangiuira was of chiefly descent.

The family brought the former Bartholomew homestead in 1907, occupying it for most of the 20th century.

One of their sons was David, who at 16 signed up for the Anglo-Boer War, saying he was two years older. The riding, and shooting skills gained from his country upbringing, were apparently seen as primary qualifications for volunteers.

He and his wife Charlotte later took over the family home. Their nephew Mick Wilton says that there is a "strong possibility" that Morgan Crescent is named after the family.

Annie and Stan Green were also dairy farmers who subdivided their land around the same time, the early 1960's. Rae Corlett recalls the many young families in the street's early days; a steady stream walking to East School, and the off-street reserve well used after School and on weekends.

Some years earlier Frank Wilton had recruited suppliers over the lower half of the North Island for butter and cheese manufacturing at the Otaki Dairy Company. His farming and accounting experience apparently fitted him well for the manager's role. Corrie Swanwick suggests the street may be named after him and Power is possibly then name of the contractor who subdivided the Wilton Block.

Martin Harvey, and three of his brothers, Howard, Arthur and Joffre, continued the furniture making and funeral director's business established by their father. The former, premises, near the Samoan Assembly of God in Cambridge Street, was only demolished in recent months.

Martin Harvey was a cricket and tennis lover, volunteer fireman and, for a time, deputy mayor.

Another who held this office was Nepia Winiata . A highly successful student of Te Aute College in his youth, he later served as a Translator for the courts and president of the Otaki Maori Racing Club.

A number, of the eight Winiata brothers possessed formidable rugby talent: particularly Nepia himself, Walter (the "gentle giant"), Tommy Toha (who "ran like a hare") and Martin, who could have been an All Black according to Neville Winiata.

Dellys Campbell was another local who loved the outdoors, particularly skiing and tramping, according to her mother Cath. Bob Campbell formerly a woodwork teacher and borough councillor here, developed the land off Queen Street East and named it after one of his daughters, who was a head girl of Horowhenua College. Interestingly the Campbells' other daughter is named Roslyn - no connection with that street though!

For many people the name of Rugby School is immediately associated with the origins of the oval ball game. In British eyes, however, the 'school' was in the highest class of public schooling under the 19th century leadership of Thomas Arwold.

Another centuries-old school is Harrow, near London, which is distinctive for its own version of football and a traditional school- yard roll call. Its famous ex-pupils include Winston Churchill and Robert Peel, founder of the modern police force.

Eton, where a. number of modern Royals have educated, draws pupils from many of England's wealthiest .families. Basic annual fees exceed $40,000 and the uniform includes top hat and tails.

A town soaked in tradition is Guilford, the ancient capital of Surrey. Amidst a cobbled High Street and historic buildings, one of the most impressive sights is the pink-bricked cross-shaped Cathedral of the Holy Spirit built in 1961. Lewis Carroll – author of Alice inWonderland - lived in the town.

St Anne is the name traditionally given to the grandmother of Jesus Christ (through his Mother, Mary), though this detail lacks the his torical evidence that the rest of his life has.

It was the inspiration of Christ's life - With its announcement that mankind's self-will and wrong doing can be both forgiven and changed - that took Scotsman David Livingstone to Africa. And the lack of news about him for many years, caused the New York Herald to send Henry Morton Stanley to find him.

Stanley became the greatest European explorer of the Dark Continent – crossing from east to weat being his most significant achievement.

According to Corrie Swanwick, this street is likely to be named after the adventurer. The fact that Stanley's fame was greatest in the decades following 1870, the probable era of the street's naming, fits this assertion.

There are two local streets which commem­orate others who left Britain for distant shores.

• 
  
  Fairholme Place's name was chosen by the residents there for Andy and Annie Phair, whose home there was built by Jack Allen. Irishman Andy Phair arrived in this country in 1954. working first as a Foxton apiarist and later as a Clerk of Kimberly Hospital.

• 
  
  Penny Griffiths worked there too as an occupational therapist, after migrating from England: She had been an ambulance driver during The Blitz of World War 11; she earnt her name Penny from a severe reaction to penicillin. She was involved with the Girl Guides movement for over 50 years and was a much loved leader: in Levin for at least 12. According to Carol Doreen, she was marvellously inventive with handcrafts and her weekend "Pack holidays" were as memorable as they were exciting. Archivist Wendy Rolls mentions a highlight for this devoted Brown Owl was to be picked. out of the throng by Lady Baden-Powell for a conversation in a 1967 visit.

After these tales, some very brief details remain to complete the series.

Awatea means daylight or "of the day". Beechwood was chosen by Paul Tucker to blend in with surrounding streets. Central, South and North lanes have obvious meanings; South Lane was a great source of weed-free gravel when the railway was constructed (hence the clip in the road). Rosedale Place was named in honour of a Wellington boarding house, formerly run by the grandmother of developer Brian Carruthers.

Homewood Avenue was named after another street!

Surveyor. Michael Truebriclge borrowed it from one of the wealthiest parts of Karori, Wellington. Linley Place was subdivided by Stan Read but I’m not sure why he chose that name.

The paddocks along part of Meadowvale Drive suggest the likely reasoning of the name, but where is the vale?

Another meaning of vale, pronounced “Vahlay” is farewell. Perhaps that’s it? (The disappearing meadow).

Leta maw e mtu u2Lp1ii.u.t itu w tutu %Amy .u.L each. step. In his own words, he transformed shearing from a "tough menial sweat into a great agri-cultural skill." He was invited to teach it in nearly every sheep nation on earth. At Expo 70 (the world fair held in Japan) he demonstrated his skill before 120,000 people. On his return he established a agrodome in Roslyn Road before resiting to Rotorua. •Reeve Street was named for Arthur Reeve whose daughter Elma married Elsdon Clark. Born in,England, Mr Reeve would likely have worked at Bartholomew's mill according to Maud Hinde; he was also a farm manager for Fred Roe. 'Mick Wilton recently showed me a photo of a "kangaroo stockade" in front of the Morgan (formerly Bartholomew) homestead. According to the 1968 obituary of his uncle Dave Morgan, the kangaroos were owned by Peter Bartholomew. Apparently they escaped over the 12 foot fence. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether they were recaptured or killed. 0 0 Thanks to the following people for informa-tion: .Mick Wilton, Leonie Gormanley and Margaret Allen (re Morgans), Janet Tillson, Wendy Rolls and Carrol Doreen (re Penny Griffiths), Maureen Young (re Phair Family), Neville Wmiata, Rae Corlett (re Green Family), Carrie Swanwick (re Stanley and others), Brian Carruthers (re Rosedale Place), Joffre and Doreen Harvey •(re Martin Harvey Street),• Cath•Campbell, BillCrighton (re Linley Place), Michael Truebridge,, Paul Tucker, Robin Barrie.

In his own words, he transformed shearing from a "tough menial sweat into a great agri-cultural skill." He was invited to teach it in nearly every sheep nation on earth. At Expo 70 (the world fair held in Japan) he demonstrated his skill before 120,000 people. On his return he established a agrodome in Roslyn Road before resiting to Rotorua. •Reeve Street was named for Arthur Reeve whose daughter Elma married Elsdon Clark. Born in,England, Mr Reeve would likely have worked at Bartholomew's mill according to Maud Hinde; he was also a farm manager for Fred Roe. 'Mick Wilton recently showed me a photo of a "kangaroo stockade" in front of the Morgan (formerly Bartholomew) homestead. According to the 1968 obituary of his uncle Dave Morgan, the kangaroos were owned by Peter Bartholomew. Apparently they escaped over the 12 foot fence. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether they were recaptured or killed. 0 0 Thanks to the following people for informa-tion: .Mick Wilton, Leonie Gormanley and Margaret Allen (re Morgans), Janet Tillson, Wendy Rolls and Carrol Doreen (re Penny Griffiths), Maureen Young (re Phair Family), Neville Wmiata, Rae Corlett (re Green Family), Carrie Swanwick (re Stanley and others), Brian Carruthers (re Rosedale Place), Joffre and Doreen Harvey •(re Martin Harvey Street),• Cath•Campbell, BillCrighton (re Linley Place), Michael Truebridge,, Paul Tucker, Robin Barrie.

have room for their done district court-cil. 0A building boom in Easton Way; very few sec-tions still unsold at the empty end. @A Pink Batts flag atop a newly-constructed Matipo Street home - celebrating completion of the roof? e The first signs of change on the vacant land in Vincent Drive: the paddock next to UCOL has been mowed and the fence removed. A neighbour-hood park, linked to Easton Way and Martin Harvey Street is being established here. e Quite a num-ber of youths dri-ving around town who can't afford-their own vehicles but not, as yet, padding for the seats or mufflers..

mgby and the like. Well

Remember usinvour Will and lem a legacy of hope Formoré information call 01100 53 00.00

. ' rillint*reanfolilis,

a*43 Apptheri* it:FAO 'r.t' etAtibtlItik:09 Ankokit-Ohili; 74 flit .".

.. Leta maw e mtu u2Lp1ii.u.t itu w tutu %Amy .u.L each. step. In his own words, he transformed shearing from a "tough menial sweat into a great agri-cultural skill." He was invited to teach it in nearly every sheep nation on earth. At Expo 70 (the world fair held in Japan) he demonstrated his skill before 120,000 people. On his return he established a agrodome in Roslyn Road before resiting to Rotorua. •Reeve Street was named for Arthur Reeve whose daughter Elma married Elsdon Clark. Born in,England, Mr Reeve would likely have worked at Bartholomew's mill according to Maud Hinde; he was also a farm manager for Fred Roe. 'Mick Wilton recently showed me a photo of a "kangaroo stockade" in front of the Morgan (formerly Bartholomew) homestead. According to the 1968 obituary of his uncle Dave Morgan, the kangaroos were owned by Peter Bartholomew. Apparently they escaped over the 12 foot fence. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether they were recaptured or killed. 0 0 Thanks to the following people for informa-tion: .Mick Wilton, Leonie Gormanley and Margaret Allen (re Morgans), Janet Tillson, Wendy Rolls and Carrol Doreen (re Penny Griffiths), Maureen Young (re Phair Family), Neville Wmiata, Rae Corlett (re Green Family), Carrie Swanwick (re Stanley and others), Brian Carruthers (re Rosedale Place), Joffre and Doreen Harvey •(re Martin Harvey Street),• Cath•Campbell, BillCrighton (re Linley Place), Michael Truebridge,, Paul Tucker, Robin Barrie.

How do we know this?

Stanley became the greatest European explorer of the Dark Continent - crossing from east to west being his most significant achieve-ment

According to Conie Swanwick, this street is likely to be named after the adventurer. The fact that .Stanley's fame was greatest in the decades. following 1870, the probable era of the street's. naming, fits this assertion.

There-ire two local streets which commem-orate others who left Britain for distant ;shores:

• 
  
  Fairholme Place's name was chosen by the . residents there for Andy and Annie Phair, whose home there was built by Jack Allen. Irishman Andy Phair arrived in this country in 1954. working first as a Foxton apiarist and later as a Clerk of Kimberly Hospital.

• 
  
  Penny Griffiths worked there too as an occupational therapist, after migrating from England: She had been an ambulance driver

Photo at left: James Prouse, councillor, Dairy Company chairman, and pioneer sawmiller. He played a key role in early Levin; water race construction, fire brigade establishment and the beginnings of the methodist Church here.

Do, you remember an earlier article in this series which mentioned Emma (Daisy) Bowen, that much-admired woman of early Levin? Well it was all true except for one fact - Bowen Street, wasn't named after her!

I'm thankful, however, to have had the opportunity of mentioning such a colourful personality.

Godfrey Bowen (no relation apparently), was even more widely known and lived here for 27 years. In 1953 he established a world shearing record - 456 full wool sheep in nine hours.

He was the first shearer to put together a technique and explain the how and why of each step.

In his own words, he transformed shearing from a "tough menial sweat into a great agricultural skill. "

He was invited to teach it in nearly every sheep nation on earth.

At Expo 70 (the world fair held in Japan) he demonstrated his skill before 120,000 people. On his return he established an agrodome in Roslyn Road before resiting to Rotorua. Reeve Street was named for Arthur Reeve whose daughter Elma married Elsdon Clark. Born in England, Mr Reeve would likely have worked at Bartholomew's mill according to Maud Hinde; he was also a farm manager for Fred Roe. Mick Wilton recently showed me a photo of a "kangaroo stockade" in front of the Morgan (formerly Bartholomew) homestead. According to the 1968 obituary of his uncle Dave Morgan, the kangaroos were owned by Peter Bartholomew. Apparently they escaped over the 12 foot fence. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether they were recaptured or killed.

Thanks to the following people for information: .Mick Wilton, Leonie Gormanley and Margaret Allen (re Morgans), Janet Tillson, Wendy Rolls and Carrol Doreen (re Penny Griffiths), Maureen Young (re Phair Family), Neville Winiata, Rae Corlett (re Green Family), Carrie Swanwick (re Stanley and others), Brian Carruthers (re Rosedale Place), Joffre and Doreen Harvey (re Martin Harvey Street), Cath Campbell, Bill Crighton (re Linley Place), Michael Truebridge,, Paul Tucker, Robin Barrie.

How do we know this?

When I began researching these articles, I knew little where they would lead and I certainly didn’t know all the answers (I still don’t!) All that time I thought they might be written somewhere and perhaps could just be revamped for modern readers.

My first visit was to librarian Heather Maatmu who was to prove a key informant and a help with photos.

Initially the best thing she did was send me to Corrie Swanwick of the Historical Society, a man who has a tremendous depth of local knowledge.

He pointed me in the right direction with many names.

At that stage I went to two places for further details: Levin library (see the list in the latest article) and the files and cuttings of the Historical Society (many of them written by Mr Swanwick).

Helen Eyles and Ellen Ellis were a great help.

A kind council officer allowd me to peruse the council minutes of last century- however the reason for name choices were not recorded as far as I could see.

As time went on the more elusive histories required a variety of methods: contacting sur veyors or developers, a kaumatua, members, people of that name in the phone book. I even approached people in "troublesome streets."

Sometimes people would approach me in response to earlier articles to say: "Did you know....?" Often I didn't!

I encountered a small number of people I learnt to consult repeatedly.

Of course in all this there were a feast of assumptions on my part.

Some were corrected in time. I learnt that Hobson was a mayor, as well as governor and that Dudley Street was not named for an English earl.

Other mistakes made it into point, such as, the Charles and Bowen Street stories (now corrected). Perhaps there are others waiting to be put right?

They key difficulty is that one is seldom able to speak to the person who chose the name. Sometimes the meaning is clear but the reason for the choice is not.

I have tried to verify each detail in these articles yet some may need to be revised to accommodate new evidence. Surely this is the case in other fields, even science and medicine.

So the information is based on the best available sources.

Please join with me in offering a bouquet to all who have contributed – and take the articles with several grains of salt!

Scene on the streets

• The college age generation at the bowling green.
• A MacArthur Street letter box sitting on tree stump; a nearby one mailed to a living tree; a Wilton Street box rests on a metre-high drill bit.
• Plastic water bottles, acting as dog-do-deterrent, still spread over a number of lawns.
• A new playground on the Maire Street Park, positioned so that larger children still have room for their rugby and the like. Well done district council.
• A building boom in Easton Way; very few sections still unsold at the empty end.
• A Pink Batts flag atop a newly constructed Matipo Street home – celebrating completion of the roof?
• The first signs of change in the vacant land in Vincent Drive: the paddock next to UCOL has been mowed and the fence removed.
  A Neighbourhood park, linked to Easton Way and Martin Harvey Street is being established here.
• Quite a number of youths driving around town who can’t afford their own vehicles but not, as yet, padding for the seats or mufflers.

What are levin Streets named after? - This topic tries to answer. It will grow over time ... perhaps YOU have some information you want to include here...? Fortunately the origins of Levin Street names was researched around the year 2000 by David Harris and published in the Weekend Chronicle. These articles have been scanned and included here.

This photo was used by David Harris in his StrreetWise article "The English connection" buplished in the Horowhenua-Kapiti Chronicle of 22 January 2001.

Photo used by David Harris in his StreetWise article ' Milkmen and missionaries" on Levin street names published in 2000.

This photo was used by David Harris in his StreetWise article on Levin street names published in the Horowhenua-Kapiti Chronicle of 22 January 2001.

The caption read:

Willy (Bill) Hannan who won a military medal for 'bravery in the field' in World War One.

Used by David Harris in his StreetWise article 'Milkmen and missionaries' - on Levin street names circa 2000.

Author of a StreetWise - series of newspaper articles on the origins of Levin street names published in the Weekend Chronicle around 2000.

Used by David Harris in a StreetWise article in the Weekend Chronicle on 25 November 2000.

Used by David Harris in StreetWise article "The English Connection" published in the Horowhenua-Kapiti Chronicle 22 January 2001.

Located on the south-west corner of the intersecion of Bath and Weraroa Streets. Shown on the 1906 subdivision plan of the Pedersen estate - shown at left.

Photo used by David Harris in StreetWise article "Southern mix, standout men" - on the origins of Levin street names - published in the Weekend Chronicle on 5 March 2001.

The original caption read:

"The first of Taitoko School's foundation pupils to arrive at the school gates this morning were these three members of the Welby family; Dennis, six years, Ronnie, eight years, and Lynette, 10 years".

the article includes: "Today [2001] Dennis is a sheetmetal worker here [Levin] and his brother Ronnie is a nurse at Kimberley, while sister Lynette is a curtainmaker in Palmerston North.

The name of the school was originally to be Highlands. However the name Taitoko was chosen as this is what the Muaupoko tribe requested the town to be named when they sold the land."