Hokitika, N.Z./Reminiscences
Reminiscences.
(Reminiscences by William Evans, Esq., Merchant, Timaru.)
Mr W. Evans writes:—“Having read the newspaper article in the Hokitika “Guardian” by Mr D. J. Evans entitled “The Birth of Hokitika,” no doubt some early reminiscences of the town will be of interest to readers and to those of the early settlers still alive, who may read them. Strange to say I was in Hokitika in business at the corner of Camp and Wharf streets for a number of years as a wine, spirit and provision merchant, from 1866 to 1874—and well remember Mr D. J. Evans’ father coming into my office the morning after the now Mr D. J. Evans was born, to acquaint me of the event, and to say mother and child were both doing well. Mr Evans was a pleased man that morning—as the present D. J. Evans was their first and so far as I remember, their only child. I heartily congratulated him—he and I did business together up to the time I left Hokitika—we were always good friends. His wife was an exceptionally clever business woman; they were both much respected as honest, straight-forward family hotel keepers.
I arrived in Hokitika roadstead in 1865, the first year of the gold rush—by the steamer “City of Dunedin.” (This steamer was lost after coming through the Wellington Heads the folowing trip. All aboard, both passengers and crew were lost, as she was supposed to have turned turtle in the heavy sea running at the time.) The day we reached Hokitika roadstead, the s.s. “Alhambra,” Capt. John McLean, was there before us, and there were supposed to be about 1000 passengers on board the two vessels—all of whom were landed that day—being transhipped to the s.s. Maori, Capt. Malcolm. At that time there was not any steam tug for towing vessels over the bar, and the class of ships then in use were mostly small sailing craft and very small steamers, many of which were lying wrecks on the beach at the time of our arrival.
“I well remember our crossing the bar on a fine afternoon in 1865, and the s.s. Maori coming alongside the river bank which was lined with trees and supplejacks, which took some time to clear before we could land the passengers. We had the new Collector of Customs aboard, and he lost no time in collecting revenue from the owners of any goods landing in Hokitika at that time. I forget his name now, but he preceded Mr Patten who for so many years represented H.M. Customs at Hokitika. Directly opposite the landing place was a large tent owned by a German named Shulter in use as a hotel and eating house, and so well patronised that it was difficult to get served with the drinks required, which were many, as the people who had previously landed from other boats and overland came down to meet friends they had parted with in Dunedin, and elsewhere, only a short time before.
“The late James Chesney, afterwards the well known merchant of Wharf Street, landed from the “Alhambra” the same time as I did from the “City of Dunedin,” and as I knew him in Dunedin he was anxious to chum up with me as he had always been used to a town life and had no experience of digging rushes. He knew I had spent some years on the diggings of both Victoria and New Zealand. Within a few minutes of landing I met some Otago diggers who had camped on ground adjacent to the then landing place, and had pegged off a section of 66ft by 132ft on spec. We had the usual drinks after meeting, and they told me they were leaving for one of the rushes that evening, and kindly offered me the section for what it was worth, as up to that time no Government sections had been marked out so that no licenses had been granted. I accepted the section and took it over. I then had to look out for a place of accommodation for that night, and managed to secure lodgings from a man named D. Cox who had been a storeman of mine on Dunstan Creek. He had joined another Otago man, opening a public house and dance room combined. We thought ourselves lucky to get any sort of accommodation as we had no tent and there were only a few drinking shanties and small stores at that time in the new township which was composed mostly of tents set down anywhere. We had a rough night’s rest as the dance room was kept going until after midnight. My bed belonged to Cox who gave it to me, but Chesney had to sleep on the floor.
“Next day we decided to change our lodgings and after a look round I met Mr McTavick, the Inspector of the Union Bank of that day, and informed him I was on the look out for a good business site. He stated the Government were forming the township, and there would be a street at the back of Revell Street. There was a section at the back of the Union Bank that was unoccupied, but it was all rough bush and scrub at that time. At once I went up to the Warden’s Office (Mr Revell was the then Warden and Resident Magistrate) took out No. 6 License to Occupy, and put on men to cut down the bush and clear the section, and before night had a tent erected and two bunks put in for Chesney and myself. That day I named the street Wharf Street. A few friends were invited to the opening of our premises, amongst whom were J. F. Byrne, of Corinthian Hall of drapery notoriety, Inspector McTavick, Dan O’Donnell, and as many others as the tent would accommodate. We had a house warming, spent a pleasant night, and were fit for business the next morning.
“I lost no time in erecting a store, as I had a shipment of timber from Dunedin by the schooner “Cymerag,” Capt. Perkins, and had just started business when bad news of the up-country rush induced me to sell out to Mr Chesney. As I still had a store at Dunstan Creek, Otago, I went back there, but soon sold out and within a few months went back again to Hokitika. I bought the store premises at the corner of Wharf and Camp Street in 1866, and as before stated, remained there over 9 years. I took a lively interest in the place, and saw the town grow from a few tents to a very large township. I was there at the time of the Fenian riots, and much against my will was appointed Foreman of the jury which tried and convicted the rioters. So I heard the celebrated Victorian barrister, Mr Ireland, address in the prisoners’ favour before Judge Richmond, and the final verdict, a fine of only twenty pounds stg. or one month’s imprisonment. This riot involved much loss of time and expense to the whole West Coast community. The Riot Act was read, and almost every male member of the community was sworn in as special constables. All public business was suspended for more than a week. Capt. McDonald and his company of Taranaki soldiers were in attendance if required, but finally quietness reigned, and the people settled down again to their daily duties.
“I spent some years as member of Westland Waste Land Board, was for a short time a member of the County Council, and for over three years Captain of the No. 2 Westland Rifles. I also held the position of managing director and honorary secretary for the Eastern Hohonu and Greenstone Water Race Company up to the time I left the Coast. I was also Managing Director of the Westland Steamship and Tug Company up to the time I left for Timaru.
“While in business on the Coast I supplied goods to customers from Okarito to Westport, and visited the Haast rush aboard the steam tug “Titan,” Capt. Meiken, and a full cargo of diggers and their appliances. This turned out what miners commonly term a “shicer.” I was also one of the largest shareholders in the Reefton mines, and through them lost the accumulated savings of many previous years. This to a great extent decided me to retire from gold mining centres, and to try my luck in an agricultural district, so I eventually cast my lot to reside in South Canterbury. I think the Hon H. L. Michel is about the only man in Hokitika who was in general mercantile business in my day. He and Perry Bros. are well known in Hokitika. Mr Perry senr., started the business over 50 years ago in Revell Street, and both of these firms have always borne a first-class business reputation.
“Mr Michel was only a boy when he came to Hokitika, and I can remember the day the Perry Bros. father and mother were married. A lot of water has been run down the Hokitika river since then. There are very few men now alive on the Coast who were there in my day. I well remember all the officials connected with public offices mentioned by Mr Evans as I came into communication with them in the course of every day business. There were many other well known men of those days whom I met almost daily such as C. Y. O’Connor, G. Mueller, R. J. Seddon, R. Reeves, Hall and Finlay, Wm Royce, Hon J. A. Bonar, Archdeacon Harper, Wm Perry, Parson, Gow, Father McGirr, Dr McDermott, Carey and Gilles, G. G. Fitzgerald (our Resident Magistrate), Wm Keech and Malloy, W. C. Roberts (Bank of New Zealand), Kennedy Bros., Churches and Ching, T. Pringle, Andrew Mowat, Jas. Craig, E. Prosser, D. W. Virtue, Harry Robinson, Wm Smith, P. Comisky, Wm Todd, Spence Bros., Duncan McFarlane, G. W. Binney, Mark Sprot, Findlay and Haworth, Thomas Ker, Andrew Stenhouse, W. McLevie. Many others I could also name, but they have with the exception of Archdeacon Harper and Wm McLevie, joined the Great Majority. But in the 1860’s and the seventies, the men mentioned above were all well-known business men, officials, and clergy that any country might well be proud of. I have written these few lines on the sudden impulse after receiving the newspaper which has brought to my mind so many memories of the past. Perhaps, at an early date, I may again visit the Coast.
“I spent some of the happiest days of my life in Hokitika, and never met as sociable a people anywhere else. Most of them were very successful in business after they left the Coast.”
Wm. EVANS.