Early Reminiscences of Auckland by Mrs E. Bartley
Compiled & transcribed by M.W.Bartley
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| Elizabeth HANNKEN - Mrs E Bartley image BFA |
Father chose Coromandel as it was then spoken of as being
the intended capital of New Zealand, and he there opened a store, the Maoris
being his only customers.
At the same time Father went into the timber-cutting
business, but also for the supply of split shingles, and for this purpose he
acquired the timber cutting rights from the native owners of the different
blocks of land.
I have in my possession an agreement dated 16th October
1840, in which Father purchased the whole of the standing timber on Blocks Kopouri,
Kopare, Karaka and Koranuinui and the consideration embodied in the agreement
is as follows:
Two boxes of Cartridges; ten
Blankets; twenty Gowns; ten Waistcoats; three Coats; Two Cloaks; three Muskets;
twenty pounds of Soap; six Garden Hoes and Ten pounds of Tobacco – the total
value being set down at 48 pounds 6 shillings.
This agreement is signed and witnessed, the owners each
affixing their mark X and being Tako; Horaka; Ora Bette and Rangate Boo.
It was very difficult in those days whether to understand
the natives or to make yourself understood, and in this respect I have
recollection of an incident which nearly led to serious trouble. Father
remarked to an old chief that his head was as white as a bag of flour, which
remark the native took to mean that his head was fit to be eaten like flour. So
vexed did the old chief become that he brought the whole of his tribe, who
danced a war dance and threatened to kill Father and burn the store.
The trouble was only quelled by Father handing over to the
Maoris all kinds of produce and goods as “utu” or payment for the insult.
The only means Father had of conveying his goods from
Auckland was by a whale boat and on one occasion he was overtaken by a gale and
had to run up the Thames for safety and landed at night on what proved to be a
Burial Ground, for which offence more “utu” was demanded. For this Father was
compelled to hand over the entire contents of the boat, and he and his mates
were glad to get away with their lives and their boat.
We lived at Coromandel for about five years, during which
time Father purchased certain lands from the natives, but when Governor Hobson
selected Auckland as the Capital, Father exchanged his Coromandel properties
for three pieces of land he received from the Governments, namely, two pieces
near Freeman’s Bay and six acres in Khyber Pass, now the site of the Great
Northern Brewery Co.
I recollect when for quite a long while Queen St was simply
a track along the banks of a creek known as “Ligar’s Canal”, but more frequently
“Ligar’s Gully”.
The principal street in those days was Shortland St but then
known only as the Crescent, and Mrs Henderson ( Henderson & McFarlane) kept
an hotel on the same corner now occupied by the Commercial Hotel.
Outside this Hotel I have witnessed many dreadful riots
between sailors and returned soldiers back from the Bay of Islands war; all
having their liberty for two or three days at a time, and of course all having
plenty of drink in the meantime.
When such rows occurred it was frequently necessary for all
shopkeepers in the vicinity to put up their shutters and bolt the shop doors.
I remember on one of such occasions when Mrs Henderson was
endeavouring to close the Hotel doors against the drunken crowd she was so
severely injured that she almost lost her life.
In a like manner probably others will remember, as I do, the
incident whereby a chemist in West Queen St (now Swanson St) was nearly killed
by one of these drunken mobs.
While speaking of some of the undesirable features of early
Auckland I am reminded of the old gaol which was situated at the corner of
Queen St and Victoria St on the site now occupied by the City Chambers. I can
clearly remember the Guard Room on the corner and the Supreme Court House on
the same site fronting Queen Street, the stocks where the inebriates were
punished were on the footpath next to the Guard Room, and I’ve seen drunks of
both sexes with their legs in the stocks and they thus forming amusement to all
passers by, and also good targets at which the boys pelted rubbish.
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| Sketch from memory by Edward Bartley, BFA |
The gallows for the execution of murderers was erected in
Victoria Street outside the boundary of the gaol property in a conspicuous
place where it could be viewed by anybody from the street. I remember seeing the
gallows, but I never saw an execution, although it was customary for such
events to attract large crowds of both sexes. I remember the murder at
Devonport, when Captain Snow, his wife and daughter were murdered at his home
at the corner of Beach Road and Grey Street. BURNS the murderer was conveyed
from the goal to the boat in a cart, he sitting on his own coffin, and sitting
by him was the Rev Churton. The murderer was taken to Devonport and hanged on
the site of the tragedy.
Murders and crime generally were very common in the early
days, and in some respects the early pioneers of Auckland had some black
experiences in addition to distressing bad times. However, there were other
sides to the picture, and many enjoyable experiences, which made life worth
living and having left happy recollections.
I often allow my thoughts to dwell on the memory of some of
the past enjoyable times, there being always an abundance of amusements,
especially during the holiday seasons. Oh those happy Christmas times, when everybody
abandoned care and strove to make everybody else enjoy themselves. Every shop
would be one mass of decoration of Punga fern and Pohutakawa bloom.
And those good old-time picnics down by the Harbour when the
influential business man did not consider it below his dignity to assume the
role of a clown to assist in creating fun.
I remember on the occasion of one of these jolly gatherings
when we were dancing the old-fashioned country dances to the music of a violin
played by Father, who asked us how we enjoyed the apple pie at lunch, which we
all agreed was lovely. “I had a job to make it spin out”, said Father, “for
that clumsy Maori there put his foot in it”
I derived a deal of pleasure in the early days from music,
all our family were fond of it and all could play some instrument and were
fairly good vocalists. I was a member of the Auckland Choral Society when I was
only a growing girl, and continued my membership long after I was married.
After a few years in Auckland Father opened a business in
Queen Street on a portion of the site now occupied by the Bank of New Zealand,
and as the nature of his business brought us in close touch with the Maoris, we
all became good native scholars, which added greatly to the success of the
business.
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| Lower Queen St, Auckland, the wooden building nearest the new BNZ was formerly Hannken's drapery |
Father used to employ many of the soldier’s wives sewing and
making gowns for the Maori women and as the soldier’s pay was very small, the
women were glad of the opportunity of earning a little, although they only
received sixpence per gown for their labour.
I am now seventy-eight years of age, therefore I have been
in Auckland 76 years and I have never been out of New Zealand since my arrival.
I often reflect on the past days, and wonder at the great
changes that have come to pass and the rapid progress the City of Auckland has
made, and I think it is a blessing that the present generation are not called
upon to endure the hardships of the early settler.
I have never had any desire to leave New Zealand and
especially Auckland. I think it is a lovely country and in it no one should
ever starve.
This is a grand thing to be able to say of any country and
it more than compensates for the hardships and trials of the early settler.
God Bless New Zealand.
Signed Elizabeth Bartley
At Devonport August 16th, 1916
