Tuesday 1st It was a fine day. Minnie, Jane & I went to the Matakana Show, it was a very good Show. I bought a Lincoln Ram from Mr Trotter which took first prize for £3 . 3 . 0. I returned home in the evening, but the girls staid for the concert and dance.
Wednesday 2nd It was a fine day. I was getting the exhibits ready for our Show. W. Frearson brought 6 wethers that I bought of him.
Thursday 3rd It was a fine day. I was getting the exhibits ready for our Show. Took some of the exhibits down to the Hall with the bullocks in the evening. Henry Brown put his cattle in the front paddock that he intends to Show tomorrow.
Friday 4th The Show was held today, the Live Stock in Mr Harpers paddock and the Produce etc in the Hall.
The Show was the best ever held here, Horses being the exception, they being fewer in number than in previous years. The Sheep & the Cattle were very good. We showed our pig as a sow under 6 months old and she took 1st Prize.
The exhibits in the Hall were very good, notably the fruit and the Local Industries.
The Otamatea Native Band was engaged, and played during the day and for the dance at night.
It was dull in the morning and it rained steadily in the middle of the day. The “Rose Casey” did not bring more than 20 passengers. Mrs & Miss Harding came up by her, the latter came up here for lunch.
Saturday 5th It was a fine day. I fetched the pig up from the show paddock in the morning. Went down to the Hall in the afternoon to help clear up and to bring home some things belonging to me.
There was a Cricket Match at the Whangateau Domain between the Omaha and Matakana Clubs, the latter won by one run.
Sunday 6th It was a fine day. I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a fair congregation. There was a Collection for the purpose of purchasing Prayer and Hymn books,
which realise 9 s / ½ d
Monday 7th It was a fine day. We were picking & packing Pears, and I hauled 6 Cases of Pears down to the Wharf in the afternoon and hauled up 12 empty cases that I bought of Mr Harper.
Jim Dunning came in the evening and had a game of cards.
Tuesday 8th It was a fine day. We were picking & packing apples and pears and hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon.
I sent 15 Cases. I had a Ram by the Steamer which I bought of Mr Trotter, it took 1st Prize at Matakana Show.
Walter Wyatt and Jim Young came here for tea and staid the evening and had a game of cards.
Wednesday 9th It was a fine day. I was cutting up apples for drying and hoeing in the orchard.
Ernest Wyatt came for tea, he staid in the evening to have a game of cards, it rained at night so he staid all night.
Thursday 10th It was a fine day. I was peeling apples for drying.
Miss Niccol and Miss Townsend came for tea and staid the evening & played cards. Jane rode up to Mauds and staid there.
Friday 11th It was a fine day. We killed a Sheep in the evening.
Saturday 12th It was a fine day. Took out the mutton in the morning. Hauled two loads of firewood in the afternoon.
There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the evening.
There was only one Tender for the new road down to the Wharf, viz from Mr Joseph Wyatt for the sum of £34 . 19 . 0 which was accepted.
Sunday 13th We managed to milk the cows while it was fine, but it came on to rain in the morning and was showery all afternoon and evening. I did not have any service in the Hall in the evening on account of the weather.
Monday 14th It was a fine day. I picked and packed 5 Cases Pears. Mrs Spencer came in the evening to get me to witness her signature to some deeds. She staid all night. I went down to Charlie Wyatt in the evening to do some writing for the Road Board.
Tuesday 15th It was a fine day. We picked 1 small case Coe’s Late Red Plums in the farm orchard, packed 1 box 12 Doz Eggs, hauled the things down to the Wharf, the Steamer came in early, but she did not go out until after 2 oclock, as she had such a large cargo to take in. There was a dance in the Hall in the evening to eat up the remainder of the provisions left over from the Show and also to raise some money. We all went.
Wednesday 16th It was a fine day. Walter Frearson came in the morning and he and Bob Wyatt helped get our Sheep up. Mr Greenwood also came and took a Ram that was in our place, also one of Frearsons. Walter had 10 Sheep in here which he took away, there was also 1 Wether which I bought of him for 6/- and put it with the others in the horse paddock. I have now had 8 Wethers from him at 6/- being £2 . 8 . 0 which I owe him for.
I was burning tea tree in the cow paddock in the afternoon.
Mabel Wyatt and Miss Mills came for tea and Ernest & Charlie Dunning came in the evening to have a game at cards.
Thursday 17th St Patricks Day. It was very squally, the wind blew up in very heavy gushes which blew a lot of the fruit off, it also rained. Joseph Wyatt and party commenced their contract on the new road leading to the Wharf. Mr Hadwick and George Wyatt also commenced the stone culvert in the gully. I went down to see how they were getting on.
Friday 18th It was a very fine day, and calm. I was cutting up apples in the morning, burning tea tree out in the front in the afternoon. Killed a Sheep in the evening. The girls went to a dance at Dacres Claim in the evening.
Saturday 19th It was a very squally day, it rained heavily in the morning. I took the mutton out in the morning and then I went down the wharf hill to see how Mr Hardwick was getting on with the stone culvert, while there it poured with rain, went to take shelter in the wharf shed. While there the steamer “Admiral” came alongside of the wharf, she was going to the Little Barrier, but could not land there on account of the wind.
I was cutting tea tree in the afternoon.
Sunday 20th It was a fine day. I rode up to Mauds in the morning and had dinner there, returning home in the afternoon.
Walter Frearson came here for tea. I read service in the Hall in the evening.
Monday 21st It was a fine day, but rather blowy. Took the bullocks over to Frearsons in the morning and borrowed 12 Half bushel cases which we hauled home. We picked and packed 4 Cases Beurre Diel Pears & 1 Case of Vicar which I hauled down to the wharf in the afternoon. Maud came in the morning & staid dinner. We caught the Fowls in the evening and put them in a crate.
Tuesday 22nd It rained last night and early this morning, but it cleared up afterwards and was a fine day. We packed 1 Bundle of 19 Sheepskins, and made up a crate of 7 Fowls and hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon. Also packed a Case of mixed fruit for Willie Pratt to take to the boys at Coromandel.
Wednesday 23rd It was a fine day. I was doing odd jobs in the morning. In the afternoon Charlie Wyatt and I went down to the wharf to see how Hardwick was getting on with the culvert. We then set fire to the tea tree on the road alongside of Harpers fence leading to Big Omaha, it burned very clean and we managed to keep it from spreading.
The girls rode over to Mary Kewene’s in the afternoon.
Thursday 24th It was a fine day. Minnie rode up to Mauds in the morning and staid all night. Jane & I cut up a lot of apples for drying in the morning. In the afternoon I went down to the Store and to the wharf.
Friday 25th It was a fine day. Minnie returned from Maud’s in the morning. I was cutting up apples in the morning and doing other odd jobs. In the afternoon I was cutting and burning tea tree in the front.
The girls went to Mrs Dunnings in the evening to a party in honor of May’s birthday.
Saturday 26th It rained a little in the morning, but it cleared up and was a fine day.
There were two Cricket Matches, one at Matakana between the Omaha and Matakana clubs, the latter won. The other match between the Dacres Claim & Omaha school boys at the Domain, the former won. Minnie & Jane rode over to Matakana to see the match.
I was burning tea tree in the morning and in the afternoon I went down to the wharf to see how Mr Hardwick was getting on with the culvert.
Joe Torkington came home with the girls and staid for tea.
Sunday 27th It was a fine day. I called at C. Gravatts in the pm.
I read service in the Hall in the evening .
Monday 28th It was a very hot day. We picked and packed Beurre Diel Pears. In the afternoon I took down 11 Doz Eggs to the store.
Tuesday 29th It was a fine day. Packed 2 more Cases of Pears. Maud and the children came down in the morning to stay.
The Steamer came in about 1 pm we were all down at the wharf.
Henry came up by her as he has just come out of Hospital.
Wednesday 30th It was a fine day. The girls rode over to Warkworth on a visit to Mrs Morrison. I took the bullocks down to the wharf and hauled up 34 old fruit cases that I bought of Harper, afterwards I returned 14 cases that I borrowed of Walter Frearson.
I burned tea tree in the cow paddock in the afternoon .
Thursday 31st It was a fine day. I was burning tea tree down at the swamp near the gate. I kill a Sheep in the evening. The girls returned from Warkworth.
Memo
The Fowls laid 326 Eggs during the month of March being
27 Doz & 2 – valued at 1/2 per Doz £ 1 . 11 . 8