Saturday 1st we are fencing in the garden with a substantial post & rail fence, we commenced against the fence swamp and joined it to the Fowl Yard Fence keeping the well inside the garden.
Sunday 2nd William, Samuel & I went to Pakiri, Samuel went to Mr Dyers and William & I went to Mrs Wright’s, Mr Wright had not yet returned from Auckland, Willie and Joe Greenwood were there.
Monday 3rd It rained all last night and the wind blew very strong, but it cleared up in the morning and we had a tolerably fine day, William and Tom fell a Kauri tree, sharpened the saw and cut off three lengths of rails, there is one length of rails on the tree to cut off now. Samuel came home in the evening from Pakiri.
Tuesday 4th It was very wet during the morning so that we could not work out of doors, we sorted over the eating potatoes in the shed, and also bored and morticed about ten posts, in the afternoon it cleared up a little, we sawed the other length off the Kauri and blasted open all the logs open and split over twenty rails, Tom commenced sharpening them.
Wednesday 5th It was a fine day, we continued splitting rails, by evening we had only half a log to split, Tom sharpened about forty rails.
Thursday 6th Samuel finished splitting the remainder of the log before breakfast and Tom continued sharpening rails. Joe got the bullocks up, Diamond & Spot, and he drew out all the rails and also a large slab to make a new chimney. In the afternoon Tom and Samuel commenced putting up a new fence.
Mr Wright came up in the steamer last night, he brought a young horse up with him. Mr Greenwood also came up in her. In the afternoon by an advertisement in the Daily Southern Cross and Weekly News a meeting of the settlers of this settlement took place at Mr Anderson‘s house for the purpose of taking into consideration the advisability of placing this district under the Highways Act 1866, the meeting was well attended and Mr Anderson was called to the chair. Mr Greenwood in an interesting speech explained the desirability of bringing this district under the Highways Act 1866 and proposed that steps be immediately taken for placing this district under the said Act, seconded by Mr Wyatt.
Mr C. S. Clarke proposed that the boundaries of the district should be as follows, commencing at the road at the mouth of the Koeroa running up the range bounded on the left hand side by Dacres Claim until this road joins the old mail track from Great Omaha to Pakiri, from thence to the new mail track following the road to the Pakiri creek from thence to the sea and round the coast by Point Rodney to the Koeroa creek, seconded by Mr Kirkbride and carried unamously, Mr Anderson proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Greenwood for the great trouble and interest he has taken in our behalf to advance the prosperity of the district, seconded by Mr C. S. Clarke. Mr C. S. Clarke proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Anderson for the able manner in which he had conducted the business of the meeting, seconded by Mr Greenwood, the meeting then separated.
Friday 7th I got some tree ferns and other plants for Mr Greenwood to take home with him. I went up to Mr Greenwood‘s place to have dinner with them to help discuss a Turkey, after dinner we came down to the Cove as Mr Greenwood is going to return by the Steamer in the evening. Mr Witten came down to meet his sister in law from Wangarei, also some Pigs, but his sister did not come, however the pigs came and he brought them up to my place and staid all night.
The men finished putting up the garden fence .
Saturday 8th We went on digging the drain outside the garden fence. Mr Witten returned home in the morning he sold me one of the pigs, a fine little boar pig for six shillings, it is all white and is of Mr Walton’s breed.
Sunday 9th It was a fine day. I staid at home all day.
Willie and Joe Greenwood came in the evening for service, and they staid all night.
Monday 10th It was a fine day. We finished digging the drain right up to the house, so that we can commence digging up ground.
Tuesday 11th We commenced digging in the orchard to sow Oats for green food, it digs up very well considering that it is only the second it has been dug up. It was rather showery in the afternoon so that we had to bore and mortice posts.
Wednesday 12th We continued digging in the garden for green oats. The weather is very showery.
Thursday 13th We continued digging in the garden. The weather is very showery. I received a letter from Mr Greenwood enclosing a printed form of a petition for a Post Office at Little Omaha, I took it to Mrs Kirkbrides, McKenzie and Mr Andersons to get signed.
Friday 14th It was rather showery in the morning but it cleared up and turned out a fine day. We finished digging up the piece of ground in the garden.
Saturday 15th It was a fine day and the ground dried up very much. We forked round the fruit trees and picked all the weeds out, we also manured some of the Trees.
In the afternoon Samuel sowed the ground that we had dug in the garden with Oats about 2 bushels and 1½ Cwt Bone Dust.
Sunday 16th It was very fine in the morning; but we had a few showers in the afternoon. Bill went to Pakiri on the horse to see if Mr Wright could come over this week to shingle the house. Willie & Joe Greenwood and Mr Bruce came for dinner and they all staid all night. Mrs Anderson & Lizzie came in the afternoon.
Monday 17th We got the young bullocks up in the morning and drew up some of the shingles. Tom & I manured all the Fruit Trees and in the afternoon we picked up fern root on the Wheat ground.
Tuesday 18th The anniversary of Waterloo Day. We ploughed in the paddock with Diamond and Spot. Tom and I picked out fern root on the ploughed ground. Mr Wright came in the afternoon to shingle the house, but he only erected a scaffold to work on
Wednesday 19th Mr Wright commenced shingling the lean-to in the morning and finished by night. It was very showery all day. I went down on the beach in the afternoon to see Mr & Mrs McQuarrie who came up in the schooner “Argo“. The men bored and morticed a few posts and split some slabs, as it was too wet to plough.
Thursday 20th Mr Wright finished shingling one side of the house, we got the young bullocks up and drew the Anderson’s Nikau to thier house, we also drew up all the slabs and scantling from the saw pit near the Koeroa. Samuel & Tom commenced digging a drain in the paddock to drain the Wheat ground to lead into the swamp. It was a fine day considering the time of year.
Friday 21st Mr Wright finished shingling the house . Joe went in the morning to fetch home the old bullocks, but he came home in the afternoon without them. Samuel & Tom continued digging the drain in the paddock. William and Joe cut tea tree in the afternoon for the drain.
Saturday 22nd Mr Wright put the saddle boards on the roof, and he then commenced to make a ladder, he returned home in the afternoon and will come back on Monday. We got the two pair of bullocks up, Samuel & Joe ploughed in the paddock with the old pair, and William drew out the tea tree for the drain with the young pair. Tom staid at the house and cooked.
Sunday 23rd It was a fine day. I went to Mrs Kirkbrides and Mrs Andersons in the afternoon. Wille and Joe Greenwood came in the afternoon and staid all night.
Monday 24th We got the bullocks up early in the morning and ploughed more than half an acre of ground. william & Tom worked at the drain. Mr Wright came in the middle of the day and finished the ladder. Harry of the “Dot” and Mr Parker came here in the evening and staid all night.
Tuesday 25th We got the old pair of bullocks up and drew up three planks from the beach that I have bought of Mr McQuarrie.
Samuel & I finished digging the drain in the morning, in the afternoon we put the long Tea Tree in the drain, we then cut green tea tree scrub and put on the tea tree to keep the soil from falling in, we then filled in the drain.
Wednesday 26th We got the old pair of bullocks up and Samuel ploughed with them, there is only two or three hours work now to finish ploughing it. Mr Witten came in the morning and staid for dinner. Mr Wright & Tom pulled down the old chimney and commenced putting a new one up. It was a very wet and stormy night.
Thursday 27th It was a very wet and boisterous day, between the showers of rain Mr Wright & Tom finished the chimney between the showers. Samuel & William bored and morticed posts in the shed.
Friday 28th Samuel & Tom sawed a pouriri log off in the clearing for posts and split half of it. Mr Wright & Tom altered the door from the side of the house to the end and boarded the old door up.
Saturday 29th Samuel & Tom finished slitting up the pouriri log, they then fell another pouriri tree and split part of it. Mr Wright finished his work about the house and went home in the afternoon.
Sunday 30th It was very showery all day, it was so miserable that I did not go out anywhere.