Friday 1st It was a showery day so that we were unable to do much out of doors. It was so wet in the evening I was unable to go to the Library.
Saturday 2nd It did not rain, but the ground was so wet we were unable to dig. The boys hauled some Wire from the wharf up to the School. I got some Orchids on the hill to put round the Lemon Trees and the boys hauled it down
Sunday 3rd It was a dull day and We had some showers in the afternoon. I read service as usual in the afternoon, there were only 13 present. Willie came in the afternoon and staid all night.
Monday 4th We were putting in pickets and stapling them in the morning & afternoon. Mr & Mrs Walter came in the afternoon and spent the evening. It came on to rain & blow in the evening.
Tuesday 5th It was blowing very much, and a heavy sea outside. We finished putting in and stapling the pickets, after we filled in below the bottom wire with tea tree, and dug each side to level the ground. The Annual Licensing Meeting at the Hall at noon, but the Clerk did not put in an appearance so there was no business done. On account of the rough weather the Steamer did not come.
Wednesday 6th We were working at the fence in the morning, levelling the ground underneath the wires.
In the afternoon the boys went down to Mirehouse’s with the bullocks to get a sack of Sharps for the fowls. I was mending up the fence in the pigs paddock. Mr Bradbury came in the afternoon and I gave him some Strawberry plants.
Thursday 7th We went down to the beach in the morning with the bullocks and hauled a lot of sea weed and put it into a heap on the flat, and we hauled one load up and put it on to the manure heap. We cut down a large Tarida tree in the afternoon to make a sley runner out of.
Friday 8th We were working down at the new fence in the morning digging and levelling the ground underneath the bottom wire. In the afternoon we finished digging up the ground the top side of the house, where we are going to plant onions in.
Went to the Library in the evening to change my books, also down to Miller’s to get 2 axe handles.
Saturday 9th Very fine day. We dug up the old Strawberry bed. Set fire to the heap in the afternoon to burn all the docks etc.
Sunday 10th A very fine day. Read service in the Hall in the afternoon , about 20 present.
Monday 11th It was a fine day. We finished digging the piece of ground we commenced on Saturday. In the afternoon we commenced planting Broad Beans in the orchard where we had Potatoes last year.
Tuesday 12th We packed the Sheep Skins (20) & Onion Seed to send to Mr Laybourn for sale and the boys hauled them down to the wharf, and brought some gravel up with them. I formed the ground the top side of the house into beds for Onions.
The Steamer came in the evening very early, there was a meeting in the Hall in the evening to consider the Codlin Moth Bill now before Parliament, the settlers present were unamously opposed to the measure and a telegram was sent to Mr Moat informing him of our opinion.
Wednesday 13th The boys hauled 5 bags of Flour up for us, they also hauled some goods for Mr Mirehouse. I was planting Broad Beans in the orchard in manured drills. Mrs Joseph Greenwood came for some strawberry plants.
Tom Pratt & Mr Kensington came in the evening for a game of cards.
Thursday 14th We finished planting Broad Beans in the morning. We planted 12 Pinus Pinaster in the farm orchard.
In the afternoon we prepared the 2 Onion beds, dug bone dust in shallow, we sowed 1 bed with Brown Spanish & 1 bed with James’ Keeping, beds 5 ft wide 5 rows in each bed 11 inches apart.
Maud went up to Mrs Joseph Greenwood’s in the afternoon and brought some James’ Keeping Onions for planting for seed.
Friday 15th We sowed 2 beds of James’ Keeping Onion but it came on to rain and we had to leave off. In the afternoon we went over to the fence and dug up underneath the bottom wire. There was a meeting of the School Committee in the evening.
Saturday 16th Willie Pratt came over in the morning to shoot, but he did not get anything. It was too wet to do anything on the ground, I put 2 axe handles in in the morning, in the afternoon we went up to Neeley’s to get our sheep but he did not get them up.
Sunday 17th Mr Douse preached in the Hall in the morning and I read service in the afternoon. Mr Kensington came up for tea.
Monday 18th We planted out 10 Cupressus Macrocarpa in the morning. In the afternoon we sowed a bed half of Carrots half of Parsnips, we also planted 48 James’ Keeping Onions for seed 16 inches apart each way.
Tuesday 19th We dug the piece of ground near the land slip which was cropped with Vegetable Marrows. Went down to the wharf in the evening, the Steamer came in about 6 Oclock, I had a Boar Pig up that Mr Tiplady sent up – I like the look of it very much, it is about 11 weeks old.
Wednesday 20th The boys hauled up a sack of seed Potatoes & a sack of Bone Dust from the wharf in the morning.
In the afternoon we went up to Neeley’s to get 8 sheep out of his place.
Miss Flatt left this morning by the Steamer, also the Surveyors.
The Mid – Winter holidays commenced today.
Thursday 21st We had a quantity of rain last night, the ground is so wet that we can do nothing with the ground. We put the bacon and hams up the chimney to smoke. I sawed down the runner of the slay. In the afternoon we killed an old ewe we got from Neeleys. I went to Mr Walter’s for tea and to spend the evening. I met Mr Simpson there, he lives at Avondale and is on a visit to Mr Walters.
Friday 22nd We were sowing Grass Seed on the hill, raking it in and making fires.
Saturday 23rd We commenced to wattle the wire fence between my place and the School property.
Sunday 24th A fine day with a few showers in the afternoon. Read service as usual, about 24 present. John Greenwood came for tea.
Monday 25th We continued to wattle the fence near Teachers house. Mr Walter and Mr Simpson came for tea & spent the evening.
Tuesday 26th We finished wattling the fence. The 2 Young Sow Pigs came up by the Steamer in the evening. They are very small about 6 weeks old I should think.
Wednesday 27th It was a fine day. The boys were hauling for Mirehouse.
Thursday 28th It was a very fine day, but very little wind and the ground does not dry up much. The Miss Birdsall’s came in the morning and staid for dinner.
The boys finished hauling for Mirehouse.
I planted some Tree Onions, two beds of Cabbage and 6 Cabbage Stumps (Manchester Defiance). I finished sowing Oats & pointing them in under the Dining Room window.
Maud & John went up to Mr Walters in the evening.
I filled up my Sheep Return in the evening – as follows –
Friday 29th We commenced digging up rough, the ground that was in Potatoes & Maize last season. We got the sheep up in the afternoon.
Saturday 30th Frearsons came in the morning and took away 14 of their Sheep. We were digging in the morning. Maud went to Pratts with Willie who had come down with the bullocks for a load of Flour from the wharf. I repaired Mr Walter’s verandah in the afternoon.