April 1897

Thursday 1st    It was a fine day.  I was picking German Damsons and Beurre Diel Pears in the farm orchard in the morning.  In the afternoon I went down to the Wharf with the bullocks and hauled up 24 Fruit Cases that came up by the Steamer, I also hauled a load of firewood.

Friday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I was putting tea tree together and burning it.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.

Saturday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Took the meat out in the morning.  In the afternoon Willie & I set fire to the tea tree.  Walter Wyatt was here for tea and D. Kempt was here in the evening.

Sunday 4th   It was a fine day.  I have changed the services to the afternoon and held service in the Hall at 2.30 p.  John Cruikshank and Annie Matheson  were here for tea.

Monday 5th   It was a fine day.  Willies birthday.  He is 14 years old.  We got up all the Sheep from the farm  and the barley paddock.  We put most of the Wethers we bought of W. & R. Wyatt in the paddock at the back of the house.  We shut 6 of Walter Frearsons up in the pig stye and R. Wyatt came with the catamaran and took them away.
I set fire to the tea tree below the orchard, and it burned very well.
May Dunning & Kate Meiklejohn were here for tea & Jane & Miss Niccol went home with them.

Tuesday 6th   It was a fine day.  Jane rode up to Mauds in the morning  returning in the pm.  I was picking fruit all day and hauled it down to the Wharf in the afternoon.  Viz.
12 Cases Beurre Diel Pears
1 Ditto  Vicar of Wingfield
1 Ditto Golden Russet
These were consigned to Esam & Arthur.  The Steamer did not come untill about 3.30pm and was not able to come alongside of the Wharf for some time after.
I hauled up a Box of Groceries from Rews that came by the Steamer.

Wednesday 7th   It was a fine day.   I hauled 2 loads of wood with the bullocks in the morning.  In the afternoon I was burning and logging up the tea tree below Mr Wyatt Snrs.
Miss Kempt & Miss Spencer were here and staid all night.

Thursday 8th   It was a fine day.  I was burning and logging up tea tree all day.

Friday 9th   It was very squally in the morning,  the pears were falling in showers off the Vicar of Wingfield pear tree, so Willie and I picked them, there were enough to fill  9 half bushel cases and there must have been 2 more cases on the ground split and spoiled.  There were also some heavy showers.   We killed a Sheep in the evening.
Miss Niccol & Jane went to John Wyatts in the evening to celebrate Honor’s birthday.
I went to the Library.

Saturday 10th   It was a fine day.  After taking out the meat  I finished packing the pears and picked and packed 1 Case of Ohinemure Apples.
In the afternoon I mended up the fence between our place and Mathesons.
The Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Show was held in the Hall in the evening, when the Prizes won at the late Show were paid.

Sunday 11th   It was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the pm.  John Cruickshank & Jim Dunning were here for tea.
The scow “Ida” came in this morning.  She went ashore at Takatea Point last Thursday morning and knocked a hole in her bottom.  They patched it up so as to bring her across here, but they had to pump and bale all the time.

Monday 12th   It was a fine day.  I took the calves out of Haskells and mended the fence up between their place and ours.  Miss Mills, Mabel, Ernest & Albert Wyatt, Jim & Henry Dunning came to spend the evening.

Tuesday 13th   It was a fine day.  I haled 10 Cases of Fruit down to the Wharf in the morning and brought up a  Bag of Flour from Harpers Store.  When I got back, Mr Roose was at the house, he staid for dinner and I gave him an order for some drapery.
The Easter holidays commenced today, Miss Niccol went to Auckland in the Steamer.  I hauled a load of firewood after I came up from the Steamer.

Wednesday 14th   It was a fine day.  Willie & I were burning tea tree.

Thursday 15th   It rained very heavily last night and this morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon and began to blow.

Friday 16th   The wind was blowing very hard from the SW.
Jane went up to Mauds in the morning returning in the pm.   We killed a Sheep and a Lamb in the evening.

Saturday 17th   The wind was blowing very strong all day.  I delivered a whole Sheep to Harpers in the morning .  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the evening

Sunday 18th  Easter Sunday.  It was a fine day and beautifully calm.
The Auckland Cricketers came over from Matakana in the morning, most of them staid at Harpers and the rest staid with friends.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was only a small congregation.  Walter Frearson was here for tea.

Monday 19th   It was a beautiful day.  There was a Cricket Match on the Race Course between the Wanderers & the Omaha Cricket Club.  Omaha made 80 runs both in their 1st  &  2nd innings & the Wanderers 97 in one innings.  There were a great many people on the ground to witness the match.   John & Miss Williams, 2 Miss Darroch’s,  Miss McLeod & Alfred Gravatt were here for tea.
There was a smoke concert in the Hall in the early part of the evening, and a Dance after.  John Williams spent the evening at Miss Fordhams.
The Steamer “Maori” called in about 11pm and took the Auckland Cricketers back to Auckland,  They were a very jolly set of fellows, and they made things very lively, and they enjoyed their trip very much.

Tuesday 20th   It was a fine day.  I was picking in Apples in the morning.  The Steamer came in punctually at 1 pm.  Miss Niccol returned from her holidays bringing her brother Malcolm with her on a visit.   I was burning tea tree in the pm.

Wednesday 21st   There were a few showers during the day.  School commenced today after the easter holidays.  I was burning tea tree.
Jane and Miss Niccol went to Dunnings in the evening.

Thursday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I was burning tea tree.

Friday 23rd   It rained in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.  Jane & Miss Niccol went to an entertainment at Pakiri in the evening.   We killed a Sheep.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 24th    It was a fine day.  Took the mutton out in the morning.  In the afternoon Charlie Wyatt and I went to lay out some work for the Road Board.

Sunday 25th   It was a fine day.  Jane, Miss Niccol, her brother and Willie went up to Mauds and Willie Pratt took them up Tamahunga mountain.  They returned after dark in the evening.  John Cruickshank came with them.
I read service in the Hall in the afternoon.

Monday 26th   It was a fine day.  I was burning tea tree.  I went down to Charlies in the evening to help him with the Road Board Books.

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day.  George Wyatt put a horse into the E.R. to graze at 9 d a week.  I was burning tea tree.  The Steamer was advertised to come in at 1 pm, but it was after 3 when she came.  We had a parcel of Drapery from the D. S. C.
I was down at Charlies again in the evening.

Wednesday 28th   It was a fine day.  I was burning tea tree and digging Kumeras.

Thursday 29th   It looked dull but it did not rain.  Malcolm Niccol and I rode to H. Browns at Pakiri.  I dug Kumeras after I came back.

Friday 30th   It threatened for rain, but it held off.  I mended up the fence near the creek between Freasons and ours.  I was digging Kumeras in the afternoon.
Killed a Sheep in the evening.