July 1893

Saturday 1st   Henry went Pheasant shooting.  John & I were splitting Posts.  Willie, Maud & Willie went fishing at the Cemetery Point and caught 3 schnappers.  It came over very misty in the afternoon.

Sunday 2nd   It was a fine day but very misty.  I read service in the afternoon there were about 24 present.  Fred Pratt was here for tea.

Monday 3rd   It was a fine day. Henry went Pheasant shooting.  John & I were splitting Posts.  Willie was digging gum at R.R.

Tuesday 4th   Showery day.  Wind blowing very strong from the E.  Henry went shooting.  John & I did no work out of doors.  I made a few rollers in the shed.  The Steamer did not come in the evening on account of the weather.

Wednesday 5th   Wind still blowing very strong from NE.  The Steamer came in about 9.30 she had a very rough passage from Takatea Point.
John went up to Auckland in her and took his own and Willie’s Gum.  It rained very heavily while the Steamer was unloading & taking in cargo, and it rained all day.  We had 1 Sack Maize, 1 ditto Sugar.   Bag of Corned Beef.   10 lbs Stapes and a parcel of Drapery from Rushbrookes, but it was so wet that we could not haul them up.

Thursday 6th   It did not rain, but it was a dull day.   Willie was digging gum at P.R.  Henry hauled the goods up from the Wharf in the morning.  In the afternoon we made some crossings in the creek to haul posts across.  Partly squared a Straining Post and pulled up Ti Tree in the big clearing .  Emptied a bag of Flour into the bin.

Friday 7th   It was a very fine day, but as there has been no wind since the rain, the ground has not dried up very much.  Henry & I were hauling Posts for the fence next Frearsons.  There was a Soiree in the Hall in the evening as the ending up of the Monthly Dances.  All the young people went, only little Willie & I were left at home.

Saturday 8th   It was fine in the morning, but came on to rain about dinner time and rained all afternoon and evening.  Henry & I sighted out the line between Frearsons and our land.  After which Henry went shooting  and I was making and driving in some pickets in Mathesons fence.

Sunday 9th   It was fine in the morning, but it came on to rain at dinner time and rained all afternoon putting a stop to Sunday School and Church Service.

Monday 10th   It was fine in the morning, but there were some showers in the afternoon and a very heavy one in the evening.  Willie was digging gum at P.R.  Henry went shooting.  I finished picketing Mathesons fence.

Tuesday 11th   It was a very fine day, only a few showers.  Henry hauled down a bundle of Skins  to the Wharf in the morning, he then went shooting.  I commenced to put in the Posts in the fence between Frearsons & us, I put in 6 posts.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening, John came up by her.
There was a dance in the Hall to eat up the provisions that were left over from the Soiree.
Received a Telegram from Jackson Palmer M H R – saying that instructions had been given to lay down a Telephone line to Omaha at once.  Harry Rayner & Geo Pratt hauled our Gum to send away by the Steamer, they put the bullocks in our paddock and they staid here all night.

Wednesday 12th   It was showery all day.  The boys took the bullocks down to the Wharf  & hauled up our goods that came by the Steamer last night.  In the afternoon, the boys, Willie P and I went down to Mathesons beach to pitch down the firewood as the “Ida” is coming round to load our timber.

Thursday 13th   It was a very fine day.  I was putting in Posts in the fence next Frearsons, I put in 10 posts.
Willie & the boys went down to Matheson’s Beachto load the “Ida“, they took one pair of bullocks with them.  When they came home in the evening they reported that they had put all the firewood and the Sleepers on board.

Friday 14th   It was a very fine day, and a nice wind which is blowing is drying up the ground.
Willie & I were working at the fence next Frearsons.  The boys took two pairs of bullocks down to Mathesons Beach to load the “Ida“, she was only able to take 400 Posts which she finished taking in about 3 pm and she sailed for Auckland as soon as she was able to float.  I went down for the mail in the evening which arrived about 8 pm.

Saturday 15th  It was a fine day and a nice wind blowing.  Willie & I were working at the fence next Frearsons.  The boys were crosscutting some Puriri logs for Posts some for our own use and some for market.
Willie and the boys went fishing in the evening at the Cemetery.

Sunday 16th   It rained all day, there was no Sunday School or Service .

Monday 17th   It rained all day.  We were unable to work out of doors.

Tuesday 18th   It was a fine day.  Wind at SW and very cold.  Henry went shooting.  Willie and John were splitting Posts in the morning  and I was putting in Posts in the fence, and in the afternoon all three of us were working at the fence.  The Steamer came in about 3 pm.

Wednesday 19th   It was fine in the morning.  John & henry were hauling Posts with the two pair of bullocks to the fence next Frearsons.  Willie & I were putting in Posts including the middle straining Post.  It came on to rain at dinner time and there were some heavy showers in the afternoon.  In the afternoon John & Willie went to Tomarata , Willie has completed his weeks work here.  Henry blasted some post logs near the Koeroa creek.  I was pulling up ti tree in the Barley Paddock.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day, but very cold, there being frost this and also yesterday morning.   Henry & I hauled Posts out of the Lemon garden down to the Koeroa Creek with the young pair of bullocks.  In the pm we were splitting Posts near the Koeroa Creek which Henry blasted yesterday.

Friday 21st   It was a very fine day.  There was a frost last night and it was a very cold this morning, but towards the evening, the wind went round to the NE and it is therefore much warmer.
We finished slitting the Posts near the Koeroa Creek.  Afterwards we put in the Straining Post near the Koeroa Creek in the new fence near Frearsons.

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine day though dull and threatening for rain.  We hauled the Posts from the farm on to the E.R. and took one load down to Mathesons beach, but the roads were too soft and cut up too much.

Sunday 23rd  It rained all day.  There was no Sunday School or Church Service.  John & Willie did not return home this week.

Monday 24th   It was a fine day.  Henry went shooting.  I put in the Strut at the lower Straining Post and put in 4 other Posts.

Tuesday 25th    It was a fine day.  Henry went shooting.  I finished putting in the Post on the lower part of the fence ( Frearsons ) and got it all ready for putting on the wire.

Wednesday 26th   It was very threatening all day and it came on the rain in the evening and rained all night.  We commenced to put on the wire on the lower part of the fence.
Emptied a bag of Flour into the bin.

Thursday 27th   It was a fine day.  We finished putting on the wire on the lower part of the fence.  We are putting on 2 barb wires, 1 Galvanised plain, and 4 black wires off  the old fence.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  Henry went in a boat fishing with Jas Dunning, but they only caught 5 Fish.  I finished stapling the wires on to the fence and taking out the posts in the old fence.  It came on to rain in the evening.

Saturday 29th   It rained all last night and nearly all to day, it left off a little in the afternoon and it began to blow strong from the NE, and gave me the opportunity of getting some firewood.  Henry went in the morning to Joe Wyatts to get some Pork.  Willie P.  returned from Tomarata in the afternoon, he walked.  John did not come with him.  I went down to the Hall in the evening as there was to have been a meeting of the Farmers Association, but there was no one there, and it set out in a driving rain and I got wet coming home.

Sunday 30th   It was a fine day.  John returned from Tomarata in time for dinner.  I taught Sunday School and read service, small service.

Monday 31st   Willie & John returned to Tomarata in the morning.  There was a smart shower of rain about 9 am, but after that it was fine and a strong wind blowing dried the ground up.  Henry & I were putting in Posts in the upper part of the fence next Frearsons.  Minnie & I went to call at Miss Wann’s in the evening.