July 1896

Wednesday 1st     It was a fine day.   John hauled up some Goods that came up by the Steamer last night.
I fixed slip rails to the gate way at the bottom of old Mr Wyatts road.  We put in a culvert opposite our new gate way leading on to the county road.  John drove Symon and   Gilbert up on to the mail road in the afternoon, he also drove along Judy and the young cattle that used to be in the front.

Thursday 2nd   John went rabbit shooting with Jim Dunning to the sand spit, he only brought home 3 rabbits.  I was fixing the gate at the bottom of our road.  There were a few showers in the morning, but in the afternoon it poured with rain, hailed and thundered & lightened terriffically.
I hung the Bacon, Hams and Cheeks  up in the smoke house and commenced smoking them.

Friday 3rd   It was a showery day.  John rode to Matakana.
I hung the gate at the bottom of our road.

Saturday 4th   It was a showery day.  John went to Tomarata in the morning to take some provisions,  he returned in the evening.
I made a pen under the pine trees in the pigs paddock to drive the Sheep into, also cut a lot of firewood.  John brought home Saxon from  C. Dyers

Sunday 5th   It was fine in the morning.   The Steer Saxon that John brought home from Pakiri last night got out on to the road and was going up the hill again so John brought it inside again and put it into the farm.  There was a heavy shower of rain after dinner, but it cleared up again.  I read service in the Hall in the pm, there was only a small congregation.  Mr & Mrs A. Haskell were here for tea.

Monday 6th   It was a very fine day.  The wind is at the south and it is drying up the ground.  John went to Tomarata in the morning to dig gum.  Jane rode up the hill to Mauds.  Minnie went fishing at the wharf in the afternoon and caught a lot of little fish.
I was mending up fences.

Tuesday 7th   It was a fine day.   Jane returned from Mauds.  I was filling in the hole under the new fence where the old road was.  George Wyatt was here for tea.

Wednesday 8th   It was a fine day.   Mrs A. Haskell was here for dinner.  Minnie went fishing with here in the afternoon.  I was doing odd jobs.

Thursday 9th   The wind was blowing strong from the NE, very showery in the afternoon and rained heavily in the evening.  I was doing odd jobs.  I went down to Charlie Wyatts in the evening to attend to some Road Board affairs.

Friday 10th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  I went down to the Post Office in the morning.
I was pulling up tea tree in the barley paddock near the big culvert.
I went up to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 11th   It was a showery day.  Willie helped me to pull up the tea tree in the barley paddock.  John came home from Tomarata in the evening.  George Wyatt was here for tea  &  staid all night.

Sunday 12th   There were a few showers during the day.   I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a pretty fair congregation.  John returned to Tomarata in the afternoon.

Monday 13th   It was a showery day.  I was pulling up tea tree in the barley paddock.

Tuesday 14th   It was very showery in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon, the wind blowing strongly from the S.   I was pulling up tea tree in the barley paddock.

Wednesday 15th   It was a very fine day.  There was a strong wind blowing all day from the  S.  which is drying up the ground.  I was pulling up tea tree below the school.
The Miss Hardings called here after school for Jane to go with them to Mrs Dunnings to spend the evening.

Thursday 16th   It was a showery day, but a string wind blowing from the south.  We got all the Sheep up into the pen in the pigs paddock, we cleaned the sheep and then we put  all the wethers and a few old ewes into the barley paddock.
George Wyatt and Jim Dunning were here in the evening.

Friday 17th   It was fine in the morning, but showery in the afternoon.  A strong wind blowing from the south, it was very cold.  I was pulling up tea tree below the School.   We killed a Sheep in the afternoon.

Saturday 18th   It was a pretty fine day, only a few slight showers.  There was a cold wind blowing from the south.  I was pulling up tea tree below the School.  John returned from Tomarata in the evening.

Sunday 19th   It was fine in the morning.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, during the service it came on to rain and it rained without stopping until about 10 oclock at night.  John returned to Tomarata in the afternoon.

Monday 20th   It was a very fine day.  There was a strong wind blowing which dried the ground up very much.  I rode to Matakana on Henry’s horse to Mr Cruickshanks to get him to witness my signature to a document for the Road Board.  I called in at Mr Matthew’s and had some lunch,  I met Mr Carrie there and had a long talk with him about the late Intercolonial Fruitgrower’s Conference  held at Wellington which he had attended as a delegate for Matakana.
The Miss Hardings came here for tea and Jim & May Dunning came afterwards to spend the evening.

Tuesday 21st   It was a dull day and it came on to rain in the evening.  I was pulling tea tree below the School.  It blew very hard and was misty in the evening and the Steamer did not come in.

Wednesday 22nd   The Steamer came in the morning, she anchored at the Cemetery Point and she did not land any cargo, she afterwards went over to the Little Barrier on Government Service.  It was a dull day and misty, but it did not rain.
I was digging in the E.R. to enlarge the piece of ground I intend to plant with Potatoes.   It rained in the evening.

Thursday 23rd   I went down to the E.R. in the morning and commenced to dig, but it came on to rain and I had to come home.
I then got some firewood from the hill.  In the afternoon I was pulling tea tree in the barley paddock.

Friday 24th   It was showery early in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.  I was pulling up tea tree round the School fence in the afternoon.  I was digging in the E.R. in the pm.  There was a dance in the Hall in the evening.  The girls & Willie went.  I went to the Library.

Saturday 25th   It was fine in the morning.  I was digging in the E.R. in the afternoon.  I walked over to  Ti Point to see the work that Mr Hadwick is doing to the stone facing at the Wharf.  John returned home from Tomarata in the evening.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the evening.  I was present.

Sunday 26th   It was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the pm. John returned to Tomarata in the pm.

Monday 27th   It was a fine day.   There were a few slight showers, but nothing to interfere with work.  I was breaking up ground in the E.R.

Tuesday 28th   It was a fine day.   I was breaking up ground in the E.R.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.  Mr & Mrs Wm  Savage   came up in her, they were married in Auckland yesterday.

Wednesday 29th   It was a fine day and the ground is drying up. Yoked up the young bullocks and Willie and I went down to the Wharf  and hauled up 1 Sack Kidney Seed Potatoes, 2 Bags Potatoe Manure and 100 lbs Flour from Harpers Store.   Maud was here, she came down the hill to go to the store,  Minnie was going up there so they went up together.
I was breaking up ground in the E.R. in the afternoon.  It came on to rain in the evening.

Thursday 30th    It was very showery in the morning.  I placed all the Seed Potatoes on the shelves in the Store to sprout.  I was breaking up ground in the E.R. in the afternoon.  Minnie returned from Mauds. I went  down to Charlie Wyatts in the evening on Road Board business.

Friday 31st   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers in the morning.  It was very fine in the afternoon, but cold in the evening.  I was breaking up ground in the E.R.  both morning and afternoon.