July 1901

Monday 1st   The wind has calmed down a bit and has changed more to the NE.  There were heavy showers in the morning, but it was finer in the afternoon.  I was pulling up tea tree on the road.

Tuesday 2nd   The wind has calmed down and got round to the SW.  It cleared up and was a fine day.  We went down to the wharf in the afternoon.  The “Rose Casey” came in about 3 oclock, Jane returned by her from her visit to Auckland.  There was a Social in the Hall in the evening, all of us went, it was a great success,  £2 . 4 . 0 was taken at the door.

Wednesday 3rd   It was a fine day and the wind is drying up the ground.  Willie and I were digging out the periwincle in the front garden.  There was a shower in the evening.

Thursday 4th   It was a showery day.  I went down to the Library in the morning.

Friday 5th   A showery day.  We lent Empress to go to Warkworth to fetch the mail.
Willie took the bullock down to the Store in the morning to get a Sack of Sharps he also went to the Post Office, he also went to the Post Office in the evening to get the mail.  We heard of the death of Ernest Gravatt who was killed in the bush near Coromandel by a log rolling on him.

Saturday 6th   Willie and I were pulling up tea tree.

Sunday 7th   It was very fine in the morning, but was showery in the afternoon.  Alec Meiklejohn called in the pm.  Jane, Willie and I went down to the Hall, but there was no service.  Jane went to Joe Wyatts for tea.

Monday 8th   Mr Harper brought a Telegram for me from Alf Gravatt telling me that his brother Ernest was to be buried at Pakiri this afternoon at 4 oclock and asking me to read the funeral service.
I rode to Pakiri after dinner, calling at Kempts and Mr Kempt went with me.  Ernest was buried alongside his father.    Revd G. Frost conducted the service and gave a very touching address afterwards.  I did not get home till 7 pm.

Tuesday 9th  Went down to the Library and Steamer.  It was a comparatively fine day.  Willie and I were cutting tea tree after we came home.

Wednesday 10th   It was a comparatively fine day.  Willie and I were digging up periwincke and burning it in the front garden.

Thursday 11th   It was a showery day.  We were pulling up tea tree between the showers.

Friday 12th   It was pretty fine.  Jane rode to Ti Point and staid the night.  Willie and I were pulling tea tree in the front.

Saturday 13th   It was a fine day.  Jane returned from Ti Point, and Willie went over there to try and get some Oysters or Fish, but did not success in getting any.  It poured with rain in the evening.

Sunday 14th   It was a fine day,  Willie went to spend the day at Ti Point.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was only a small congregation.

Monday 15th   It was a beautiful day.  Willie was fixing up the fence and digging in the garden in the E.R.  I was burning rubbish in the front garden.

Tuesday 16th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I commenced digging in the front garden where I intend having a new flower garden.  Minnie walked over from Ti Point with the baby, she brought us some fish that Joe caught yesterday, she got some flower roots and cuttings and went back again in the “Kapanui“.  We went down to the village in the afternoon with the butter & eggs but the “Rose Casey” went round to John Greenwoods beach to get a raft to take to Big Omaha.  Dan Kempt who returned from Auckland by the Rose, came up here for tea.  It rained very heavily in the evening.

Wednesday 17th   It was a fine day.  Willie went down early in the morning to take the butter to the Steward of the “Rose Casey“.
I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a 100 lbs Flour and a Box of Groceries from Smeetons that came by Steamer yesterday.  Jane rode to Matakana on a visit to Mrs John Cruickshank.  Willie and I were digging in the front garden in the afternoon.

Thursday 18th   It was a showery day.  Willie and I were pulling up tea tree in the front.

Friday   19th    The showers were so heavy and close together that we were unable to do anything out of doors but attend to the animals and get some firewood.  Jane returned from Matakana in the afternoon, she got wet.  Willie went down for the mail in the evening.

Saturday 20th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie went with Walter Frearson fishing to Ti Point.  Willie staid at Minnie all night.
I was pulling up tea tree in the front in the morning.
There was a meeting of the Road Board in the afternoon.  It rained heavily the latter part of the afternoon.

Sunday 21st   It was a fine day.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the morning with 5 Schnappers that he caught yesterday and 2 smoked ones that Minnie gave him.  The Salvation Army held a service in the Hall in the afternoon, so I took a walk up the hill calling at Mr Handbys and then on to Joe Greenwoods,  I took a walk down to his orchard with him and staid for tea, he gave me some flower plants.

Monday 22nd   I took the bullock down to the Store in the morning and hauled up a Sack of Maize.  I was marking out a flower bed in the front garden in the afternoon.

Tuesday 23rd   I went down to the Store in the morning with the Eggs and waited until the Rose came in.  There was a heavy shower about noon.  There were a lot of fishing yachts in and they sent a quantity of fish away by the Rose.

Wednesday 24th   It rained nearly all morning.  I went down to the wharf in the pm.  The “Rob Roy” called in on her way to Auckland, there were 13 yachts in and they sent their fish by her.  The “Kawau” also called in.

Thursday 25th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I took the bullock down to the wharf in the morning and hauled up 2 Cases of Kerosene to the Hall and 1 Case up here for our own use.
Willie and I were digging in the front garden in the afternoon.

Friday 26th   It rained nearly all day.

Saturday 27th   Willie went fishing to Ti Point.  I went down to the Library and remained there nearly all day numbering the books.  It rained nearly all day.

Sunday 28th   It was a fine day.  Dan Kempt came here for dinner.  Revd G. Frost held service in the Hall in the afternoon, the service was in memory of the late Ernest Gravatt, and afterwards Mrs C. Gravatt played the Dead March.

Monday 29th   It was a fine day.  Joe Torkington came over and helped us to kill the Pig.

Tuesday 30th   It poured with rain last night and all this morning.  I cut up the Pig and salted it away.  It weighed 190 lbs.  I took the Eggs down to the Store in the afternoon and went to the Library.  There was a Social in the Hall in the evening, it had cleared up and was a fine night.  The sum of £1 . 5 . 0 was taken at the door.  There were no Steamer fellows up as the Rose did not leave Auckland until midnight.

Wednesday 31st   It was a very showery day.  Willie took some pork over to Minnie.  Mr & Mrs Dale called and staid for lunch.  Charlie, Maggie & family returned in the Rose.