June 1919

Sunday 1st   It was a fine day, bund [sic: but] the wind is from E.
Revd Gould held service in the morning, I attended, there was a large congregation.  Horace Hedges came up here for dinner and his father came in the afternoon and Mrs Gravatt & Muriel came later and they all staid tea and in the evening Willie gave us some items on the phonograph.

Monday 2nd   It rained early this morning, but it turned out a very fine day, Willie was pegging down the wire netting round the fowl run, I was gardening the top side of the house.  I transplanted some Swede Turnips, planted some Shallots & 2 rows of Tree Onions.

Tuesday 3rd   King George’s birthday.   It was a very fine day.  I was working on the flat in the morning.  Willie cleaned the fowl house out and cleaned grass seed.  In the afternoon he and Grace went down to Matheson’s beach and brought home some fish.  Mrs Simpson spent the day at Mrs Ernie Greenwoods.  Horace Hedges came in the evening.  We saw the sea plane returning to Auckland in the afternoon.

Wednesday 4th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was working on the flat, in the pm I went down to the beach and carried some sand over to the wharf, waited ’till the steamer came in and got the mail.
Willie was packing Pears and he carted them down to the wharf in the pm and brought my sand up.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day ‘tho dull.  In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters & to take some rose cuttings to give to Mary Young to take home to her mother.  The remainder of the day I was working in the flower garden.  Willie was digging his Kumeras.  In the evening there was a meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society.  Grace and I attended.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day.  I was working down at the flat all day.  I burned 13 heaps in the afternoon.  Willie was burning grass on the hill behind the house.  Mrs Simpson went down to the P.O in the pm and drew her first Pension.

Saturday 7th   It was a very fine day.  I was working on the flat both morning and afternoon,  I burned all my heaps and was clearing.
Willie went fishing and burned grass on the hill.

Sunday 8th   It was a very calm fine day.  Horace Hedges & I drove up to John Greenwoods to spend the [day],  Willie & Dolly were away at Mrs Rokes at Matakana and returned home just as we were leaving in the evening.  John showed us his garden & we took a walk on the range so as to have a look down at Pakiri, we spent a very pleasant day.  Horace on return home came in here, we found Ernie Greenwood and his wife were spending the evening here.

Monday 9th   It was a fine day.  Wind SW.  I was working on the flat all day, cutting down trees, raking up & levelling the ground where stumps had burned out.
Grace & Mrs Simpson went to dine at Ernie Greenwoods  & in the pm went to Mr Hedges.  Willie was burning grass on the hill, and later in the afternoon he also went to Mr Hedges.

Tuesday 10th   It was a fine day.  Wind SW.  I was working on the flat all day, levelling the ground where stumps had burned out.
Willie was burning grass on the hill, also cutting tea tree & burning on the flat where he is going to get it ploughed.

Wednesday 11th   It was a fine day, although there were a few showers in the morning.  I was working on the flat all day levelling.
Willie packed his Pears and carted them down to the wharf in the evening.  The “Kawau” went into Big Omaha first, then called in here and proceeded to Mangawai to get a load of gum.  Mr & Mrs Glass came up by the steamer on a visit.  Eddie & Jim Wyatt commenced to plough in the front where Western Woltz grew last season.

Thursday 12th   It was a fine day.  I went over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane , also called in to see Mr Holder who was ill in bed.  Being mail day Ernie Greenwood gave me a ride in his cart each way.  Willie was harrowing the ground in his garden.

Friday 13th   It was a fine day.  I was working on the flat in the morning levelling the ground.  In the afternoon I went down to meet the steamer and got the mail.  Willie was planting Potatoes in his garden.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day.  Willie went out fishing with the two Mr Hedges, but they had very poor luck, on returning in the evening the Mr Hs  had tea here.  I was working on the flat in the morning levelling.  In the afternoon there was a meeting of the Bazaar Committee in the Library, Mrs Simpson, Grace & I attended.
In the evening there was a meeting of Ratepayers in the Hall to consider the action of the Council in removing the whole of the crusher plant to another part of the district, the meeting was largely attended , Mr Ashworth occupied the Chair,  Mr Witten (Riding Member) attended and explained the action he took in the matter.  It was decided to send a deputation to the next meeting of the Council  to ask them in view of their action in ordering the removal of the crusher without consulting the 3 Ridings interested to take over the liability on the crusher, the deputation to consist of Messrs Ashworth , Salt & D. M. Darroch.

Sunday 15th   There were a few slight showers.  The two Mr Hedges came to spend the day.  They went a walk over on the farm in the afternoon and in the evening we all went down to church.  Mr Macdonald preached a very good sermon, there were 28 present, Collection 18/1 .

Monday 16th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to see Mr Macdonald and to give him £4 as our Guarantee to the Church funds for the Quarter ending 30th June.
Willie was sowing grass seed on the flat  and I was raking it in.  Mrs Simpson went over to Ti Point to stay and Grace went as far as the Ti Point School with her.  Later in the pm Willie went down to Mathesons beach fishing and unfortunately stepped on a sea egg and got several spikes in his foot.  Horace Hedges came in the evening to try to get them out, but unsuccesfully, so he poultesed  [sic: poulticed]  it.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day.  Wind NE.  Jim Wyatt drove Willie to Warkworth to the Doctor about the sea eggs spikes in his foot.  In the morning I was down on the flat raking in the grass seed .  In the afternoon I pulled up the Tomato plants & stakes and sowed a row of Peerless Peas next to the tree onions.  In the evening it rained heavily and filled our tank.

Wednesday 18th   Although we had a big rainbow this morning we had no rain, but it was a beautiful day.  Willie foot was pretty bad but he managed to come down to the flat and finished sowing the grass seed.  I was raking it in all day.  Jack sent a horse down by the steamer for Willie and Grace who was down led it home,  it seems a nice quiet horse and has a new horse cover on.
Jack must be in Auckland.
Horace Hedges spent the evening here.

Thursday 19th   There were a few slight showers otherwise it was tolerably fine.  I went down to the flat both morning & afternoon raking in the grass seed.  On account of Willies foot he did not go far from the house.
I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 20th   It was fine during the day, but rained in the evening and at night.  I was raking in grass seed on the flat all day.  Willie was doing odd jobs at home.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening in connection with the Mutual Improvement Society,  Willie & Grace attended.

Saturday 21st   It was a showery day.  I wrote a letter to my son Jack who with his wife is staying at New Lynn and Willie posted the letter when he went down to the village in the morning.  I went down to put some flowers in the Church in the afternoon.

Sunday 22nd   It rained heavily early this morning, cleared up later on and in the afternoon, but came on again late in the afternoon.
I conducted service in the pm, there were 23 present.  Collection 10/8.  Dorothy & Edit were here for dinner, went to church with us and staid the night.

Monday 23rd   It rained nearly all day, cleared up a little in the pm when Dorothy & Edit went home.  Willie made a swingletree & two axe handles.  I was mending socks.

Tuesday 24th   Although there was a rainbow this morning it turned out a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to get the mail.
Grace & Raymond walked to Ti Point to spend the day, returning in the evening.  In the afternoon Willie was cutting tea tree on the flat.
I was washing.

Wednesday 25th   There was a heavy shower in the morning.  Willie and I were working on the flat in the morning & in the afternoon Willie took a box of eggs down to the wharf & carted up 2 Sks  of chaff that he got from Ernest Wyatt.
Johny Greenwood who has been serving with the expiditionary force in France returned by the steamer this afternoon, also his parents who had gone to Auckland to meet him.  Horace Hedges came to spend the evening.

Thursday 26th   The wind has got round to the SW and it was a very fine day.  I was cutting firewood in the morning for my room and in the pm I was working on the flat.  Willie was cutting tea tree for a kiln all day.  I went down for the mail in the evening.  Heard that Germany had signed the peace terms.

Friday 27th   It was a fine day.  I was helping Willie cut tea tree on the flat both morning and afternoon.  I went down to the steamer after dinner.  Horace’s younger brother Lyndon came up by her.

Saturday 28th   It was a very fine day.  I sent away my watch to Kohu to be repaired.  Grace took it down to the P.0 this morning, but it was too late for the mail, so it will not go until monday.  Willie, Horace & Lyndon Hedges went out fishing in a boat off Mathesons and came home in the evening with about 30 fish.  I was working in the flower garden weeding all day.  There was a meeting of Ratepayers in the Hall in the evening, I attended.

Sunday 29th   It was very fine in the morning.  Revd Gould held service in the hall in the morning.  I attended, and after church I walked of to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane, they had a pheasant for dinner, it rained heavily in the pm & I had to stay the night.  Willie, Grace & Horace drove to Ti Point & returned home in the evening.

Monday 30th    It was fine first thing in the morning.  I walked home after breakfast, a heavy shower after I got home.  In the afternoon it was fine so I went down to the flat and cut some wood for the kitchen fire, and also some for my own room and I carried some home.  Willie put  [sic: took]  the new horse that Jack gave him and drove over to Ti Point and brought Mrs Simpson over here.