June 1920

Tuesday 1st   It was a very fine day.  Willie was packing Pears and he carted them down to the wharf in the afternoon & he brought up 2 bags of sand I carried to the wharf.
I ripped down another kaikakatea   [sic: kahikatea]    ricker to make a ladder as the other one I ripped had the works in it.  Eddy & Ivy came in the evening & we played cards.

Wednesday 2nd   It was a very fine day.  The “Kawau” made a round trip, she left Auckland last night and here at 9 am.   I went down to the village to get the mail, also posted a letter to Mr Macdonald containing M.O for £2 . 10 . 0  balance of his testimonial money – also posted a copy of the balance sheet to Frank Pratt and Bowden Birdsall.   I was working at the ladder.  Mrs Gozar & Maud called in the afternoon.

Thursday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Willie was carting wood for his kiln.  I finished making the ladder and in the pm I planted 17 Cauliflower & 17 Cabbage plants  Flo’ came in the evening and staid the night.

Friday 4th   It was a fine day,  wind blowing strong from E.  Willie finished hauling out his wood late in the evening.  Grace went with Flo’ down to Horace’s place in the pm.  I gave Flo’ 50 of my Cabbage plants.  I emptied the WC and did some washing.
There was the adjourned annual meeting of the Public Hall,  I attended , the following is the Committee elected,  W. F. Harper (Chairman),  A. L. Greenwood (Secretary & Treasurer),  J. C. E. Wyatt, Jim Wyatt,  Wm Dunning,  Alf Dunning,  &  C. S. Clarke.

Saturday 5th   It rained all day & evening.  I was not able to do anything outside.  Willie got a kaihakatea   [sic: kahikatea]    sapling & ripped it down and bored it on the back verandah to make a ladder.

Sunday 6th   It was a very fine day, but everything was very wet after all the rain we have had.  Jane & Jean came in the morning to stay , they have been at Arch Dunnings since last Friday and were unable to come up here before on account of the rain.  Willie rode to Ti Point to spend the day with Joe & Minnie.  I attended the Methodist service in the pm, Revd  Richards officiated, I liked him.

Monday 7th   Willie commenced to build his charcoal kiln.  It was a fine day, John Came of Matakana called in the morning, he staid for lunch, I took him down to  Wyatts, he ordered 5 bushels of wheat from them.  Maggie called in the afternoon.

Tuesday 8th   It was a very fine day.  Willie continued building his charcoal kiln.
I got another kaikakatea ricker and ripped it down.  There was a social in the Hall in the evening and it was largely attended, it was for a send off to Mr & Mrs Ernie Greenwood  who have sold their place to Mr Baker and have bought a farm at Karaka near Papakura, Messrs  Ashworth & J. Torkington supplied the music for the dancing, Miss Grigg sang.

Wednesday 9th   It was a fine day.  Willie drove Jane in the sulky in the afternoon, when he came back he packed pears,  I bored the holes in the ladder & started putting in the rungs.  In the afternoon I went to Arthur Greenwoods to get him to Audit the Acts for last half year,  afterwards went to the steamer & got the mail.

Thursday 10th   A very dull day, threatening for rain.  I was helping Willie packing the remainder of his Vicar Pears and he carted them down to the wharf.  I wrote a letter to Mr Jourdain, and a report of the Hall meeting & the send off for the Ernie Greenwoods.

Friday 11th  It was a very fine day.  Willie was packing Apples & Onions.  I finished making the 2nd Ladder.  In the pm I went down to Horace’s place to get some malthoid to repair the roof of the summer house.

Saturday 12th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I took some flowers down to the church, called for the mail, took Mr Gozar some Daffodil bulbs and got a bag of sand which I put on the horse trough, Willie carted to the wharf the last of his Apples and Onions & he brought up my sand.  I received a wire from the Land Board stating that the Board cannot recommend J. C. E. Wyatts application to purchase my property if I was not prepared to accept £1800 for it.
In the afternoon I commenced to repair the roof of the summer house.

Sunday 13th   It was a fine day although the wind was SE,  Revd Hawksworth held service in the Church in the pm,  there were 40 present.  Collection 15/-  After church I went up to Willie Dunnings for tea.  Willie & Grace went up to Mrs Knowles.

Monday 14th   There were a few showers in the morning, but it was fine in the afternoon.  After breakfast I met Eddie Wyatt down at the P.O to send wires to the Commissioner of Crown Land about the sale of this place, but I did not wait to hear the result .  Bowden Birdsall brought over a team of bullocks to haul out the pine logs for Wyatts down at the beach.  Willie continued building his charcoal kiln.
I finished putting the malthoid on to the summer house.

Tuesday 15th   It was a very fine day,  ‘tho dull.  Willie continued building his charcoal kiln.  I made all the rungs for my third ladder and planed and bored the side pieces.  Mr & Mrs Hedges & Mr Knowles came to spend the evening.  I attended a meeting of the Hall Committee in the evening.

Wednesday 16th   It was a fine day.  Willie finished building his charcoal kiln, and set fire to it in the evening.
In the morning I planted 11 Large Onions for seed that Willie gave me.
Went down to the steamer in the afternoon, took 50 cabbbage plants for Jim Gozar, received a very nice letter from Mr Grindrod.

Thursday 17th   It was a fine day.  I walked to Ti Point to spend the day, called at Ashworths to take Mr A. an Aquilegia plant ,  also called at D. Knaggs to take Mr K an Aquilegia  &  Ageratum plants, some Daffodil Bulbs & some seeds, then went on to Joes where I had dinner, reached home about 5 pm.

Friday 18th   It was a fine day, but blowing strong from NE.
I commenced to prune the Roses .  Made up a parcel of Peas and other seeds to send to my friend Mr Grindrod.  Willie was watching his charcoal burning.

Saturday 19th   It was a miserable day, misty rain and blowing a gale from NE.  After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail and to post a letter, a seed catalogue & a packet of garden peas to Mr Grindrod.  Was not able to do anything outside except get some firewood.  Willie was watching his charcoal kiln.

Sunday 20th   It turned out a very fine day, the wind has dropped and it was very calm.  I conducted service in the church in the afternoon, there were 23 present, Collection 6/-
Minnie who was at church came up here for tea.

Monday 21st   It was fine in the morning, but turned out a showery day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter to the Commissioner of the North Auckland Land Board and also to ring up the Farmers Co Op at Warkworth telling them that lunch would be provided at the sale.  Willie was taking out his charcoal.  I did a little pruning to Roses and got firewood.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a very showery day.  In the morning I was sorting out seed Beans.  Horace came in the morning and brought our mail , I sold him 50 Cabbage plants.
Willie was bagging up his charcoal, and in the afternoon I went down & sewed up some bags.

Wednesday 23rd   It was dull and wintery looking, but it did not rain in the morning.   I went down to the flat and sowed up charcoal bags.
Willie finished sieving and bagging it up, the kiln turned out 70 sacks.
In the afternoon I took some Cabbage plants down to Alberts to send over to Mabels,  also took Mrs Gozar some Rose cuttings.  The Scow “Katie S” was loading Pine logs from Wyatts at the beach. There was no steamer today, heard she was in dock and would not come till Friday.  It commenced to rain as I was coming home and poured after I got home.

Thursday 24th   It was very fine during the day, but the ground was very wet and water laying about everywhere.  I was sewing up charcoal bags for Willie, had my lunch down at the flat and finished in the afternoon.  Willie hauled all the charcoal out on to the road in the afternoon.  It came on showery in the evening.

Friday 25th   There were several showers during the day and a very heavy one accompanied by rain in the afternoon.  Willie carted his charcoal from the county road to the wharf .  I put the rungs into my 3rd ladder.
Willie Harper brought me a Telegram from the Commissioner of Crown Lands saying that the Board would recommend the advance to J. C. E. Wyatt of £1800  for the purchase of my property, Wyatt to pay me the balance of  £200.  I went down to the Library in the evening to change my books, also got the two mails from the P.O, the “Kawau” had just arrived from Auckland.  Mr & Mrs John Greenwood returned after a long holiday.

Saturday 26th   It was a fine day, there were showers in the evening.
I finished my ladder by sawing off the ends of the rungs & spokeshaving the outside pieces.  Willie carted his clothes props to the wharf and in the pm he cleaned the cart.
In the afternoon the ladies entertained Miss C. A. Matheson at afternoon tea in the hall as that lady is leaving on an extended visit to Waipu.  The table was laid on the stage, Revd  Poole presided at the head of the table and I at the other end.  Mr Poole in an             and humourous speech eulogized Miss Mathesons christian character and work in this district and on behalf of many friends presented her with a Bible and Fountain Pen.  I also spoke having known Miss M for many years.

Sunday 27th   It rained last night and early this morning.  Revd Poole (Presbyterian) held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended, on account of the weather there was only a small attendance.
After church I went up the Arthur Greenwoods & Willie, Grace & Raymond came later on, we had been invited to spend the day there.

Monday 28th   It was a very fine day.  I rode over to Jim’s place in the morning, called at Ti Point school to send 50 Cabbage plants to Gus Neeley, returned home in the afternoon.
Eddie & Jim Wyatt were hauling pine logs on a timber wagon down to the harbour.  Willie was painting his cart

Tuesday 29th   It was a very fine day.  I took Mrs Arch Dunning a present of one of my Uncle John’s pictures, called at the P.O for the mail, and had a list of the things I have for sale posted up on the store window.  When I got home I pruned Roses.  Willie was painting his cart.

Wednesday 30th   It was a very fine day,  wind SW.  It was cold in the shade.
I washed a lot of clothes in the morning, and went down to the steamer in the afternoon, she was very late in coming in.
Willie was making crates to  [put]  the fowls in for the sale.