June 1923

Friday 1st   It was a fine day, I got firewood and the remainder of the day I was working in the garden.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I was digging in the morning.  In the afternoon  there was a hockey match at the Domain between Omaha and Warkworth.  Omaha won 3 to 2 goals.  All of us went. One of the cars bringing the Warkworth players broke down on Matakana cemetery hill.

Sunday 3rd    It was a fine day.  It was King Georges birthday.  Revd Addenbrook held service in the Claim Hall in the afternoon, there were 26 present .  Cpllection 13/8 .
Mr & Whitaker & the Parson were here for tea.  The latter had to go back to Warkworth for evening service.

Monday 4th   The Kings birthday was kept as a general holiday today. No school.  It was fine enough in the morning to enable me to extend the two rows of the Daisy Peas about 6 ft to the boundary I intend to cultivate.  It came on to rain and it rained all day.  Mr & Mrs Stewart drove over to spend the day and as it continued to rain they staid the night.  We played 500.  Mr S  &  I  V  Jim & Mrs S,  they beat.

Tuesday 5th   It was a fine day.  Mr & Mrs Stewart left this morning as Mr Stewart had to teach school,  I gave him my library books to change.  I got wood and then cut pea sticks.  Very cold night.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day.  Flo’  &  Miss Wallet came to spend the day.  Jim was digging in the garden.  I planted 6 Brown Spanish Onions for seed.  Sowed some Cauliflower seed.  Hector brought me 3 Library books that Mr Stewart had changed for me.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day.  Mr Gravatt came round from Leigh in the steamer, and brought the enlargement of the Leigh Church which my friends there have presented to me, Jim brought it home from the top wharf,  I hung the picture in my room in the afternoon.
I got sand to put round the seed onions.  Made & carried home 3 bundles of pea sticks, got firewood.

Friday 8th   It rained nearly all the morning, but it cleared up in the pm.  Hector & I went up the hill & got firewood.

Saturday 9th   It rained last night and nearly all to day, could not do anything outside.  There was to have been a Football Match and a Hockey Match in the Domain to day, but on account of the weather they were cancelled.

Sunday 10th   Wind easterly.  Rained all day.  Revd  Poole should have held service in the hall in the morning, but on account of the weather he did not come.

Monday 11th   It was a wet day.  Sawed and carried down some wood.

Tuesday 12th   Showery day, got some pea sticks.  Received a long letter from my son Jack.  Jane received a letter from Elsie.

Wednesday 13th   It was fine during the day, but it poured with rain in the evening.

Thursday 14th   It was fine during the day, showers in the evening. Posted a long letter to my son Jack.  Took my library books to Mr Holders for Arch Dunning to change for me.  Got some sand and pea sticks.  Archie brought back 3 new library books next evening.

Friday 15th   It was a showery day. Got firewood.  Wrote a long letter to Willie.
Mr Payne of Sunday School Union showed some beautiful pictures of the life of Christ &c in the Claim hall.  On account of the weather & muddy roads, only Jim, Jane, Mrs Evans, Jim’s children were present, but we enjoyed them.

Saturday 16th   It was a very fine day.  There was a Football match at the Domain at 2 pm between Omaha & Matakana.  Omaha won.
At 3 pm there was a Hockey match between Omaha & Lime Works.  Omaha won 2 goals to 1.    Minnie, Eyleen, Alma and Norman Smith came up here for tea, I showed Norman my views of Torquay where my sister Fanny lived, Norman was invalided there during the war, so he took an interest in them.  All of them with the exception of the children and me went to a dance at the Hall.

Sunday 17th   It was a fine day.  Mr Payne of the Auckland Sunday School Union held a service in the Hall in the afternoon, all of us attended.

Monday 18th   There was a shower in the morning, otherwise it was a fine day.  I got wood and did some digging in the pm.

Tuesday 19th   It was a fine day.  I went to the P.O in the morning to get the mail, in the afternoon I went to Mr Whitakers to borrow some books.

Wednesday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Jane & Mildred went to spend the day at Mr Whitikers.  Jim & I were the only ones home for lunch.  I sawed down a kerosene case to make two seed boxes, got forked sticks & rails to make a stand for them,  cleared some ground of grass in the garden.

Thursday  21st   It was a showery day.  I was not able to do anything outside.  Jane & I started to upholster my wicker chair.  I teased out the horse hair and Jane made coverings for the cushions.

Friday 22nd   It was a very showery day.  I was not able to do anything outside, Jane finished my wicker chair.  I received a letter from Mr Shepherd in the evening, he said he had to move to Hamilton.

Saturday 23rd   It was a very showery day.  There should have been a football match at the domain between Omaha & Warkworth, but on account of the weather the match was cancelled.
Eddie & Ivy’s baby (Kelven George) first birthday.

Sunday 24th   It rained last night and it was a showery day.  There was no service here so I staid in the house & read.  It was Eddie & Ivy’s baby (Kelven Georges) first birthday.

Monday 25th   It was a showery day. I was not able to do anything out of doors.

Tuesday 26th   It was a very dull day, but it did not rain.  In the morning I got some pegs and some firewood.  In the afternoon Jane & I drove over to Leigh to attend a concert in the evening.  As it came on to rain we put the horse & sulky in Mr A. Dunning‘s paddock & staid there for tea.  All of us went to the concert which was very enjoyable & deserved a better audience.  I was chairman, the following ladies & gentlemen took part ,  Miss Gravatt,  Miss Matheson,  Miss Redwood,  Mrs W Harper,  Mrs Taylor,  Miss Jane Brown,  Mr Grigg,  Stewart & Master T. Taylor,  Mr & Mrs Taitley. Community singing for the first half hour,  the ladies provided an excellent supper, and the rest of the evening was spent in dancing. Mrs S. Smith,  Miss Matheson, Miss J. Brown supplied the music, Mr Er?? Wyatt proving an efficient m c.  It poured with rain during the evening so that the dance was prolonged hoping that the rain might stop.  Jane & I staid the night at Mr A. Dunnings.  Jim who had ridden over for the concert, returned home that night.

Wednesday 27th   It poured with rain all last night until after day light when it cleared up a little when Jane & I drove home.
There were showers during the day.  I wrote a long letter to my friend Mr Shepherd who is leaving Warkworth & has been appointed to a Hamilton school, one of the letters was a business one regarding the Church and enclosing a P.O order for £3 . 3 . 0 as a final settlement of the monies collected by me, the other letter of a friendly nature, I also sent him a book as a small parting gift.

Thursday 28th   It was much finer today.  A few slight showers, but a strong wind blowing which is drying up the ground.  I got some firewood from the hill & planted a few cabbage plants.  Eric Brown wrote to me saying that his father Tenetohi had died yesterday morning and asking me to read the service at the funeral tomorrow afternoon at 1 o’clock which I consented to do.  Jane & Mildred went to Mr Evans’ in the afternoon.

Friday 29th   It was a fine day.  Jim drove me over to Leigh in the afternoon,  Mr Gozar took me over to the Pa in his boat.  Tenetohi was laid to rest in the Maori cemetery,  I read the first part of the service at the house, as Rahai wished it, and the latter part at the grave.  The funeral was attended by many settlers to show their respect,  Tenetohi was about 90 years.
Jane & Mildred went to see Mrs Walden in the afternoon, she is staying with Jack.  The Bohemian settlers at Puhoi celebrated their 60th anniversary  of their landing in Auckland.

Saturday 30th   I received a very nice letter from Mr Shepherd, head teacher at Warkworth, he is leaving and has been appointed Teacher at Fairfield a suburb of Hamilton,  I am very sorry he is leaving as we have been great friends, having the same love of flowers.