March 1901

Friday 1st   It was a fine day.   The Miss Cruickshanks  &  Miss Brown returned to Matakana in the morning.  I went to the Post Office and the Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day.   Willie and I were picking fruit to send away next week.  Jane rode over to Matakana in the afternoon to stay at the Cruickshanks as there is to be a tennis match this afternoon and a dance this evening.

Sunday 3rd   There were several showers of rain.   Mr H. R. French (Wesleyan)  preached in the Hall in the afternoon.
Jane returned from Matakana in the evening.

Monday 4th   It was a fine day.   Willie and I were picking fruit all day. Willie went down to the Post Office in the afternoon to send a wire ordering fruit cases to be sent tomorrow.  I took Mrs Dunning some plums in the evening.

Tuesday 5th   It was a fine day.   Finished picking fruit in the morning and hauled it down to the wharf in the afternoon.  Hauled up 25 Fruit Cases, empty Egg Box  and 70 lb bag Sugar.  Captain McKinven came up in the evening, and afterwards Mr                     Miss McKenzie and Miss Hutchinson  came up and we were playing 6 handed euchre.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day.   Jane rode over to Ti Point and staid all night.  Willie and I mended up the fence of the farm orchard as the cows are getting in, afterwards went to Frearsons, they had got all their Sheep in for dipping and three of ours were in,  viz  one ewe and two lambs which we brought home.
A Mr C.  LaRoche called in the afternoon, he is going to start a weekly paper at Warkworth to be named the Rodney County Times, I became a subscriber.
We commenced cutting up Apples for drying.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day tho’ not much sun.  We were cutting up apples in the morning and cutting and burning tea tree in the front in the afternoon.
Miss Williams called in the afternoon to get some Elberta wood for budding for her brother Bob.
Dan Kempt also called to persuade me to go to the Waipu Show with him as the “Rob Roy” is going to call in here early tomorrow morning, but I did not go.
Jane returned from Ti Point in the evening.

Friday 8th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were picking Damsons in this orchard.
I went to the Post Office in the evening,  also to the Library.

Saturday 9th   It was a fine day. Willie went fishing to Ti Point.  I was picking Damsons.  In the afternoon I went down to the wharf to meet the “Rob Roy” coming from the Waipu Show.  Dan Kempt came up with me and had some tea.
Jane went to call on Mrs Goodwin in the evening.

Sunday 10th   It was a fine day.  Mrs Goodwin and Walter Frearson came in the afternoon and staid tea.  I read service in the Hall in the evening.

Monday 11th   It was a beautiful day.  Jane rode over to Pakiri to spend the day with Mrs Ellis Dyer.  Willie and I cut up a lot of apples in the morning, also picked Damons in the farm orchard.  In the evening we went down to the Wharf to meet the “Rose Casey“.

Tuesday 12th   It was a fine day.  Jane went round in the “Rose Casey” to Ti Point and returned with her.  Willie and I finished picking Damsons in the farm orchard, also two Cases Beurre Diel Pears, we hauled them down to the wharf.

Wednesday 13th   It was fine in the morning, we picked in all the Beurre Diel Pears from the farm orchard and stored them in the back room.  It rained all afternoon very heavily so that we could not milk the Cows in the evening.

Thursday 14th   It was fine in the morning, and as “Rosey” was bulling we took her up to Kempts and brought down their bull to remain in our place for a while.  It poured with rain and we got wet through.  On our way down we met Mr W. Greenwood who had just landed from the “Rob Roy” he was driving two Rams that he had brought from Auckland.  It rained so heavy that it caused a big fresh in the creek, and we missed milking the Cows in the evening.

Friday 15th   It was fine enough in the morning to milk the Cows, and then it rained all day.  It cleared up in the evening and I went down for the mail and the Library.

Saturday 16th   It was a fine day.  Jane and Willie rode to Ti Point. Jane staid all night with Minnie as Joe is away with the Cricketers at Whangarei.  Willie brought home several schnappers.  I was cutting tea tree in the morning and there was a Road Board Meeting in the Hall in the afternoon.

Sunday 17th   It was a fine day.  Jane returned from Ti Point in the morning, Minnie came with her to spend the day. The “Kapanui” called in about noon bringing the cricketers from Whangarei.   I went down to Charlies in the afternoon, also to the Hall to fill the Lamps. Annie Harper, Maggie McDavett & May Dunning were here for tea.
I read service in the Hall in the evening.

Monday 18th   It was a fine day.  We picked Coes Late Red Plums in the farm orchard in the morning, and in this orchard in the afternoon.  I went down to the Store in the evening to get a pair of Blucher’s Boots.

Tuesday 19th   It was a fine day.  We packed 8 Cases Beurre Deel Pears and with the 2 Cases Coles Late Red hauled them down to the wharf, hauled up 1 Sack Maize and box of Groceries.

Wednesday 20th   It rained all the morning and although it cleared up in the afternoon but the ground was too wet to get on to it to pick pears, so we cut tea tree in the front.  Jane road to Ti Point, but returned in the evening.

Thursday 21st   It was a fine day.  Willie and I went down to the Koeroa Creek and mended up the fences that the late fresh had carried away.  Afterwards we picked all the Beurri Bose’s and some of the Beurri Duls.

Friday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  We took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Maize and a Fowl Crate.  Went down to the Hall in the pm to get ready for the Social this evening.
A. Haskell,  Annie Harper and May Dunning were there to help. The Social came off in the evening and was a great success, it was a farewell to the Fordham family who are leaving next Tuesday,   over 100 were present.   A Testimonial was presented to Miss Clara Fordham for her service as Organist (an Album) and two Butter Knives to Miss Fordham.   A very good supper was supplied by the ladies, and every one seemed to enjoy themselves.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Jane and Willie rode to Ti Point.
I went down to the Hall in the morning to clear up,  and down to the Cemetery in the afternoon to help Dan Kempt fix up the fence.

Sunday 24th   It rained nearly all day, but cleared up in the evening. We went down to the Hall and I read service, there were only a very few present.

Monday 25th   It was a fine day, but the wind was blowing strong and blowing the Pears off the trees so we gathered all of the Marachal de la Com and most of the Beurri Diel Pears, we packed all the cases we had.  We went down to meet the Rose, we waited till after 10 pm and as she had not then arrived we went home, she did not arrive until about 11 pm.

Tuesday 26th   It was a beautiful day.  We got up early.  The “Rob Roy” called in here to take the Omaha cricketers to play a match at Waipu, she left here at 6 am.   We yoked the bullock up early and hauled down to the wharf 8 Cases of Fruit, we hauled up 15 empty cases and filled 9 with Beurre Diel Pears and hauled them down to the wharf.
The “Rose Casey” left at about 12.30, she had several passengers amongst them Mrs, Miss & Sid Fordham, who are leaving the District and taking all their furniture with them. They have sold their place to Archie Dunning, I hear for £350, including several head of cattle. We hauled up 10 fruit cases and 100 lbs of Flour from the Store.
Bowden Birdsall took away Kempts Bull from our place, he is taking it to the sale at Warkworth tomorrow.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day.  Willie went fishing to Ti Point.
I was cutting tea tree in the front.  There was a choir practice in the Hall in the evening, Jane played the organ and Miss Clara Fordham to give her a few hints.

Thursday 28th   It was a fine day.  I packed 5 Cases of Beurre Diel Pears and 1 Case Apples.  Cut tea tree in the afternoon.

Friday 29th   It was a fine day.  I hauled the 6 Cases Fruit down to the wharf in the morning.  The “Rob Roy” called in the evening, there was a great load of fruit to go away and Miss Clara & Herbert Fordham and the remainder of their furniture, also Mr Harper.   Jane went with Annie Harper to Big Omaha to a dance in the School as a farewell to Mr Sheppard.  The Tennis Club presented him with a mounted walking stick.

Saturday 30th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing in.   Willie and I picked 2 Cases of Quinces at the Cottage and I hauled them down to the wharf for Mr Shakespeare who ordered them last night.
There was to have been a meeting in the Hall at 4 pm to get up something for Revd McKinney, but so few put in an appearance that the matter was allowed to drop.  Mr Sim was at our place for tea.   In the evening there was a meeting of subscribers to the Show, the prizes were paid, and a new committee was elected.

Sunday 31st   It was a fine day.  Walter and Blanche came here for dinner.  I read service in the Hall in the evening.  Jane played the organ for the first time.
The Census of the population of the Colony was taken tonight.