Monday 1st It was a fine day. In the morning I was working in the flower garden. Willie picked 4 Cases Fruit and hauled it down to the wharf & brought up 2 bags of sand for me.
In the afternoon I went down to John Wyatts to fix up the Pension papers for them , I staid tea. I was just in time to bid goodbye to Mrs Carr who went away by the “Kawau“. She has 8 months leave of absence from the Board of Education to take a trip home to Scotland to see her friends. She has been a good Teacher and has exercised a good moral influence over the children and also those who have come in contact with her. Mrs Franklin has been appointed relieving Teacher in her absence and commenced her school duties today.
Tuesday 2nd It was a very fine day. All the young people went a picnic to Ti Point. they went round in Willies boat, Mrs Archie Dunning rode over and Minnie, Flo, Mrs Knaggs & Mr Torkington joined them over there. Our people went to Mrs D. Knaggs to spend the evening and they did not get home till midnight.
I staid at home and was working in the flower garden. In the pm I went down to the village to get the mail after the arrival of the “Kawau“.
Wednesday 3rd It was a very hot day. In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up a bag of Flour and a bag of sand for me. The remainder of the day I was picking pears.
In the evening the young people went to Mrs Archie Dunnings.
Thursday 4th It was a fine day. Willie was picking fruit all day and he hauled 14 Cases down to the wharf in the evening.
I was working in the flower garden. In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail & attend the Library. There was a meeting of the Farmers Association, the subject for discussion was the proposal of the Postal Department to discontinue the overland mail next, the general opinion was against the proposal.
Friday 5th It was a fine day. We got up early as our visitors are leaving this morning by the “Kawau“. Willie went with them to see after the sale of his Danthonia, Willie took the horse down with their luggage, Jane & I went down to the Steamer to see them off & I brought the horse home & hauled some sand & a parcel of new Library books. Jane went home from the Steamer with Mabel and she did not arrive home until late in the evening.
Saturday 6th It was a hot day. I was burning clay in the front garden. In the afternoon Jane rode to the Claim to a Cricket Match and a Tennis practice.
I rode on Stake down to the Village expecting to get the mail, but when I got there I heard that the Steamer was not going to leave Auckland until 2 pm. I took 4 New Magazines to the Library and Catalogued them after which I went down to the beach and got a bag of sand which I carried up in front of me on the horse.
At 9 pm there came a knock at the front door, it was Revd E. C. Budd who had just arrived from Auckland in the “Kawau” and he was surprised that I had had no notice of his coming. He staid here all night.
Sunday 7th It was a fine day. The Revd Budd & I rode over to the Claim in the morning and called at several places on the road to let them know that there was to be service in the Claim Hall in the afternoon. We had lunch at Mr Sadlers and returned to the Hall for service. The congregation was not very large as several families knew nothing of it. We returned home for tea and we had service in the Hall in the evening, there was a very fair congregation and the singing was very hearty. Mr Budd returned here and staid the night.
Monday 8th It was a fine day. Ernest Wyatt came up in the morning with a horse and sleigh and hauled down to the wharf the 8 sacks of Danthonia.
I went down to the wharf to see Revd Budd off – the “Kawau” did not come before nearly 11 am and she had so much cargo to put on board that she did not get away until 11.30.
Burton Witten came in the evening to make a declaration.
Tuesday 9th It was a dull day tho it did not rain. A poll was held in the Hall to elect 5 persons as Licensing Commissioner for the District of Marsden. I was returning officer, and spent a very dull day as only 24 persons came to vote.
Wednesday 10th It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to the Post Office to post all the election packages, afterwards went to the wharf and carried up some sand.
In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden.
Thursday 11th It rained a little in the morning, but it cleared up, although dull, but it came on to rain again in the evening.
I took out a pine stump and with it burned some clay in the flower garden. Jane got the mail and attended the Library in the evening. Mrs Gravatt called in the afternoon.
Friday 12th It was fine in the morning, we have hardly had enough rain to lay the dust. In the morning I went down to the village to post a letter and down to the wharf to get some sand. It came on to rain again in the afternoon and rained steadily.
Saturday 13th A good lot of rain fell yesterday afternoon and last night and everything was very wet and dull this morning, but it brightened up after a bit and was a fine day. After breakfast Jane rode over to Jas Darrochs and she and Mabel drove with him to Matakana to witness a Cricket match between Omaha & Matakana. Omaha won with over 40 runs to spare. I was left at home by myself and was working in the flower garden.
Sunday 14th It was a beautiful day, the weather is much cooler as the wind has gone round to the SW. In the morning I rode up to John Greenwoods and spent a very pleasant day there.
Monday 15th It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to the P.O to get the mail that came on Saturday, afterwards went to the beach to get some sand. I was picking in seed beans until dinner time. In the afternoon I was doing odd jobs and digging in the flower garden.
Tuesday 16th It was a fine day. In the morning I was working in the flower garden, I dug out the remainder of the wild roses, and I was getting firewood on the hill. Mr Ab Wyatt and children were spending the day here, I took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf in the afternoon. Willie came from Auckland in the “Kawau“.
I hauled up his luggage & 4 empty fruit cases and 14 lids.
Wednesday 17th St Patrick’s Day. It was a fine day, ‘tho rather dull. Jane rode to Warkworth first thing in the morning, there was to be a Cricket Match there and 3 Dunnings were to play with Warkworth against an Auckland team. Willie picked 6 Cases Fruit and he hauled them & a box of Eggs down to the wharf in the afternoon and he brought up a Sack Maize and a Sack Sharps in two loads, these he brought up from Auckland yesterday with him.
I was burning clay in the flower garden.
Thursday 18th It rained all day without any intermission. A great quantity of rain fell.
Friday 19th Everything was very wet after all the rain that fell yesterday, the sun came out and dried things up, but there were a few slight showers during the day.
In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Bran, he also called at the P.O for the mail.
Willie was picking some fruit. In the afternoon we got all the Sheep up from the farm and killed a Wether.
Saturday 20th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie took the mutton out. After an early dinner Jane & Willie rode to the Claim to witness a Cricket Match between Matakana & Omaha, the latter won on the 1st innings and 2 runs to spare. Willie got home first after dark, but Jane staid for the dance. I staid at home all day.
Sunday 21st It was a beautiful day. Mrs & Ethel Birdsall came to spend the day, neither of them had been here for a number of years, Ethell came to bid us goodbye as she is going to California next month to get married to Ellis Bryan who was at one time assistant steward on the “Kapanui“. She will have as company Ellis Bryan’s father & mother who are on a visit to New Zealand and are returning to their home in the same steamer.
Joe, Minnie & Jim Dunning came in the afternoon so we had a good number for tea.
Monday 22nd It was a fine day. In the morning Willie picked some fruit, and then hauled it down to the wharf, in the afternoon he was picking fruit for Wednesday’s steamer. After getting a lot of firewood I was working in the flower garden and burning clay.
Tuesday 23rd It was a fine day. Willie was picking fruit and he hauled it down to the wharf in the afternoon and he brought up for me 2 bags of sand.
In the morning I pulled up all the Onions and cut up all the weeds.
I wrote a letter to Henry and went down to the village in the afternoon and posted it. I gathered up some sand in bags. Willie did not wait for the steamer, it was the “Orewa” (as the “Kawau” is undergoing inspection) and she did not arrive here until 5.30 pm. It rained in the evening.
Wednesday 24th A good deal of rain fell last night and early this morning, but it cleared up and the sun came out very hot. In the morning Willie went down to the wharf to get the shipping note signed for the fruit he is sending away by the “Orewa“. Afterwards he was getting firewood and digging in his new orchard.
I was working in the flower garden, it came on to rain in the pm and we had to leave off work. Jim came in the evening and brought us a billey [sic] of honey.
Thursday 25th It was a fine day. I was digging out periwinckle in the flower garden next the pigs paddock fence and in the afternoon I burned it all on the diamond shape bed.
Jane and Mabel rode to the Claim in the afternoon to visit Mrs Jas Darroch.
In the evening I attended the Library, there was a public meeting afterwards to consider the proposal of the Postal Department to dis-continue to overland mail service to Leigh after this year, the meeting was unamously [sic] opposed to this change, and I was requested to draw up a circular letter to the Chief Postmaster Auckland asking that the present overland mail be continued.
Friday 26th It rained steadily nearly all day. No work.
Saturday 27th It was a fine day. We killed a sheep in the morning and Willie took the mutton out in the afternoon. In the morning Mr Hill who is going to marry Mary Spencer came to try to get his Marriage Certificate, but not having resided 3 days in the district he will have to come again on Monday, the day on which he is to be married.
I was helping Willie finish dig the new planted orchard, afterwards I was working in the flower garden.
Sunday 28th The wind is round to the S. It was a fine day, but very dull. Willie rode to Ti Point to spend the day. Revd S. Entrican held service in the Hall in the morning. Jane & I went. Afterwards we went to Mrs Dunning Senr for lunch, the Revd Entrican was also there. In the afternoon I went over to Joe Wyatts to have a chat, he showed me his new store house & fowl house that he has lately made. I staid there for tea, coming home it came on a drizzily rain.
Monday 29th It rained continuously nearly all morning, but it was much finer in the afternoon. First thing young Hill came for his Marriage Certificate, they would have it rather wet for their wedding, but I believe it came off and the young couple came over and went away by the “Kawau” in the afternoon.
I wrote a letter to Alan Wallace, Willie went down to the village in the afternoon and he posted it with the newspaper and some of his own.
Tuesday 30th It was a fine day, with the exception of a few showers.
Willie was picking fruit, I was getting firewood & working in garden.
Willie and I went down to the wharf in the afternoon to meet the Steamer from Auckland.
Wednesday 31st It was a fine day. Willie was picking fruit and he hauled 12 Cases down to the wharf in the afternoon, and he brought me up a bag of sand. I was working in the flower garden.