March 1912

Friday 1st   The weather was very misty and the wind is from the NE.
After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, after I came back I was helping Willie with the grade road until dinner time.  In the afternoon Willie was budding young Peach trees and I was digging out periwinckle in the pigs paddaock.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.  Fred & Mr Newsome returned from Ti Point bringing some fish with them which were taken in a net.

Saturday 2nd   The weather was still misty.  In the morning I rode over to the Claim to take Jane some fruit.  Fred & Mr Newsome were helping Willie pick the Beurre Capiaumont pears, they picked 51 Cases off one tree.  Afterwards they went down to the wharf to fish.

Sunday 3rd   It rained nearly all day & it was very misty.  Revd Macdonald should have held service in the Hall in the afternoon, but none of us went out anywhere.

Monday 4th   It rained nearly all day and it was very misty, during a lull in the weather I went out in the front and cut some tea tree and cleared the fern round the paspalum.  Fred & Mr Newsome went out & shot a rabbit.  Willie went down to the store and heard down there that it was unlikely that the “Kawau” would come today on account of the wind.  Joe Torkington came in the pm and brought us some smoked fish.

Tuesday 5th   It was very misty but it did not rain much, wind still blowing from NE.  Fred, Mr Newsome & Willie walked over to Ti Point, they drew the net and got a lot of fish, Willie brought some home in the evening, but the others stayed at Harolds all night.  I was cutting fern in the front.

Wednesday 6th   We were awoke early this morning by by a terrific squall, it was accompanied by rain and it seemed as if it would lift the roof off the house but it did not do us any damage, but it broke off a lot of Pine trees & Gums at J. C. Wyatts,  A. Dunning, Jo’ Wyatt,
A. Haskells & R. Matheson.  At Jo’ Wyatt it nearly stripped all the Pears from the trees.  It turned out a showery day,  wind same quarter,  Willie packed some fruit & took it down to the wharf, I went down for the mail in the afternoon, received the Ballet Box for the Licensing Election next Tuesday, I am appointed Deputy Returning Officer.

Thursday 7th   The wind is getting round more to the NW,  there were some showers but the weather is improving.  Willie went down to the village in the morning.
I was cutting tea tree out in the front.  In the morning I went to Joe Wyatts to get some butter, I saw the devastation that was done yesterday morning, the ground was strewn with Pears & they had cased and sent away 15 Cases.

Friday 8th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers, the wind has got round to the SW.
Fred & Mr Newsome returned from Ti Point in the morning and after an early lunch they went over to Big Omaha to see Mathew’s orchard and to play tennis,  Fred borrowed our horse and Mr Newsome had one of Joe’s T.   Willie was making the grade road and I was cutting tea tree.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 9th   It was a fine day.  Fred & Mr Newson returned to Auckland by the “Kawau” the steamer should have left at 1.30 pm but it must have been 2 pm before she got away having to put a large cargo of fruit aboard,  Willie, Grace & I went down to the wharf to see them off.  Willie hauled up a bag of sand for me.  After we returned home Willie was working on the grade road & I was cutting tea tree in the .   Mr McMahon came to make the declaration as Returning Officer at the Licensing Election which is to be held next Tuesday, he also witnessed my signature as I am going to act in the same capacity at Leigh.

Sunday 10th   It was a fine day, but the wind was blowing very strong from W.  Willie & Grace went over to Ti Point to spend the day. I rode over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane.  I had dinner there and then we all went to see the Wattie Darroch’s, Walt came across with the boat to take us across the water, we had a look round his place & had tea there, returning to Jim’s just before dark, just after we got in there was a heavy shower of rain.  I staid there all night.

Monday 11th   It was a very fine day.  I returned home in the morning.  Called in at Harpers and rung up F Johnson of Warkworth to see if he is going to make the Sulky for me, he answered in the affirmative.  After I got home I was working in the flower garden, Willie was picking fruit.
Mrs Ashworth & Mrs Harlam called in the afternoon.  I went to call on old Mrs Duncan Matheson, carried home a bag of shell sand from the beach.

Tuesday 12th   It was a fine day with the exception of a shower in the afternoon and one in the evening.  Polling was held in the Hall for the election of Licensing Commissioners for the District of Marsden,  I was D. R. O.   Only 17 persons voted and 1 paper was informal.  The voting was as follows
Carter                         11
Chadwin                       9
Finlayson                      5
Foote                               5
Hanlon                         10
Hawken                          6
Hawkes Rvd              11
McKay                          12
Trotter                             6
Weaver                            5       
16 Voters x by 5  =  80
I spent a very quiet day, wrote a long letter to Jack, Willie hauled fruit down to the wharf and was burning some grass.

Wednesday 13th   There were several showers during the day.  After breakfast I went down to the village, I was clearing the road of branches of trees that had been blown down by the gale, I also cleared up round the Hall.  I was working in the flower garden and in the pm I went down to the village for the mail, carried up a bag of sand as far as the Hall & left it there as it came on a steady rain.
Willie was burning grass but the rain put his fires out.

Thursday 14th   It was a fine day with the exception of a pretty heavy shower in the middle of the day.  I picked all the sorrel out of a three cornered bed , gathered a lot of wood and put it on the bed and put the sorrel on the top for burning, also dug out twitch & sorrel from the path and put it on the heap.
Willie hauled a crate of Fowls down to the wharf to go by the “Kawau“and brought up for me the bag of sand I left at the Library.

Friday 15th   It rained in the morning and we were not able to do anything out of doors, but it was fine in the afternoon and I was able to go out into the front and cut some tea tree.  Willie was cleaning grass seed & he mended the steps, I went down for the mail & attended the Library, afterwards attended a Mission Service that Mr Blundell is conducting in this Hall.

Saturday 16th   It was a beautiful day.  There was a Cricket Match at Matakana between the Matakana & Omaha Clubs, it was the finishing match of the season to decide who should hold the cup, Omaha being the present holder of it.
Willie Dunning drove over in his waggon and he took me, the others who went with us were his father, Edgar Dunning & Mr Ashworth, the roads were very heavy on account of the frequent rains we have had lately and therefore we could not go very quickly.  Great interest was shown in the game by the great number of onlookers.
I had a very good dinner at Sinclairs.
The match proved disastrous for Matakana Omaha. The scores are as follows.
Matakana                                                 Omaha
1st    Innings   39                                    1st Innings      24
2nd  In                95                                    2nd                      77  
134                                                                101
Matakana thus winning by 33 runs.  Joe Torkington was unable to play to day on account of a bad foot.
We reached home a little after 8 pm.

Sunday 17th   It was a very fine day.  We all attended morning service conducted by Revd Blundell, a very large congregation.
Collection £2 . 2 . 2.  We returned home for dinner and in the afternoon Willie & Grace went to Willie Dunnings to spend the pm & went up James Greenwoods.
In the evening we all went to the service conducted by Mr Blundell, there was a large congregation, Collection over 17/-

Monday 18th   There was misty rain in the morning, but it was finer in the afternoon.  In the morning I did not feel very well and was lying down , but in the afternoon I felt much better and was cutting tea tree in the front.
Willie was packing Pears & working on the grade road up to our place.

Tuesday 19th   There were several showers during the day.  After breakfast Willie took a load of fruit down to the wharf and he hauled up for me a bag of sand , I also went down to the village to post some letters.  Mr Harper gave me £7 . 17 . 5,  being the Government subsidy  for this year.
In the afternoon Willie was picking Tomatoes and Bon Chretien Pears.
I was working in the flower garden.

Wednesday 20th   It was blowing strong from SE all day, and there were slight,  [sic] was not able to do anything out of doors.
Ernest Wyatt came to see Willie on business and staid for dinner.  Willie was cleaning grass seed in the store.  The “Kawau” did not come on account of the rough weather.

Thursday 21st   The wind has moderated and got round more to the S,  it was a fairly fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village, the “Kawau” came in while I was down there, she remained at Kawau last night on account of the weather, I got the mail.
Willie took some fruit down to the wharf and hauled up two loads of goods.  I was digging out sorrel in the front garden and made a heap and burnt it.

Friday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the post.  After I came back I got some wood and burned some wood in the back yard.  I planted 5 clumps of Daffodils in the front garden.
Willie was working on the grade road.
I went down for the mail in the evening and attended the Library.

Saturday  23rd   It was a very fine day.  I was busy planting Bulbs.  I planted 4 Clumps of Daffodils,  2 Do Narcissus Grand Monarque,  1 Do Watsonia,  took up and replanted a clump of Blue Tritoma.
I went down to the wharf in the afternoon to get a parcel of Books for the Library, got the mail,  I had a letter from my son Jack.
Grace drove over with the Willie Dunnings to the Claim to witness a friendly cricket match between Matakana & Pakiri.  Willie was working on the grade road , he went fishing late in the afternoon , but had not much luck.

Sunday 24th   It was a fine day.  Harold Flo’ & the children drove over to spend the day,  Revd Paris conducted service in the pm, Grace, Flo’ & I attended, there was a good congregation, Collection over 14 /-

Monday 25th   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  I planted clumps of the following,
3 Paper White Narcissus,  2 Hoops Petticoat
1 Grand Monarque,  1 Fairy Bell
1 Fresia,  1 Yellow Renunculus,  also took up and replanted 1 Clump each of Yellow Ixia and Yellow Renunculus  Purple Tritonia.

Tuesday 26th   It was a fine day.  I burned some clay in the back yard and was working in the flower garden, I planted clumps of the following.  2 of Tulips,  2 of Double Scarlet Ranunculus ,  1 of Daffodils that Flo’ gave me,  2 of Snowflake,  also took up and replanted 1 of Star Ixia,
I went down to the beach in the afternoon got some sand and carried it round to the wharf and Willie hauled it up for me, I also carried some up myself.
Willie was picking fruit in the morning & hauled it down to the wharf in the afternoon.  After he came back he was working on the grade road.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day, but rather dull on account of the smoke that was about from bush fires.  I was working in the flower garden all day, planted clumps of the following.
4 Snowflakes,  1 Star of Bethlehem,  1 Fresia,  1 Spiuxis,  took up & replanted 1 Bride Gladiolus,  1 Scarlet Gladiolus,  2 Ixias,  also plants of Caliopsis and Pink Geranium.
I went down to the village in the pm to get the mail, carried up some sand.  Willie was working on the grade road.

Thursday 28th   It was a fine day.  I walked over to the Claim in the morning to take Jane some Pears, May Dunning and Freeda Tucker were also there, after dinner Jim took us up to the top wharf in a boat and we all returned here in the “Kawau“.  On my way home I called in at Mrs Chas Wyatts for a Fuchsia that she promised me and planted it when I got home.  Willie was picking fruit.

Friday 29th   It was a fine day.  I went down to the village in the morning to post some letters, carried up some sand.  Willie [sic:  I ] was busy getting ready to go to Auckland tomorrow.
Willie was working on the grade road .
I went down to the village in the evening to get the mail and attend the Library, there was a meeting of the Library Trustees to choose new books.
Revd Macdonald called in the evening and staid all night.

Saturday 30th   It was a very fine day, wind blowing from S.
We were up early, Willie came down with me to the Steamer to help carry my luggage & see me off.  We left Omaha in the “Kawau” at 8 am and arrived in Auckland at 1.15.  Ken Wallace met me at the wharf and we went straight across to Devonport and took a wagonettee up to Mr Wallaces.  Mr W & I took a walk down to the Domain in the afternoon to witness the cricket matches.
Noel Gibson, Mr W’s nephew, came in the evening to stay.

Sunday 31st   It was a fine day.  Mrs & Alma Wallace & I attended Trinity Church in the morning,  Revd M. Sutton officiated.  In the afternoon Mr Wallace and I took a walk down to the reserve near the wharf to hear the band play.  In the evening Mr W, Alan & I attended the Presbyterian Church, it was Harvest Festival, Revd McLean officiated.