Daniel McKenzie, 1836-14/2/1920.

OBITUARY.

DANIEL McKENZIE

AGED 83

One of the oldest residents of Wakatipu, Mr Daniel McKenzie, Glenorchy, passed away at the Lake County Hospital on Saturday afternoon. Deceased gentleman, who was 83 years of age, had enjoyed perfect health practically all his life until about five months ago, when he was attacked by a malignant disease, which ran its course very quickly and carried him off. The Late Mr McKenzie was a native of Creif, Perthshire, Scotland. When he reached manhood he decided to embark for the colonies, and, taking passage in the Barque Geelog, he arrived in New Zealand about the year 1861 or 62. He first turned his attention to farming in Dunedin, but after a few years he went over to Hokitika and joined the staff of the Hokitika Times newspaper, he having served his apprenticeship in a printing and stationery business in Scotland. In 1868 Mr McKenzie married Miss Margaret McKenna at Hokitika. After a time the young couple went to Jacksons Bay, where Mr McKenzie undertook schoolteaching for two years. At this time certain interest was centering in Martins Bay, so deceased decided to go there and take up land with the object of cattle raising. As showing that there was a fair amount of settlement at the Coast in those days, there was a monthly steamer to Martins Bay and also an overland mail, to and from Queenstown via the Greenstone, which gave the residents a fortnightly service. The latter had of course to be "swagged" as there was no track then. Mr McKenzie used to make periodical visits to the Head of Lake Wakatipu in connection with his trading, and his long residence of 27 years at the Bay made him very familiar with that big tract of country which lies between Wakatipu and the West Coast. It was he that conducted the party on the search for the late Mr Stewart Dewar (at that time postmaster at Queenstown) and Mr Donald Keith who were 'bushed' on their way over to Martins Bay, the latter being past resuscitation when found by the party at the junction of the Greenstone and Lake Harris tracks. About seventeen years ago Mr McKenzie and his wife look up their residence at Glenorchy, where they have lived in retirement ever since. Two years ago the old couple celebrated their golden wedding, both being then hale and hearty.

The late Mr McKenzie was a sterling old gentleman. In his day he experienced many of the vicissitudes of life in the stirring times of the early colonisation of New Zealand, but, as with so many of his fellow-pioneers, these hardships but served to develop his grit and strengthen his character. He was possessed of a gently placid disposition and kindly nature, was hospitable and open-handed and at all times proved himself a faithful friend. Deceased is survived by his wife and a family of five, —three sons, Messrs D. J. McKenzie (Glenorchy), Malcolm and Hugh McKenzie (Martins Bay), and two daughters, Mrs Joseph Cuttance (Okuru, South Westland) and Mrs Peter Mackenzie (Queenstown). There are also 12 grandchildren and 8 great-grand children. The widow and family will have the sympathy of the people of Wakatipu in their bereavement.

The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, when the remains were conveyed from St. Joseph's Church to the Queenstown cemetery. The Rev. Father Woods was the officiating priest.  -Lake Wakatip Mail, 17/2/1920.

Life Was Raw at Martins Bay

Among the pioneer settlements of New Zealand few can have involved greater hardships for the original white inhabitants than those located between Milford Sound and Jackson’s Bay, on the west coast of the South Island. In this twentieth century, with all its advantages of easy communication, it is doubtful whether any number of new settlers, in the event of a large scale immigration scheme, could he induced to settle in that inhospitable region, but 70 or more years ago there were not a few white families there. The experiences of those people are related in graphic style by Mrs Peter Mackenzie, of Queenstown, in ‘Pioneers of Martin’s Bay,’ the latest of the growing list of publications by the Southland Historical Committee. 

With land available in almost all parts of the country almost for the asking in the ’sixties, Daniel McKenzie, a Scottish journalist, father of the writer, chose to find a home for himself and infant children in the far south of Westland. It meant almost incredible hardships. His wife joined him at Jackson's Bay in a partly-built house, but after a year he could see no prospect of development, and he moved 50 miles down the coast to Martin’s Bay. The family, their belongings, and cattle were left stranded at Big Bay, 12 miles from their new home, and had to go on by whaleboat. Because milk was urgently needed for an infant boy, husband and wife spent three weeks cutting a track through the bush to bring the cattle down, but eventually found that the cow on which they had pinned their hopes was dry, and Mrs Mackenzie writes that “in consequence Malcolm was never so strong as the rest of us.” 

Women of the present generation will hardly credit some of the tales the writer tells so simply and effectively. For instance, the birth of her young brother in a flooded house without any assistance for the mother, while the father was struggling through a flooded countryside to seek the aid of the nearest woman neighbour from miles away, seems almost impossible. It is a book in which tragedy is related in a matter-of-fact style — as it was probably accepted in those days and conditions — and it gives a vivid picture of pioneering life in the raw. 

The writer made her first trip out to civilisation — Queenstown — when she was 13. The journey on foot occupied 10 days, and their provisions were long exhausted before she and her father reached Lake Wakatipu, and the child went to hospital instead of to school. It was a life of privation and loneliness, particularly for women, who often did not see others of their sex for a year or more. Their spirit must he admired, but one cannot help asking whether it was necessary in this young country. The book is well produced and illustrated, and is a valuable record of its times.   -Evening Star, 23/8/1947.

Queenstown Cemetery.