The Mokomoko wharf and the township of Stanley were a product of the secession of the Province of Southland from that of Otago. With its newly-won independence, the Provincial Council of Southland began an ambitious programme of building the infrastructure which would make the Province flourish. The most pressing need was communications - roads, shipping - maybe a railway. The coach route at the time from Invercargill to Campbelltown (or The Bluff) went partially along the beach on the east side of the New River estuary and could only be travelled at low tide.
The future of the Province of Southland was dependent on transport between where the agricultural riches were produced and where they could be exported. But, before those riches could begin to flow, investment was needed.
MOKOMOKO ACCOMMODATION HOUSE.
TRAVELLERS can be supplied with HORSES at any time. Parties going to the Bluff, can go by boat to the Mokomoko, and thence by horse to the Bluff.
W. McTAGGART. -Southland Times, 14/11/1862.
Southland Notes
The all-absorbing topic here at present is the railway to the Bluff. There is an experienced railway surveyor at present laying off the line between the Bluff and Mokomoko, taking levels, &c; and so soon as we can get an efficient staff together, the Council will meet to pass the act for raising funds for its construction. The Government anticipates getting the assistance of Mr Dundas, lately arrived from Scotland, his long practical experience in the construction of railways at home will be of material importance. I trust ere a month goes by, we shall be in a position to start with this all important work. The road from Invercargill to the Bluff is wonderfully improved, for about nine miles out of Invercargill it is so well gravelled that a coach could be driven at full gallop over it, indeed at low water, it might be so all the way to Campbell Town, for with the exception of two bush cuttings, of about a mile and a half; it is a perfectly sound and hard road. The new line, which is being so constructed that the same outfall drains will answer for the railway, will be open in about two months; this shortens the distance by about six miles, and renders the traveller independent of the tides. In Campbell Town itself, signs of progress are evident, so much so that the dreary, miserable township, if such it could then have been called, is become a thing of the past. The Eagle Hotel now offers ample and clean accommodation; a butcher's shop, at which good fresh meat can be daily procured, is a striking contrast to the mutton bird and salt junk diet of yore; bakers' bread has replaced sodden dampers; good beer, wine, and spirits, bad rum; so that as far as creature comforts are consumed, the visitor to the Bluff has no occasion to bemoan his fate. -Otago Daily Times, 16/12/1862.
AN EXPRESS will leave Bluff Harbour as above, carrying Passengers to Mokomoko, and from thence to Invercargill by boat, or on horseback. -Southland Times, 19/12/1862.
An inquest was held yesterday, before ...McCulloch, Esq., in Mr McTaggert's accommodation house, Mokomoko, on the body of a man named Peter Kelly, who had been found dead in bed on Sunday morning. From the evidence it appeared that deceased was in the employment of Messrs Greville and Whiting, contractors for the Bluff Road, and on Saturday night he and others indulged pretty freely in liquor. He went to bed in his tent intoxicated, and nothing further was known of him till he was found dead next morning. The jury returned a verdict of "died from excessive drinking." -Southland Times, 20/1/1863.
PORT OF INVERCARGILL. TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1863.
A few weeks ago the town rang with a cry for a Railway to the Bluff, or at least some means of communicating readily with that port. A few were of opinion that it was undesirable at present, that a line to the Mokomoko would answer all the purposes of commerce, and cost much less. These, however, appeared to be but a very small minority of the inhabitants, — but now, after Government has taken the matter up in earnest, they have gathered into a formidable phalanx, which threatens to seriously affect the Ordinance now before the Provincial Council. Their arguments are by no means to be despised; and now that evidence on the cause "Bluff versus Mokomoko" has been heard, it is clear to an unprejudiced person that the weight is pretty evenly balanced. The absolute necessity of a safe means of transit, whether for goods or passengers, between the town and the seacoast is admitted by all, but issue is joined on the merits of the New River as opposed to those of the Bluff Harbor. Of the witnesses examined by our local Legislature, three are decidedly in favour of the latter; but, on the other hand, one whose testimony is of considerable value, is as firmly in favour of the former. Besides, the main question as to which is best for vessels of large tonnage to arrive at or depart from, there are a host of collateral points all more or less debatable, and on which a difference of opinion exists. It would be difficult to point to one man, or any number of men, as being thoroughly competent to give a satisfactory decision — so, supposing in the meantime that, regarded simply as harbors, the Bluff and New River are about on a par, we purpose giving, so far as we correctly understand them, the arguments why one should be preferred to the other. The influential body whose sympathies are with the New River, i.e., those who are of opinion that the proposed line of Railway should be carried not further than the Mokomoko, in effect say: — The Province is very young, its population is very small — at present not 6,000, scattered over the country. The resources of the land are in a great measure undeveloped; its exports are almost nil, and the necessity for frequent journeying between the town and a seaport nearly non-existent. Where, then, the policy or prudence of sinking such a large sum in an investment that cannot fail to be unproductive, if it does not prove a ruinous loss? The rapid influx of immigrants, present and prospective, is not lost sight of: but this party say, that with suitable works of a far less costly nature, the River is quite capable of meeting all the requirements of traffic for a considerable time to come. Independent of these considerations, they have grave doubts of the Governor giving his assent to the proposed Loan Bill. In such circumstances it is considered that a line to the Mokomoko, either of railway or tramway, will be more than sufficient for all that is requisite at present. A line to that point has also the great advantage of being easily and expeditiously constructed. The route is almost perfectly level, materials can be had alongside many parts, and there are not the slightest engineering difficulties — these commencing beyond the Mokomoko, on the way to the Bluff. It is admitted that at a future period it may be necessary to carry the line on to Campbelltown, but that is not the case at present. Taking the condition of the Province and everything else into consideration, these wellwishers object strongly to the country being saddled with debt to no purpose, and hence are firmly opposed to the Bluff Railway. On the other hand, the supporters of that measure have arguments not less potent. In their opinion the Railway to the Bluff cannot be made a moment too soon, unless the Province is to be arrested in its onward march. Pointing to the experience of the past, it is augured that the Bluff will continue to be the favorite port for shipping of large tonnage, whose skippers will not be induced to run the hazards of the New River. The vast increase in the number of immigrants constantly arriving, the value of our imports and other indices of prosperity are taken as a significant proof that no half measures will suffice. Dunedin is referred to, and the pertinent queries put, ''Where was it three or four years ago;" and why may Invercargill, with proper care, not emerge from the chrysalis state with equal rapidity. But their most solid argument lies in this — that whether it be railway, tramway, or metalled road, a path to the Bluff, suitable for the most ordinary traffic, to meet no more than what is at present required, is absolutely indispensible. If this be admitted, then comes the strength of their position. From all the evidence that can be gathered, it would seem that a railway suitable for locomotives would cost little more than a tramway for horses, so that the difficulty is narrowed so far as to become a question of Rail v. Road. For the former the weight or testimony predominates. Owing to the nature of the ground to be passed over a railway would be more easily constructed, and be of more utility than a macadamised road, and this being the case there can be no doubt which should be preferred. On these tangible reasons the advocates of a railway to the Bluff rest their claims to be heard. There is an old proverb about the danger of sitting between two stools, and there is a danger that the Province may be placed in that awkward position. We have endeavored faithfully to give the views of each party, and our wish now is to see one or other of the plans actively set about. Our purpose, at present, was to give both sides of the question, — our fear is that in the struggle of contending parties, neither may be agreed upon. We hope this will not be the case. If Government can carry through their project, let them go on with all speed; if the opposition, let them do the same. We are willing to believe that both mean well for the Province at large, but each must take care that their intentions are not marred by a partizan spirit, which rejoices none the less though its own plans are defeated, if those of the other side are also frustrated. -Southland Times, 3/3/1863.
EVENING SITTING.
The chair was taken by Mr McNab at seven o'clock, prompt.
Mr Calder gave notice that at to-morrow morning's sitting he would ask that the House take into consideration the report of the jetty committee. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. THE BLUFF RAILWAY BILL. Mr Tarlton wished to express an opinion before the House went into committee on this Bill. The question had been deliberated upon at considerable length, and the time had arrived when the House was called on to express a decisive opinion in one of three ways. Either the plans proposed must be rejected, or modified, or adopted. He should scarcely feel disposed to reject any plan were it possible to obtain the money. In the infancy of a Province it had opportunities of constructing a railway which it would never have again. The question of compensation alone seriously affected all such matters, and he fully believed that a railway — not necessarily a locomotive one — was the only proper way of constructing a permanent road. All other roads belonged to the past, and that exclusively belonged to the present. He would say, therefore, that if it were possible to go on with this measure, without endangering the stability of the Province, he would be disposed to give it his support. Another alternative was, were they prepared to modify the said Bill? instead of constructing the whole could they be content with part? if a part, what part? At this end there were facilities for travelling which did not exist at the other end, and in some respects the arguments in favor of the other end were the stronger. A railway to the Mokomoko only he considered would be an imperfect scheme, incomplete, and one that would not meet with the support of the inhabitants. (Hear, hear, from the Provincial Treasurer.) Even though it did meet with their support, there were other opinions to be consulted. Suppose they were going to borrow money, they must ask the men who were going to lend it what they thought of the scheme. "Where is the Mokomoko?" gentlemen at Lloyd's, or on the Exchange in London say. It is a Maori name, may be answered; but where is it? "We know where the Bluff is, but do not understand where the Mokomoko is;'' consequently, whatever its virtues and excellencies, the Council would have to convince the world of them before money would be lent. He had, at the same time, to qualify his statement, because the evidence submitted to the House went to prove that the undertaking was desirable to that extent, and the evidence for that extent was greater than for that beyond it. But then came another question. If gentlemen said, "Where are the customs dues of the Bluff," it could be replied, simply because that harbor is in such a position that it is impossible to land goods, and consequently there can be no customs dues? After illustrating the necessity of a wharf, he continued — Another view of the subject was the financial one. Would it pay? That could be answered in two ways. He had often been amused at the efforts made by London shopkeepers to draw custom — such as keeping three blind fiddlers playing before their door, selling below prime cost, &c. Did that pay them? It did. They were desirous of establishing a position, and it did pay them, even when making a sacrifice. Would it pay, also, to make these sacrifices on the part of the province? He was disposed to think it would, so far as men could look into futurity. It might be that there would be no balance sheet for the first, second, or third year, such as they would like to so, but at the same time, would the investment induce men to travel into the interior and see what the province was like? Would it induce men to purchase land and settle here? If it did that, we might be paying money for establishing a position, but it would not be a positive loss, he thought when any gentleman tried to prove anything else, he asked too much of an undertaking in its infancy; he asked too much to think it would be able to pay on the whole concern more than 20s in the pound. But if it did not do that directly, any loss would be compensated for by giving a character to the province, marking it as governed by men, by a Council fully alive to the advances of modern locomotion. For these and other reasons, he supported the Bill.
The House then went into committee, and the clerk read the preamble of the bill.
The Provincial Treasurer, after replying to previous speakers, and adducing arguments in favor of the line being carried to the Bluff, said that in deference to the wishes of the House, Government would offer this proposition. They would begin the railway and go to the Mokomoko, and not proceed to the Bluff till a resolution authorising them had been passed by the House. The Government were perfectly willing to stand by the bill, and were quite convinced that no half measures would meet the requirements of the Province; but they offered this in the hope that it would secure unanimity in the passing of the Bill.
Mr Calder never wanted more. He saw the ultimate necessity of going to the Bluff quite as much as any member of the Government, but he took exception to such a large sum being applied for an object which the evidence failed to establish. He contended that their hands would be tied up, and before the completion of the line the money might be more urgently required elsewhere. He was therefore surprised the sum was not modified also. If a future Council did not think fit to go on to the Bluff, they would have the large sum asked for on their shoulders, and be unable to make any use of it. The Provincial Treasurer replied that the money could be drawn in driblets, as required. Mr Pearson pointed out the danger of the General Government refusing any sum if the bill was passed by a narrow majority. After the concession made, he hoped there would be no opposition. Mr Wilson said there had been no opposition except for the purpose of eliciting information.
The preamble of the bill was then read, and unanimously agreed to. Progress was reported, and The House resumed. The third reading was appointed for tomorrow morning's sitting. -Southland Times, 6/3/1863.
Since the termination of the session of the Provincial Council very little has been heard of the railroad to the Mokomoko, the bill authorising the borrowing of the necessary funds for that purpose not having at present received the assent of the General Government. Although the comprehensive scheme of a railway to the Bluff would have been more in accordance with our ideas of what the requirements of the province are, still, with even the Mokomoko connected with Invercargill by a railway, the commerce of Southland will be benefited to a very considerable degree. Eventually there must be a railway pier at the Bluff Harbor, and a line from thence running through Invercargill to the north boundary of the province. It is a question well worthy of consideration whether, even at the present time, such a line would not amply pay, supposing the necessary funds for its construction were forthcoming. -Southland Times, 17/4/1863.
SOUTHLAND
The railway plant has been ordered from home by the Government, the debentures will be negotiated through the Bank of New South Wales. The preliminary works are being pushed as rapidly as possible; tenders will shortly be called for the construction of jetties at Campbelltown, Mokomoko, and Invercargill, the latter will be run out to the deep water pool, thus enabling vessels of considerable tonnage to lie alongside and discharge. -Otago Daily Times, 3/6/1863.
The Invercargill and Bluff Railway Debentures Ordinance having received the assent of the Governor, we may shortly expect to see tenders called for the construction of the line from Invercargill to the Mokomoko. The plant has been sent for from home, and may be expected in about six months. Tenders have also been called for the railway pier and wharf at the Mokomoko, and also the pier at the Bluff. Both are works of considerable magnitude, and are estimated to cost fifteen thousand pounds. The pier at the Mokomoko will be 1650 feet long, and there will be fifteen feet of water alongside at low tide. The construction of such a pier will have a marked effect on the navigation of the New River estuary, as vessels of 800 or 1000 tons will be able to lie alongside and discharge cargo. When such is the case, we have little doubt that the fabled drawbacks of this harbor will be myths of the past, and shipowners will have no hesitation in sending vessels to the New River from the home country. The anchorage is good and safe, and when things have been pushed thus far, probably the Government will be forced into action as regards this harbor, and be compelled to provide suitable buoys and beacons, instead of leaving it in its present disgraceful state, with the channel marked off by Manuka poles. The pier at Campbelltown is 313 feet long, and will also give fifteen feet at low water. These works will occupy a large number of men, and take some time to execute, so that Invercargill as well as Campbelltown will benefit by a very considerable accession to our population; that it will sensibly increase when they are finished there can be no doubt. -Southland Times, 18/6/1863.
The opening of the tenders for the Railway Piers at the Mokomoko and Campbelltown on the 22nd inst. may be looked upon as an era in the history of the Province. It was the avant courier of our great public work, the railway, and an earnest that no time would be lost in pushing it — that, in fact, it was a reality. The works are of considerable magnitude for so young a Province, and the sum to be expended is large, consequently considerable excitement was exhibited, not only on the part of those tendering, but also by the public generally. The tenders were opened at twelve o'clock noon, and the result, it was anticipated, would be declared at two p.m. of the same day. The various contractors loitered about the Government buildings for hours, but the offices were closed, and no decision seemed to have been arrived at. The next day saw the same anxious faces peering at the notice board, but their curiosity was not satisfied until late in the afternoon, when it transpired that Messrs. Mackenzie and Co. had been successful. -Southland Times, 31/7/1863.
With regard to the Bluff and Invercargill railway, the tender of Messrs. J. McKenzie and Co. for the construction of two jetties, one at the Bluff, the other at Mokomoko, has been accepted, and the two works together will cost £40,000. The contractors have deposited £2,000 and have further entered into a bond for £8,000. -Southland Times, 18/8/1863.
£40,000 in August 1863 equates to just under $5,000,000 at time of writing. Note that this sum is for the jetties only.
Southland
I am very glad to be able to say that something more than talking has at length been accomplished about the Bluff and Invercargill Railway. The tender of Mr. Davis for the first division (a distance of about eight miles) has been accepted, the figure being £35,000. Security has been found, and the work will be proceeded with immediately, as the contractor has all the necessary plant in readiness. Quite a little township is springing up near the Mokomoko, where this contract terminates. A few days ago the police commenced a raid against the sly grog sellers. Two informers were employed, and so well did these worthies occupy their precious time that they very quickly succeeded in "bagging" about twenty defrauders of her Majesty's Customs. Convictions were obtained in nearly every case. The defendants were fined the usual fifty pounds, and appealed. However great the evil of sly grog selling, there is something very revolting to a right-minded man in employing informers (almost invariably of notoriously bad character) for the purpose of protecting the revenue. -Press, 11/9/1863.
The "Press" does not specifically say that the sly groggers were connected with or selling to the workers on the railway. But that was often the case.
The Mokomoko is fast assuming the appearance of a thriving township. It possesses already some thirty stores and shanties, erected in anticipation of the wants of the operatives to be engaged on the works at the New Pier. Huts and tents are scattered on all sides; there is a population on the ground; and everything denotes that wonderful alertness which characterises the colonial village in its advances towards a town. -Southland Times, 15/9/1863.
On Wednesday last, three or four martial looking fellows were to be seen, loaded with extensive kit, wending their way along the Bluff Road. Upon inquiry, it was found that they belonged to the Southland Constabulary, and were en route for Mokomoko, where the Inspector has just appointed a Police Station, in consequence of the great growth of population in that district. -Southland Times, 22/9/1863.
ROBERTSON and CO.,
AUCTIONEERS, HORSE AND CATTLE SALESMEN,
STOCK AND STATION AGENTS, TAY-STREET, INVERCARGILL.
P. S. — For the convenience of shippers of stock, Robertson and Co. have erected yards at Horseshoe Bay, Mokomoko, where Cattle, Horses, or Sheep can be yarded, immediately on landing free, of expense. -Southland Times, 25/9/1863.
By about this time the distinction between Mokomoko, the location, and Stanley, the town, was beginning to be made.
Provincial Council (excerpt)
The Provincial Treasurer — "To bring up the following resolution: Resolved, That the Council is of opinion that all the necessary works on the Bluff and Invercargill Railway should be pressed forward, with the view of having the whole line between the Towns of Campbelltown and Stanley and the Town of Invercargill opened for traffic at the earliest possible period." -Southland Times 12/10/1863.
A very novel and interesting match took place at the Mokomoko on Wednesday. The match was between two parties of two men each in order to decide who could, in the space of eight hours, "fall and square" the greatest number of feet of timber. Kay and Whelan, two men hailing from Circular Head, represented the "native interest," on one side, while two American backwoodsmen named McSweeny and Fitzgerald were their opponents — the match being for £20 a-side. (about $2500 today) The betting at starting was in favor of the Americans. About 2 o'clock — shortly after the start, the backswoodmen had the lead by 63 feet, when the betting increased in their favor. As time progressed, however, native industry and perseverance began to tell against the spurt of the Americans, and at half-past 3 o'clock, the Circular Head men were only four feet behind their opponents, who now began to show symptoms of failing, and when time was called at 5 o'clock, the umpires — Messrs Scott and McAlister — decided the Circular Head men victorious by 33 feet. The little affair caused considerable interest in the township. A second match to come off during the present week, is talked of.
Yesterday afternoon the frolics of a man, not much the better of liquor, excited some amusement in Tay street. The ruling passion strong in drink was a chivalrous idolatory of the fair sex; for every female he met, he stopped with a tipsy wave, and then went down on his knees on the gratings, and with clasped hands breathed forth gin and water, and a wild declaration of undying affection. We regret to say, that his offers of heart and hand were in no instance accepted, and that the unfortunate victim of blighted affections was carried off to "durance vile" by an unsentimental policeman, who had no sympathy with anything so unreal as affaires du coeur. -Southland Times, 2/11/1863.
Government Notices
NOTICE.
ON and after Thursday, the 10th inst, the Township of Stanley (Mokomoko) will be open for application.
WALTER H. PEARSON, Chief Commissioner. Waste Land Board Office,
Invercargill, 3rd December, 1863. -Southland Times, 4/10/1863.
PIG STEALING.
Charles Dickson was again placed in the dock, charged with pig stealing in June last. The case was a very trumpery one, and the evidence far from conclusive.
Joseph Newton swore to the identity of his pig's tail! And the witness swore to a black spot on his pig's shoulder, which agreed to a similar one on the pig he missed. Hakarai Taheke, a Maori (who was interpreted by H. H. Fenton, Esq., J.P.), recognised a part of his pig from the skin being white!
On His Honor inquiring if there were not another pig in the world, witness said there was not another one at the Mokomoko.
A variety of other evidence was adduced, which was sufficient to throw great suspicion on the prisoner, but the jury found no grounds for a verdict of "Guilty," and he was discharged. -Southland Times, 16/7/1864.
Election Notices (excerpt)
TO THE ELECTORS AND NONELECTORS OF INVERCARGILL.
GENTLEMEN, — As you will shortly be called upon to elect Representatives for the Provincial Council, I most respectfully offer myself as a candidate for your choice.
Our Railway Lines is a subject of anxious and supreme importance. The plan of wooden rails on the Northern line always appeared to me an unsound mechanical contrivance. I examined its claims, and resisted its introduction. But whatever might have been the result, had the requirements of the contract been carried out in their integrity, the permission to use inferior and less durable timber in its construction was an act as unfaithful as the issue will be disastrous to the Province. Neither has the Southern Line been planned and executed with a due regard to permanence and economy. The existence of the Mokomoko branch, and monstrously extravagant jetty — the miles of peat embankment, and of as much solid earth thrown to spoil — the embankment doing battle with the sea, and their almost defenceless condition against such an enemy — may well make a thoughtful man ponder, who has no interest to seek but those of truth, and no ends to serve but those of impartial justice. These things should have been remedied as far as possible, so far as my power and influence could have brought about so desirable an event, had not an exhausted treasury compelled every effort to avert impending ruin. This will present the most important work on which the Council can deliberate and the Executive can administer....
I remain, Yours truly, W F Tarlton. -Southland Times, 4/10/1864.
As can be seen from the above, the Provincial elections brought the spending on the railway and the jetty to the fore - and it was the reason for the following strange piece of advertising.
NOTICE.
AS there have been a number of Applications for the Situation of Provincial Nurse, to attend on the Good Lady Southland, till she is strong again (in funds), I wish to name a few of the duties required from the Lady elected.
First. — She must obtain admission into the House by getting some of the servants to leave.
Secondly. — As there will be a little picking left, she will not be required to quarrel with the other Nurse.
Thirdly. — To persuade, when practical, the Good Lady Southland, or the Youngster Heale, to use CORRUGATED IRON and SPOUTING (that is, when there are funds).
And lastly, whatever little Hanky-panky tricks are played with the Public Money in the House, not to let the Ignorant Public know.
If Mrs. W. F. Sarah Gamp and Mrs. Nathaniel Betsy Prig can agree to act together and forget their little differences about the Mokomoko, and get a character signed by a decent number of the Electors, they would stand a good chance of the Billet, on account of the Purity of Sentiment on the one hand, and an extraordinary amount of Disinterested Honesty on the other. Each Nurse will be furnished with an unlimited supply of Spouting, accompanied with some Gas, if necessary.
For further particulars, apply to
THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT
OF THE WHOLESALE CORRUGATED IRON DEPARTMENT -Southland Times, 6/12/1864.
When the actual money gauge of Southland's immediate embarrassment is compared with the sums that have been expended, and the loan liabilities that have been incurred, the feeling begotten is one at once of surprise and of pity. A less sum, it is said, than has been literally thrown away upon one jetty at the Mokomoko, never used, would be sufficient to complete the railway from the Bluff to Invercargill, and from Invercargill to the Makarewa, connecting with the great north road to the Lakes. It is necessarily mortifying to every New Zealand colonist, to know that the first railway of any considerable length constructed within the colony, with its costly plant and rolling stock, is not only lying utterly idle, but is day by day going to ruin. On the 1st of April in last year, at an Anniversary Separation Banquet given to Dr Menzies, Mr Heale made the memorable announcement that within two months from that date a length of upwards of thirty miles of Southland railway would be opened for traffic. It turned out indeed to be a first-of-April prediction, and it may be taken for granted that no jubilant celebration of Separation will take place this year. The circumstance of the recent banquet to Dr Menzies is referred to for the purpose of illustrating the almost unexampled rapidity of declension, of those high and exaggerated hopes; that premature confidence in its independent resources which the experience of Southland exhibits.
At this moment the Province is in every way in a deplorable condition. The most stringent measures of retrenchment have failed to bring its expenditure within the limits of its diminished and diminishing revenue. The General Government has refused to lend even an attentive ear to the almost abject petition for help which Mr Pearson, the delegate of the Provincial Council, was commissioned to lay at its feet in Auckland. The distress levied upon the Southland Government offices and properly for a contractor's judgment of some fifteen thousand pounds, was a Colonial scandal. And the arrangement since come to, by which a payment of £5000 has been made on account and the balance of this particular claim promised in debentures, is a significant illustration of the extremity to which Southland finance has come. -Otago Daily Times, 9/3/1865.
It is difficult not to find a slight sense of smug satisfaction in Dunedin accounts of the financial problems of Southland, which had seceded from Otago in 1861. Eventually, money troubles forced the rejoining of Southland and Otago in 1870.
THE SALE OF RAILWAY PLANT IN SOUTHLAND.
A report was current in Campbeltown at an early hour on Saturday morning to the effect that at one o'clock on that day the plant of the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway would be brought to the hammer, by order of the sheriff, to satisfy the judgment claim of Messrs. Cain and Mackenzie. It will be remembered that on the former occasion, when these gentlemen meditated a sale, they were induced to consent to a further delay by Mr. Cuthbertson, the then Deputy-Superintendent of Southland. It was, we believe, expressly agreed that if at the expiration of the time granted the debt was not duly discharged, the Provincial Government would raise no technical objections to the sale and it was hoped, and indeed confidently stated that the General Government of the Colony would advance the money and save the Province from very great loss and disgrace. A further feature in the case is that subsequently to the arrangement alluded to above, the question had been raised in the Supreme Court as to whether, after judgment has been obtained against the Superintendent of a Province, in his official capacity, the Sheriff can levy on what is commonly called "the property of the Province." But to return to the events of Saturday. It soon became apparent that the report of the morning was likely to be verified. A message was received from the Superintendent stating that, although the Sheriff had received instructions from the Registrar of the Supreme Court to stay the sale, he had determined on proceeding. The Superintendent, therefore, requested Mr. Watt, R.M., to take, on behalf of the Provincial Government, such steps for the protection of the property as might seem to him advisable. Accordingly, the shed containing the three locomotives was locked up, and committed to the charge of several men. A man was also placed in each of the railway cars standing opposite the wharf. During the morning Mr. Sayers, the auctioneer, came from Invercargill, accompanied by Mr. Chapman, who was to officiate as clerk on the occasion. At about noon the Sheriff, Mr. Price, put in an appearance, and shortly after Sergeant Morton and a mounted constable put in an appearance. Then came Mr. Stewart, the Provincial Treasurer; at intervals a few of the good people of Invercargill, and then Mr. Mackenzie, mounted as became a good judge of horseflesh, on the best horse that reached Campbeltown that day. As 1 p.m., drew nigh, a small crowd collected about the carriages and engine shed, and a detachment of boys, told off for the service by some mischief-loving individual, raised a hideous din by beating the iron buildings and empty tanks near the wharf. The Sheriff was evidently anxious to get to business, but his voice, ordering the auctioneer to begin, was with difficulty heard above the noise which was each moment growing louder. At length Mr. Sayers, choosing an elevated spot, read first his authority and then the conditions of sale, and immediately offered to public competition a part of the plant, consisting of some 1,600 rails. At this stage Mr. Stuart stepped forward and gave notice to the auctioneer that he was about making an illegal sale; a written notice to the same effect was handed to the Sheriff, but that officer refused to stay proceedings unless a written order, bearing the seal of the Supreme Court, were placed in his hands. The lot was then sold to Mr. Mackenzie, the only bidder, for L100. It is unnecessary to follow the auctioneer as he worked his way through the catalogue. Suffice it to say that splendid railway cars, almost new from the maker's hands, and valued at four or five hundred pounds each, were knocked down to Mr. Mackenzie at ten pounds each; that the three locomotives (which were sold unseen, admittance having been refused to the shed by those in charge) brought L40 for the three — L20 the large one, and Ll0 each the smaller ones, and that crab winches, worth at least L30 each, realized as many shillings. The whole of the plant at Campbeltown, which certainly could not be replaced under L20,000, brought L292, Mr. Mackenzie being the sole purchaser, and handing over the money as each lot was knocked down to him. Mr. Sayers' task, it will be easily imagined, was an unenviable one. He was subjected to a perfect whirlwind of "chaff," to the whole of which he comfortably accommodated himself, frequently turning the jest against his persecutors. And so the sale was finished, and people went to their homes with no ill-feeling against the creditor who had, after a very lengthened delay, been compelled to protect himself, but with feelings of unmitigated disgust for those in high places, whose enlightened statesmanship did not forbid an exhibition so disastrous to the credit of the Colony. On Monday last the Sheriff proceeded to the Mokomoko, to continue the sale of the property of the "Province of Southland." Mr. Sayers was on this occasion, as on the former, the auctioneer selected. There were very few persons present. We noticed Mr. Weldon, the commissioner of police, who had with him two troopers and four of the foot police. Their services were not, however, called into requisition. Although the goods on the jetty and in the railway were claimed to be in possession of the Sheriff, access was denied to them by men employed by the Provincial Government. The sale accordingly took place on the beach below high water mark, and the goods were pointed out as accurately as possible — those in the shed being sold unseen in one lot. There were twelve luggage vans, five covered ditto, 92 boxes spikes, six pairs wheels and axles, and a lot of rails, chairs, elm keys, &c. At first there was no bidding, and Mr. Sayers declared them withdrawn, but under instructions again offered them, and the entire bulk was knocked down for an aggregate of L146. The principal buyer being Mr. Mackenzie; Mr. G. Smith also purchasing a few lots. — 'Southland News' -Bruce Herald, 8/6/1865.
In the following year, an a published letter to the Colonial Secretary from the Superintendent of the Province of Southland, the total cost of the railway to Bluff - including the substitution of iron rails but exclusive of the cost of the two jetties - was stated to be L430,000 (about $52 million today) for which the Province was paying 8% on the loans it had taken. The sale of the entire concern was recommended.
The Bluff Railway was officially opened on February 5, 1867, but a preview of the line was offered by the "Southland Times" the previous October - with a little comment on the Mokomoko situation, presented in this excerpt.
At last we started on our journey, and proceeded somewhat slowly, until we arrived at the embankment, where some men were engaged in making repairs, and where we stopped for a very short while, to allow of the points being regulated. After all was made right, the shrill whistle of the engine warned us that once more we were in motion. It may, perhaps, be noticed that whilst running over the embankment it struck me that there was a slight oscillation, which ceased when we arrived on firmer ground. However, this might easily be accounted for by the fact that the embankment had not obtained its regular "set" — that the earth was more loose and springy than at other places. Arrived at the Mokomoko, where we stopped to take in a supply of water, my ears were greeted with the cry, from some facetious wag, of — "Ladies and Gentlemen — Mokomoko Junction — show your tickets," and my attention was directed to the branch line to the Mokomoko Jetty — that monument of foolishness and inflated hopes, never realised. It struck me, however, that some of our merchants are keenly alive to the advantages that will be gained by the arrival of vessels from home at the New River, in taking first delivery of their goods, which can be very cheaply done by the aid of this branch line, as soon as the railway is open for traffic, and which will thus avoid all the expense of commission, &c, that would otherwise be charged. -Southland Times, 5/10/1866.
Public Notices
TENDERS will be received at this office until noon of WEDNESDAY, 8th June for the purchase of the Mokomoko (Railway) Platform, as it now stands, together with the timber contained in the Engine-pits alongside.
Particulars as to quantity and description of timber of which the above are composed, may be obtained on application.
WILLIAM WOODS Superintendent,
Superintendent's Office, Southland, 26th May, 1870. -Southland Times, 27/5/1870.
After the rejoining of the Provinces, the Superintendent, James MacAndrew, took ship for Bluff and toured the southern part of Otago.
HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT IN SOUTHLAND. (excerpt)
Arriving at the Bluff the excursionists left the train, and for the time being Campbelltown was not only gay, but even boisterous. Of course the latter remark will be accepted as a short statement of the sudden transition the place underwent consequent upon the arrival of a large body of strangers, and not as casting an imputation on the conduct of the excursionists, who were well behaved and orderly throughout. Nothing like a formal reception took place; in fact his Honor was not visible until the moment the train took its departure. The wharf and steamers were the principal attractions, and as the time allowed was short, a hasty glance at the bar-parlors concluded the stay at Campbelltown. The Governor's carriage, which was taken possession of by Government officials on the trip down, was occupied by the Superintendent and the gentlemen of his party on the run up. The only incident worthy of note that occurred on the road, is one the truth of which we are not in a position to vouch for. It took place in connection with an observation made by the Superintendent on passing the now disused branch line to the celebrated Mokomoko Jetty. "Where does that road lead to?" asked Mr Macandrew. "That," replied Mr Wood, who acted as exponent, "leads to a variety of places. It led one or two Government contractors to affluence; it led one of my predecessors in office into a sad mess; it led the once prosperous province of Southland two-thirds of its way to ruin; and finally, it has led your Honor to favor us with the present visit, to take formal delivery of the place on behalf of the now united province of Otago." There was no stenographic writer present, but we are assured this is the substance of the reply as near as a retentive memory can convey it. It is further stated that the remainder of the journey was performed by the state carriage in solemn silence, which was only disturbed by the whistle of the engine announcing its arrival at Invercargill. -Southland Times, 21/10/1870.
Public Notice
MOKOMOKO POLICE STATION.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, At 11.30. D MACRORIE has received instructions to Sell by public auction, at half-past 11 o'clock, on Saturday, the 24th inst., at the Albion Hotel,
The POLICE STATION at Mokomoko, built of N.Z. timber, and shingled, containing rooms and dairy, with 3 brick chimneys. Terms cash. -Southland Times, 20/8/1872.
By the 1870s, the Mokomoko jetty seemingly had two uses - the loading of timber for other ports and an example of bad management of public funds.
Who has not heard of the Mokomoko Jetty? which cost we do not know how many thousand pounds — about L40,000, if our memory serves us right — some eight or nine years ago, and when any amount of shipping was to be done; but alas! from that day to this not a single ship has frequented it, and the rails which connected this far-famed jetty with the Bluff Railway line, after the sleepers became rotted, some years ago were lifted, and the jetty became a standing reproach to Southland folly in the good old times of the past. However, better late than never; a vessel has at last cast its lines upon the jetty, and landed there a cargo of sleepers for Lyttelton; and this same vessel, like the jetty itself, has a history of its own, being no other than the brig Thomas and Henry, now the property of Messrs Clark and Law, Port Chalmers, and which for a number of years was used a coal hulk at Port Chalmers, but has now, under Captain Clark, resumed its youth, having lately done some half dozen smart passages to Newcastle N.S. W. A little steadier, the Jane, owned by Messrs Thomson Brothers, of Port Chalmers, has been put on the New River, to carry railway sleepers from Murdoch's mills, quite opposite side of the river, to the Mokomoko jetty which is thus likely, during these railway works progressive times, to see some work done after all. -Bruce Herald, 19/12/1873.
SEAWARD BUSH. (abridged)
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.)
Sir, — I was astonished on reading the editorial in the Southland News of the 13th November, to see that the zigzag route proposed by Lumsden and Co. for the Seaward Bush railways should find an advocate in a real live Editor. The only conclusion that I can come to is that the gentleman in question must be a new chum, otherwise he would never talk so largely of bush settlement. What, in the name of wonder, are these bush settlers to live upon? Chopping cord wood forsooth! How many settlers would the whole firewood business of Invercargill employ? And to make that a point in favor of the proposed route is simply ridiculous. Now, Sir, if the statement is correct that the settlement is only one mile from Invercargill, and they must have a railway, it would be better to give them a branch line of their own than to humbug the best part of the timber trade of Southland for the sake of half a dozen firewood choppers. In fact, if the amount of money which this railway is to cost must be spent to promote settlement on these 1200 acres, it would be better to give the estimated amount in sovereigns to the settlers than to erect another monument like the Mokomoko jetty and its branch railway for posterity to laugh at. But somehow or other, there is always a clique in Invercargill ready to divert any scheme proposed for the advancement of the place from its original purpose. -Southland Times, 22/11/1875.
Port of Bluff Harbor
The p.s. Comerane left Invercargill on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m., and stopped at the Mokomoko wharf, where she took in 3000 sleepers for Riverton, and left for that port at 9 a.m. yesterday. Arrived at noon, and after discharging sleepers and about 40 tons general cargo, she took in 10 tons of cargo for here, and sailed at 4 a.m. Arrived this morning at 9 a.m., and after discharging cargo took in a full cargo of timber, and sailed for Dunedin at 6 p.m. The rest of the vessels in port are all busy with their respective cargoes. -Southland Times, 30/3/1876.
STEAM BOAT EXCURSION, MOKOMOKO JETTY.
The T.S.S. DONOON will leave Invercargill Jetty, at 2 p.m. THIS DAY (also on Sunday at same time) for Mokomoko Jetty, returning about 5 p.m. Return fares, 2s 6d ; Children half-price. -Southland Times, 17/4/1880.
NEW RIVER HARBOR. (excerpt)
A visit of inspection of the New River Harbor was made yesterday by His Worship the Mayor and Councillors, accompanied by several gentlemen who have been connected with the Corporation either as Mayor or Councillor, and by the Harbormaster (Captain Clare), and the Town Clerk (Mr Scandrett). The party left the jetty shortly after 10 o'clock in the steamer Dunoon, which had been placed at the disposal of the Mayor and Council by the owners, Messrs Murray and Hamilton. Nothing of importance occurred on the way down, the Harbormaster pointing out as the vessel steamed along the channel the shallow parts where it has been proposed to dredge, also the alteration in the course of the channel which had followed the construction of the Mokomoko pier some years ago. -Southland Times, 21/4/1880.
It is impossible, with my lack of knowledge of the area and of rivers and ports generally, for me to form an opinion as to the truth or otherwise of the statement above that the jetty produced its own demise. But it does remind of of a story I heard at a family reunion in Invercargill 20 or more years ago, regarding my great-grandmother - or possibly her mother. Arriving from the UK, her ship grounded on a bar in the New River estuary. She and the other passengers were taken off by small boat. She was nine months pregnant at the time.
The Editor of the Southland Times, however, had a clear opinion.
The trip to the New River Heads last week, in the little steamer Dunoon, was no doubt a very enjoyable affair, and there was some show of business in it besides. It was called a visit of inspection of the New River Harbor, and Captain Clare seems to have done his best to make His Worship the Mayor and his councillors familiar with all that pertained to that portion of their dominion. We only trust that the festivities that followed did not obliterate from the minds of these officials the remembrance of the claims of so important a charge. We will believe that no such result followed, but that impressions were received inclining the Council, as the New River Harbor Board, to entertain favorably the suggestions made some time ago by a body of settlers who have been connected with Invercargill ever since its foundation. Something practical will be looked for from the recent investigation. It cannot but have struck those who read the report of the trip, how very powerful, although undesigned, had been the effect of Mokomoko Jetty in turning the river into a new channel. And the reflection comes home that what had been done in one direction without intent, could surely be undone by the appliance of other labor under proper engineering skill. It is not yet beyond possibility that some very small and inexpensive works may have the effect of turning again the stream at the mouth of our noble estuary into the channel where it ran when the foundations of the town were laid. We are supported in this view by men well known for their skill in navigation, and by high engineering authority. The effect of the jetty at the Mokomoko has been, spoken of, and it is well knonw that that melancholy ruin represents the means of Southland squandered to an amount of L60,000. Probably one-tenth of the work done there, if done at the mouth of the river, at one-tenth of the cost, would accomplish the object of giving us back the old channel, and restoring the prospects which were the groundwork of projecting a town where Invercargill now stands. It is not easy to write with patience when we reflect how the New River Estuary, which, five and twenty years ago, was reckoned the best endowment of the the district, has been neglected and abused. Had this water highway been only fostered when means were at the disposal of the Provincial Government, there is little doubt that shipping of any tonnage would now have been at our door. But we regard all this as nothing more than so much money lost and the handicapping under which we must now set about doing what should have been done under favorable circumstances that have now for ever passed away. -Southland Times, 29/4/1880.
The Mokomoko Jetty. — This much abused work has at last been completely destroyed by fire, a fate it narrowly escaped some time ago. How it arose is not clear, but it was seen to be burning between six and seven o'clock on Monday morning, by one of Mr Ramsay's quarry men. It was all right at four o'clock the same morning having been seen by Mrs McKenzie, who resides in the neighborhood. Two of the men tried to extinguish the flames, and worked hard to do so, but their efforts were utterly fruitless. As the stump of the structure will now be a source of danger to vessels, the Harbor Board should at once take precautions accordingly. -Southland Times, 30/11/1882.
An Invercargill telegram in the “Otago Daily Times” of Wednesday states that the Riverton beach was strewn with the wreckage of a ship evidently destroyed by fire. From enquiries of persons whose opinion on the subject is entitled to consideration, we have more confidence in the surmise that, instead of the timbers referred to being those of a ship, they are more likely to be portions of the Mokomoko jetty, which was on fire recently. -Western Star, 16/12/1882
The Relics of Disaster — Sensitive people throughout the colony were shocked to learn a short time ago that the Riverton beach was strewn with the portentous remains of a burnt ship — American-built at that. Doubtless many are waiting for further information as to these ghastly relics; and in order that the painful suspense may be speedily ended, and people may breathe freely again, it may safely be asserted that the charred bumpkins, stanchions, timber-heads, rails, covering-boards, monkey poop and other fixings, conjured up by the strained imagination of the wanderer by the sad sea waves, are the last remains of that good old trader, so well known and abused in these parts — the Mokomoko jetty. No wonder the barnacles were small. The traces of American-build visible on the wreckage may be accounted for in the fact that there were some Yankee "squarers" in these parts when the old centipedal craft was built, who may have left the brand of the broad axe on the venerable timbers. A small error of this kind is of little moment in nautical intelligence beside the grave intimation lately given to the inhabitants of Southland — that "during November, 24 'souls' arrived at the Bluff, aggregating 9044 tons." Substantial souls these. -Southland Times, 19/12/1882.
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