History – Memories of a pioneer

The Gibbs family came to NZ from Hampshire, England in 1874 aboard the clipper ship Dorette. There were some cases of scarlet fever aboard so the ship was quarantined briefly at Motuihi. Harriet Gibbs was only nine when the family arrived, but her memories were still vivid when she wrote them down in 1940. She married James Brook Pulham and died in 1945, aged 80. The following extracts are a fascinating glimpse of a young girl’s life in the late 1800s:

After we came from Motuihi to Auckland we stayed for a short time at the Barracks where Albert Park is now – mother and the three youngest  – Father, Jim and the other men of the five families that were going to settle up North, went on ahead to find out where the land was, and to make some kind of a dwelling for us to live in. We were fortunate enough to get a good-sized slab shanty belonging to Herbert Wilson – (brother to John, Enoch and Alfred Wilson) who I think had been out about two years. We always called this shanty ‘Old Chinky House’ because the wind came through the big cracks so much we could hardly keep the candle alight. Poor Mother found the days very long. I don’t remember anyone coming to see us. The next step of their journey was from Auckland to Mangawhai in the cutter Alarm. The sea was very rough so they had to anchor out for some days. By the time they landed, the people who had come to meet them had given up waiting and left. The five families, women and children, all camped in one big shed. Next morning there was a chance for two families to go on to Hoteo North so Belchers and Yearburys went. Later in the day some gumdiggers came and invited us to stay with them till the bullock dray came for us. They had whare and tents, and made us most welcome and comfortable. I think we were there nearly a week. When we left, these people gave all the children something. We three had a young fowl each, two had ducks and one had a dog called Brindle. Then came the ride in the bullock wagon to Wellsford. Before moving to their land at Hoteo North, the Gibbs lived at Port Albert. Mr Shepherd, I think it was, came to see if we could go to school. Sarah would take us if we met her at a certain place each morning. How the other children stared at us with our white socks and pinnies. Later Hanna Prictor used to take us as we had to pass their place. When we came to the swamp she used to take Jane under one arm and me under the other and stride through mud and water. The Maori Church across the river at Port Albert was built, and opened by the Rev Gittos when I was about 13 (1878 or so). I was at the opening. Geo. Plummer and Mr Bradbury had the stores at Port Albert then. The Warkworth-Port Albert Road was being built and Father worked on that; eight shillings a day. Later, Father and I used to go to and from the farm at Hoteo North to build a nikau whare: I was the biggest at home. The whare was one big room with a curtain across: cabbage trees put close together for a chimney, and a cut-open sack for a door. We moved there carrying all our belongings through the bush, following the survey track. Later we had a split slab house down by the creek. We went to school at Port Albert, staying at the home of the teacher from Monday to Friday. Mr B M Gubb was the teacher. After a time, a school was started in Geo. Eyre’s house in Hoteo North. Mrs Sharp of North Albertland was the teacher. There was no shortage of food in our time: always enough and to spare of good plain food (no luxuries), good mutton 3d and 3½d per lb, and plenty of vegetables we grew; eels in the creek, game for the shooting, wild pigs and wild honey for the taking – stings and all! When we children wanted something extra nice for dinner we used to walk all round the creek and get some nice big dock stalks for Mother to make us a pudding.

Dateclaimer: 150th Albertlanders Celebrations countdown. Registration forms available online or from the Museum and Heritage Centre. Visit www.albertland.co.nz for updates.