Meghan Hawkes takes us back to Waipā in 1890 to review the news of the day.
A rising Waikato town – view of Alexandra Street in Te Awamutu.
Te Awamutu town improvements met with approval. The pathway between Te Awamutu and the railway station had been considerably widened. Formerly only one person could, with comfort, walk on it, on account of its narrowness. The path had also been covered with sand. The footways in various parts of the town district had also been gravelled. A somewhat dangerous quagmire on the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi road, near Mr Mandeno’s farm, had been fascined. Enterprising townsmen Messrs Walton, Graham and Coulthard, of the Te Awamutu Roller Mill, had built a large store for grain near the mill. The interior of this store was well filled with sacks of wheat from floor to roof. Mr W Thompson had erected a neat little store for his seed and manure business near the Te Awamutu Library. Although the building was small, it was well built by Mr Mandeno, whose ability as a tradesman was well known. These marks of progress showed that residents had not lost faith in the future of the place.
An unusual cricket match of ladies versus gentlemen took place at Alexandra where the gentlemen had to play with sticks, bowl with the left hand, and use only one hand in fielding. The ladies played in the usual manner and with proper bats. Despite the odds given to the ladies, the gentlemen were victorious, winning by five wickets and three runs. The ladies, however, were not disheartened at their defeat, and challenged the victors to another match the following week.
The new Town Board at Kihikihi, headed by an able and go-ahead chairman, was determined to utterly eradicate gorse, calling it a horrible and dangerous shrub. The clerk was instructed to prepare a list of owners on whose properties gorse and briars were growing, with a view to prompt action being taken to compel them to clear their allotments. Mr Grace’s garden and orchard at Kihikihi, on the other hand, were seen as a ‘living poem of beauty.’ The trees were in full bloom, and the grounds, laid out with much taste, were under the care of a skilful gardener who tended the trees and shrubs, many of the latter being rare and beautiful. The site of the garden was one of the most commanding at Kihikihi and attracted much attention.
A fancy dress, skating and dance carnival at Ōhaupō’s public hall did not quite meet expectations. Only about half a dozen people dressed up and among them was only one woman. Miss Windsor was dressed as Nancy Lee*, a character which suited her very well, in fact, more than one gentleman was heard to remark that she looked quite bewitching. Among the men the one who attracted most attention was Mr Mackenzie who appeared as a Broken Down Irish Gentleman. After roller skating had been indulged in for some time dancing commenced and was kept up until about 4am, the music being supplied by the Te Awamutu band.
- Nancy Lee was a song about a devoted sailor’s wife.
