The Queen is dead – long live the King. Meghan Hawkes looks back at the news in Waipa from 1901.
After the death of Queen Victoria instructions were issued to all proper persons in authority to have the proclamation of the accession of King Edward VII read in public. At Te Awamutu, despite the short notice, there was a very large gathering in front of the post office to hear the proclamation read by Mr North, chairman of the Town Board. Three cheers were given for His Majesty, and the National Anthem sung. All the bells in the town rang merrily and flags were flying.
Te Awamutu Post Office, 1901
The Education Board was informed by the Kihikihi School Committee that Mr Murray, their master, did not comply with their wishes that he should instruct the children in saluting the flag. The Board told Mr Murray that he must either teach the children to salute the flag or resign. The committee alleged that his unpatriotic conduct had caused ill-feeling in the district. Mr Murray denied that his conduct was unpatriotic, and stated that he could not personally salute any flag as he would a human being, as it was against his conscience. Mr Murray was given three months’ notice of dismissal.
For many years it had been periodically reported that gold had been found in Ngāruawāhia, Pirongia, the King Country, and various other parts of the Waikato. That good colour had been found there was not the shadow of a doubt, but nothing of a payable nature had been discovered. So frequently had the reports been heard that they were usually disbelieved. Now, news came from Pirongia that two men prospecting for coal at the back of the mountain had struck a fair-sized reef showing gold. Some specimens were put on view at Mr Bathurst’s hotel at Te Awamutu. They had a very promising appearance and it was sincerely hoped that the story was true.
At Ōhaupō, Mr Pringle, music teacher, was proceeding to the hall on a rather dark and cloudy night when he fell off the footpath down an embankment, a drop of about six feet. He sustained some injuries and was taken to Mr Edwards, where he remained all night, and next morning the doctor was telegraphed for. This portion of the road was a regular man-trap, and several people had fallen over it, but as the bank sloped away they were not hurt. Lately, though, the water-tables had been cleaned out which made the bank almost perpendicular. On several occasions the danger of this portion of the road was brought to the notice of the County Council, the last time being a respectfully-worded petition, which was met with the reply that the Council would not spend money for the benefit of non ratepayers. Less than £5 would pay for fences and fix up the most dangerous parts, which was a very small amount. Mr Pringle, being a non-ratepayer, got very little sympathy from the council.
