
The names on the stone are as follows:
D. A. Blackman
W. Brothers
P. W. Crees
R. H. Earland
H. H. Earney
J. Johnston
R. G. Lindsay
F. M. Logan
P. J. D. McGeehan
L. C. Porritt
A. E. Shepherd
D. Tucker
A bag of bran for a pillow, sweet-smelling hay as a mattress, a waterproof sheet and two military overcoats as bedclothes -- and a HERALD reporter settled down for his first night in camp at Avondale on Wednesday. The "last post" had long since sounded, but from different parts of the camp came sounds of revelry. In the horse lines, just outside the tent, all was quiet, save for the "champ, champ" of the horses at their feed, and an occasional sharp rebuke from the guard to a refractory horse. And so to sleep.
At a seemingly unearthly hour in the morning the bugle sounding the reveille awoke the camp. The morning was cold and raw, and it was difficult to leave the warm tent, but coffee, brought by a friendly orderly, made the task easier.
Outside the men were hard at work grooming their horses, and all was bustle and confusion. Horses groomed and fed and accoutrements cleaned, the various squadrons lined up to be fitted for uniforms, and many a laugh was heard as a particularly small man got lost in a particularly large uniform. The regiment clothed, breakfast was the next thing, after which the regiment went through a course of mounted drill prior to being inspected by General Godley in the afternoon.
"Mr. Buchanan (after a consultation with Messrs. Tole and Dignan) said there had been an understanding that no vote of confidence should be moved in either candidate at that meeting. The electors had now to regard measures, not men. He hoped the electors of the Whau would not be bound neck-and-foot, as they had been hitherto. At the beginning of every election in that district, there were men who went about getting votes in order to carry a certain candidate through before the electors had an opportunity of knowing who the candidates were and judging of their merits. Men had been compelled to go to the poll like so many bullocks. He had witnessed that for many years, until his blood boiled within him. (Cheers.) He had great respect for Mr. Taylor, but considered him a Government man by instinct. He begged to move, as an amendment, "That this meeting thanks both candidates for their expression of their views."Mr. Owen, saying that he had been unaware that there was any understanding that there was to be no vote of confidence, withdrew his motion, and the amendment was carried unanimously.
"The Chairman said that Mr. Buchanan had made an unjustifiable attack upon a person who was not in a position to defend himself.Two days later, John Buchanan wrote to the editor of the Southern Cross:
"Mr. Buchanan: Sir, I rise to --
"The Chairman: Silence, sir. Mr. Buchanan's remarks were entirely out of place. He had made an unjust assertion when he said that the electors of Whau had been driven to the polling booth like bullocks. The fact was, Mr. Buchanan had tried to drive them like bullocks, but had been defeated by a straightforward honest course of conduct. Mr. Buchanan had levelled the insinuations at him (Mr. Bollard) when he was unable, as Chairman, to reply. He now dissolved the meeting.
"Mr. Buchanan: I have a few words --
"The Chairman: I dissolve the meeting.
"Mr. Buchanan: Very well, we can put some one else in the chair and go on.
"The meeting here began to disperse, but before doing so cheers were given for Sir George Grey and for the candidates."
"Sir, -- The report in the Cross of Messrs. Taylor and Tole's meeting at the Whau escaped my notice on the day of publication. I did not say that "men had been compelled to go to the poll like so many bullocks" but this: "The electors had been sold like bullocks," meaning their promises had been got so early in the day that they did not go to the poll free to vote as they wished on the day of the election. The sapient chairman applied the remarks differently; he would not allow of explanation, nor was there sufficient disinterestedness in him to vacate the chair, and have fair discussion. Abusing the privilege of his chairmanship fits tolerably well in the general course of domination affected in our quiet locality. I am, &c., John Buchanan."Tole won, by a majority on the day of 51 votes. The Whau vote was tied 22-all.
"Sir, - I observe in your Thursday's issue a letter signed "John Buchanan", in which he has thought proper to censure my conduct as chairman of Messrs. Taylor and Tole's meeting. He states that the report of the meeting escaped his notice on the day of publication. This is untrue, as I know his attention was drawn to your report on that date; but it did not suit his purpose to publish his letter sooner. He then goes on to say he did not use the language imputed to him. I say most distinctly that he did, and there are many witnesses to prove it. Again he says that I would not vacate the chair in order to have fair discussion; this also is untrue. The facts are as follows: -- Mr. Buchanan in moving an amendment to the motion, made use of the language reported in your paper, and hurled insinuations at myself when he knew as chairman I could not reply. At the close of the meeting, on the motion of Mr. Tole, a vote of thanks was accorded me for my impartial conduct in the chair; and in returning thanks, I then chastised Mr. Buchanan for his cowardly conduct, perhaps rather too severely, considering his weak nerves. I then vacated the chair, as the business of the meeting was closed. He then tried to appoint another chairman, but the meeting refused to do so. I certainly thought Mr. Buchanan had sense enough not to rush into print over this matter, but now that he has measured swords with me, I advise him to beware, or he may receive some home thrusts. I am, &c., John Bollard."John Buchanan wanted the last word. Two days later:
"Sir, - I am sorry to occupy your columns with matter very much of a personal nature, but am afraid there is no alternative left me than to reply to a letter in your Saturday's issue, signed "John Bollard." He states it "is untrue, as I know," &c., that your report of the Whau meeting escaped my notice on the day of publication. I reiterate my assertion, and call for his proof. He says I did use the language imputed to me. I say I did not. He says he can call witnesses. I can call witnesses that I did not use the language reported. But, even if I had, and the language used had not conveyed the idea intended, was it not still a chairman's duty to allow of qualification or explanation? I do not see how that helps your correspondent out of his difficulty. Your correspondent works upon such capital as this: -- "A vote of thanks was accorded me for my impartial conduct in the chair." I regret to interfere with the pleasure that fact gives Mr. Bollard, but would simply remind him that the ungentlemanliness complained of occurred after the formal vote of thanks. He says insinuations were hurled at him. I was not aware that insinuations could be hurled. I thought they were generally thrown out in a quiet manner. It was not so in this case. There was a broad and distinct statement made, and that publicly, and it truth is all the more palpable that the principal party concerned put on the the cap that fitted him so well. It is quite competent, Mr. Editor, for a chairman to leave the chair. Was this gentleman ignorant of the fact? If not, why does he -- I repeat the words -- "abuse the privilege of his chairmanship" in making a cowardly attack upon one whom he would not allow to explain? That was the true time for explanation when all parties were present. Why did he not allow it? Was he afraid? Let me now close by saying that it is not necessary to controversy to indulge in calling names, to be free with insinuations, or to make violent threats. Nor is it desirable to the lover of truth to create a great cloud of words, and all the while the would-bee reasoner is escaping from the real issues of the question. This, in my opinion, is what your correspondent has done. I regret not being able to oblige him with newspaper controversy. My business required most of my time, and I trust that the controversy may end here, even at the risk of being supposed to be afraid of Mr. Bollard's home thrusts. I am, &c., John Buchanan."Buchanan's disagreements with Bollard continued into the disputes over the Northern Omnibus Company in the 1880s. In the end, Buchanan went to live elsewhere.
“There was reportedly a strong respect and chivalrous, almost friendly behaviour between the 65th Regiment and the Maori. No such respect existed for some other units, e.g. the 70th being taunted to "Go back to India". The Forest Rangers were particularly disliked, probably due to their use of guerrilla tactics, which offended the Maori warrior code. “For example, as described in The York and Lancaster Regiment, Vol 1, p 112, when pickets from the 65th went into the bush at night, they would identify themselves to the Maori and ask them if there would be fighting that night. If the reply was something like "Not tonight - too wet and cold; we’d better get some sleep. Good night, Hickety Pip," both sides would honour the agreement. If there was going to be an attack, they would be given warning, then be expected to fight like any other regiment. “On other occasions, during a lull in fighting, there would be a temporary truce and the Maori and men would exchange food and tobacco and the Maori would point out where they had carefully buried and neatly fenced off, the bodies of 65th men. On another occasion, when the 65th led an assault on a pa, a Maori shouted out for the Regiment to lie down, because they wanted to fire at the following regiments. The request was ignored. “The respect of the regiment for their enemies was such that a memorial plaque was placed in St John's Church, Te Awamutu.”When the regiment embarked for England in 1865, less than half the regiment were on board the two ships. William Inskip was one of those who chose to stay behind in the colony. By 1886 he was married with a large family, the youngest being nine years old, and living on the Avondale-Manukau Road (likely present-day Blockhouse Bay Road). Starting work at Wickham’s on Monday 25 January at 7.45 am, Inskip brought along William H. Scarlett to assist, and both Wickham and Scarlett lowered Inskip carefully to the well’s muddy bottom using a sling. Then Wickham went off to his shop up in the township, while Inskip and Scarlett set to work scooping the three feet of mud from the bottom of the well. Suddenly, Inskip remarked that “the earth was slipping and running like sand under the lower course of bricks”. Scarlett, alarmed, called down, “Take care of yourself, Bill, whatever you do!” There was a cry of alarm then from Inskip, and he called for the rope. Scarlett hurriedly threw the rope down the well after detaching a bucket – but too late. Just then, the well collapsed, the walls falling inward in tiers, an estimated 1300 bricks toppling down upon the hapless Inskip below, along with earth and clay. The topmost levels remained, but the debris was some 15 feet deep. Scarlett said later he heard groans from the entombed man, as he quickly sought help. A carter passing along the road was hailed, and asked to get assistance. The carter went to fetch a Mr. Goldie nearby in New Lynn, but a carpenter named James Forsyth arrived, joined soon after by Wickham (who had been alerted by his son) and a Mr. Benton. Scarlett and Forsyth removed the last of the bricking still in place in order to make any rescue safer, and then men volunteered to go down in the sling to start removing the bricks entombing Inskip. One report recorded that the last words Inskip was heard to utter at that point were “Get me out if you can.” Wickham headed for the Avondale telephone bureau (most likely, given those early days, the Avondale Railway Station) to send a telegraph to the police all the way out in the city. Superintendent Thomson promptly sent Constable Kelly on horseback out to Avondale. Meantime, the rescue party found the shaft was becoming increasingly unstable, more earth falling in. Local grocer Henry Peck arrived and volunteered to go down and pass up the bricks – but five minutes after he was lowered down in the sling another fall of earth took place, and he was hoisted up. He was said to have been the last one to hear Inskip moaning, at 10 o’clock that morning. From that time on, the unfortunate man made no further sound. Avondale residents gathered at the scene, including Inskip’s eldest son. The rescuers chose not to tell Mrs. Inskip of the tragedy until midday, in the hope that Inskip may have been rescued alive by that time. Mrs. Goldie from New Lynn went up to the Inskip house to break the news to his wife. Devastated, Mrs. Inskip headed straight down to the Wickhams’ to see for herself, but was persuaded to go back home by her friends on finding that nothing could be done. She did so, but returned later in the day to see what progress, if any, had been made. A party of men returned to Avondale to get timber for shoring up the sides of the shaft, and Benton and Forsyth prepared the timber and made sets for slabbing. Henry Peck once again volunteered to go down to fix the timber in unsafe places, relieved by a Mr. Smith. Once the timber was in place, preventing more slippages, gangs of men worked to start bringing the fallen bricks up and off Inskip, with one man down the well in the sling passing the bricks and earth up to the other rescuers. The NZ Herald recorded the names of those involved with the work that day: James Forsyth, Benton, Simpson, Smith, Peck, Scarlett, James Heaphy, Goldie, Taylor, Webb, Ringrose, Bollard “and others whose names we could not ascertain.” Wickham and Peck kept tea and other refreshments going for the workers, and a boy was sent out to the Avondale Hotel for beer for the men in the mid-afternoon. The work continued laboriously on towards dusk, the ground around the shaft still uncertain and described as “being in the nature of quicksand, and treacherous.” Lights were obtained, and by gaslight more helpers arrived as the news rippled out across the communities of both Avondale and New Lynn, including Robert Garrett from the Garrett Tannery in Waterview, and Francis Gittos. Around 10 pm, one of William Inskip’s arms was discovered protruding through the rubbish of bricks and earth. The rescuers redoubled their efforts, desperately trying to reach him. A quarter hour later, they had succeeded in getting his head clear, but by then it was certain he was dead. It was another two hours of painstaking removal of the debris that had entombed him alive before they were able to hoist his body up out of the well shaft. “The task was a dangerous one,” the Herald reported, “as the body was so jammed in the bricks that it was necessary to get a purchase on the windlass to draw it out of the debris. When this was done a rope was fastened round the body and it was hoisted up to the bank amid the hurried whispers of the group standing around the well, Mr. Smith being brought up afterwards.” From what was seen of the position of his body when it was found, Inskip at the time of the brick lining’s collapse on top of him tried to protect his head by raising his arms – hence why an arm was the first part of him found. There were some cuts to his head, a dent in the chest along with some blood, but it appeared that he had suffocated. I don’t know what happened to his family, whether they stayed in Avondale or just simply moved on. But it is worth even just a passing thought as you travel along Great North Road, heading along the sweeping curve that takes you towards the Whau Bridge and on towards New Lynn – that somewhere close to that bridge, either in the vicinity of the pensioner flats up on the rise to the left, or in amongst the houses and their driveways to the right, somewhere there a man died so dreadfully that summer’s morning in 1886. Somewhere there, as well, people in a small rural community rallied around and refused, right to the bitter end and at great personal risk to their own lives, to give up on their friend and their neighbour. That is also part of this sad story that should not be forgotten today.
“To the Editor: Sir, -- Sympathising deeply as I do with that large hearted patriot, J. S. Macfarlane, in his latest and most thorough defeat, I am naturally anxious to help him as far as possible in his commendable efforts to nullify the verdict of a benighted electorate. If the voters of Waitemata are so obstinate (not to say ungrateful) as to reject that self-sacrificing candidate, they must be lost to all feelings of regard for – for – for his best interests. Therefore I desire to point out a most cogent reason for upsetting the recent election – one which, strange to say, has escaped the notice of J.S. and his lynx-eyed henchmen. It is this: The pigeons which conveyed the returns from the various polling-places were not licensed carriers under the Act in that case made and provided. I do not like to mention this to J. S. personally, as he has such a lofty scorn of employing any means whatever to upset an election which has been decided on the actual merits of the candidates, but, nevertheless, I think it only right to call public attention to the circumstances … P.S. – I am grieved to learn that some of J.S.’s agents proved guilty of a flagrant dereliction of duty, but such is electioneering life.”Another correspondent to the paper that day wrote:
“At the election of a member for Waitemata a cabman was inspired with a bright idea. He somehow possessed himself of an electoral roll, selected five names, went with them to J. S. Macfarlane stating they were electors, offering to drive them out to the Whau (they objecting to going to the North Shore the water being rough). The bait took, he received his demands for cab hire, and had in addition a handsome sum placed in his hands to stand treat to the voters. Of course when they arrived at the Whau they recorded their votes – but it was over Palmer’s counter [at the Whau Hotel].”As an aside, the carrier pigeons used by the Star were a highlight of both elections. Both the NZ Herald and Southern Cross relied heavily on information relayed from the Star’s reporters out in the field at each polling station, via carrier pigeon. In the first of the 1874 Waitemata elections, the only thing that held up the news from Huia was that the reporter, becoming somewhat lost in the same bush that hadt spelled doom for the Whau’s Reverend Hamilton the year before, was late in releasing his bird. Mist and darkness were attributed as causes for the lateness of the Helensville bird, but that arrived the following day.
“Auckland Coursing Club. Nominations for the May Meeting Close at the Club’s Office, Vulcan Lane, To-Night (Friday) at 9 o’clock. Harry H. Hayr, Secretary.”The name Harry Hayr made me sit up and take notice. He was the first secretary of the Avondale Jockey Club, an office he held for 23 years. Suddenly, there was a likely connection between dog racing and our racecourse. I dug further, and found that the Auckland Coursing Club had started sometime during the 1880s, their first meetings held in places like Papatoetoe – farming, rural districts. Coursing itself is an ancient sport, dating back to Egyptian times, and from the 19th century took on new popularity in English-speaking countries. It involved having dogs chase hares in races, but the hares mainly survived. The start of the Auckland season was in May of each year, and it was in May 1894 that I found the earliest report I have so far as to the Avondale dog races, held at the racecourse (an 1897 article confirmed the site):
“The first events of the coursing season were opened at the Avondale Plumpton Park on Saturday afternoon, and although the morning was cloudy and threatening, the weather held up fine during the afternoon … The dogs seemed to be well trained, and gave interesting sport, and the hares were for the most part strong and fast, the result being that in the majority of instances they made good their escape, while in the cases of any hares which were manifestly weak or young, the dogs were not slipped at them, and they were allowed to get away.”Amongst the list of dogs who ran that day in May 1894 was one Rambler, owned by J. Appleby. A little later that year, he must have won the Avondale Cup with “Rambler” – the next year he raced “Evening Star”, and the year after that “Starlight”.