NOTES FROM STRONVAR

Wairarapa Daily Times, 24 May 1904

(From an Occasional Correspondent).

Signs are not wanting of progress in this district. The want of access hitherto has been the great drawback, but now the road is formed through Fernyhurst, Stronvar, and down the Kaihoata [Kaiwhata] River to Mr A. Downes' property, some thirtyfive miles from Masterton.

Mr Jackson, a new arrival in the district, who has purchased the Pukitiritiri portion of Mr F. Chalmers' property, is erecting a considerable amount of fencing. Mr Chalmers is also to the fore in this line, and preparations have been made to fence off the public road.

I notice that Mr James McRae, of Stronvar, has a hill-side plough at work, and the land he is turning over looks of excellent quality. Last season he grew a record crop of potatoes. It has been often asserted that the land in this neighbourhood is of an indifferent character, but the oats and rape grown by Mr Chalmers certainly point to the contrary. The plough is all that is required to make several thousand acres highly productive, and it is pleasing to have to record that settlers are alive to the fact, and that a good deal of land will be broken up this season.

Mr Toogood's flaxmill [on Mangaru Road] has been closed down for some months on account of the supply of flax being cut out. There is, however, a splendid growth of young material coming on that should give a handsome return in a year or so.

The enterprise of settlers is being shown by the fact that Mr Chalmers, in conjunction with Mr C. A. Vallance, are at their own cost erecting a telephone line from Fernyhurst, via Ngatahuna to Kaunungi, and thence connecting with the Masterton Exchange. It is also asserted that the owners of Brancepeth also contemplate connecting that station with the Taueru office. It would be a great boon to the poorer settlers further back if the Government would arrange to carry a line for the present to the Stronvar Post Office, and eventually through to the East Coast to the Uriti shipping place.

Settlers here are pleased to learn of the purchase of the Weraiti Estate by Messrs Pownall and O'Connell, and that the property is to be cut up for close settlement, for should this eventuate,there will be some hopes of the Weraiti road being formed, which would open up a large area of good country, and bring a portion of Brancepeth, Fernyhurst, Stronvar, Glen-lean, and the upper reaches of the Kaiwheata river, some six miles nearer to Masterton, their market town.

Throughout the district, stock are looking in splendid condition, and should winter well. It is proverbial that up-country postmasters receive little remuneration for their services. The official at Stronvar receives the munificent sum of £2 per annum. The member for the district might take note of this.

Reproduced from the National Library's Papers Past resource at

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WDT19040524.2.9