The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

Hamua

Hamua.

Hamua. is the first calling-place for the coaches between Eketahuna and Woodville. It is about seven miles from the former town. There is a fairly commodious hotel, a store, and a blacksmith's shop. In the daytime the public school affords almost the only sign of life; but when the curtain of night is drawn over the settlement, the neighbourhood of the hotel often presents a busy scene. The Maoris from a contiguous pah are frequently assembled there in strong force, and the bushmen and sawmill hands find congenial excitement and companionship.

A good deal of the land around Hamua is Maori property let to the white population on long leases. The population of the neighbourhood may be imagined from the fact that about eighty scholars attend the public school.

Until quite recently Hamua was known as Hawera, but the name was wisely changed to avoid confusion with the well-known town of that name in the Taranaki province.

Hamua Public School. The public school is decidedly the most creditable feature of the settlement. It was opened on the 29th of May, 1893, and, though a fairly large building, it is already slightly overtaxed, with the number on the roll steadily increasing. The playgrounds are in excellent condition considering that they were so recently covered with dense bush. The number on the roll in September, 1896, was seventy-four, and it happened that on the day of the writer's visit every scholar was present. The average attendance was sixty-eight. There are some eight or ten Maori children at the school, and Mr. Hopkirk, the headmaster, speaks highly of their abilities as scholars, especially in arithmetic and other subjects not detrimentally affected by their habit of thinking in their native language. All the standards up to the seventh are taught, and Mr. Hopkirk is assisted by a pupil

Photo by Mr. J. B. Hopkirk.
Hamua Public School.

page 1007 teacher, Miss Catherine Stewart. The inspector's reports of the Hamua School have been very encouraging throughout, and there is abundant evidence that the children are being well taught. The concerts in aid of the prize fund are invariably successful.

Mr. John. Brown Hopkirk, Headmaster of the Hamua Public School, is a son of Mr. Alexander Hopkirk, of Gleuburn, Ashurst, and was born at Markinch, Fife, Scotland, in 1867. He was educated in Wellington at the Mount Cook School under Mr. Hardy, and holds the certificate D2. After a term as pupil teacher at Mount Cook Boys' School, Mr. Hopkirk was appointed first assistant at Featherston. His next move was to Pirinoa, where he had charge from 1891 till the opening of the Hamua School some two years later. Mr. Hopkirk's hobby is photography, and he has produced some very excellent pictures, several of them being reproduced in this volume. In December, 1893, Mr. Hopkirk was married to Miss Pilcher, daughter of Mr. H. J. Pilcher, of Wellington, and their family consists of two sons.

Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Hopkirk.

Yule, Alexander, Sawmiller, Hamua. Private address, Pahiatua. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand. The subject of this notice is a native of Wellington, having been born there in 1840. His parents came to the Colony by the ship “Bengal Merchant,” the third immigrant vessel to arrive at Port Nicholson. He was brought up to farming pursuits on his father's farm at the Hutt, and in 1864 came to the Wairarapa. He started sawmilling in 1877, and successfully engaged in that occupation for about nine years, during which time he was working near Carterton and Masterton. In 1887 he removed to the Forty-mile Bush and took up the present property at Hamua. The production of timber at the mill is about 20,000 feet per week.

Mr. A. Yule.

page 1008 Thirteen hands are employed. In addition to the mill, Mr. Yule has a fine grazing farm, where he breeds cattle and sheep. He takes a great interest in local matters, and is a member of the Pahiatua County Council. He was also a councillor of the borough. As a Mason, he belongs to the local Lodge of Freemasons. During the Maori troubles he was a member of the Masterton Yeomanry for seven years. Mr. Yule takes an interest in racing, and is a member of the Pahiatua Jockey Club. He is married, and has three sons and two daughters.

Yule, Donald Cooper, Farmer, Strathaen, Hamua. Mr. Yule occupies 1100 acres on lease from the Maoris. About three-fourths of the estate is already cleared, sown with English grasses and well stocked with sheep and dairy cows. The grounds around the homestead include both orchard and flower and other gardens, and the house is a pretty villa of six rooms. The proprietor was born in Featherston in 1868, and is the second son of Mr. Robert, and the grandson of Mr. Alfred Yule, who came to this Colony in 1840, and whose picture appears herein. Educated in Featherston, Mr. Yule learned farming with his father. In 1893 he married Miss Catherine Willis, daughter of Mr. William Willis, recently of Featherston, but now settled at Scarborough, near Pahiatua. Their family consists of two girls.