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Early Wellington

[preamble]

A patriotic meeting was held in the Athenæum on the 24th March, 1855, to consider the contribution of funds for the necessities of the families of those brave men who were fighting at Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman.

A proposal by Mr. A. de Bathe Brandon that a central committee be formed was seconded by Mr. W. Bannatyne, and the proposal was put into effect.

Contributions raised at the meeting amounted to £500, including £103 15s. collected by Mr. John Varnham towards a testimonial to Governor Grey, which had been refused by His Excellency. During the week the amount was raised to £842 13s., and in May the sum of £1487 4s. 6d. was realised.

Another meeting was held at the Traveller's Rest, Porirua Road; Dr. Curl was in the chair. Contributions were collected, a good number amongst whom was Richard Hammond, gave £10 each.

Another effort was made by the ladies of Wellington, who held a Bazaar in the Athenæum on the 1st May, 1855, and at which the following ladies were stall holders: Mesdames Featherston, Knowles, Clifford, Ward, Gold, Green, Hort and Murray; Misses Woodward and Hatton.

A Society was formed at this time, to formulate a plan to improve the road to Nga-uranga. The prospectus of this Association, called the Nga-uranga Road Society, appeared in the “New Zealand Spectator” of the 22nd August, 1855.

The same newspaper contains, in its issues of the 15th to 25th October, 1856, the advertisement of the first general meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce, at the offices of Bethune and Hunter, on Friday, the 31st October, 1856. The notice was signed by Jonas Woodward, Secretary.

In the same column a house of four rooms in Mulgrave Street, opposite Major Richmond's old house, was adver- page 166 tised for sale. The land had a frontage of 30ft., 180ft. depth, with a garden stocked with fruit trees, let for £25 a year.

In March, 1856, a farewell dinner was tendered to Mr. James Smith on the eve of his departure for England in the “Seringapatan.” The affair was held in Swinburne's Commercial Hotel on the 6th March, 1856. Amongst the guests were Messrs. Clifford, Fitzherbert, Fox, Catchpool, Rhodes, Hervey, Stuart, Schultze, Crawford, Joseph, J. Wallace, J. McBeth, J. Knowles, and Mr. A. Hort, Senior, who occupied the chair.