Dannevirke Scandinavian Club
The Genesis of Dannevirke
Published in the Dannevirke Advocate 14 March 1904
It must always be interesting for residents of a district, especially a growing one like Dannevirke, to hear from its pioneers some particulars of its early history - a history which is so quickly receding that it will soon pass into oblivion if not preserved by such of the present generation as may take an interest in the subject. It is therefore with pleasure that we publish today a brief sketch of early Dannevirke supplied by one of our oldest and most highly respected townsmen, Mr Angus MacKay.
MacKay's association with what used to be familiarly known as the "Seventy Mile Bush" dates back as far as 18 (illegible, see his biography below), and as he has practically been a resident in and around Dannevirke ever since, he has been witness to its rise from infancy into its present vigorous manhood, and is well qualified to speak of its marvellous progress. Here is his story:
On 15th September, 1872, the good ships Høvding (he repeatedly mis-spells it 'Hooden') and Ballarat arrived in the harbour of Napier, bringing with them a number of emigrants from Scandinavia and Denmark, who were destined to become the founders of Dannevirke. These people had been selected in Europe by Mr N. Friberg (should be Bror Eric Friberg), and emigration agent sent Home by the Government for the purpose of inducing the hardy race of Norsemen to come and subdue the bush districts of New Zealand.
Mr Friberg returned to the colony in the Høvding, which arrived in the harbour only a few hours before its consort, the Ballarat. He was therefore able to meet the bulk of the emigrants and introduce them to their new home, and very helpful he was to them in conducting them on to their allotted sections.
The whole of the people did not come as far as Dannevirke, numbers of them pitching their tents at Norsewood, Makotuku and Ormondville (More correctly, the Norsewood Scandinavian Settlement extended almost to the sites of these latter two town, neither of which then existed). The district at this time was destitute of roads and empty of human life save the Maoris and surveyors who were then camped in various parts of it while their surveys were in progress.
Those emigrants who settled at Norsewood were chiefly Norwegians, while the Ormondville and Makotuku settlers were principally Danes, but twenty-two others with their families came and cast in their lot on the spot where Dannevirke now stands. Fourteen of these were Danes, six were Norwegians, and two were Swedes, and their fortunes were to be carved out of 40-acre sections, that were partly covered with thick scrub and trunks of dead trees.
Only three of these twenty-two pioneers are still resident of the district, namely Brent (possibly should be Bernt) Amundsen, Hans Peter Jensen and Mrs Gronnebeck. The rest have either transported themselves to other parts of the colony, or have gone to their long home, whence there is no returning.
As already stated, the larger portion of the Dannevirke sections were covered with thickly growing trees and tangled scrub, while for the rest there were the remains of an ancient forest through which a fire had evidently passed in the old days of Maoridom, leaving only the tall trunks denuded of their foliage or the black and charred stumps, which gave the place a look of weirdness and desolation. These trees had once been in the heart of a rich totara patch, and one of the first things the settlers did after they had established their homes was to split the logs into sleepers which, when hewn, were piled in rows ten feet high alongside the main road, part of which is now High Street.
Old settlers whose business it was to travel through Hawke's Bay in those days well remember as one of the most interesting sights this avenue of sleepers, which hedged in the road for a distance of fully two miles, leaving only sufficient room for a bullock dray to pass between the piles. Subsequently, these sleepers, 80,000 in number, were purchased by the Government for one shilling each, and an additional shilling was afterwards given to a regiment of teamsters to deliver them along the main road between Dannevirke and Ormondville while the railway was in the course of construction (this took place between 1880, when the line extended to Makotuku, and late 1884, when it opened as far as Tahoraiti, including Dannevirke.), the back loading consisting of grass seed, which was brought at a shilling per sack from Ormondville to form the nucleus of the pastures in the new district.
Now that we are able to look back upon the past there can be no doubt that the district was fortunate in having such excellent settlers for its pioneers, for they soon adapted themselves to their new circumstances, and proved before long that they had all the pluck and stamina required for their daring enterprise. As the result of their perseverance, industry and toil, the bush upon their holdings was soon felled, and as the district became more settled the main road from Waipukurau to the Manawatu Gorge was formed by the Government.
This work was frequently let to the settlers in small contracts, and afforded them many opportunities of earning a little ready cash while their holdings were being brought into bearing. In the same way they were freely employed upon the railway works in the immediate vicinity of Dannevirke, which enabled them to earn a good deal of money, and at the same time encouraged others to come in and start storekeeping and catering in other respects for the wants of the settlers.
A goodly number of cottages were built mostly all on very primitive lines, and to the established population there were soon added the usual number of casuals and speculators, so that before long the need of some public place of accommodation was soon felt. This want was supplied by Mr J. Allardice, who built the first hotel in the town on a site at the corner of High and Knight streets. Subsequently, in response to further pressure, the wants of the town were well supplied in this respect, for there followed before many years had elapsed the four commodious houses which are now such prominent features of the town.
It had been the original intention to lay off the town on the flat at Mangatera, but for obvious reasons the buildings clustered around the little railway station which stood on the opposite side of the line to the present handsome building and the government township was neglected. To this little bunch of buildings the name of Dannevirke was given by the first settlers as a reminiscence of their Old World history, for they brought with them from Denmark the memory of the famous line of forts erected by King Gottrik in the 9th century as a protection to their country against invasion from the south, and perhaps they desired to rear on more peaceful lines another monument of "Dane' work" to replace that which fell before the assault of the Prussians in 1848. (Note that the 'obvious' reason for houses initially clustering at Mangatera excludes the presence of the railway station. That, and the railway itself, did not arrive until 1884. Also, the NZ Government named the town before the settlers arrived in 1872 as a way to bond the settlers to it. Probably Viggo Monrad, Bishop Monrad's son, played a role in this decision. Refer to Val Burr's Mosquitoes & Sawdust, published by the Scandinavian Club of Manawatu, 1995: p. 14)
And next comes the great factor of sawmilling established in the environments of our town and which has done more than anything else to stimulate the development of its progress and prosperity for over 18 years past. The first sawmill in the district was erected by Mr Hector MacKenzie, contractor, beside a patch of totara bush at the railway crossing, near Mr Rose's residence, in order to provide the essential timber for building two railway bridges across the Mangatera stream and another bridge over the deep creek at the far end of Piripiri, the concrete piers of these bridges being fixed in place under the supervision of Mr A. MacKay (who is being interviewed here) some 18 years ago. (Note that this mill was certainly in place in June 1883, as the Manawatu Times of 2/6/1883 2[6] refers to a dog being killed in its machinery. Also, the Aotea meeting house, built 1883, was constructed using timber milled there. See J.M McEwen's Rangitane: p. 150-1)
The next sawmill was erected near the Tapuata creek, at the bottom of Miller's road, by Messrs Henderson Bros. and George Wratt, about 18 years ago, beside a splendid totara bush. This mill was of vast benefit to the town, and contributed immensely towards its rapid prosperity, insomuch that in conjunction with the increasing progress made by the general business people of the town two banks had to be provided - branches of the Bank of New South Wales and New Zealand - after which the financial business of the district flourished in leaps and bounds. The sawmill business was vigorously taken up by Mr Henry Carlson an excellent Maori bush at Tahoraite, and once Mr Carlson made a proper start the business came to stay, and is still the mainstay of the district, though not its only stay. (Henderson & Wratt's mill appears also to have started in 1883, according to their biographies [which they will have supplied] in the Cyclopedia of NZ, Vol. 6: p. 545. Other sources claim the mill opened in 1885, but probably 1883 is more correct. Initially it also would have supplied timber for the railway. Milling began in the district in earnest after the railway opened there in late 1884. - Val Burr, 13/10/2000.)
Angus MacKay's biography is in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Vol. 6 (published 1908): p. 514.
Mr ANGUS MACKAY, the first Mayor of Dannevirke, was born in Picton, Nova Scotia, in the year 1820, his father having been a builder and farmer from Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He was educated in his native town, and learned the trade of a stonemason and builder. In 1853 he went to Melbourne, Australia, where he carried on building operations until 1865, when he came to New Zealand, in order to erect, in conjunction with Mr McKenzie, the large wharf at Mokomoko, near Invercargill, at a cost of £30,000.
Mr MacKay was successful in this undertaking, and was afterwards appointed Government inspector for the Panmure bridge, near Auckland, the new Post Office and the Supreme Court, Auckland. He then removed to New South Wales, where he was employed by Messrs Ames Brothers to supervise the construction of the railway between Muswellbrook and Murruranda.
In 1873 Mr MacKay returned to New Zealand to inspect, for Messrs Brogden and sons, the bridge on the Picton-Blenheim line. He then went to New Plymouth to manage the construction of the line between Sentry Hill and Inglewood for the contractors, Messrs Henderson and Davies.
His next move was to Napier, to superintend the construction of the groins in the harbour. Mr MacKay then entered on bridge building on his own account, his first contract being at Clive, over the Ngaruroro River, and he was subsequently employed as inspector of the railway under construction between Woodville and Matamau.
In 1883, Mr MacKay settled in Dannevirke. He has been a member of the Road board and the Town Board, and on the formation of the borough was elected first mayor, and was again elected for two subsequent terms. Mr MacKay was also chairman of the School Committee for several years, was a member of the Domain Board, and was elected to the Licensing Committee at the head of the poll in his own district. He is also an elder of the Presbyterian Church, in which he takes very great interest. In the year 1850 Mr MacKay married Miss Janet Murray, of Easttown, Nova Scotia, and has an only daughter - Mrs S.W. Luxford, of Awapuni (Palmerston North).