Foxton, its site and changing function

FOXTOl!

I:£§ §;i;TI A'.ND QHANOING

FUfU('TIOIU

SOJG>i%i0ff§

by

"-G.

S0""·,ieic.e

THKSI8

fM,§NtrED

1QR

THE D&tm OF

M,A,

in

OEOORAfHX (HONOURS}

Uniyereit;y

ot

Ne1

ZealaJ>d

~-INrRODUGTlON •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• i - 111

OH.APTER I. 'l'HE TOO

CHAPTER II.

CHAFTER III.

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX I.

APPENDIX II

Foxton today; site and

hinter-land; pre-Eui-opean : 1mn\Jotu; early European aettle~.enta; growth

ot

Fo.xton; boo1;1 po:riod;

deoline

ot

the townJ :;anacm Tramwa:,; Port of Poxton; the

Foxton region

tcxlay. THE' liDTBRLAIID

Lan4

uee;

regional

41tter-ent1at1an.

THE :fUTUID~ OF FOXTON Regional analysis; flax

1nduat17

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

THE FLAX lNDUl.lTRY

H1at017 ot

flax;

Foxton'a

nax

1l)duat17 1856-1934J New zealll!l4

Woolpaoka

Ltd.;

the SOUl'C8J

ma.n-utaotUNJ tnduatrial problema; industrial potential; future clevelopment.

THE MAORI AND

u

·,.U:H Li'J·ms

Earl.7 h1etol'1'J reaction of the Maori to European eettlcncnt;

tteeurgenoe o-r the Maori; :.1aoi-1

lal14a; Poxton t:ao:rie; future

ot

the .Maori.

1

26

37

FiS• I

w _{I I}

..

_IIl

ff _IV

tt _V

"

VI

It

_VII

"

VIII

..

IX

"

X

"

Xl

"

XII

"

XIII

"·

XIV

"

xv

"

XVI.

1t

_XVII

"

XVIII

"

XIX

tt _XX

ft _XXI

"

XIII

Looat1on.o:t

Foxton.

A•r1al Pbo\ogl'aph

or ;..•oxton.

Dl-ainase Bl'ea ot

the

uanowatu River.

TPanapc,rt ROU\88 1850-70.

" " 1873-06

" " 1906

. Graph of Wbarfago l~eouipte 1919-43. Aerial Photograph of

mu.rlkino

cut. S1lt1Dg Up

ot mouth of river lo1JI) •

Bntr8Jloe

to

the cut.

Eroaion

oz

the out• s

banu.

Wbiriki:no treotleu n1chway.

Poxtcm and 1 ts Hinterland.

Regional.Land Uae l'attorn.

Regional Dittere:nt1at1011.

crown

an4 1taw1

Landa.

'l'be Baolr-ShON a%ld Fringing Dunea-Hagion 1.

The •sahara' - eub-Reg1on (A).

- if

"

Reoently' oovored .Plata - eub-Rccion (\)

Inet:t1o1eat COrJtrol; cncnres anb-~ODion (A)

Pig. XXIIl

..

XXIV

..

XXV

ft _XXVI

..

XXVII

..

_XXVlll

'tt _XXIX

"

XXX

..

XXXI

..

XXXIIt

"

XXXIII

..

_XXXIV

"

x:T.:/3

"

XXXVI

1' _XXXVII

•

XJOCV'III

1f _XXXIX

If _XL

"

XLI tt

_XLII

Jt _.XLIII

ff _XLIV

..

XLV

"

XLVI

t,

xtVlI

"

XLVIII

A4'Y8llo1ng ,: :nd Dunes ·- ·oc lon 11

Rough G1•azing - Hegion "'I

D1tte.r-enoee in Land Use - i~egion II The .Eailway Planf1at1ona - ilegion II

Intordunal Flet ~ Region III

Improve<! Drainage - Region IV(A)

Poor nrai1'1fv:e - Region IV( A)

ConcFctc · ;toJ)hank - RenJon V

Poor~/ :1r:.,J.11od Pasture '.nn.: - Hoeion V

Good r·aature '.Liand - Rcclon VI

Rough Grazing Lai1d - Hceion VI

\Veed inteeteticm near Coast - Region VI

A Whld Break - Reg1o:r. 11

ShelteNd Jlesturoa - , . .:-:,~ion II · Fel'til1ee:n Pr:etor,y - f:q:ion II

Table of f~(>t nrns

ot

iz, •. · ilscn

.Flax - l'K'Wl:,r "Planted Flax - 1-2 yoazta old. Flax - 3 years old.

Flax - muture, 4 y-eare old.

Flax - cult

[image:4.592.115.494.72.760.2]

-

I

IT

B

Q

DU

c

TI

o

!,

To understand the present geographic

character ot Foxton, aome knowledge ot 1ts history

1

•

eaaent1al, and it is theretore regrettable that

no

hiatory ~ the town has ever been published. Uany ot the pioneer records have now been lost and ao the h1etor1oal aeotion of this work is far from

exhaustive. But with the material available the main period.a have been outlined, and 1n studying the

town's changing f\Ulotion the importance ot the

his-1.

torioal factors has been developed. It ie one ot the

oldeat settlements on the New Zealand west coast and yet, in spite of its relatively long history, the

map 1a a provisional wartime sheet. Consequently,

certain of the 11luatrat1ona laok detnil r1nd their boundaries are approximations baaed lareely OJl field

work, but they portray moat of the salient features

ot the x-egion.

'l'he piol'Jeer settlement at Foxton waa oolloquiall.7 known tJutoughout the North Island as

11.

tl'ut to,m

ot

"tlax,

1'1Ne and t'leaa"• It was a crude, eol1ta17 trading atat1on at a river aroaa121g torty

mile• trom the neareat settlement 1,and 1n 1 t pakeha

and Maori mlied indiecr1rninntely. The Lanawatu iliver gave acoeea to large flax producing areca1 .,n:nc1 1 t wns

tb1a that attracted the traders and led to 1 te ea:rl.7 prominence. Even tOday Foxton to moat 11ew

zealan4ePe meana only one thing - t'lax. This ie a

~cognition of the ·raot that since 1840 5.,o.xton has been the oentre ot tlax trading 1n New Zealand, ond, because

or

ita present national importance, adoacr1ption of'

'libe 1nduatry 1a given in Appen41x 1.

AJlotber leaa obvious but vitally important

reetui-e 1n a atUdy

ot

}'1oxton is the story

ot·

its Eaor1 population. Today the younger Maoi-1 hos no 1nter,,Jet

in h1a raoial h1eto:ey and only a few old chiefs know anything of the etOJ'Y of the early Maori people, but onl.7 in theiz- h1eto17 can be found the reasons for the

a1sn1t1oance an appendix on the Maori lands is

included ill this work, foP in a very definite way the ruture of J?oxton 1a bound up w1 th the i'uture of the Maori a1'Jd hie +and.

Howe-Yezt, the Foxton o:f 1947 1a more than a oentx-e

ot

l.1a01'1s and tlax prooeaaing; it 1e a

town,

111,

the ttmot1on ot' which ha• elowly but inevitably been

ohangecl by the geographic factors

ot

location end

changing trnnepo:rt routes and methods. The two factors wh1oh made Foxton pre-eminent 1:n 1te early history have

gradually reacted agam•t 1t tmd altered its character completely• So in thie brief study the salient

reaturea are outlined in a deaor1pt1on ot the site and

changing .tunotion ot what io one ot the moat 1ntereet1ng

. 1.

QHAPDR

l.

l'BI

tow

I•

POXTON.

terminus of n branah line, centre ot

the Manawatu ooaetland, and once port of the whole Nanawatu region, liea on the main north-aouth highway. But to the paaa1ng traveller, Foxton is meNl7 another

or

tbe

numeroua

one-street

towns on this route.

In

l')O a1r'.1'11t1c,ant way, except '£or the t:reatle4 highway

to the south

or

the town,

would

1 t stand out in the

merao17 of the oaeual motorist.

Thi;; main street, w1tler than is normal, has the uaual retail eatabliahmenta, these with the thl'ee garage• working on

tarmer•

oal'a, and a emit~, complete

the whole eoonom.to f'ol'mation of thia am.all oountcy

2.

p:roaperit7 at the tum ot the century. At the

rail-W-81' atatioa

the ••ilJt

train ehunte on erase covered traoka, and alonga14e ere

the

rotting, derelict wharves

OD a rlTel' loop which 1a now almost a man-made cut ott

meander.

on • •

t

dqe theFe are

t••

people :1.n the

t01fl1, tor aa 1a all euoh

towns,

it

ia

the faJ.'1181' who Juetd.t1ea tbe ooonomio

enatenoe

of the retail estab-l,1eh11.e1rt•, 8114 onl.7 in the north-woet corner

or

the

town- 1• t i . n al'J7 11oi1Y1 ,,.. Hen a badly uncleretatted flax textile factory endeaYoura to reduce the New

Zea-land 4et1o1eoy 1D woolpaota and 1n the tielda opJ)081 te

oarpeat•:r• are building houoea, t,11'ty of which rnuat be built this year, to attract labour to the faotory.

Thi.a~ 1nduatrial area 1e 1n marked oontraat to the

main

bod7

ot

the

tow.a.

The

b1-•••kl7 local

nnapaper

exist• on

a miJl1tlNll o1roUlat1on, an

e.uetence

juat1fiable only

on ground

•~

h1,tor1c and looal pride. The two banks

and the retail eetabl1shmenta are not unduly numerous

toz, a

•

mall

town

wb.ich·1e a C1atr1but1Jlc oentrc tor it• eaonom1o hinterland. nut one marked det1o1enoy

1• apparent. Other than n flax mill preparing fibl"e for thtt fa•,017, there la no oollooting centre. This phenomenon 1• the reault of' the amall production ot

Between the yea:ra 1 894 and 193 7, every part of the buslne•a area h.as been destroyed by tire at ltu1.,t onoe and. aroh1teot~al at;vlea retleot the

ditte:r-iDI 1daas ~ the period• 1n which theF were replaced.

Tod,q the bU1D••• area is a diaoordant pattern ot

bulldins• with

a

pervaaiJls

air ot d•oadence, but the

large achool, · Town Hall, Poat Off' ice

anu

0ounc11 Chamber a, previ.oualy all reci uced by f i1•c, u :•e of

model'D oonatruot1on, and contraat abarp~ with the

remaindel'

or

the

built up

al'eB• There is a sUdden

trane1t1on fl-OIII tbe buaine . . to tbe rea1'2errt1al seot1on,

emd d1tterent1at1on 1• not dU't~oult, 1 .. or in mUoh of: the

town tM hou&ing area begins iatmediate~ behind the

iweta11 eatabl.1.abments. The l!oxtOJJ hOmcs r.we similar in i7Pfl to thoae

or

other

et00ll towns and they vary 1n

aae

t'rom pioneer dwellings 1.o CJOdern government houses. But even hnre may be ~ead something .of the town' e

h1•1017 f~ there 1a a mo:rked a?ld &1gnU1oant absence

I

or houeea ten to twont;y

yeara

old. The slum~ .and

dying pert ,.combined to limit the borough's building

oapao1'7,

and

until

the

ettect

ot

new irlduatl'J'

Sl'Jd

national improvement 11a the farming eoonorey' was felt, Fox'ion waa eoonom1oally uepreaaed.

The Foxton of 19471& transitional. Ito

bua1neea area appears depressing and decudent and yet

theretore only through a study

or

Foxton'n history and continual change of' function, that it ia possible to Ubderatand 1te preeent economy and to ostimate its

tuture poaaib111t1e••

ffltl AND W.ITSBI:Al!P•

P1th I 1nd1oates the looat1on of Poxto:n on the .Manawatu River. It is aignif'icant that :Poxton

1a

o.n

the

west

coast,

a coast with

no

good natural

I

harbours, but backed by much

ot

the rioheet land in the Dominion. The Uanawatu, a

rloh alluvial

1"lood plain, waa tbua an area oonduaive to early aettlement,

but the only mean•

ot

entl"J w~a by- aea and r1vf,r, and

ao i'o.xton wae

established beaide the

riVcP.

liowever,

the

a1te ottei-ed aaore than mere tran•Port 2ao111t1cs,

it•••

on an area of aparaely ••setate4 sand ootmtry, land eae117 cleared and wbare trails were aoon mode.

But in an~ c0Jla1derat1on o~ a port, the extent,

:formation

and reaouroea

or

ita

)luterland

must be examiJied. The i.lanawatu coneieta of four

4et1JJ1te topographic unite. The first 113 the high haz-4 rock l'14ge, the Tararua-liuahine, OJkl this ridge, wtth ite north-south etl'ikc, r;ivea the t~nawatu 1ta reliable annual rainfall. In the pinneer days 1 ta

•tteot waa to isolate the I.ranawatu trooa the drier more eaa1ly settled East Goaat Ngion; the llanawatu gorge

,.

o-r

vital 1m,10J?tance to 1•uJ.meraton North, Foxt011 'a

nval ot tbe 1_{cJ.ght1ea. The second unit, the ol4}

high plain ie a l"Pm!18nt

at

an oldei- higher 1.runawi.tu Plain, now remaining only as a fringe along the

eaatel't'I rim ot the p~eaent plain.

'l'be preaent elluri.al Manawatu Plain

la

a

typioal riffr

tloo4

plain.

It ha• been built

UJ>. bY'

the uanawatu ,md

ite

tributar, the

oroua,

both of

wh1oh today flood per1od1oall,y and the aoi110 thick

rioh ailt with a resultant car17'-1'1g capac:Lt;; of' a oow to tbe aore in many Sl'eaa. EYen this o.::u,ry,1ng oapaoit7 ooul4 be Uloreae•d by half 1f'

ttut .

'bogging•

ot the winter months could btt obT1ated. Prom this

plain ia gathenc1 the maill wealth of the Mmu1watu, and

the aNa et111 •hOWI at each oe11aQa • a1gn1t1ot:Uli

inaNaae 1n rural population.

But thG rourth vegion,. the beach :ridge tore~ land, hr.a little of the r1om,a

ot

the alluvial plain.

It OOJ181ats_1JJ the main ot one parent materiol - sand. It ia -

ot

oonatderable areal extent, and with the

p-oaaible e.xoept1on of the long narrow lloMh ,\uokland ooa

•

tland, la the largeat auoh area

in

New Zealand. To

the

we•t

lt

ls :f:r1nged b;y lai-ge dunea l"iolng aa

be either: { 1) that the woeterly winda d1voi:-tod up behind tho r:m1n dlffle r1t1ces by the old hich plain

are respons1bleJ or (2) that the t'airly ttto,;_,uont •outherly winds sweeping along behind the rJUin

dunee

ra1ee4

the aecondary ridges. Theae aeoonda17

dune•

aN in

general

lower

than

the

outer

coostal

l'idgee and wonld thua be protectec.1 to eonie extent

tt-om the prevailing weeteriiea. Further to the nor,h the secondary dune$ loee both their height

an4 eaat•nat trend. This change might be the result

or

either the lose

or

the

:runnel etteot

re~erzted to

aboft, or or the change in the direot1on of the ooa·et whioh would leeaen the effect

or

the southevlioa.

Between the traneTeru dunee l1e tlate

ot

vazt'iJinC

tertUlty, and 1t waa on thi• beaoh ridge toz-eland that Foxton wae eatabliahed.

lP::IYA2fEAI

IL\IAWATU.

It oan be aa14

ot

the Manmtatu thut hcN the

European

•

changed the whole face

ot

the landoc:tpe and

yet left no legacy ot mismanagement in the i'orc1 Of

nee41eaa burning ancl eoil ex-oa1on. nut the oon-41t1cm

o-r

the land they- found and

the

hietoey o:f 1ta

i,1cmeera p01Jlta out clearly

the

reaaone

tor the

Ya17-1ng ttorma of 1te economic exploitation.

7,.

of 35-.50 Sl'Jahea, wae a land ~ denae roreat, well supplied with edible be.,_.rles and birdlite, of !Jtreams

· and e,tuar1ea :r111ed w1 th :Clsh slid eels, and with a.

soil

rioh enoueh to gl'ow large crops ot k.umaras, Thno

it waa a land woi11thy

ot

conquest, and two .nmjor i.taori

usvaaione have ,<~1 ven 1 t the r:iany tribal aaeoo1a tiona

ot

today. The >1snawatu Gntl oi-oua Rivera wcz;,o the only routes tbl'ough the fOl'8StJ. such traclta aa war

part1ea m.nde aoon

d1aappeared,

and olear1nga existed

only

at the paa. Onl3 on the sand ocuntr7 was there

any

a79tem

of permanent traoka.

Wherever t~re

were

nal!IW

hoUowa

the toreat EJxieted,

but

the

V1'3ot.ation

of tb.e msjol' pat or the coaatlande waa mainly toito1

(nant11cmai1

oWJA.itShlm11), Clnnuka

CLep\oeperqyu

1£QPl£1gm) and bracken fern

(Pterdi!P

IISlt;t;&,snty.;). Thus, thS.a was the 01>].y ax-ea which gave euao of acoeao

and th.Pough 1

t

paaaed the ea:rly l:1aor1 migra tiona.

lVb.ere the ma.nuka waa too thiok or the tribal track was

OTeJtgrown, the Uaoria awaited o favourable wind arid

aet ti:re to it, and in thia wa-:, isolated clumps

ot

tioNat weN burnt aometim( s. 'l'he d1soove~.r of total'c (fodogA£R'l@ tgtc;u~a) loge un,:er the Poxton ,I ookey Olub 's raoetrack is probably the result o:f' such a:n old Maori

bum.

However. little permar,ent damage wuo ,Jone

DRAINAGE AREA

oF

MANAWATU

RIVER

Approxima,t~

area,

2200

sq.mls.

- -

·

Navigable by

conoe

for

17olf

the

yeor-Ap;rox.

limits.

a.

am tbe aorub eoon returned. Thus, when the .

European came he :toUDd a belt

ot

tnibd scrub tringine

a tlat plaill ccwered with d@ae aub-tropical

toreet.

When the denait7 ot tbe rorea't 1• oonaidered, and one pioaeer atory tcUa ot a aurn7 party which 1D the

th1okeat toreat took eight hours to ccr,er ~ u1atat,oe

ot

two

miles,

1t 1eema bt1,

a natural oanaequenoe that

\heaancl cOUJJ'tJ.7 waa t1rat settled.

JWLX lYIQIW

§itl'WHUl'·

To the early ae,tlera tbe Manawatu H1Ver

••• Uw Mat ialpor,amt reatUl'e

a

thit whole region. The 1H. Tel' aupplie4 \1- on}T uana of iJJlancf trnnsJlOX-t

tor

the Uaoria, an4 up the l'iver they paddled to 'i'aonui

tor their eela, to Raukaws pa to'!' th.e1P hincrn beI'X'ies,

and ,hl'ougll the gorge . went tauaa ( ~-part1os) OiD intc~~, t•ibal

re14a.

1'hough the laat Maori 1nvaei011e

oor>-qNNCI tbe area by way

at

the sand oountrr, the 1iana\·,r:·Lt

remaiaed alway-a the one moans

ot

inland ti-ano:port.

Oonaequen,13, when the EUl'opeane oanat they too utilioc:i

tlw r1ver and settled where it croeatd the lJeaoh r1dcc toreland.

The r1rat Nurapeana to v1a1t the i:cinawatu were set gpoi> and killed aa some strange apeciea of c;o.J

bat later whale:ra and tradei-a . in :tlax and 1)ics beoamc ta1r]3 ooanon along the We•t Ooaatit Early in 1840 c.

th1•

iJJtormation he handed 011 to Mr. Jerningl1a01

Wakefield when the latter visited the Manarmtu in Auguat 1840. .\a a direct result o:r this Vi.Git

Colonel .:akefield arranged with the Nsati-R&ukawa ·

oh1eta

for

tne,purohaee

ot

25,000

acre•

tor

£900.1.n tra4e good••

But

later, IUMler

Oo•e~nraent

il'Jveati-satlon, the a.rea wae roduoed to 900 aarea centre4

larg•J.T

aboTe the

pi-eeent

aite

ot Paxton.

ot th1a aetbaok a pi®e•i- 1ettloment waa estt:1blished at i'aioka eome twelve iniles ur, the river fr1.;u /'oxton

amd the bush and sc~,ub wet1e clearGd and several trading

atatimsa

am

a aawmill eetablisbed. The main trade,

bowe'Nr, waa in tlax (PbQnj,mp.

t§Il@Zl~

and large

n\tllber•

ot

the Jlativee occupied tbemeelvea 1n preparlnf~

t'be tibN for the ti-adere. The begilming of Maori agrioUlture waa eeen at this time, and piga wore bred

1%1 increasing nmabere

tor

aa1• to the traderr. .t'rom · We111qton. Relation• with tbe native population

" " ' on the v:hole, very good and, although. tbo ~mall mehold area hindered expansion, the tradevo mode huge protita dealing

with

the 1gnoraJJt natives. nut through the ettorta

or

the Rev. Du:ooan, the nutivea learned amne e1thmet1o and tbe days of huge profits

tor the trad•~• wePe past. No more land oould be

certain Chief RangihEJeata, who :reqred the influx of the pa'k.eha, aJ'ld thua both settlement

ana

trade wel"e greatly i-eati-1oted.

Then in 18.55 the gnat earthquake 1rr0oltec1

Pa1au. Ransihaeata aeemed 11kel¥ to uae tbJ,n oa a eu1 table gpportuni t7 to remove the irltrudc1:tD, nnd

the ae,tlezta f'led. Later in the :,ear when the aettlera retumed, they decided to move clozer to

tbe l'iYel' mouth, an area whiah they deemed oofer

during earthquakee, and where Maoi-1 h1endsh1p waa

aaaured.

Today, the eite

or

iaiaka 1a either swaam

or reoe:ntl.y drained awam.p land. lt•18 clear that

the land was not so 1n 165.5, and

;.a-.

K. Drew, Uanawatu

county Olerk, iJ:1 hie youth heal'd old reaJ.denta apeak

of a euoaiJenoe <luring the earthquake.

no reoords to. v·eriry th1a statement, but eUpoi-i'1o1allJ, at leaat, the evtdenoe would point to some nuoh

ooourl"ence. It ia, howewr, impossible to estimate

the

area attected.

The new aite, then la)own

aa te

Awcho\J, •a

new stream', beoauee of a small stNam there ,;:m1~er1ne

the ,1 :rmawatu JU.vet', 1B toJoy the site

ot

Fo.xton., It had been occupied ainoe -; t.:42 by a Captain ,.iltlnson as a oattle run, ae the aoru:1 ootmtry required little

.

•

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

:,:

ELLINGTON

SEA ... ···· ROAD

-TRANSPORT

ROUTES:

1s~o-1s70 ·

etore Wfl.Ptl the i'11•at business establishments, und to

:racil1tate traue, Thomas Oook erected a privnto

11.

Wharf ana built two 40-ton veaaele. The 3,400 HtiOris still dwelling along the X'iver bank and the la11se

tribe on.the coaatal land t'~thera oouth, \i-'oro now be-coming f;l major factor in the regional econou~,-. They

sold lorge qunnt1t1cs of whea1, mai•e• flax,. potatoes,

kumarae and pies, and h:;d their .own flour rdll 1JGfore the pakehaa.

n, 1 c,58 the l'I'o,rinoial Government p\il'Chaaed n

blook of land of 37,000 aores including Foxt®, and

·extending north and east. It was known n& . the Awahou Block, and was bought tor some .&2,500 trom the

Ngati-Raukawa rangitir•a (rulin0 chJ.et), ll"takura Tuk'Wltara. Th1a was the first major land purchase, anG the only area aettl<.,~ \,lthout ;inter-tribal art1umentt or obvious

-t-• ,f.'

..u..,us •s.t .. oe. /he township or ",'o.xton was then laid out,

and had a white p0pulation or 100 at the ena of 1358. Foxto:n wae then the maJor settlemont in the new area,

1ta 1mp0Ptanoe arising trom the geographical

taotor

or

its

location.

The only means

ot

entry into the

Mannwntu w,src by aea 01• the coastal route uL1o:J. ran along

and ao th.e orily t.wo trana~•ovt routes met at ·~he settle-ment • . Slm1la1>ly the only route serving the lnlal'ld

.

.

:

.

. .

.

_{• .}

.

.

.

.

.

.

ELLINGTON

SEA ... ROAD---- .RA!J .. :WAY-

-TRANSPORT

ROUT·ES:

1s7,-1aa6

that the native oanoea brought the large and

growing

Maori trade. Thua, the oarl1eat tunction ~ Foxton

waa that ot a oolleo1i1Dg Of)ntr• and p1cmeev ht:H3$•

tlW WWVTH

Qf PQ&TP?i•

The aals

ot

tlle Awahou Hlook was tb.e s1gnal

tor negot1at1ona

tor

the sale

or

the \huatn1--nn;1a

·nlook

of aonie 250,000 aorea which 1nolucled a majOJ.'l !".lrt ~

the _llanmratu Plain. Ae soon aa the 1ntei--tribal ditteHnoea weite sajueted attl the ,urve7ine an4 aale

oompleted, aeoticms were nolcl at Wellington in 1866-7. Thoae moat keenly oought we~e ot I'1apa1oea, the future

a1te

ot

Palmera:.on No:rth.

At th1a time Foxton was the la1•aer;t town betNen Nell1n<1ton and tian;;anui, and the openJ.ng Up

ot

the ztanawatu added greatly to its irnportaj'l<.ie•

All trade with the new settlement at Papaioaa paaaed

through Foxton, but the r1ver,at beat, wae a poor

route, and the treok was long and rough. With trans-port coating £20 a ton, any inol'eaae S.n trade wa.a

1o-poaa1ble. The FPetY1nc1al Government, however, realised the econor,d.o potent1al1t1es of the region., ·;t)(.\ in 1873 built a woode~ -tramway tro::1 or:•oxton to I~ongbu:M>, near

the settlement now called ,Palmeraton 1:0:riih. In 1874 a ateam looomotive waa

aUpr:,lied.

The wooden raila

buo)4ed and warped and the tirat t:rip, a distance

ot

13.

1&ett1o.tent as it was, gave a great atimulua to trade

generally, nnd to the timber trade in part ionlc.r. '£hie

rapid 1.ncreaae 1ii trade &nd r11venue eo 11,iprccaod ·the Government thut the tramway was replaced bi Cl l"'uilwey

and, ill 18761 the completed railway was extonde4 to

Palineraton

north.

The·etteot of this new transport route cannot

be overeatin1ated. The male ·adult population

or

the

AhuaturEmf;O

nlock

was

33

in

1868,

and 1n 18n Palmexiston North became ti borough with n pcpulat1on

ot

300. For~on

in 1874 had u po-,r,ula ti on of 291 , a elow inoi-teaee. f'rom the 100 of 1 BSG, 1;ut oy ·1878 the nUtnl,er had risen to 563. rhe eoonomy of 1/almerston :.a?th .was uased 011 the i-1oh

plains .:.nJ. so b71876 its populotion exceeded that of Fo.xton, but Foxton was still the port and 00triaeroial

oe:ntre ot the Manawat'l.1. A feature

ot

th1e pex-;J.od 10 the riee and decline

ot

I!aor1 trading.

After

the

arrival of the J1:ure>peQl)a the IJaorio soon dcvcl~

a widoa:pi•ec,"~ oyntem of co1:1mu:.1al :f'arr:1ing an~, no in the

Waik.t:.to, the e;nr1.lieat a.nJ. o;:;- i'Ul.l the most :ttf}Ql"tant

euppl1era of ag1 .. icultur:.1l rir·oduota wel"e th.e >:OOl'i••

After 1860, however, their- trade began to deol1ne,

the reaeone tor this decline being dieoussed 1n Appendix

II. Flax had, of oourse, been a majOl' teutui-.e 1n the oOD1Deroe of the 1:anawatu trom 1 te earliest doya. The

tor muokets ar.a 1n the 1fort1ea tlax tradero

eetabliahed sooll

£aotor1ea. · The expwt

ot

tiore

grew ateaa117, end by 1073 1t dom.1nate4 the c.Jq>oi-to

ot the Llanawatu.

ln

1873 the oovenmerit traua1

ona

wllart'

aupplie4 • outlet tor

the

\1.Dlber

or

tho inland f'oreati: and with the coming ot the railway

the

industry

Sl'••

until 1878 when t1rent7 aamnilla •••• 1ri Qperation 1n

the .L.ttnawatu.

Jo great r.aa the outtlow that huge bloolal ot timber

were

stacked &l"ound the whul'ft& and

trial 8h1iqnto or

ti•ber

went ea tar as Encl.and.

Thua Foston entered 1te boom period.

DQQH

k'wiJ:QR

1

§76 -

1890.

B7 1876

Foxton had beoome a nodal point a£ tranaporit, and 1te tunotion wae that

ot

port and

oommeroidl aentre ot the Manawatu. The

overland

route &011 .,elliJlgto» to ~.'angcu1 croaeed th• 1.ianui1otu by terey at Foxton1 betore proceeding to PaJ.me;;ioton North,

and the port handled the total expwte and

io:ports

of the area. The 1_busbwbaoker1 was olearing the lta1:ranga,

.ad

a alream

or

timber, almost too great to handle,

poured uito

the town.

Th& timber trade

wao,

however,

onl7 uiane1t01'7•

Though it wae

tor-

a t1nle the dominant trade of Foxton nnd1 indeed, moat of the

to maintain tbe tiaber eu;vply' and ao by 1890

taw

tlaber trade wae deolinine, and by- 1900 it \,:aa of' but minor imPoJ.1t1121oe. nut aa tiraber deol1ned oo flax took lta plaoe aa ti. main art1ole of export.

l'oatcm ba4 been always famoaa for its tlax,

and tb1a •••

lusely

reaponaibl• tor its eal'J.y

settlement. At f'11'a1i the Ma0zt1• pHpared the neoessn.ry fibre, but ae the demand ei-ew,

mills wei-e

aet up and a eteact;r output waa maintained. But until 1&80 it• ex:plo1tat1QJ'l was not extensive. ',~1th a growJ.ns narket

in Australia and the

u.s.A.

pricee rose and atimulated

the induat17 and ihue, at a tim when most of the

oom2t17 waa eutterii,a

t'rolD

a

eevere depression, l?oxt011

had. 1ta ereatee't boom period. From

1885

omnu-do the

priN

ot

fibre

rose

ateadil7J

1n

1881 it waa £31 to £32 a ton, and in 1889 £3at'£40 a ton. At tho oloae ~ 1889 tbe following suney waa made b7 a competent authority - 1tpoxton ha• greatly inoreaaed in l)l9esper1ty

duriDg the laat

tour

years. Within a r-aditta of ten mile• there aN 50 tlaxmilla

ua

full work, whioh empl07

about 1.500 men. At t~ loweet eat111'l&te they tum out 1,100 tona of dreeaed fibre per month, wbioh entails a oaah expen41ture

ot

£101000 ~or labour,

making a total oaah expondi ture of

.c20,ooo

per annum. 11

However, in 1890 the market ooUapeed and, in

16.

and £21 tor good quality.

dropped and Foxtom entered.into a period of uooline, a deoline aggravated b:, the alow loa.e ot trac1e to its

larger z-ival J)aJ.merston north.

Pl9&W

9l

TlJEWQWli•

I

Atter the

completion ot the Poxton-Palmel'atcn

North railway, the Provincial Government begun to

auney a rallwuy route trom 11el11ngton to Poxton. The

f'inal draft wao aooepted, und moat of the t:Jnnela were

completed, when

the depreaa1on

oaueea a

cessntlon of work. But suoh was

the

ateto

ot

Wol.lington trade•

tbati a group

ot

Well!J2gton buetne•e men,seeina the

vital neoeaa1ty Qt the Manawatu railway 11:nk, floated · a oompany to cnrx-y on the work. The oovernaont

aUpporte4 the scheme and endowctd the company Yti th

It was thic gift that changed the futur-e of .,,,oxton. The Go-voi--nment

l"oute waa to

run

to

Fo.xtoa

and

thence to

l'nl.me1-aton North, but the Wellington and 'i/e8t Coast Railwa7

Oom~y, as 1t waa

known,

pref'erred to run over their

own land, and so joined the I1'oxt011 - Palmeraton North

railway at ;r,ongburn, tour milea from Palmeraton North. Thu• Foxton 1n 1886 beoame the terminus or n minor

branch line, instead o:t' a rlJBjor main trunk otntion. The c.ftizens o'f the town 1n nnt1o1pation o:c 'tb.o main

,.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

.

.

.

.

..

SEA··'.··· RAILWAY-. - -

-TRANSPORT

ROUTES:

!9os·

a rail link to the north and, although the railwa:, by. paased Foxton, a tramway- joining the looal l1ne n~ar

llirnatangi was built through Danson to the R@g1teilc1

River.

Although Poxton'e trade was atimulateJ b7

the tramway, }$lmereton rorth waa drawUig evor .

:turtber ahead • . In 1891 tbe railway link 1:'rou Nap1er to l"alme~ston !rorth'was opened, and in 1897 the

Woodville-':i'ellington line wae completed and lulmerston Nortb and not Foxton was now the nodal point of the Malulwatu • Foxtcm•a port waa still the one means

ot

comm.unioatlon with the iiorth but il'I 1908 tbe main

trunk railway was opened. Thua, Fal.merstGP ::ot>th wao

no loii.ser merely the centre

ot

the 11anawatui "iHl i- beoaoe

a nodal point for_ all tranaport routes. ':he pOl't 's

unoerta1n·r1ver traffic was now opposed by th.o main

trtmk l'tllway tratt1o

ot

tlw inl8Dd oentre, and the

gradual el1nd11atlon

ot

Foxton'e tui,ction as the port oJ?

Mallawatu waa s,qw oerta1n.

In 1878, 1n anticipation of the oonat:i:,uotion of the ma1,n t1,unk railway eyatem through Foxton, the Paxton and Janson Ra1lway Go1npany was tloote<l to

o@-et~ct a light railway fr01:1 1I1matangi to uc.n:.;on. The oompany tailed onu 1n 1883 the Manawatu Count~r I' uounoil .

Year

gncl Qou;:01

1874 Cona\Ja

1878 " 1881

_"

1886 H

1891 r~ 1896 0

1901 n

1906

f~

1911

r,

1916 u

1921 rr

1926 u

1931 E•tir.late 19,36 COJJE.·~is

1941 Esti.mate 1945 Cans•.is

1947 :eatir.iatc

'b

WJ'ULATl;9N

(!T~ ·J.-G',.

""''"'L"I!\ - vU

•'

!.So

cm

&!£tb.

Olli

Foxtop Borough ..

l!aori~

Non-r~ae-r1a

1laOl9;\S; ..-~~:.~~.-...i~ .• ~·,;t r.t '.-~-c

~·on-:

~ . ...-...,;-..-., ... ces .,,,,:.,.:..·

or-ta

__ ..,. ,..,,.~

---193 ::, '.i.ovn 291

800 "~ ' ::oro. 563

'1,.366

,,,, •1 _72C

2.606 }): ft ₇₃₆

4,303 .;I. rt

1,223

~;-5,910 .,, Jt _1,102

6.534

_*

n 1,2-11

10.239 If _1,330

10,991 :z..:

,,

_1,.637

12.029 ,t 1,

n~)

15,649 f.}

1. c:;B(:

18,101 42 {~

1,G97

20.950 50 ·.~•.ity 1,G3r,

22,110

92

·•J.·

1,510

23.,500 100 It ₁

11.t.10

25.124 153

_"

1,568

26,930 170 It _1,630

:-.~ t,;: 1)3 GO 95 100 83 90

*

1:ot available.

A.,-, .!"1')8 .~.::..~~

:'o·.,n

, I

T• Dint.

11o::o. l! "f, '1 • ·I ) ,

mm;.;

1• Poxto.n Borough altered its t-011?.ldnrios .. i .. , 1906 (po_p•1lc:t1on affected no-, knOlm)

and again prior to the 1941 estinatc (lo::iinJ 5D rc:1- .-Jorla to i:anr,vrat,;. Cou:nt:,J. 2. The low pel"Centage of Haor1 population 1:n }'almerr:on :·orth iB very mr111ked.

In the North Island the proportion of~ .. ,oria to 3:;ropaans is about 1 : 10. Thus trut abow ~igureu a~.ow c1early tl't::ic;; the 1.:aorJ.s t~:r•e still preclot1i."r'mtel7

'the Tranura:,e Aot. The line waa opened ae f'nr ao the Rongatea Road in 1884, and extended to Sanson by 1

ooc.

It·ne

the

onl.7

outlet

tor

the

wholAI

Sanson

ai-ea,

ana

•• the Couno11 had running righta on

the

railway fl'om

H1matang1 to

Poxion, it

o&l'r~ed out: large

qttant1t1es ot grain, obatt, wool an4 tlaz. '1'be ettoot

ot

the

Palmereton 1Ior\h-Well1neton Railway wa~, tho:::i"o.toI'e, larg.el.y oomreneeted by the greet is,otteaae in trade engenctered by the new trMsport route. The lii,e was

extended to the Rang1te1k1 R1Yer, and the county thue

bad

an i~tent aoUNe or

granl tor roadinc

in

an

area lar~•1Y panl 4et1oient. The ilnra~ tratt'io wno equally 1

•

Portant and 1ti111u1a,ed port tratf1o.,

Until 1920 the trmnway was the ohief trana-port route, but w1th the advent

ot

the motor truck

,rattio

crrad

ually tell

att

u1rU.l by 1939 tho 'trataWay ••• rurmine rit a loee: the produota

ot

the ores oo·uld

be moved quickly and easily by road to Peilding and Wa:ngQui and the need

tw

the tranay was past. · Th.1:-s

g11adual drop in trat':tio had e notloable effect on

Poxton. Aa oulw8l'd traffic declined eo the pl'oti t on inward abipping cargoes aleo declined and the port

1'8Ce1pte show the etfeot

ot

declining tramwo;t rcoeipto.

The war and the need tor .Jement an/1 other .

the great coat

ot

deterred maintenance and the tallin.: 1

reoeipts forced the Oounoil to abandon the trsuway whioh waa t•ken Up an<! .eold*

W

i)QIX.

QI

FQxts?li•

While there are records ot veaselo trnclbtg

in the tnno.vmtu River even priot- to 1840, tho firat

wharf at Poxt•OD was built in the y,ar 185.5. Ti-ade

grew steadily and in 1073 the Government aloo

con-atruoted a when' 1n oonjunotion with the tt1arnvay• The C":r0vemor 1n a warrant in 1868 del1m1 ted the port, the aeawaX'd limits being Han arc ot the 01role

ot

two nautical milea radius .rrom the Signal Utation1

t,

th1a station otandlng at tbe mouth ot the river.

By the '.Foxton Hnr~bour DoaPd ,,.et ot 1 876 the nnme was

ohanged tror.1

":.:ho

l'ol"'t or the lianawatun to ita p~eaent

name, and the t1hurf' remained under the jur1:cil1iot1on

ot the railway department. In 1869 pilotagc dues •ere fixed at 6d a ton~ in 1877 a hai-bo\111' master

waa ~1nto4. With the Vlaugu>.-ation of the -train

, I

ael'Yioe to

Foxton

1 shipping traffic

inoreased

nnd

the original 176 toot whtU-!° was extended bV ·i GO iaeet

in '1878 and f't111tbett extende4 in 1

aao.

a olcur- il'ld1cotio2l

of rapid growth in port trt:.ile.

Up to the open1n[! o;· the main trunl; l''aUway Foxton waa the centre of the trade with northel'D

parts of the Island. Its trade was still oone1derable

~mount in£ .

,.

4000 ~

·

;,oo

'

3000

2500

,,,,

t

/1 I,

... •,;Ji,

2000t----rr--+---+--+-+--+----+-r---+-~+---+-'---'~~~--+---+---+--+----+--~

1500

~

I I

A

I/

I

I I I

.

Iii\

(

I 000 t - - - - t t - - + - - - + - + - t - - - + ~ - - - + - - - + - - - - 1 - - - - + - - + - - ~ - - 1 - - - + - - - - i - - - - + - + - - - - + - - - - + - - - + - - - + - - - - 1

500

I I I 1

·

I

I

I I I

·

I I I I l I I

I\

I t I t I I

OI I _!. N l'4' ,t ""

~~ N N N N N ...0 N r-.aa N N o,. N 0 f"('\tC'\l't"~ - N tf" ..t _""' u--..o _{""' l'4"\ ~ ~} ,....00

-~

Graph

of

_

Wharf

age

receipts of the

Port of Fox ton ~1919-43

~ ~ ~

Fijures from annual bolonce 5heets: No other figures dVoi/ob/e '

so a movement to eot oontrol

trom

the novernont wne

eet 1n motion by' Poxton 01-iu reeulted 1n the pasaing or

statute

28 111190a.

Thie

statute set Up the

Foxton Harbour Board with control of the po:rt and a :rating &Na 1nolUd1ng the oountiea ~~ Kairunga

and L1anawatu,

tho

borouchs

ot

Foxton, Fe1ld1nC and

Levin, and the oity

or

Palmeraton North. r.;ach

rating area wns to have one representative, nnd one Government repPcoentative sat on the

noard;

thua

the whole oi' the Manawatu shal'ed in the con\;1,.ol

ot

the port. nut 1n 1908 the main trunk ra1limy was aompleteu. T'hua the institutt.on of the HQaro ohowa olearl.y that the local bod1ea ooul.d not envisage the

inevitable ettect

ot

the

main trunk railway ayetem on

their port. 1;;,ven ten yeara le teI" the Hartiou1~ Doard could not f'orsee the ext1n0t1cm

or

the port2 and

pui--ohaeed the whort er0111 the J1a1lwaya Department :i:'or £5,000~

Ae the land waa cleared the l£anewntu L~iver,

ot

importance at t1rat only QS a

means

o-r

entry

ana

transport, grew in 1mportimce as a drainage a:,otem.

The l.ower Manewatu meandered aaroas 1 ta t'loocl plain with

a consequent

reduotion

in

rate

ot

tlow* a

The heavy sprinr: raintall and the oonudt1tion

ot

the pla1na and the hille of the1:r toreat cover,

reeulted

1n

frequen, flooding

ot the

lower roaohee

So

the

Msnawatu became regaX'ded

priuril.Y' aa

the

oauee

ot

the serious tlood problem ..

Drelnace boarlt.e to:r each d1st:r1ot conoentrute(l on

buildinr; stopbanka find kee:r,inc aeot1ons of tho river m>der control, and gave no thought to the ftr',rni~e

ot

Foxtcm Hal'bour.

Such piecemeal ettorta iterc not enough. Finall7 the Public >Jorke Department. were

:tox-oed to tske over the p:t-oblom.

'l'ho1r

eolutton

was

a

aeries ot majoI' outa to

shorten tbe I'iTer, and inoreaae the rate of :rlow ot tho

I

t'lood waters. In 1943 the

rih1roldno out

short-c1itou1ted the arc of the ,,,iver at Ji,oxton. The l'iver eilted up and the port of ~xton waa no more. Thu

the l?ublio ,oi-ks Department showed that it oona14ered

the extinction of Foxton as a port both inevitnble

and neceaaary iJI the national ir>tereat. Go 1n 1943 the rox1on HarboUl' lloal'd found itself a

Harbour

DOlU"d

without a harbour, and with a large debt to oal"ey.

However, it still N1ia1ned certain endowmento ,,

-Signal Jtation Heaerft {llound Buah), annua:t ~?cntal

£170J 3anatorium Reaei-ve ,G44; and Te :r,'hatt:;n[:!1 :~eaerve

'

Fi. XI

Fi .• XII

The Wh1r1k1no trestl~d highw y

. ~.2 _{4 •}

AD el'Jdowment of value

not

only to

the

Foxton

Usi-bour Board, but even rnoi-e to Foxton 18 the 'l1e

Wbarang1 Reeerve, or :r,oxtonneaoh. The value of the

beach was recognised•• early ae 189.:St and by 1910

the Manawatu

OoUDty

Council had

oonetructec1

o gravelled

road, but 1 ta gro· .. ,.th was hil'ldeNd until the reserve

wae 8Ul'Y01'84 an4 properly laid out 1n 1922. With the

ad-nm'li of the tllO'tOPOar the beaoh grew ateadilY, but

the popularJ.t7

ot

certain older holiday places kept Foxton a aeocmdary resort, However, in 1936 a

gl'eat change ooourred. :Jertain

or

the wealthier and

more ~o~eee1 ve

ot

the o-uo.il>easmen

or

llalr.10i-ia ton lfoi:tth took an intereat in the beach.

publi-c iXJt~rcGt and large sums of money were ~olleottK1

tor beach 1,mpl"OTementa, While the liax-boUl' Boord, With

al'J eye to 1ncNaaed ~ents, was more than ready to

Wlthln a period ot \en years a long seawall,. a concrete ekat1ns r1t>k end paddling pool, o. bOat olub

pier and club houae1 large tenn1a oolll"ts and n

nine-hole

eq,Xf

course were

conet:ruoted.

Hy 194G ;,'oxtcm

Beaoh had become the week-end and holiday roaort of Palmel'ston nottth, and of the whole

Panawatu

nnJ

It has a mJ.lder olimate thnn inlal);t

economic effect ot the beach, though not a CUijOl' .taotor 111 the town's economy,

1s,

nevertheless,

gpannti in Poxton; 1t is the l'ailhead

and

11etribut-1ng attntre and beach holiday makers till the shopa, ovel"Whtlm the garages and orowd out the pioture

theatres.

m

roXT01-_

RJGI9l!

ronAY.

Poxton the port and d1atPibut1ng centre 1a gone. The inevitability or ,change has mad$ Foxt;on the amall UI'ban oentre or a sandy beach ridge foN•

land. Only in ita f"lax mill and·textile factorydoes it ahow ... any d1Yeraity. With the advent of road

tral)eport 1t• ai-•a ot tributan hinterland has

nar»-owe4.

on

tbe

.24 mile• route from Pal.meraton

North, all but the last six miles is oommeroiall.7 tied to the c1,y. For tour milee to the weat lies a complex

ot tlats· and sand dunea; to the eaet ten r.1iles ot ea:nd

afld swamp oountry, and to the south about five miles

ot

id.xed river flat and aand dunes. Thus Foxton l1v•• on

a emall oontPact1ng area,

an

area moreover oompo•••

largely~ eand.

AgricUlture ia primarily the basis

ot

Foxton•s

11:re. The

small

fertile patohea of river f'lat

or

drained awamp are the gretiteet produoera, but

with

iooa

ta.mi

mQagement return•

aite adtquato • . To .the no1•th and eaat, r,asturea, zreen 1n :::.r,i,,iJlU, are

aoorobed 1n sunner and wild weed oovered wnatcs -teU the atoey

or

light iJladequately

managed

eand country. output ia

low,

and in the north the sand creeps

inland:.

some

UN 1• made

or

parte ot this nortbol'ti and

eastex-n

porticm.

but eyerywhe~ are the tangled USl.1' patobe•

ot

l.:aor.1 land, breeding plaoee

tor

eoren,, lupin and braolten. There can be no real olea:ranoe

ot

-.ede from other land 11" :treeh auppl1es of seed are

maturins.ac;;xaoss

the

tenoe.

lt

1e Maori land

Ulld.ao

little !e done.

Fox\on· oolloote ne1 ther cream nor the vegetchlea: hom the local Cbirleae gardens, It 1a the centPc,

ot·

the area but not 1 ta market, and auppt,iea the :tarmers

with

prov1a1ana

but

doea

not

heJ>dle

their

oropa.

Pallleraton Nprtt. is 24 rnilea and I~vcl'l -13 miloe

nay and yet :r.1ozton, though a railhead, <'lo(;,o

not

handle the agi-1.oulturol produce of the area. . . FroGi tbe sand comes too little to eeteLliah eoonomic agricultu~al oo11eot1ne end prooeasinc induetriee.

To the people or roxtcm the whistle of' the textile taotoey 1a a whistle

ot

hope. Foxton of' 11389,

oould e.xiat without either :f'lax O'! beach.

.

,

o,aoe the port of the Mtllawatu has,

today, the

t'unot1on

ot

a ama1l urban centre of· ri poox- sandy h1ntorland.

The geoaraph1oa1 :taotor or looat1on, o»oe

all important to ;io;xton, 1s now

ot

only minor ir~portanoe. orice the oentre of oormn,micfltiona its r1ver---c1"oss1na, harbour and, later, its tramway made :B1oxton commercial

centre of tb.e ~anawatu.

way and bridge orosa the r1ver three miles tttom the town;

the

harbour 1e but a memory- and ita reilway a

relatively tmiau;,ortant branch line.

only its flax trade and its location ae the c,1nt:re of

a poor fl£::r1cultu:ral regi®• Its present tc.u shaped

by 1te hiatoey, but its function 1s etill ch:JPOing.

only by a detaUed stuay of the area can the present runotion ~ future PoBeihilities

or

Foxton be

REGIONAL

LAND

USE

PATTERN

~ ~ C(

1

~ ~V) ~ ~ t::: ~

.~

-~

~ ~ ~

~

~

~

"')

;:t:

t

~~

.,,, \ .. ~ ... JC!:) / :::. / ~

/ I.._

//

-~

I '

L~~ §

,~~~

I r--_ -~ ~

'"'-.J!:l'

I ._,s. ~

.I ~ '-I

~ ~

~ ...

~ N

~

ti

...

~

t -t •

-,t7!:-t-<f'1'1" ~.,.~.,.,,.~~

1' ,.,.,,,.

1' <J4'.

1" 1tJ'I

1'

+

Decos 10110 I E. - W.

; sand ridges. /so/at -t -etf areo5 of swamp.

1

Some lupin

in ports

\ Mainly moderote

A:;t;j

1-v1",.,.

1'1'1' _{1' 1'} I

"Foir grazing 1

Some lupin.1-gorse,' Mixed fype mvclr I covered Jn weeds.Some

!

/ rough grozin.!J.Jome 5W17nf,'

, _ I I

, _ I

--..___ /

, , Nat-ive land_..____ / Mainly good grozi'ng

-..._Lin;;,'---

Luoi" covered---!.._ 5mul/ oreos d luDin ,&:,_9orse

"",

I

~1"

...,_ 7 gr01.mo' r · - r

H.oov.._y""' J ' , , ' ,

-

~ ~ ... ..._

- - - land'..._ 1 ... _ , '""

I

~i

I

[

----

_{-...,...., I} ...._/ _,

-

_{... ...,_ I}

,,

_'...,

' , Macn land '-.--. 1 ....__

~~ ~ t:::

J

~ ~

I '----.... 5 _--- forms ---... _{_,} t - ... __

---,..,,., · •' L. ht: • '--. uovt:.OeY.Sclmr1e'-...___ ... ___

~ II') ....

~

}

~ '-(. ~ l..: ~ / I J I I I I l I } } I

"'1' 'Me:d,um!Jrow,.!"'"1_{9 gro!ing , .... _ ':-..Clean ligkt grazing' ....}

;1:''111: --...., I ',..._ LJn,mproYed -- ... ...._ 1' ' - , No-rive feed ....

-- I ... ...._ ..._

--- ... 1 '---~uch weetf cover', 1 '-...._

--. ----. Scrub &:-swamp .... ---... '--. I Ndtive ous-ture

'--':-- ...._ ,-... - - , r .'-...

· --...__, t --...._...__ ...__, Rough groZ✓ ng , ,

----_{'--, Light, grozina '-..._/_} ' I ----_--- - ..__ _{----...__} H" _{19 nc1ges} h . ..I ' _-~

' J ..._ ---- ...

-..._____ Some weeds ',._f;fePnlirj1rt-9rozin.9'--" 1'-..,

""---- --..._, ,..., ..._ I , ...

'-, '-... _{....,_ , . _} Clean medium'-.... _{' , I} "?---., _{..._}

,--r--.._

_{... 1}1 ' , _{..._}

, , --,.__ grazing '--. / ',...._ I --..._ __ Heavy fond'

' ' --- ..._ ' , I ... _,_,,_,g,,,, I ,: L.+ _{groung '--.} •

---... ..._ '-I. " -.. ...

- - - . . J _ _ _ _ _ _ _{' , Good "'"--....__ / ' ,}

5 ~- ':,.;?ond/,low.{sw11mD'\

, , --. 1 ' , womps ""somt! , r ₁

t

~

~

,,,,.---..._ I

I - - , _

I

.;: I

~ f

I I

I I

'i '

t I

t;i /

I

Sand ritf,!le.5 .R.ough and lul'ins light

I

I

I "l .,,..----,

I '-> /c-c '

~-_{,.__ 1 ""} ~ I _(), QJ _I

_ 2jj ") _/ ~/ /

'1,

t / "

/

i lo' / ~ '

, ~ I ~ ·, :

/ i / §~ I

I ~ ~ I

/ -~ / ~ / , , , I ~

/ ~C) "1-<::- I

I ~~, ~ §;i I

----

...

I -...

--I - - , ...__

I / '

I / t

I I I \ I I

; I I

✓-- I F/af-5 /

/ I I

~ . / r uood

\ \ grazing f

.{::: I I ~ I

! , , , ~'\-1 I ~~I ~ I

/ l /

/ \ I

I \ I

~ I ~ I I

t:i / -~ / .,, I

~, ' I ~ I

I ~ I i;:: I

I ~ J · I

I J I I

/

I I

I '- /

/

--Flats t1nd eosy sond ridges M!7derote to .9000 grozin.9

'

"

_"

',_Jlrazm!l 1, ... / '-...-__ goDtl grozint1--...,, / L . h.,_ _{,g "' grozmg} . 'fh ' / " · "'-,-., J ' 1

w, ,...._ / '-....,Medium to lijh't ,...__ -..._,,

'-'-., Wfin ',-.. grozing F~w ')-._ I

some area5 weed covered -_{1- - - covert!d',_ ...._ / ....}

_

weeds / 1 ' , ... ___ / I

I -...__ / ... _..._ / ..._.,,,.

---

... __ _ _{/ '-<....__..f:'!Jht;;.',_ .... ,Heovy land}

""

'-Cleon

, ____

---....

---

--I . ...__ qruzmy,

1 Mixed '<...__ /

I light medium k- heaYy '-;1

- _{--...___} I {j _razing - I ,.; 11nu / /

--

/

---..._ / /

---..._ I /

LigJrt to Medium grazing

--

----(

,

_I

\

fond

_,,,.,.---./

' _'1

/ /

---

_----

_

... ...

Heavy silt- Much drainage re9uired Postures yory ,with rfroinoge

from very good

uovernmen"t, Flax .9r:owin~ oreo

Approximate

Area

60,000

acres

~ Plont.ation

-t- 1' 1' 1'" 1" Trees (windbreok.}

(9- '2 ~<?.?")Native Bush

- - - -Bovmlanes ore all t7//Jroximote;b1.1sed largely on field work

l

QBAPTER

U•

LAJW.UaE.

The

dom1.nant form

ot

Jand

uae 1~ the whole

ai-ea l:llder oQD814erat1on 1a that of peature tO'l'

gr-aa.ng. Cattle and sheep are a

reature

of the

oult'ttl'al lanaacape, but in

rew

places do their nurabere

approach •nn a half of thpae on areae

ot

the aame ai~c

1a the rioher par'te or the hianawatu. Cattle dex,stty

yax-ied

greatl3'.

on

good farms

it

ma7

reach

aa h1S:h

aa

one

aow to two acrea, while on others aa

low

aa one oow to tour or even five acres. When cornpaNK!

with the KairMga, one

oow

to the aore1 the economic

density 1$ proportionately low.

In the areas of lighteet soils, s~ing growth

1a early and vigorous. The sand heats quickly, spring

rains aupply ample moisture, and paaturea are·well ahead of other parts of the Manawatu. By January, howenr, the graaaea are scorched and all growth hae

oeaaed, ao that atook feeding become• a serious problem. This early epring growth had led, however, to a small measure

or

a torm

or

tl'a:nahumanoe. Daley farmers its

the poorly drained Moutoa Basin find their land badly "bogged,,. in the late wint~r and spring months, and so

a nmber of the more enterprising lease pol"tione of the light grazing land• and move their herds·for three or rour months. With better, cheaper means o:r stock

transport matl7. farm~r• not o:nl.7 trora the Moutoa, but

even the Kairang~ would probably adopt this eeaecmal movement. It 1a ,at best, however, a very l1mi ted uae

or

the light grazing land ond under euch a

aystem

pasture 101provement would be uneconomical.

Market garden1n0 is of limited areal extent. The sand will grow good crops where t~ mo1sturo ia adequate and, aa irrigation 1a impoaaible, they are grown·while the land contains autt1o1ent moisture from

ra1ntall. Land 1a oheap, rro:ata are :few, and so the area 1a especially suitable tor the growth ot vet7

oontrole l1rn1 t their production. The marl'-..ot at

Palmerston North 1a oomparatiYel.7 small, and the ooet

ot

taat road uanaport to r,elllneton, together wlth the oompet1t1on ot area• oloae to the o81)1tnlj is at

present an 1)2auperable bal-:i-ler. The Ohit1eoo have

long

aal4eed

the value and potential.1t1ee of the

area, but they al'e unable to find autt1c1ent t10rkata tor any large expana1on ot tx-uck t'emiDg.

A Pelat1vely ad.nor,

but Yel7

a1gn1fioant,

tol'rn

or

land ut111aat10l'l is that of the Railway Reaeneo .. When the railway na t1rat laid down the department

waa embarrassed b7 aanct dri .. ta aoroaa the line in the v101n1ty

ot

Foxton. A belt

ot

Pinua l'lldiata was

pla11ted aa a o@trol measure and as euoh.was ooapletely auooeeatul. The original planatat1on was cut Q'11

in 1926•27, nnd the trees were of suoh e Ju.2h ottmdard

thQt. ~1though the sand drift problem :no lonoor existou1

the aren wee l"eplanted and extt,nd-4. 'l'hua

the

Ra1l-waya l>epax-trnent hae proved that the eand ootmt:ry

ot

the Manawatu Qd si-ow

uotio

\1nlber of the higboat

gra4ea

or

1te type.

The oult1Tat1on

ot

flax, sa a oomt10l1cial orop,

Vegetat1cm

am

the c'.h.mee :racing the oen 1s spal'ee and

ot

no

eoonomic

value except

in

so

tu-r-aa

1t

mJ.n1m1aea aand blow.

The dunes

are attected

b7 the prevailing

weaterlY wind•

whioh reaoh

~ale

toroe

on

oooaaiona

o4

are

otten

ot

•

tNngth 3 • 6

on the Beau.fort aoale. Thus the sbelter beltn

ot

pinue at the beaoh are twisted and stunted on2 ~

little value ea tim~r, but behind the weetet'?l limits

are a tew good eta114a

o:e

exot1o timber.

on

the better

dx-a1:ne4

areas

ot the

uoutoa

Baa1n and the n&Jirow tlood plain bordering the r1ver,

are G!Odb?~t• to good dair.1ing paat'tll'e landa, tmd thin is the t'ioheet land 111 the whole regioii, but it is of

ve:,,7 lim1 ted exto:nt. :Jimilarly the complex oL low ridgea and flats to the nouth

ot

the tih1r1k1no la moderately

eood

pasture land ror both cattle and

aheep, and is the moat economiaally sound and fil'ffll:1 eatabliahed area 1n the Poxton·Region. However,

both th.eae aieeaa are rnuoh

amaller

than the lnrge

e,xpanae o~

aarxt

oom,t17

to

the north, end theil' great

eo()l)OIGio

irnportanoe 1e

a retleotion on the unsotistactoey

ut1l1sat1cm

ot

the remainder of the region.

iloda:,r the sancl country where ut111acd is

large4" poor qualit~ pasture land, but al.moot ha1.t

L

I

T. NEILL.

YOR· GENERAL

1988

.,,,,,,

"·

'""'

/

JJIS TI0I C T

@ E:n_ia.---u_

.L a.,i O o::n.

N° I

I

IVIROKINO )11° 3 7'10.0

@ Su.i:.a:rLo~

.

n,..n

I

- -. - - - - -·- - - - ~ - - - ·

: D.P. 3623

(Pi· WIRl.l(INO N91)

I

LJ-216

Crown Land

Native

Land

I