"Beside the South Opuha"

Ashwick Flat, Fairlie, South Canterbury, New Zealand

A Tribute to Enterprise!

When Ashwick was divided
They sold the tussock plain
To sturdy bearded settlers
Keen sheepmen in the main.

There neighbour helped neighbour
Without a thought of pay
And women nursed each other
As is a woman's way.

Where once the snowgrass flourished
And wild boar reigned supreme
those early settlers struggled
For a living hard and lean.

They tapped the South Opuha
And shovelled stone and rock
To bring the living water
To thirst tormented stock

In spring old man nor'westers
Howled down the devil's den
And threatened devastation
To puny works of men.

But that was in the eighties
They're long since laid to rest
Now sons and grandsons labour
With scientific zest.

The vicious matagourie
And spear grass tipped with pain
They've had their day of greatness
Upon that wild terrain.

Top dressing's been adopted
results are clearly seen
There's English grass and clover
where native grass has been.

Electric light replaces
The candle and the lamps
'Telly' and the radio
Tall tales of bygone camps.

Yest if I pause in passing
I think I hear again
Lilting songs of bearded men
Who rode the Ashwick plain.

Mrs. Nelly Saddler

The Carin

'Twas thought to build a monument
With your names there on a plaque

To show the folks who passed that way
That you had left your mark.

But meantime this short history
Will have to satisfy,

In thinking now to build a Cairn
We've set our sights too high.

You pioneer have all passed on
And your children drop out fast

'Twill have to be next in line
who commemorate the past.

Let then take a stone from every block
To represent each run holder

And carve the names of pioneers
Upon the largest boulder.

Take sand from South Opuha,
Take water from the "race";

Let snow storms cover over it,
Nor'westers on it blow,

Hot sun bake and broil it
Morning dew drops make it glow,

Write on it "We thank you",
For your toil, your smiles, your tears,

We're proud of you, our forebears.
you brave old pioneers.

Janet Cotterell 1959

In 1884 6,000 acres of Ashwick Station was offered by the Crown and subdivided into 24 farms of approximately 300 acre each. The water supply was inadequate so the farmers dug miles of races and tapped into the South Opuha River at the mouth of the gorge.

Mrs Cotterell wrote the book "Beside the South Opuha" as well as other poems. The cairn was never built. Only the War Memorial stands at four cross roads on Ashwick Flat but the wateraces remain.

South Canterbury NZGenWeb Project

Timaru Herald Tuesday 4 July 1899
Mackenzie County Council Monthly meeting
Mrs Cotterell reported the Ashwick Flat races were in good order, and P. Mcvory that three Springs-Fairlie races were running satisfactorily, except the part stopped for repairs. The engineer stated that the upper race was choked in one place now with silt, though scour of the new ground. The caretaker was not expected to clear the race of such obstructions. Mr McLeod said the water was running , but outside the race. Mr G.J. Hamilton wrote that the Ashwick race was overflowing into the school plantation and injuring the trees. - Engineer to write to the caretaker. Rabbits were showing in the Tekapo and Ashwick plantations. - Them engineer had arranged for rabbitting them. " That the Tree Springs-Fairlie water-race charges for the year ending 31st March 1900, be a rate of ľ penny in the Ł, subject to minimum amounts as prescribed by the by-law No. 7."

Timaru Herald, 26 June 1895, Page 3
MELVILLE DOWNS WATER RACE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMARU HERALD. Sir,— In reply to " Water Rat's " letter in your issue of the 12th, trying to throw cold water on my statements, which were facts, "Water Rat " only makes my case stronger by saying that Ashwick Flat land "drinks water as a Scotchman would mountain dew" — a compliment to Scotchmen certainly. He states that our race is 18 inches or 2 feet wide. He does not mention the depth, viz., 9 inches. "Water Rat" expects this size of race to supply all requirements on the Flat, as well as another large estate. He says the water races on the Canterbury plains are from 15 feet to 20 feet wide. It does not matter to me if the Suez Canal running through the plains. Those races water miles and miles of country, whereas ours were constructed to water only a fair sized paddock. Now, Sir, I will analyse " Water Rat's" statements. He speaks of the half raised floor and water running to waste. I may state that, six weeks ago the settlers wanted more water, the said door being up as high as it could go, and twelve days ago " Water Rat" could have swum under the door without scratching his back. About the Ashwick Flat roads, I will refer him to the Fairlie storekeepers. He states that Sherwood Downs estate has no roads, whereas there is a metalled road running from one end of the estate to the other. The owner can please himself whether he grows his grain close to the road on the top of Fox's Peak. In Sherwood Downs was in "Water Rat's " county, perhaps he would be as liberal with roads as with water-races. He says that several farmers complained to the Council about the water making a swamp of their land, there being only one farmer whom the water was ever likely to trouble. I understand that the Crown Lands Ranger suggested that Melville Downs should pay their fair share of the first cost of the headworks. What a nice throw in, to pay only on maintenance! Now, Sir, I will bid "Water Rat" goodbye, as I see by the Council's last report that we have got him m a trap. I am, etc., Ashwick Flat Settler. June 20th.

Timaru Herald, 4 July 1895, Page 3
MELVILLE DOWNS WATER RACES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMARU HERALD Sir,— Neither "Ashwick Flat Settler" nor "C.B.J." denies that the former's allegation that the settlers were sacrificing, roads to obtain water, was anything more than a fabrication intended to gain sympathy for a class that is never happy unless it has a grievance. Sherwood Downs certainly has one good metaled road running along the lower boundary, but to reach this estate it first threads its way through the Ashwick Flat sections as a string passes through a bead necklace. From the letter of the "A. F. Settler" the public would conjecture that the grievance of the settlers was that the surplus water was being diverted to Melville Downs, which liquid they wished to use in some way for their own purposes. But " C.B.J." comes forward to point out that the real matter at issue is whether or not the settlers have the right to have the "thirds" expended for their benefit. The capitalised thirds were spent solely on the Ashwick races more than a year ago, so that it is difficult to get an abiding conception of the settlers' wrongs. In a moment of justifiable irritation the chairman may have said that "the Council could spend the thirds at the other end of the county if they wished ;" but this is open to grave doubt. The diversion of the waste water does not make harder the terms on which the sections are held ; rather the reverse, for they are assisted to maintain the races. " C.B.J." admits that the irrigation privileges desired were not more than the irrigation of gardens, which, with the houses, are mostly situated on a "rise." Why, sir, one settler, whose initials I believe, were " C.B.J.," was trying to coax water up hill ! But the obstinate stuff will not run above its level though one is ever so polite to it. Though according to your correspondent the peronns most interested are not allowed to interfere in any way, he admits that they "looked, naturally, on the water as their property and used it as such." Yet there was waste, painful to see in a dry season, at the tail of each of the sub-races, not to speak of the intake gates. The correspondent with whom I first crossed koradis, "A.F. Settler," says that their races were constructed to water only a fair-sized paddock. They were not constructed to water a paddock at all, but to water stock. Moreover, they were made under an Act that forbade irrigation. I did not state that Sherwood Downs has no roads, nor could I, twelve days before your correspondents letter was written, have swum under the intake door without diving and leaving a string of air bubbles, for the river was then a trifle fresh and the roads heavy. The settlers seem delighted at the breach of faith on the part of the Treasury. The Sherwood Downs goldmine is not to be compared in richness with the outcrop of human nature on Ashwick Flat. Finally, " A.F. Settler," to his disappointment; will find on investigation that the trap wherein I am supposed to be languishing is empty, for an animal that can burrow under the finest superstructure will not be detained by a cage with so many holes in it. ........... I am, etc., • Water Rat. Fairlie, July 1st.

Otago Witness, 23 October 1890, Page 35
Dear Dot,— Our examination is over, and I passed, as did also my brother and sisters. I am in the Fourth Standard now. My brother had two guinea pigs, but one died, and he gave the other away. I am learning to ride, and like it very much. This is a very pretty place. There are a lot of trees about the house, and the hill at the back is planted with trees, and they are very big now, Out in the paddocks there are large plantations. I have got a starling's nest on the verandah, and the bird is sitting, and there will soon be young ones. I am going to take them and put them in a cage.— Yours truly, Betsy Macintyre (aged 10 years). Ashwick Station, October 15.

Otago Witness, 22 June 1893, Page 45
Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you a little about a pleasant trip I had with my mother and my brother and sister to Aswick station. We left Shag Point at 8 o'clock in the morning passing through Oamaru and Timaru by the main line, then taking the train up the Albury branch line. We arrived at 8 o'clock at night at Fairlie, and were met by our friends and driven to Aswich station, which is a very beautiful place. I visited some old schoolmates of mine, whose parents reside in a house at the station. The residence of Mr Seddon is surrounded by a lovely garden, very pretty plantations of ornamental and forest trees ; so also is the house in which my friends are living. I saw a fine little Shetland pony which could curry Mr Seddon's two little children at once. I saw plenty of paradise ducks, blue ducks, hares, pigeons, and woodhens. I was out for a day's hunting, and saw some wild pigs. So, dear Dot, I think that Aswick station is the prettiest place I ever saw, and I enjoyed myself very much during our stay. — Yours truly, March Johnsen (ago 12 years). Shag Point, June 11.