Newspaper Article 2021 – Book honours early soldier settlers

Book honours early soldier settlers

Hard life of Glengarry settlement

Dave Murdoch

Of the 64 returned WWI soldiers who had entered the ballot for the chance to draw one of the 23 newly sub-divided dairy farms on the Glengarry Soldier Settlement near Dannevirke in 1921, 23 were lucky enough, along with their wives and families, to draw a lot.

“Lucky” does not apply to all as this occasion foreshadowed many years of hard struggle and austerity through which they were to battle to create viable farming businesses.

Some were to endure and eventually taste the sweeter fruits of success. For others, the long hours of hard work yielded only failure. Some settlers, sensing hopelessness, walked off their farms. High mortgages, a crash in the milk price and tough working conditions all took their toll.

The story was told by author Mike Harold at the launch of his book. He prefers “compiler” rather than author because he said Glengarry – The Story of a Soldier Settlement is a collection of writings and reminiscences including those of original settler Mrs Millicent Webber who wrote a novel reflecting the events of her time. At the launch he thanked all those who had contributed.

A gathering of 80 people comprising descendants of the pioneers, current residents of the Glengarry block, members of the RSA including Dannevirke president Roly Ellis and Paddy Driver, Wairarapa Hawke’s Bay East Coast District of the RSA president, friends and those interested in the history of the district met at the Dannevirke Services and Citizen’s Club on Sunday, April 11 to acknowledge the work done by Mike Harold and the contribution of those hard-working soldiers.

Four of those were children of the pioneers Derek and Clive Webber, Mrs Millicent Wiggins (nee Webber) and John Ryan together with Brian Dean, who lived just outside the block in the same era.

Simon Curran, with ties to the Glengarry block, was MC and opened the event introducing a musical interlude.

As Mike Harold said, the book is very much about the sacrifices made in wartime and this was featured with songs from Mike’s group the Mane Men who sang a number of the old standards including Blue Smoke written by local man Ruru Karatiana.

RSA president Roly Ellis spoke saying he could identify with those early farming times having “farmed rabbits in England and later at Kinloch near Taupo. It was a hard life.”

He then proceeded to cut the commemorative cake after which Mike Harold delivered his thanks and some  samples of the book’s contents. He then invited guests to toast those pioneers before others were invited to reminisce.

An early resident of the Glengarry block, Godfrey Prenter, remembered the “Hip Hip Horray [Hooray] trains” which pulled into Dannevirke bringing soldiers back from World War II, saying as a 7-year old it was a very sobering experience. He thanked the settlers for raising him and his generation to treat people with respect.

The formal part of the event wound up with tea and cake but people stayed on to talk and listen, some staying long enough to witness the piping in of the Dannevirke Cactus Group having just experienced eight weeks of a bootcamp type programme. Most of the 75 books have been sold but a dozen are at the Dannevirke Information Centre selling at $45.

Photo captions –

The four surviving children of the original settlers – seated Derek Webber and Millicent Wiggins (nee Webber), standing Clive Weber and John Ryan.

Author Mike Harold shares light and serious moments of history with his audience.