According to the
Lands and Survey records, Fred bought 3 acres 2 roods on the north bank of
the Opihi River at Waitohi on April 1st 1856 when he was only 16 years of
age. The timber
shortage in Christchurch was acute by 1860 and the cutting out of the
Papanui Bush in 1861 focussed attention on the resources of Hoon Hay and
here both Fred and brother William bought a block each in
the Kennedy's and Burke's Bush areas. The Kennedys Bush Road was
surveyed in the late 1850's and constructed in 1863 to provide a route up
to the bush areas of Hoon Hay and Landsdowne Valley. The area was named
after Thomas Kennedy who purchased 11 hectares of native forest there
in 1856. Edward Coppell, Edward Murray, Frederick Cone, John Campion and
John Parish ( either the uncle or the brother of Isabella Parish - John
Parish was a farmer of Ferry Road where the Cones were, on the jury list
of 1853) all had bush sections there. An adventurous type, Fred some time later went by boat from Lyttleton to Timaru landing by surf boat before there was any breakwater. He may have stayed at the accommodation house kept by Sam Williams on the beach below the present city of Timaru and would have had to travel over the broad plains stretching away from the Levels station and some three miles ahead of him, would have seen the projection of land standing out conspicuously called Pleasant Point. He was working at the Walton flour mill on Mill Road about a mile from the Pleasant Point township near the Opihi River during the big flood in 1868. He and some others had to spend the night and part of a day on the roof of the mill. Fred purchased 85 acres on January 8th 1868 at Waitohi. This area was divided into Upper Waitohi and Lower Waitohi 12 miles from Temuka. The lower flat had a school, store and blacksmith's shop. In those days the countryside was practically all tussock, flax and matagouri with a few rough tracks which served as roads. It would have taken about three weeks in those times to get from Timaru through to the Mackenzie country by bullock train travelling two or three miles an hour to take in stores and bring back wool. The "Point" as Pleasant Point was then known, was a guiding landmark and bullocky resting place for waggoners making their inland journey. They would pull in for an overnight stop where there was ready access to water from the creek and good grazing for the bullocks, to save carrying fodder. As many as 30 from two or three teams might pull in and the township grew from this camping ground. If returning from the back country they made this their stop, going on to Timaru next morning and returning in the evening. Gradually horses replaced bullocks, so a hotel to accommodate travellers was built in 1864 by Wm Warne. By 1868 besides the accomodation house there sprang up two general stores, a boarding house, a blacksmith's shop owned by James Gammie. A tri-weekly coach service was started . There were very few houses then but with the opening of the railway December 1875 there came rapid development. Main trafic was wool, grain and livestock along with passengers and mail. Homes were simple of cob or sod, others of wood and the more substantial citizens utilised limestone. But Pleasant Point lay on the other side of the Opihi River and it was not spanned by a bridge until after 1900, so the distance to Timaru was lenghthened by many miles or else people were reliant on fine weather crossing. Fred was present at the public meeting held Sept 15 1868 at the residence of Mr John Watson, Southbridge to consider the advisability of taking steps to build a "Wesleyan Chapel." The building cost the modest sum of £150, inclusive of furnishings, and was opened for public worship in January, 1869. In January 1869, Fred Cone was granted 140 acres from the Crown at Waitohi but he did not immediately occupy it. On the 11th November, 1870 at the age of 30 he married Sarah Barnard at the residence of the Reverand W Kirk of Christchurch. Intentions to Marry:
- Nov 11, 1870, Frederick Cone
, Occupation, servant, age 30; dwelling place Tai Tapu, length of
residence 2 years. The marriage is to be solemnized in the house of Rev W
Kirk, Ferry Road to Sarah Barnard, spinster, Profession servant, age 20,
living at Tai Tapu 3 years. Consent given as in the case of a minor by
father, Thomas Barnard National Archives (BDM 20/15 P494 /2296)
Witnesses - Thos. C
Barnard, Watchmaker,
Christchurch and Elizabeth Barnard (sister-in-law who was married to
brother Charles Thomas
Barnard).
At the time of his marriage
Fred was working at Tai Tapu for Mr Barnett and the couple's first child
was still-born at Southbridge the following year. Not long afterwards they moved
to Ashley and lived in the sod hut on William's property and Fred
worked in the area. Eldest son Frederick Edward was born at Rangiora and
next son Albert Charles was born at the sod hut on the land owned
by brother William in 1874. About this time, Fred purchased a further
50 acres near his other land at Waitohi for £150 - he now had a
holding of 214 acres. William Cone sold his land 25th July 1874
where Fred and family lived so they moved from Ashley by horse and
dray to South Canterbury - Fred had built a sod house prior to
his move on the 50 acre block. He planted some blue gums and pine trees
and because water supply was a problem, he dug an 80 ft well which
continued as an unfailing supply for household use until 1938 when a piped
supply was installed for the district. Absence of firewood was another
problem and the only source was matagouri gathered off the Opihi River
bed. (His acreage was later increased to 650 acres in 1970 by Rex Cone and
his sons.) A larger house was soon
needed and a two storied home was built in possibly the late 1870's.
The advent of the meat freezing industry caused a revolution in small farming, and sheep were bred for the fat lamb trade alternating with cropping to return the fertility to the soil, wheat and oats and root crops such as turnips and potatoes were grown. At Pleasant Point sale yards were erected on a four acre site in 1881 flourished with the sale of cattle, pigs, horses and increasing sheep population.(Sales were the largest in South Canterbury by 1996) Sale day bcame a regular meeting place for farmers, a place to keep up with prices and discuss everything from weather to politics. It also gave fellowship to the ladies of the district did the catering, the resultant funds boosting the various groups they belonged to. Fred also had in common with other brothers, a very good knowledge of fruit growing and established an excellent orchard, a range of plums that gave an almost continuous supply from early July to April, apples of many varieties from the early harvest to the late winter keepers, two kinds of cherries and seven different types of pears. By now most of the apple trees have died out but the pears are thriving and still yield well. Fred also planted a number of walnut trees but only one survived - Sarah declared that he killed them with kindness, but the one that grew, is still bearing nuts. A concrete dairy was built by son Albert but it had to be demolished in 1976 as the concrete deteriorated and was also in the way of builders during extensions and alterations at that time. ![]()
Fred died in 10th June 1917 aged 77 years and Sarah
passed away 1st July 1927 aged 79 years. Their headstone at Timaru
Cemetery Block D2, Plot 636.
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