Page:Charleston • Irwin Faris • (1941).pdf/20

 Kara-o-matea Plain, or Waite’s Pakihi (later the site of Addison’s Flat goldfield) and over the pakihi that nine years later was Charleston. Apparently none of them anticipated the discovery of goldfields, but stepped lightly over the hidden wealth. '

The South-West Coast is a wild, mountainous domain broken by terraces, streams and gorges. To the first explorers it would seem to be a fastness of Nature not destined for extensive human occupation. For nearly a century after the arrival of Cook in 1770, the history of this Coast was a blank and the only inhabitants were a few natives. The Maori had left few trails, so the white man who would know it must make his own path, brave storm and flood, and feed himself as best he might. Later parties formed rough foot-tracks and, later still, pack-tracks for plodding horses, but the firstcomers had of necessity to carry meagre supplies, and trust life and future to the will of Fate. The country offered no means of sustenance beyond birds, fernroot, nikau berries, and fish; but gold is an alluring siren, and when sirens call, men welcome the invitation. Of such were our pioneers, the venturous spirits who paved the way to the Coast’s future prosperity.

From 1840 to 1841 New Zealand was a dependency of New South Wales. From 1841 to 1853 it was a Crown Colony under the almost despotic rule of a Governor appointed by the Crown, the Executive Council being the Governor and three Government Officers. The Legislative Council was composed of the Executive Council together with three men, not officers, but nominated by the Crown. In 1853 came Representative Government, under the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852, viz., a Governor and Legislative Council appointed by the Crown, and a House of Representatives elected by the people. Also, the Colony was divided into provinces, with an elected Superintendent and an elected Provincial Council for each province.

In 1876 the Provincial System was abolished, under a Colonial Act of 1875, in favour of a Parliament for the whole of New Zealand, with a Governor appointed by the Crown, a Legislative Council nominated by the Governor,