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214 All Saints’, which was opened for divine service by Archdeacon Harper on October 21st, 1866. The Presbyterian Church, which was built in Stafford Street, was opened on the first Sunday in February, 1867.

The winter of 1865 was very severe, continuous rain bringing about many floods which caused a complete cessation of work. In consequence of this many diggers abandoned the goldfields while able to do so, for a little later exceptionally heavy seas caused the bars at Hokitika and Greymouth to silt completely up, and as the roads were impassable Westland was entirely cut off from the outside world.

In September, the weather having somewhat improved, activities were renewed and the Auckland Lead, midway between Hokitika and Greymouth, was opened up. Here some of the claims yielded as much as £100 per week to each man, and from one of the richest 64 ounces was obtained in one day.

On the 3rd of this month the gold buyer Walmsley was stuck up between No Town and the Twelve Mile and robbed of gold and notes to the value of £4,000. In recording this incident Preshaw, under whose direction Walmsley was operating, states, inter alia: “Walmsley was stuck up by five armed men masked, and robbed of 824 ounces of gold, and £1,000 in notes, total value £4,000. He left No Town early in the day accompanied by a