Stormy Weather
The immigrants had arrived to a New Zealand summer. Their hastily built tents, huts and basic cottages provided satisfactory shelter, but only as long as the summer conditions they had arrived to lasted. It wasn’t long before problems started.
A Violent Gale
Mrs Charlotte Godley describes a wonderful ball held in the barracks – but the wind soon turned everything upside down.
Lyttelton
February 5th, 1851
My Dear Mother,
Last night (the 4th) came off the grand ball, with great effect. We had one of the barrack buildings for it, composed of four rooms, each about 30 feet long, and 14 wide; of which the two dancing rooms communicated by a door between…All went on very successfully until about three, when the wind rose suddenly, and in half-an-hour it was a violent gale, and the rooms, which are of single weather-board, unlined, became so full of dust that we could hardly open our eyes or draw a long breath, and all the remaining parties beat a quick retreat.
We too went home, but not to sleep; at least as far as I was concerned. The wind really was terrific, making the house shake and creak, almost like a ship at sea…at seven I got up again, in such a room! The floor was more dusty than I ever saw the Holyhead road, and the gown I had worn the night before was hung up, with every crease and fold spilled with spoonfuls of dust. Everything in the house was dirty. One cupboard at the top of the stairs, against the outside wall, we had carefully lined with paper, along the cracks of the wooden lining, and this paper was literally blown off in some places, and thick dust lying over al the things inside. The skylight close by which was closed, but not bolted, was blown bodily away, hinges and all…I am sorry to own that about five days in seven are dusty, but not so bad as that. It is a great nuisance and disturbs the newcomers very much…
Source: Charlotte Godley, Letters from Early New Zealand 1850 – 1853, 1951, Christchurch
Christchurch City Libraries
A sadly leaky state
While they may have served their purpose over the summer months, conditions changed quickly as the season turned towards autumn. Heavy rains lashed at V-huts and sod cottages and Edward Ward had a very bad night’s sleep when the rain hit his house.
Saturday March 1 1851
Our poor weather-boarded house is in a sadly leaky state, and at this moment threatens a flooded bed – no agreeable future to look forward to.
Sunday March 2 1851
The downpour continued the whole of last night of the degree of the hardest Irish shower. I lay awake trembling for the fate of four sod walls, hearing the rain pouring through the roof and dripping in puddles on the floor. But the worst was not seen till daylight in the morning. Then the half of our floor was a pool of water – the other half soft mud, almost ankle deep; and the water roaring fast in a stream past my bed to swell the pool that gathered under Henry’s.
Thursday March 13
Continued rain all night and all today. The water is flowing down the hillsides in torrents, several mud houses have been swept away and the road is washed down and rendered insecure in many places; two or three boats dragged their anchors and suffered damage, one driven ashore and stove in…
Source: E. Ward, The Journal of Edward Ward 1850 – 51, Christchurch, first published 1851.
Canterbury Museum Documentary Research Centre
See also >>
Our new land | Food | Shelter | Stormy weather | Bridle Path | A place to settle
__________________________________________________________________________
Haere Mai, Welcome / Solving History’s Mysteries / Will you join us? / Our Journey / Our New Land / Resources / About this site / Links / Sitemap
A Violent Gale
Mrs Charlotte Godley describes a wonderful ball held in the barracks – but the wind soon turned everything upside down.
Lyttelton
February 5th, 1851
My Dear Mother,
Last night (the 4th) came off the grand ball, with great effect. We had one of the barrack buildings for it, composed of four rooms, each about 30 feet long, and 14 wide; of which the two dancing rooms communicated by a door between…All went on very successfully until about three, when the wind rose suddenly, and in half-an-hour it was a violent gale, and the rooms, which are of single weather-board, unlined, became so full of dust that we could hardly open our eyes or draw a long breath, and all the remaining parties beat a quick retreat.
We too went home, but not to sleep; at least as far as I was concerned. The wind really was terrific, making the house shake and creak, almost like a ship at sea…at seven I got up again, in such a room! The floor was more dusty than I ever saw the Holyhead road, and the gown I had worn the night before was hung up, with every crease and fold spilled with spoonfuls of dust. Everything in the house was dirty. One cupboard at the top of the stairs, against the outside wall, we had carefully lined with paper, along the cracks of the wooden lining, and this paper was literally blown off in some places, and thick dust lying over al the things inside. The skylight close by which was closed, but not bolted, was blown bodily away, hinges and all…I am sorry to own that about five days in seven are dusty, but not so bad as that. It is a great nuisance and disturbs the newcomers very much…
Source: Charlotte Godley, Letters from Early New Zealand 1850 – 1853, 1951, Christchurch
Christchurch City Libraries
A sadly leaky state
While they may have served their purpose over the summer months, conditions changed quickly as the season turned towards autumn. Heavy rains lashed at V-huts and sod cottages and Edward Ward had a very bad night’s sleep when the rain hit his house.
Saturday March 1 1851
Our poor weather-boarded house is in a sadly leaky state, and at this moment threatens a flooded bed – no agreeable future to look forward to.
Sunday March 2 1851
The downpour continued the whole of last night of the degree of the hardest Irish shower. I lay awake trembling for the fate of four sod walls, hearing the rain pouring through the roof and dripping in puddles on the floor. But the worst was not seen till daylight in the morning. Then the half of our floor was a pool of water – the other half soft mud, almost ankle deep; and the water roaring fast in a stream past my bed to swell the pool that gathered under Henry’s.
Thursday March 13
Continued rain all night and all today. The water is flowing down the hillsides in torrents, several mud houses have been swept away and the road is washed down and rendered insecure in many places; two or three boats dragged their anchors and suffered damage, one driven ashore and stove in…
Source: E. Ward, The Journal of Edward Ward 1850 – 51, Christchurch, first published 1851.
Canterbury Museum Documentary Research Centre
See also >>
Our new land | Food | Shelter | Stormy weather | Bridle Path | A place to settle
__________________________________________________________________________
Haere Mai, Welcome / Solving History’s Mysteries / Will you join us? / Our Journey / Our New Land / Resources / About this site / Links / Sitemap