Work hazards all part of the territory for bushmen
The timber industry was as hazardous as it looks in this early photo of bushmen in Southland.
There were frequent mishaps resulting from felling accidents, dangerous animals, exploding boilers, runaway locomotives and weather conditions.
Here is a typical accident at Spar Bush in 1915: ‘‘Mr Alfred Smith, who was trollying logs from the bush to the Pine Company’s sawmill, was bringing in a load of logs with three horses.
‘‘One of the horses took fright at some timber lying along the line, with the result that the trolly was pulled off the rails, the logs rolling off and pinning Mr Smith to the ground.
‘‘The manager, Mr Hagan, was present, but was unable to remove the log. He managed, however, to pull Mr Smith’s legs out, and found that he had sustained a badly broken leg.
‘‘He at once telephoned for a doctor, who arrived promptly and temporarily set the leg and then conveyed the patient by motor to the Southland Hospital where he is progressing as well as can be expected.
‘‘Mr Smith has only been in New Zealand a few months and is a native of Tasmania. Much praise is due to the sawmill workers who did their utmost to help.’’
Durable deputy PMs
Although it is sometimes claimed that Southlander Sir Brian Talboys was New Zealand’s longest-serving deputy prime minister, he was actually the fourth longest serving after Jack Marshall, Don McKinnon and Michael Cullen.
Sir Brian Talboys was the National member for Wallace, and held the deputy prime minister’s job from December 12 1975 to March 4 1981.
Foveaux Strait
Foveaux Strait was named after Joseph Foveaux, the Governor of New South Wales, although its Maori name, Te Ara-a-Kiwa, is much older than its European name.
The first European name was Smith’s Straits, bestowed by American sealing captain Owen Smith in 1804.
It was also called Favorite Strait, Strait of Otago and Tees Strait.
Foveaux Strait was named in 1808 by Eber Bunker, the first man to chart the whole strait.
Joseph Foveaux who was born in 1767, was a soldier and administrator in the early colonisation of New South Wales and Norfolk Island although he never visited New Zealand.
Foveaux arrived in Sydney in 1792 as an army captain, then a major and by 1800 was the largest landholder in the colony of New South Wales.
He went to Norfolk Island as acting lieutenant governor in 1802 and in 1804 he returned to England to recover from asthma.
In 1808 he returned to Australia to find Governor George Bligh under arrest.
He took control of government and instituted policies for an efficient administration and suppressed the liquor trade.
Foveaux departed Australia in 1810 to resume his military career in England where he died in 1846.