Treaty signing on the Herald
Southland’s Treaty of Waitangi signing took place aboard the frigate Herald at Ruapuke Island on June 9, 1840. Chiefs Tuhawaiki, Kaikoura and Taiaroa signed on behalf of their people. Prior to the signing, the Herald had bypassed Ruapuke and the Maori villages on Stewart Island and anchored at Port Pegasus, far to the south. Thomas Bunbury, the leader of the mission, knowing that there was no Maori presence in that part of Stewart Island, seized the opportunity to declare British sovereignty over the island which was ‘‘uninhabited’’. A copy of the proclamation was sealed in a bottle and buried on a small island in Sylvan Cove on June 5, 1840. Subsequent searches have failed to find it. Having solved the sovereignty issue with the convenience of ‘‘terra nullius’’, the Herald party proceeded to Ruapuke for the signatures of the chiefs.
First hotel
The first hotel built after the end of prohibition was opened in July 1944 on the corner of Kelvin and Esk streets, diagonally opposite the present Kelvin Hotel.
Although built as a temporary structure with wartime frugality, it still exists as the clubrooms for the Southland Power Boat Club.
Invercargill Licensing Trust first met on May 1, 1944, following the end of prohibition and had the hotel ready for drinkers on July, 1 1944. ‘‘Trust does brisk business’’, The Southland Times said.
‘‘The opening of hotel bars in Invercargill after a period of 38 years of no-licence was celebrated with enthusiasm on Saturday, when business was begun in four licensed premises, the Kelvin, the Clyde, the Appleby and the Brown Owl.
‘‘At all four places business was exceptionally brisk between 10am and 2pm and again between 4pm and 6pm. The three bars and the restaurant were crowded throughout every hour of the six that they were open for business, and there was no let-up for the barmen, waiters and other attendants.
‘‘If this rate of business could be maintained there would be no doubt about the Invercargill Licensing Trust not only making profits, but substantial profits.’’
The city had been dry since June 30, 1906, when the 16 remaining hotels in Invercargill ceased business.
Royal visitor
Southland’s first royal visitor was Victoria’s great-grandson, the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, on May 20, 1920.
Torrential rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators.
Special trains brought children from the country to the showgrounds and the town turned out to greet the future king.
The prince spent two hours in Invercargill before heading to Bluff and departure from New Zealand.
Edward VIII, you will remember, abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, and Prince Albert became King George VI.
Maths whiz
Southland’s most famous mathematician is Roy Kerr, recently honoured as a Distinguished Professor of Canterbury University and the 2016 recipient of the million-dollar Swedish Crafoord Prize. He attended Gore Main School and was later dux of St Andrews in Christchurch.
Kerr is best known for his work on the physics of Black Holes and for discovering the exact solution to the Einstein field equation of general relativity.