The sod wall story
By 1847 fifteen large ‘Runs’ had been established in South Wairarapa. Stock on these included 73 horses, 1,365 cattle, 13,000 sheep and 25 acres were under cultivation. The farming population stood at 26 men,9 women and 14 children.
By 1850 the number had increased to 46. Wharekaka, Waihenga and Huangarua were among these Until the 1860s these Runs were just big open areas with the only fencing being around the homestead with post and rail cattle yards near by. Cattle were introduced first to clean up the area by eating or trampling the small shrubs and flax with Merino sheep joining them later. At first they worked well together.
With wars being fought both in NZ an overseas the run holders were receiving extremely good prices for both meat and wool. However this as too good to last, wars were settled and an over supply soon made these products virtually unsaleable. The price of wool fell from a high of 23 pence a pound to 4 pence a pound. Between 1858 and 1860 over 2,000 head of unwanted cattle were simply let go from the runs to forage for themselves in the surrounding hills.
Beef prices eventually rose again and it became worth while to round up the now wild cattle. Wallace Smith, Jack Desmond, Dick Tilson and Bob Gillies planned to place tame cattle in the gullies to entice the wild beasts down to be rounded up. However first somewhere had to be built to contain them for sale.
To do this Wallace Smith and a Mr Revans employed ten men to dig a deep ditch and make a 2 metre high sod wall alongside it in a 100 chain (approximately 2,300 metre) square. The town was not then formed. This square covered from what is now Strassburg Street to East Coast corner, up to Shooting Buts Road, along to the Golf Course and back into present town. A yard with an over 2 metre high six rail totara post and rail fence was constructed at one end. Sale yards were established in the area where the Vicarage and Manse were later built through to what is now Malcolm street.
The cattle were sold both for the Wellington market and the local trade.
Along with meat there was a good demand for hides with a tannery established by the Huangarua bridge and a boot factory on what is now Radium Street.
The sod wall was gradually removed as the land became more developed with crops being sown and wire fences coming into use. Sections were still evident in the 1960s, one from the Masonic Hall to Cambridge Street , and sections between Strassburg and Cologne Street. These days only a small portion is showing just over from Dave Harris’s place.
Hedges were also commonly used as fencing; boxthorn, hawthorn, elaeagnus or gorse on a metre high sod wall. Gorse seed was sold for three pence a pound.
Mate Higginson
