The NZ Herald published this photo on January 29, 1945, with the caption: HOME AGAIN: Some of a draft of servicemen who have returned to Auckland from service overseas photographed after their arrival.
The NZ Herald published this photo on January 29, 1945, with the caption: HOME AGAIN: Some of a draft of servicemen who have returned to Auckland from service overseas photographed after their arrival.
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day. In this week’s Pastures Past she’s found newspaper stories from as far back as 1919 about land for settlement for soldiers returning from World Wars.
Land settlement for Kiwi soldiers returning from the First or SecondWorld War was not always easily achieved.
Paperwork, government red tape, rugged and undeveloped land, along with shortages of housing materials and fencing wire, all contributed to delays.
As a result, the process of settling on the land often took much longer than expected.
Those returned servicemen who were given land sometimes struggled to make a living from it, and some eventually abandoned their farms due to debt or poor conditions.
Below is a selection of historical stories from the New Zealand Herald, Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune and Central Hawke’s Bay Press looking at some of these issues.
Soldier settlement.
New Zealand Herald, May 3, 1919
The selection of land for settlement by returned soldiers was discussed by the committee of the Auckland branch of the Farmers’ Union yesterday.
One remit to the Provincial Conference this month suggests the appointment of District Land Purchase Boards, and another asks that Farmers’ Advisory Boards should be appointed to act in conjunction with the Government officers.
Mr. John Allen said he would not support the representation of Farmers’ Unions and agricultural societies on such boards.
The men most competent to select land for the soldiers were the practical farmers in the back blocks—successful men who had turned virgin land into productive country.
It would pay the Government to give these men £1000 a year for their services and see that their farms were looked after during their absence.
His idea was that these men should be put in charge of gangs of returned soldiers to fall the bush on suitable areas.
When the bush was down the engineers would decide where to put roads and railways, and the surveyors would cut the land into suitable blocks for settlement.
The soldiers who have worked in the bush gangs would be entitled to first choice of the sections.
The remits on the subject were supported.
The NZ Herald published this photo on June 17, 1944, with the following caption: A house under construction on the 3000-acre block near Tokoroa, which is being developed for returned servicemen. It is hoped that servicemen will be established there by the next dairying season on small farms of about 140 acres each.
5700 Returned Men Still Seeking Farms
Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune, September 2, 1947
More ex-Servicemen than ever were anxious to go on the land, in spite of many gloomy statements to the contrary, said the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Skinner, yesterday.
A survey just completed showed that 5700, in addition to the 4300 already settled, sought farms of their own.
There should be at least 2300 more settled in the next two years–about 800 Crown blocks and 1500 on freehold land.
The two main obstacles were still housing on farms and fencing wire.
Following repeated representations from the R.S.A. and some individual ex-Servicemen, it had been decided to allot some sections without permanent housing on a few selected blocks where temporary accommodation could be obtained.
The settlers themselves would be allowed to arrange their own building with rehabilitation finance.
In some cases, personal contacts would be more successful in getting the services of builders than would State departments.
If this experiment were successful, it would be extended, particularly with sheep-farming properties.
Wharf work preferred
Central Hawke’s Bay Press, May 26, 1948
“At a meeting of ex-servicemen in Waipawa recently; the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr Burnley, assured us that a number of blocks of land would be opened up in Central Hawke’s Bay before June, but I have not seen anything about it yet,” claimed Mr H. V. Stovell at the annual meeting of the Waipukurau Returned Services’ Association last night when referring to land settlement.
“If I was waiting for a farm, I would rather go and get a job on the wharves.”
He made this remark when Mr V. W. Stratford, who is chairman of the Waipukurau Rehabilitation Committee, said that so far, only three men had been settled in the district by ballot.
Housing shortages proved the most serious delay, stated Mr Stratford, and unfortunately, the prospects were not hopeful.
