Thomas Bracken in need of remembrance

A Maori canoe hurdle race on the Waikato River.- Otago Witness, 8.7.1914.
A Maori canoe hurdle race on the Waikato River.- Otago Witness, 8.7.1914.

It is with something of pain and something of shame that Dunedin suspects itself of forgetting Thomas Bracken.

No memorial stone marks his last resting place; nobody seems quite sure of the spot. What may be called his ''literary remains'' are scattered here and there amongst us - a stray copy of Paddy Murphy's Annual and one or two thin books of verse - but the Athenaeum library contains them not; nor do I know where else you could look unless perhaps in the neglected Hocken collection, adjunct to the Museum.

A generation having arrived that knows him not, let me say that Thomas Bracken was an amiable journalist of the '70's and '80's, with the journalistic knack of never getting rich, but, in compensation, with a happy facility in writing verse, which verse when serious rose to the level of poetry, and deserves to live, Dr Waddell and other competent persons being judges.

Bracken was a light-weight politician, and in that capacity was sent by Dunedin Central to Parliament, where his one memorable achievement was the singing of a Scotch song during debate. Though not an Early Settler or Old Identity Thomas Bracken deserves a niche in our Temple of Fame, and at least a headstone in the cemetery.- Civis.

• Mr I. Hopkins, of Queen's road, Epsom, formerly Chief Government Apiarist, has written the history of the humble-bee in New Zealand. The humble-bee was introduced into New Zealand in order to bring about the fertilisation and seeding of the red clover. The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society made the first attempt to introduce the bee.

Forty-two years ago it wrote to Dr Frank Buckland, the famous English naturalist, who tried to obtain bees for a consignment; but he was not successful, and abandoned the scheme. Four years later Sir John Hall, when returning from a visit to England, brought to Lyttelton a consignment prepared by Dr Buckland, but when Mr S. C. Farr opened the package he found that all the bees were dead. A resident of Timaru liberated the first bumble-bees in New Zealand.

They came to the order of a lady, and were liberated in 1883. Early in 1884 Mr Hopkins received a consignment of 145, but only two of them were alive. He nursed the two until the following day, feeding them on diluted honey. They were in good condition when liberated; but there was no evidence that they ever established themselves. Repeated orders were sent to London by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society; but all the bees were dead on arrival.

Finally, in 1885, 45 in one consignment and 48 in another were alive. They were liberated on Mr J. Dean's estate at Riccarton and Mr C. Clark's estate at the foot of the Cashmere Hills. After they had established themselves their progeny soon spread over the countryside. Consignments were sent from Canterbury to other parts, and the whole of New Zealand was stocked by the progeny of the survivors of those two consignments.

• The Council of the Acclimatisation Society has decided to supplement the efforts now being made by the Otago Society to induce the Minister for Internal Affairs to declare a short open season for the shooting of paradise ducks. One of the reasons advanced for the adoption of such a course is that unscrupulous persons shoot the ducks whether the season is an open or a close one.

Another reason is that the ducks are now very numerous in the back country; while a third reason advanced by members of the council is that owning to their protection the ducks become so tame that they are an easy prey to unscrupulous persons. - ODT, 11.7.1914.

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