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Joseph Hardie (1845-1919)

Joseph Hardie, was born on 8 April 1845, the seventh child and fourth - and youngest - son of David Hardie and Christian Black.

Joseph grew up at Marklemains. He was 11 when his father died. He finished his educaton at Coldstream Academy at the age of 17, where he recieved the prize for "Dux of Highest Geography and for excellence in Mapping" upon leaving the academy. The prize was dated 30 Jul 1862. Not long after completing his education, he inherited from the trust set up by his father David upon his death. He and his brother James both recieved 1,000 sterling and were told to 'make their way in the world'. Joseph and James first travelled to London, where they posed for photographs and then boarded the vessel Nimrod in Gravesend London on December 23, 1862 to emigrated to New Zealand. He arrived in Auckland in early 1863. His initial plan was to take up land being offered in Waikato, but stories of the Maori Wars abound, and he decided it would be safer to take up a more traditional employment while he made a more educated decision about where to farm. During this period Joseph learned to sail, and bought a scow, that he used to sail between Onehunga Helensville and other regions in the Kaipara district.

Joseph - aged 17

In 1866, Joseph applied for a grant of 40 acres under the Government land grant scheme. Towards the end of 1866 he was allocated a block of land at Omaru (Ararua), 8 mile beyond the township of Matakohe. In 1868 Joseph acquired 120 acres of land on the banks of the tributary of the Northern Wairoa River, which was in the county of Paparoa, and was much closer to Matakohe. It was on this property he settled and named his farm Marklemains - after his home in Scotland. He first built a cottage on the property whilst he scouted for a more appropriate site for a homestead. He eventually built a 2 story home surrouned by a verandah out of Kauri Pine.

Joseph fell into becoming a ferry-man after many early settlers needed assistance to cross the stone causeway. He would charge 1/- each to tow horses across the river.

After living in the area for three year, Joseph married. The marriage was arranged by friends - the Whitehouses - to their neice, Caroline Harper and took place on 16 May 1871 at the residence of Abel Whitehouse in Matakohe, Kaipara Harbour, Northland, New Zealand. Revenerend William Gittos confirm the marriage. Caroline was the daughter of Edward Harper and Hannah Craddock (sister of Matilda Craddock - wife of Abel Whitehouse).

Over the next 12 years Joseph and Caroline had 8 children (4 girls and 4 boys)

Life was hard on the land, the family were relatively self sufficient growing corn and grinding their own flour. They grew a large orchard and garden. Over the next 12 years the forest was gradually cleared and the land was put to pasture. Joseph gained a government contract to turn the clay tracks that abounded the area into passable roads by laying tea-tree bundles called 'fascines' side by side in the mud providing abase for carts and wagons.

In 1884 Caroline died giving birth to the couples 8th child - after a farm accident brought on an early labour - and Joseph was left with 7 young children aged between 2 and 12. Joseph and his eldest children raised the youngsters and over time more acres were added to the original grant and the family prospered.

On 14 July 1887 Joseph married again, this time to Matilda Allaway (nee Whitehouse), the widowed daughter of his associated Abel Whitehouse and Matilda Craddock. Again, this was a marriage of convenience arranged by the Whitehouses and the ceremony was celebrated at the Whitehouse homestead at Ararua, with his daughter Annie as bridesmaids. Not long after they married, Matilda's brother Alfred lost his wife and Joseph and Matilda took in three of his children and raised them. Joseph was a quite religious man, and during these early years of settlement - before his first wife died - he and other gentlemen of the area began reading the bible together, including to concept of a

Joseph & Maltilda at their Wedding 1887

From that time onwards, the family were officially 'Brethren' and remained separated from the rest of the community. In April 1893 Joseph bought an acre of land on the Matakohe side of the river, where a Brethren place of worship was built.

Between 1893 and 1895 Joseph continued to acquire land on the Paparoa side of the river. Matilda and Joseph had no children of their own, but in 1897 they fostered a small girl, Jane Helen Mackwood, which apparently cause troubles in the household as she was granted privileges that Matildas step children never recieved. In 1917 Joseph sold the farm and purchased land at Whangarei where he, Matilda and their adopted daughter, Jane, moved. Joseph contracted cancer around this time, and was admitted to Whangarei hospital for treatment, after this he moved in with his son Edward Joseph and daughter-in-law Bertha in Walton St, Whangarei

Joseph on Farm in 1916

It was noted in a book on the history of the area that

Mr Hardie became one of the district's most successful farmers. By thorough tillage of the soil and continued breaking in of fresh areas, he brought his land to a worthy state of development. A variety of crops were raised. Industry and integrity stand out as family watchwords, and have proved the foundation of a leading carrying business built up by several of the sons in Whagarei. The Brethren, though decling to take part in citizen life, have made a worthy contribution to history, in character and work."

In Josephs will, he left his adopted daughter 400 and created a trust that would provide for his wife Matilda for the term of her life and then be divided evenly between his seven children or their families

Much of this information is sourced from "Hardie Family in New Zealand 125 years" compiled and edited by Andrea Ballantyne

Associated Documents