W.P. McKerrow

Bill McKerrow died recently and will be sorely missed as community minded and busy member of the district.

He is remembered here because his farm bounded Fraser's (South) Block of the forest.

I remember Bill first at the Waianakarua Garage (rolling a smoke) where, like many of the local farmers he came on rainy days to have repairs made that they were too busy to have done on fine days. And there was always the opportunity for a chat.

For the first two or three years after NZFS purchased the property, access was a problem and we would have struggled without the cooperation of Bill and Dr. Douglas. It was real cooperation because the track through Bills paddock cause a loss for feed for him (we used existing tracks through the Doctor's property).

Of course the change of land ownership to NZFS caused changes/constraints.

There was a spring that had been tapped to supply water to the McKerrow household as well as to several properties down across the main road in the Waianakarua settlement. Bill took on the voluntary role of caretaker of the water supply and found the blockages and breakages - sometime I helped him.

Of course as the trees grew, the spring was destined to dry up so for the long term they, not us, had to find an alternative supply. 

We were very careful in land preparation not to apply gorse control chemicals anywhere near that spring.

The boundary was a sea of gorse and Bill told me that he realised there would be constraints on him to burn his side once we had established trees there and he asked me what he should do.

I suggested that he plant trees the same as we were doing making it a common boundary (although we did establish a fence there.

He did so and as far as I know made a healthy profit.

In fact, Bill is remembered in Tanzania as I used this story (embellishing it of course to suit) as inspiration to primary schools. The story went like this:

Bill McKerrow my friend and neighbor of the forest I worked as no longer allowed to burn his rough vegetation next to our trees. I suggested that he too should plant trees and maybe one day he would be rich! The trees grew well and he cared for them and stopped predators from eating them.

Twenty five year later, Bwana McKerrow harvested his trees and made a good profit.

One day he came to tell me how pleased he was, and as a gift he brought me a big red bull! His horns were as wide as my truck and the animal was big [I stepped out four paces], and tall [I gestured with my hand, about shoulder height}. So you see my students, there is profit in planting trees!

Bill was born and bred in the district, schooled as well and became a Justice of the Peace, a District Councillor and was honored by the Queen.

There is lots more to add - he was a piper, a long time tennis player - in one family three generation have played against/with him - there is a list.

Ranking his achievements is not the object of the blog, his historical importance to the forest and myself is.
One thing though, the Herbert/Waianakarua water scheme was in trouble with it's water right/allocation meaning the could be no additions. Bill gave up his irrigation water right which meant that the district could prow and prosper.

I have no doubt that Bill still shares his humor.