Later Years of the Young Qualtroughs from the book "A Quota of Qualtrough" Pages 48-70

 

William Qualtrough (1840-1919) - "Wiremu' - Waiikato Identity

 

WILLIAM QUALTROUGH as a young man. The photo was taken c.1870 when William would have been about 30 years of age.

 

WILLIAM (Willy) seems to have taken to the pioneer life like the oft quoted duck to water and was not one to get his feathers ruffled easily.

 

He had pride in his appearance, too, for as a youth walking all the way from Pakuranga to Auckland town on business trips, he would go barefoot, carrying his boots under his arm to keep them clean to change into on hitting Queen Street.

 

The route the foot-sloggers followed took them around the beaches, over by ferry to Pt. England, across St. John's College area, into Parnell via a bridge at Hobson's Creek, then to Mechanics Bay and up the hill to Shortland Street and Queen Street.

 

He served in the Waikato War and, with a younger brother, Tom, went contracting in the district before settling on a farm.

 

He courted Catherine Mary Lovie, who lived at Panmure,and would ride horseback from Te Awamutu and Roto-o-Rangi at a weekend to visit her. It was 100 miles over rough country with several streams to ford and the swift-flowing Waikato River to cross - by punt - at Ngaruawahia. Willy would set off early on Saturday, arrive in the evening, eat with and talk with his Kate and leave the next day.

 

The horses of those days were, it seems even tougher than the men.