1877: Dusky Sound Docherty
July 27, 2019
By AHNZ
William Docherty was a hermit explorer of Fiordland from arriving in 1875 to his death in 1896.
He was one of those Seekers seldom rewarded by the wealth they seek. Docherty’s kind were useful to New Zealand frontier society as self-contained and highly efficient search engines looking for resources to benefit our society. As a species it makes evolutionary sense to generate a few outliers of disposable males with a drive to be sent into cartographical oblivion. Probably, almost always, they die childless and broke but not until they’ve slaved their hearts out exhausting the possibilities New Zealand has rich resources beyond yonder hill.
“…of poor Docherty’s earnestness; of the hardships he endured; of the solitary unnatural life he was willing to lead in search of minerals there can be no question. He was one of those strangely constituted beings to whom solitude is their one pleasure, and following his peculiar bent he found his way into every nook and corner of the western sounds and Preservation Inlet.” – Southland Times (1896)
Explorer’s pipe found in Fiordland
Amazingly, nature guide Richard Heyward was walking the beach named after Docherty in 2018 when he discovered one of the prospector’s own pipes!
But just as well it’s a *clay* pipe not an ivory one.
If you find one made of whale bone then keep it to yourself. Look the vandalism The State did when someone tried to import their family’s 123-year-old piano….
“…alongside having to pay for new key tops, he and his family were told to pay for the ivory removal and the cost of piano collection.
“He said he was told about the cost of the collection on Wednesday evening, and told if he didn’t pay, DOC would “dispose of the piano”- Department of Conservation removes ivory key tops on family’s heirloom piano; Stuff
“Fools! Bureaucratic fools! They don’t know what they’ve got there..” – Dr. Indiana Jones
It’s amazing to think that William Docherty’s 123 year old pipe would also be snaffled up by The State the same as the keys of this 123 year old piano. Happens it was not made of ivory so the stupid rule doesn’t apply.
Still- I repeat the advice. If you find something wonderful then keep it secret, keep it save. Keep it local, keep it private.
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Image ref. Explorer’s pipe found in Fiordland; RNZ
Image ref. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Ref. also 1903: Dusky Sound to Lake Manapouri Road, AHNZ
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