Donnelly Flat itself is a grassy clearing occupying a couple of acres. The clearing is natural, or at least not cleared by human occupation as far as it known.
BYOP.
Wairarapa Daily Times newspaper 13 April 1910;
Grave fears are entertained as to the safety of Mr. Tom Donnelly, who has been prospecting on the ranges at the foot of Mount Holdsworth. On April 4th Mr. Donnelly left Masterton for his camp, informing Mr. A. Hathaway that he was going to get his swag and some specimens, and abandon the prospecting till the spring. He arranged for Pinhey Bros. to send a vehicle out to meet him at Mr. Thomsen's homestead on the morning of 12th April (yesterday), at an hour that was fixed. Mr. Donnelly did not put in an appearance at the appointed hour, and after waiting for some time the driver of the vehicle, and Mr. Thomsen's son, went up to Mr. Donnelly's camp, which is near the river, and about two and a-half miles above Mr. Thomsen's, to make investigations. They found the camp utensils packed up in preparation for leaving, but no trace of the prospector. After making a fruitless search in the neighbourhood of the camp, they returned to Mr. Thomsen's. The driver returned to Masterton last night, and reported the matter to Mr. Hathaway, who in turn acquainted the police.
A small search party was organised, and set out at daybreak this morning, and if no trace is found of the missing man it is proposed to organise a party of volunteers in Masterton to-night and continue the search tomorrow. Mr. Thomsen thinks that Mr Donnelly may have left camp early yesterday morning and crossed the river to obtain specimens, his return being cut off by the sudden rising of the river. But if this had been the case he would probably have made his way to Thomsen's house, which is less than three miles from the spot where he would cross the river.
Mr. Hathaway, who is well acquainted with Mr. Donnelly and his methods of working, fears the man, who is approaching seventy years of age, has met with an accident while out obtaining specimens. If this is the case there is little hope for him unless he is speedily found. Exposure on the mountain at this time of the year would soon prove fatal to a man of his age.
The return of the party which is out today will be anxiously awaited, and if it becomes necessary there should be no difficulty in obtaining a strong band of volunteers, who are accustomed to the mountain, to continue the search to-morrow.
Wairarapa Age newspaper 15 April 1910;
The party of thirteen which left Masterton early yesterday morning to search for the missing prospector, Thomas Donnelly, returned last evening, after an unsuccessful quest.
The party, headed by Constable Brown, of Masterton, made a thorough search of the country on both sides of the river, near Donnelly's camp, and the only traces found were a pipe and some quartz specimens. The weather was very rough all the time the party were away, drenching rain falling continually, which made the lot of the willing searchers none too pleasant. All members of the party speak very highly of the hospitable treatment received by Mr. and Mrs. Thomsen, who supplied the members of the party with hot meals, and means of drying their clothes - acts of kindness which were greatly appeciated.
New Zealand Times newspaper 19 April 1910;
A large party of men were out searching all day on Sunday among the gullies of the Tararua Ranges for the missing prospector, Tom Donnelly, but saw no sign of him. Another party had a fruitless search yesterday. Donnelly was subject to fits, and it is surmised that he had a fit and fell into the river, being drowned. The police will organise a big party to search the bed of the Waingawa river.
Wairarapa Daily Times newspaper 26 April 1910;
It is considered that there may still be some hope of discovering traces of the missing Tom Donnelly, and with that object in view another search party is going out on Sunday next. Some of the searchers are going up as far as Thomsen's on Saturday afternoon, in order to get an early start. Others willing to join in the search are requested to leave their names either with Messrs. E. A. Collier, A. O. Levien or A. Hathaway. Those going on Saturday may leave their blanket at the Drill Hall, so that they can be taken to the starting point.
Dominion newspaper 5 May 1910;
All hope of finding the missing prospector Tom Donnelly has been given up . . .
The repeated extensive searches made by parties for Donnelly have proved futile, and it is not proposed to organise further searches.
Dominion newspaper 5 January 1911;
The body of Thomas Donnelly, a well-known prospector, who had been missing since April 12 last, was found by a party of campers this morning at the foot of a precipice near the Mount Holdsworth track. The body was fully clothed, with the exception of cap and boots, which were found at the top of the cliff, where they had apparently been thrown by Donnelly. Deceased, who was over sixty years of age, had resided in the Wairarapa for over forty years.
Dominion newspaper 6 January 1911;
The late Mr. Tom Donnelly, as he was familiarly known, who was missing since April 12, and whose body was found this week near the Mount Holdsworth track, had many personal friends in Masterton, where he lived for many years. He was of a very retiring disposition, and was averse to talking much of the subject in which he was most keenly interested - namely, that of mining and valuable minerals, which, he was convinced, existed in the Tararua Ranges. This lead him to take many trips into the hills, where he sometimes camped for months, searching and prospecting, and hoping eventually to "strike it rich". Latterly his friends had frequently endeavoured to persuade him to give up these periodical trips, as he was very lame, and not active enough to travel the rough country by himself with safety. He persisted, however, and evidently met his death in the manner indicated.
Mr. A. Hathaway, of Masterton, was an old friend of Mr. Donnelly's and was associated with him in many prospecting expeditions. He states that the substance that Mr. Donnelly most frequently sought was vanadium, a silvery, brittle metal of rare occurance, used and highly valued in the process of making steel. The prospector discovered large quantities of rock, in which he proved the presence of vanadium, and he entered into negotiations with a large firm of steel manufacturers in Hamburg. The latter seemed ready to make a contract with Mr. Donnelly for a regular supply of rock when, unfortunately, Mr. Donnelly disappeared. Mr. Donnelly, in the lonely gorges of the Tararua mountains, ascertained the presence of gold and silver ore, and of certain rare and valuable minerals.
Evening Post newspaper 6 January 1911;
At the inquest on the remains of the prospector Tom Donnelly, a verdict of death my misadventure was returned.
Wairarapa Daily Times newspaper 7 January 1911;
The remains of the late Tom Donnelly were interred at the Masterton cemetery yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock, the burial service being conducted by the Rev. Father O'Dwyer. Floral tributes of lycopodium and other mountain foliage covered the coffin, having been forwarded by Mr. Hans Thomsen, settlers of the Maungatarere valley, and camping parties.
The following poem was published in the Wairarapa Daily Times newspaper on 5 May 1910, the day that the search for Tom Donnelly was officially called off. It was sent in to the newspaper by "one of his old-time friends".
Once more the witching gleam,
Again the old-time call,
Too soon comes night on reef and mountain stream,
And darkness over all.
Yet may I find the place where hidden lies,
The precious yellow gold,
And in my hands take back again the prize,
Of wealth untold.
Once more the witching gleam,
Again the old-time call,
Too soon comes night on reef and mountain stream,
And darkness over all.
Camp-fire and night-bird's call,
And on the mountain track,
One golden stairway spanning over all,
And now I go not back.
And may I, on that way of purest light,
Which chastened feet have trod,
Find gold celestial, when from out the night,
My soul has passed to God.
Camp-fire and night-bird's call,
And on the mountain track,
One golden stairway spanning over all,
And now I go not back.
Today Mr. Tom Donnelly lays at rest in an unmarked grave in Mastertons' Archer Street cemetery.
References;
Tararua Place Name Origins (A work in progress), John Heaton Rhodes 2019. Masterton District Library And Archives (Online)
A Brief History of Donnelly Flat - Notes: Josh McArthur. https://www.joshmcarthur.com > donnelly-flat-name-origin
New Zealand Gold Fossikers Handbook, Tony Nolan 1983.
Papers Past, National Library Of New Zealand. https://www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz