NORTHLAND
Land owners help preserve 300-year-old pā
When new property owners Kees and Lizette Oud discovered a substantial pā on their Doubtless Bay property, they wanted to help preserve it.
The pā on the Oud’s land sits within a wider archaeological landscape, which includes many pā close to Taipā in Northland’s Doubtless Bay.
WRITER & IMAGES: John O’Hare
T
he Oud's vision for heritage has resulted in the pā on their property being mapped and its features recorded in detail, marking a significant contribution to the preservation of this piece of Northland’s archaeological heritage. “One of our neighbours encouraged us to make contact with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and talk to them about how we should manage it,” says Kees. “We told them we wanted to fence off the pā to protect it, as well as covenant an area of mature native trees with the QEII National Trust. They gave us some really good advice on how to preserve the pā – and then came out to look at the pā itself.” The call provided a timely opportunity to study the Parapara site, according to our
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Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Quarterly
Northland Manager, Bill Edwards, who is currently working on a project that will consolidate archaeological records and other research that has been carried out at neighbouring Oruru Valley over the years. This will inform council about these places, and assist in their scheduling and protection. “A site visit enabled us to ‘read the landscape’ around the pā,” explains Bill, and it became obvious very quickly that the pā site on the Oud’s land – which is literally the next valley up from Oruru – was really an extension of the complex of pā that existed in Oruru. The numerous marae around Parapara, all of which link by whakapapā back to other marae in the Oruru valley, just reinforced the physical connections of these pā sites with each other.”
In addition, other pā close by highlighted the strategic nature of its location. “Essentially these pā worked together to defend the considerable food resource that was being grown in the valley,” he says. The Oruru area was well known for being a large-scale producer of food through its extensive gardens. The fertility of the soils was able to sustain a large population, and in Oruru Valley alone there were known to be at least 80 pā. The area even features on Tuki’s map – described as New Zealand’s first literary document. “Young rangatira Tuki Tahua had been kidnapped and taken to Norfolk Island in 1793, where Governor King – embarrassed by the episode – struck up a friendship with him,” says Bill. The young rangatira drew a map for the Governor showing KŌANGA • SPRING 2021
