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Luke legacy lives on at Terawhiti Station Samuel Luke, a leading engineer in 19th century New Zealand, had a significant impact on construction businesses, particularly those associated with gold prospecting. WORDS: David Watt
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IMAGES: National Library of New Zealand; Peter Petchey
amuel Luke emigrated with his family to New Zealand from Penzance, Cornwall, England, in the late 1870s, purchasing an engineering foundry in Wellington, which he named S. Luke and Company, also known as Luke and Sons. It was located near the Opera House in Manners Street, in what is known today as ‘Lukes Lane’. Luke’s foundry was one of the largest in Wellington.
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The company specialised in ship building, boilermaking, cooking ranges and iron and brass work, securing notable jobs such as building the Castlepoint and Cape Palliser lighthouse, 11 hydraulic cranes for the Wellington Harbour Board, and the SS Matai, at the time the largest steamship built in New Zealand. One of the biggest constructions to come from Luke and Sons was a battery engine
and boiler for the Albion Gold Mining Company at Terawhiti Station, Wellington. Alluvial gold was first discovered at Terawhiti (Waiariki Stream) in November 1852, probably by local Māori man, Honetana Tatu (Jacky Dunn). The Albion Gold Mining Company was formed in 1881 to prospect for new reefs and to work on an old claim from an earlier mining period at Terawhiti. The discovery of gold-bearing Heritage Quarterly
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quartz on Black Mountain (Terawhiti Hill) led to the most substantial period of mining at Terawhiti. In May 1882, the company took out a lease of one acre in Black Gully from the McMenamen estate for the erection of a quartz crushing machine. The contract to build a 25-horsepower horizontal steam engine and boiler to drive a 10-stamper battery was signed with Luke and Sons and work began on the construction. Like many early gold mining sites at Terawhiti, the Albion Gold Mining Battery and Mine proved to be an unsuccessful operation. However, despite its lack of payable gold, the mines gave employment to miners, packers, ship owners, and indirectly to storekeepers and tradespeople in the 1880s, during an economic depression in New Zealand. Due to the unsuccessful nature of the goldfield, the battery on the Albion Battery site was only used for crushings three times. The company’s failure, combined with the steep topography, meant that most of the equipment provided for the operations was left at the site. Hence, today, key remains from the Albion Gold Mining Battery and Mine are still located on Terawhiti Station. The Albion Battery and Mine Remains has been listed for its significant heritage values and it is now a Category 2 historic place.
Terawhiti Station is the lower North Island’s only example of a large area that includes a range of gold-related sites including tunnels, tracks, mines, tramways, stores and house sites, and tailings. The owners and managers have worked closely with us in arranging tours of the Station to tell its gold prospecting stories. Michael Grace, a director of the neighbouring station, Te Kamaru, together with Dr Bruce McFadgen, land surveyor and archaeology consultant, have also guided many public tours around the goldfield sites of Terawhiti. Michael is pleased that the renewed interest in the goldfields has led to the formation of a Goldfields Charitable Trust to help fund conservation projects, for future conservation, preservation and interpretation of the Albion Battery site. “This is important, not the least for the descendants of Samuel Luke and Sons, who are still living in the capital to see the Luke name live on, but also to tell the story of our heritage, gold prospecting and mining and for those who want to see the protection and interpretation of the goldfield remains," says Michael. n MAIN IMAGE: Dr Bruce McFadgen in foreground explains the history of the equipment made by the Luke and Sons for the Albion Battery to a goldfields tour group. SMALL IMAGE: Men at work at the Luke and Sons Foundry ca. 1900 off Manners Street, Wellington. CREDIT: National Library of New Zealand.
This issue 1 WELLINGTON Luke legacy lives on at Terawhiti Station
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12 3 EDITORIAL Heritage – a tourism itinerary 4 NATIONAL New ‘Visit Heritage’ website launched 5 CANTERBURY Fyffe House open after extensive ‘horsehair’ repairs 6
FEATURE INTERVIEW Anita in the House
heritagenewzealand
WELLINGTON How does your heritage garden grow?
@heritagenz
14 NORTHLAND Urupā and family cemeteries vulnerable 15
BOOK REVIEW Architects at the Apex
16 CANTERBURY Montrose Homestead 18
8 NATIONAL Present arms!
GISBORNE East Coast Summer Tour
TOHU WHENUA Rākaumangamanga – Cape Brett: Story behind the image
heritage_nz
Editor: Anna Knox Designer: Jeremiah Boniface Published by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Heritage Quarterly keeps you up-to-date with heritage news from around New Zealand. Copyright © 2021 Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. All images credit Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga unless otherwise stated. For more information or to subscribe, write to PO Box 2629, Wellington 6140 or contact the editor, phone: 04 470 8066 or email: aknox@heritage.org.nz. ISSN 2324-4267 (Print) ISSN 2324-4275 (Online). Members of Heritage New Zealand can visit its properties for free, visit www.heritage.org.nz
Heritage Quarterly is printed with mineral oil-free, soy-based vegetable inks on Sumo paper. This paper is Forestry Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified, manufactured from pulp from responsible sources under the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Please recycle.
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL
Heritage – a tourism itinerary
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OVID-19, heritage and tourism are words we might reasonably expect to have a negative context. We probably expect to read about lockdowns, restrictions on travel, properties and businesses closed, and visitor numbers significantly down. There is some truth in this, but COVID-19 has also meant an opportunity to think about how we adapt to bring heritage tourism to peoples’ attention and make it available to everyone in different and exciting ways. As such, I am delighted to see our newly launched domestic tourism website featured in this Heritage Quarterly. E whakamātakitakitia ana ngā taonga tuku iho Nō te whenua takapou whāriki Nō te moana karohirohi Nō ngā whakatipuranga o nanahi nei Kua tārehua ki te pō
Displayed here are the heritage treasures From the land spread below And the shining ocean From the generations of the past Who have since passed on into night
Whakatau mai ki tēnei whārangi ipurangi O te Pouhere Taonga E kitea ai ngā taonga o Aotearoa Me he puna kahurangi tōna rite E kore e mimiti noa
Welcome to this website Of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga In your search for the treasures of New Zealand For it is like a precious spring That shall never run dry
These are the enticing words of welcome to the visitheritage.org.nz website where you can access stories of wonderful heritage places, including those we manage on behalf of the Crown. You will also find several excellent New Zealand heritage travel itineraries, along with delightful imagery, practical visitor information and up-to-date heritage event information from around the country. It is all about the best of heritage, and it is very inviting. In COVID-19 times we need to be adaptable to ensure that heritage remains alive and available. Virtual access and experience are a welcome complement to that of irreplaceable first-hand encounters. We cannot wait to welcome you back regularly to all our heritage places, and when that’s not possible, we invite you to explore and enjoy this new website. We would also appreciate you sharing this experience and website to friends and whanau, spreading the joy and rich experiences of heritage tourism with other New Zealanders. n RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
Andrew Coleman Chief Executive Heritage Quarterly
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NATIONAL
New ‘Visit Heritage’ website launched Buckle in for an exciting ride, New Zealand – domestic heritage tourism has taken a quantum leap forward in time for summer. WORDS: John O'Hare
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uriosity about our country’s heritage places is on the rise, and with COVID-19 keeping us closer to home this summer, there will likely be an increase in domestic tourism. And so, as an organisation, we’re very excited to introduce our new-look, visitor-friendly website highlighting the experiences to be enjoyed at our nationwide network of properties, as well as other local attractions nearby. “The idea for the website grew out of the first lockdown and by the reality that local tourism was going to look quite different. We already had a strong focus on domestic tourists, as it's a priority for us to connect New Zealanders with their own heritage. Circumstances just reinforced the importance of this,” explains our Marketing Advisor, Bec Collie, who has spearheaded the campaign.
“The information on the website is really a taster – nothing can beat the actual experience of going to our properties as shown by the many rave reviews on Trip Advisor and other platforms,” says Bec. “The web presence just makes the experiences we offer more accessible.” Although a lot of the content is currently aimed at New Zealand visitors, this will be adapted as international borders open up again. “In the meantime, we all have a unique opportunity to get out there and explore these amazing places associated with Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Bec. Website users will notice that Te Reo Māori features as well as bilingual and bicultural content. Information on the website is also written very much with the new histories curriculum in mind.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure that this website is fresh and relevant, and speaks to as wide a cross-section of New Zealanders as possible,” says Bec. “Ultimately, what we’d love is for New Zealanders to feel a real sense of fascination, belonging and pride at the incredibly diverse history and heritage they can discover through this platform – along with a sense of shared ownership of the places we care for; and a deep curiosity to explore them for themselves.” The website will make planning heritage road trips around the country a breeze. n
You can see the new website for yourself by going to: www.visitheritage.org.nz
“We felt strongly that we needed to develop a website focused on the needs and interests of visitors to our properties. One of our key objectives is to bring heritage to everyone, including younger people. For that to happen, a strong web presence was absolutely essential.” The website functions smoothly on a wide range of devices including smartphones and tablets – standard gear for any traveller nowadays – and particularly so when people are out and about. It is fresh, clean and very easy to follow. Information is written in a fun, breezy style. As well as consistent visitor information – right down to availability of toilets, good coffee, gift shops and opening hours – the website also includes a growing virtual ‘library’ of stories that enable visitors to learn more about the places they are visiting. 4
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Quarterly
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CANTERBURY Fyffe House in Kaikoūra.
Mike Jackson working with damaged lathe and plaster at Fyffe House.
Fyffe House open after extensive ‘horsehair’ repairs A plastering repair job has revealed new secrets about the lime plaster at Fyffe House. WORDS: Rosemary Baird
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n recent years, the lathe and plaster walls in the upstairs rooms of Fyffe House have been peeling and breaking down. The damage was not, as you might suspect, earthquake related. Rather, a 1980s repair job using modern paint trapped moisture in the plaster. The paint peeled and sections of the plaster detached from the wooden lathes. In May 2021, Mike Jackson was brought in for exploratory investigation. Mike has over 30 years’ experience in the United Kingdom and New Zealand in restoring historic plaster and sod. He is an expert in understanding how historic walls need moisture to survive. Non-hydraulic limebased materials must be used so that the walls can breathe naturally. Mike has used traditional methods of lime plastering to repair Fyffe House. He manually removed the paint from the walls using a scraper and removed ‘blown’ RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
sections of plaster which had detached from the lathe. Traditional plaster has been reapplied, reset, and painted with a traditional limewash. Sourcing the ingredients for the plaster has required some ingenuity from property lead, Ann McCaw. “Mike was short on horsehair, so I had to cut two inches off each of my horses’ tails and scrape out body hair from their covers.” Ann also had to find a small dollop of fresh organic cow manure for Mike to make a tincture. “Mike used this tincture to inhibit a yellow stain that kept appearing through the lime by the window in the middle bedroom. He thought it was likely a tobacco stain from past inhabitants standing by the window to smoke their pipes,” says Ann. During the repairs other secrets were discovered. Mike uncovered graffiti of a mystery diagram, complete with letters and
numbers, incised into one of the earliest layers of plaster. For Ann, it’s been an invaluable chance to learn from Mike’s vast experience of lime plastering. “I have actually recorded Mike to capture his knowledge. He’s shown us that the plaster is a living entity, which will naturally crack as the foundations move.” Going forward, the Fyffe maintenance plan will provide for more regular limewashing. The limewash will move into the micro cracks through capillary action and repair them. “Unlike modern paints which typically seal the substrate, plaster and limewash continue to react to the changing conditions,” says Ann. “The early inhabitants of Fyffe knew to renew these materials; we need to remember that all buildings are organic entities that need regular, responsive care.” n
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FEATURE INTERVIEW
Anita in the House If you’ve called our national office in the last two years, you probably spoke with Anita Evans, our administrator and key front-of-house operator. Anita hails from New Plymouth, in Taranaki, and came to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington via Ōtautahi Christchurch. Her patience, good humour and love of heritage are appreciated by staff and the public daily. She talks with Anna Knox about her role and her motivations for working in heritage. WORDS AND IMAGES: Anna Knox 6
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to us have their questions answered by the right people. I never know what a day will bring, so you’re as likely to find me busy with emails as you are under a desk with a screwdriver! What are the best parts of your work? I’m lucky enough to give tours of Antrim as well as help out with Membership Services, so really for me it is the people I encounter as part of this. What does heritage mean to you? This is hard one. I think heritage to me is always a shared experience and a way to bring people together. It’s as much about connecting yourself to your own past and story as it is about enabling the same for others. The more we can share our histories without delegitimizing the experience of others, the more it can be a space to learn how difference can be celebrated. Do you have a favourite heritage place? Once again, a tricky one! The place that had the biggest impact on me would have to be Tawhiti Museum in Taranaki, where I grew up. Visiting and experiencing heritage is such an important part of understanding, especially when it comes to local history. While it isn’t a ‘heritage place’ in the traditional sense, it is certainly a space to immerse yourself in and nurture that spark of curiosity about the past. Where is your favourite nook in Antrim house? An easy one this time. Definitely the boardroom. The room really captures the story of Antrim’s history so far, and you get to see how every aspect has come together to make it what you see today. Who is the most interesting visitor you’ve had at Antrim? Every visitor is an interesting visitor! My job is to share Antrim with whoever walks through the door, but I must say children are always a highlight. For them, the security camera can be just as exciting as the servant’s staircase, so you always learn how to appreciate something in a new way. What do you hope for the future of heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand? How did you come to work here? Happy coincidence! I was living and working in Ōtautahi Christchurch but planning to make the move here when this role opened up. I have always had a strong interest in heritage, especially in discovering the everyday experiences of people and how people lived their lives day to day. This is also why I chose to study anthropology, which for me is very similar to trying to understand the past, except you are participating alongside people in real time. What does your role with the organisation involve? Broadly speaking my role is to support staff by ensuring the dayto-day operations at Antrim run smoothly. I also man the national phone line, so a big part of my role is to help those who reach out RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
I think the wonderful thing about heritage is that we will always need to ask ourselves that question, because heritage isn’t only preservation; it is also a conversation about what matters enough to care for into the future and how we can achieve that. So, what I hope for the future is that we keep talking to each other about and advocating for what is important to us. When visitors come to Antrim House, sometimes they are disappointed to find we are a working office; they are expecting to look around a heritage home staged and preserved as it would have been when it was built in the early 20th century. And while I can’t show them the heritage they expected, having a conversation about why Antrim still matters can lead to new understandings. But unless you have that conversation, you’ll never know. n Heritage Quarterly
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NATIONAL
Present arms! You can’t be too careful with firearms and other things that go bang – even if they haven’t been used for over a century. WORDS: John O’Hare, Belinda Maingay
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ecent changes to the Arms Act – and specifically the requirements of the dealer’s licences and their potential impact on museums and organisations like Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga– have made for an interesting few months, according to our Collections Advisor, Belinda Maingay. “The changes have put the spotlight on the firearms in our collection and our responsibilities under the revised Arms Act,” she says. “No matter how old they are, firearms have the potential to cause injury and worse. The good thing is that firearms in our collections at properties around the country have all been disabled, and cannot fire – and because of their age are generally not a concern to the Police.” Information provided by the Police Museum in consultation with the New Zealand Police confirmed that firearms manufactured before 1899 and which are not capable of firing ammunition are classified as antiques – and therefore exempt from the firearms licensing requirements.
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IMAGES: Alex Bell “That means that these artefacts can be kept at our historic places safely and legally,” says Belinda. The change in legislation, however, has highlighted the fact that we have some pretty interesting guns in our collection – to say nothing of sundry other ordnance which in their day would have had an explosive impact. Two Bay of Islands properties in particular have an impressive collection of arms – the Kerikeri Mission Station and Te Waimate Mission. “Given that the musket had practically become a form of currency in the Bay of Islands at the time the missionaries were active it’s no surprise that we have a couple in our collection,” says Kerikeri Mission Station Property Lead, Liz Bigwood. “The ‘Brown Bess’ musket was traded and sold between ship merchants in the Bay of Islands with Māori keen to acquire the weapon. One of the trade goods that enabled Māori to obtain these highly sought-after weapons in significant numbers was the humble potato.”
Extensive cultivations of potatoes established by Ngapuhi at Kerikeri, Waimate North and beyond – coupled with constant demand for spuds for shipping provision – was such that Ngapuhi chief Hongi Hika was able to trade them for muskets. Missionaries owned muskets, though these were used for hunting, and included a number of fowling pieces. “One of the muskets in our collection is inscribed ‘1663 Tower’ on an iron plate above the trigger, showing it was made by Tower Armouries in London,” says Liz. Twenty minutes’ drive from the Kerikeri Mission Station, Te Waimate Mission’s collection of heritage armaments is of an equally high calibre. “Besides a couple of muskets, Te Waimate Mission has some more unusual items including a flintlock pistol, a cartouche (ammunition belt) from the Northern Wars and a powder flask,” says Hokianga Properties Lead, Alex Bell. The artefacts date back to a time when the mission was awash with guns.
The Te Waimate Mission powder horn – a reminder of the Mission’s brief military past.
“After the disastrous 1845 attack on Pene Taui’s pa at Ohaeawai during the Northern Wars, the surviving British troops returned to Te Waimate where they commandeered the mission as a military camp and proceeded to make a nuisance of themselves,” says Alex. Missionary Henry Williams records the disruption in a letter written in October 1845. “Were you to see the Waimate you would scarcely know it … great guns and small arms, with drums and bugles throughout the day and night, this salutation at every turn 'Who comes there?'" Williams added, perhaps a little too philosophically: “At present only two houses are burnt down. Wades on the hill and Bedggoods […] more may yet be consumed.” The troops were there partly to recover after the shellacking they took at Ohaeawai which had left them battered, bruised and depleted in numbers. The troops had been ordered to charge the Ohaeawai Pā by Colonel Henry Despard, only to be cut down by musket fire from defenders shooting from trenches and loops in the palisades. The charge left 120 British soldiers dead or injured. Armaments that are part of our collection are often an important part of the bigger stories associated with our places, according to Alex. “Although specific information about these artefacts may be a bit light at times, they are important in that they provide a broader context in which some of these stories can be told,” he says. “We don’t know who the cartouche belt belonged to, for example, though we know it has deep associations with Te Waimate – and one of the most difficult periods in New Zealand’s history.” n RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
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GISBORNE Historic Places Tairawhiti members at the Puhi Kai Iti Cook Landing site with artist and historian, Nick Tupara, who used to work for HNZPT in Wellington.
East Coast Summer Tour The rich and varied history of the East Coast of Te Ika a Maui makes for a great summer roadie. Read about some of the highlights you can experience on the drive between Gisborne and East Cape. (Drive time is 3-4 hours but allow two days to really take in the sights). WORDS AND IMAGES: Sheridan Gundry
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isborne’s nationally touted Tairāwhiti Museum provides the perfect starting point for a historic tour of the East Coast. The Tū te Whaihanga exhibition of taonga that left these shores in 1769 on board the HMS Endeavour and returned as part of Tuia 250 commemorations on display and worth a long pause. The 37 taonga include: painted hoe (paddles) traded at sea off Whareongaonga; Te Poupou o Hinematioro from Pourewa Island, Tolaga Bay; weapons, cloaks, belts, carvings and adornments. The Gisborne city port, river and beach walkway are also well worth exploring, along with Titirangi Kaiti Hill with its expansive views across the historic bay to Te Kuri, south to Mahia and the formidable interior. At the foot of the landmark hill, the Puhi Kai Iti Cook Landing Site National Historic Reserve commemorates both the arrival
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of the earliest inhabitants of Turanganuia-Kiwa (Gisborne) who migrated from Polynesia during the 14th century, and Cook and his fellow travellers many years later. The monument is listed as Category 1 with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Close by is a sculptural tribute to Te Maro, the first of up to nine Māori killed in the encounter with Cook’s crew. Leaving Gisborne, head next to Opoutama, Cook’s Cove at Uawa Tolaga Bay. Opoutama was home to Te Aitanga a Hauiti aristocracy. To the right of the cove rises Pourewa Island, once the location of the fortified pā of Hinematioro, maternal grandmother of last head chief Te Kania-Takirau, who lived above Opoutama. Raiatean navigator, Tupaia, talked with Uawa chiefs and tohunga at a small overhang in the cliffs above the beach. Tolaga Bay’s 660m concrete wharf can be viewed from the hills above.
The 1929 wharf contributed to its own demise, with much of the incoming cargo comprising materials for building the road through to Gisborne. From 1977, vehicles were banned from the wharf due to deteriorating piles and structure. The wharf was restored from 2001 and gained Category 1 status in 2009. At the northern end of Tolaga Bay’s beach, a heart-pumping climb up the Ernest Reeves Walkway onto the Tataraheke Cliffs provides panoramic views of the bay and district. Cook’s second landing place at Anaura Bay prompted the first comprehensive written description of Māori horticulture and village life. The crew filled their casks with water from Hawai Stream, marked by an Historic Places Trust plaque, and were given fish, wild celery and sweet potato. Northward, in Tokomaru Bay, the buzz is all about Café 35’s paua pies. But at the RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
TOP: Opoutama Cooks Cove, Uawa Tolaga Bay. LEFT: St Mary’s Anglican Church, Tikitiki. RIGHT: Tolaga Bay Wharf from walkway to Cook’s Cove.
northern end of the bay, at Waima, it’s about raising the money needed to restore its historic wharf. This was once a thriving commercial centre, with the 1911-built brick freezing works at its heart and 500 residents in its heyday. Many buildings survived the works’ 1952 closure, including the New Zealand Shipping Company manager’s house and store, the harbourmaster’s house and stables and the freezing works’ ruins, all on HNZPT’s register. The Tokomaru Bay Heritage Trust is working to restore the wharf. Standing vigil above Tikitiki is the picturesque St Mary’s Church, built as a memorial to the European and Māori from the Waiapu who died during World War 1. A memorial here to leader and politician Sir Apirana Ngata provides a view of the whole Waiapu Valley. St Mary’s is one of the most richly decorated Māori churches in Aotearoa New Zealand with extensive carvings, painted panels, tukutuku work and fine stained-glass windows. Built in 1924, this is the only building in the Waiapu district with Category 1 status.
Moki and whales feature large in the history of Whangaparaoa (whale bay) or Cape Runaway, where a shore whaling station existed in the 1840s. This focus is seen in the 1970s Cliff Whiting murals within the dining hall at Kauaetangohia Meeting House, opposite the school. On the promontory at Raukokore stands the Category 1 Anglican Christ Church built in 1895. Duncan Stirling, with no architectural training, designed a fine, simple building in the Gothic tradition, which has strong links with Te Whanau-aApanui people and contributes to the legacy of Māori Christian churches on the East Coast. Just so much to see and learn about our early history and survival in a wonderful part of our country. n
The East Cape lighthouse at New Zealand’s most eastern point is becoming one of THE places to view the dawn of a new year – once you have climbed the 500 steps. First erected in 1906, the lighthouse was moved to the mainland in 1922. RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
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WELLINGTON
How does your heritage garden grow? In Glenside, north of Johnsonville, the Heritage Gardeners are cultivating a garden of trees, fruits and flowers that were grown in New Zealand before 1900. WORDS: Claire Bibby
IMAGES: Glenside Progressive Association
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he Guelder rose, Tom Putt apple and Honeycomb flower are a few plant names that would be familiar to early settlers in New Zealand but are less well-known today. At a heritage garden on a historic reserve surrounding the Halfway House, which dates from about 1885, these names are becoming established again – along with the plants. An earlier Halfway House on the site provided accommodation for people travelling between Wellington and Porirua. In 1998, the current Halfway House had been vacant for at least a decade. The lawns were overgrown, and it was a fire risk. Wellington City Council began
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renovations to the house in 2012 which were completed five years later. In 2010, the City Council allowed riparian planting alongside a stream which borders the garden. The Council funded a garden landscape plan, and in 2014 Claire Bibby formed the Heritage Gardeners to implement the plan. In 2016, the group planted 16 heritage fruit trees between two surviving plum trees. The Stebbings family who farmed nearby Stebbings Valley from 1864-1979 had two orchards, totalling 70 trees. Their named varieties informed the selection of plants. We chose other varieties from the 1878 catalogue of Masterton nurseryman, William McCardle.
Wellington City Park Ranger, Denise Clements, describes the research behind the plant selection as incredibly well thought out. “Everything is dated or traced back to a source. There is no compromising in what’s there,” she said. She cites a high point accompanying the Heritage Gardeners to Auckland to visit our property, Highwic, as well as Hawthorn Dene and Howick Historic Village, to learn how other heritage gardens are managed. Heritage Gardener Lorna Webb says that finding the correct plants is a real challenge. “We want to find the early versions, the right plants that were used at the time and what the colonials actually had in their gardens,” she explains. RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
Only two pre-1900 camellias could be found for sale: CM Hovey and Fimbriata Alba. Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose, was more likely to be advertised as a powered pharmaceutical and used to protect soft fruit from insects, although in 1868, it was also recommended for brightening the garden. Gardener, Paul Bicknell, was first attracted to the garden because of the archaeology and saving the Halfway House. “I wasn’t interested in plants. However, I learned so much and it has grown on me,” he said. “The garden and the house are the focal point of Glenside. There are not too many old houses with public access.”
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Heritage Gardeners, Heather Bicknell and Pam Brown, appreciate being part of a group of gardeners. “We spend hours and hours working alone in our own gardens at home and it’s nice to spend a couple of hours a week at the Halfway House working with other gardeners,” explains Pam.
EDITORIAL
Part of the research challenge is that the names of plants, both Latin and English, have changed over time. For example, Red Hot Pokers were marketed as Torch Lilies and only one type from pre-1900, Kniphofia rooperi, is available commercially today.
The Heritage Gardeners have an online record of every heritage plant in the garden and where it was sourced. www.glenside.org.nz/heritagegardeners.html
Her favourite areas are the native border, with the movement of its native grasses, and the colourful flower bank. On the flower bank is the old Nerine sarniensis, better known as the Guernsey Lily. It was gifted by Heritage Gardener, Claire McDonald, from her own garden when she moved into a retirement village.
The historic Halfway House is leased privately, however two rooms are available for public hire, with table seating for eight people. The Glenside Progressive Association has furnished the rooms in the 1880s era. www.challenge2000.org.nz/ glenside-meeting-space/
This year the Heritage Gardeners became an Accredited Award Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, teaching the skills of gardening. It was also certified as a Butterfly Friendly Habitat by the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust. n
Photographed outside the Halfway House: Jeremy Patmore, Crown Joinery; Denise Clements, Wellington City Park Ranger; and Claire Bibby, President Glenside Progressive Association and Heritage Gardens leader.
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NORTHLAND
Urupā and family cemeteries vulnerable An important aspect of Northland’s heritage is in danger of being lost to development and subdivision. WORDS AND IMAGES: John O’Hare
Urupā and family cemeteries, where generations of tangata whenua and settler families have been laid to rest, are increasingly prone to loss, neglect and damage. “These particular cemeteries are often physically small, sometimes containing only a few graves, but they’re very important,” says our Northland Manager, Bill Edwards. “Family cemeteries and urupā are located all over the country and are particularly significant here in Northland because they provide a physical link back to the earliest days of settlement in New Zealand for Pākehā and Māori.” Many of the family plots are located on what were once large landholdings and many have been subdivided. Land use and ownership has changed through time, restricting or prohibiting descendants’ access. In this context, Taipa couple Charles and Kay Adamson have taken a proactive approach to safeguard the family cemetery where generations of Adamsons have been buried since 1894. “The cemetery is an important part of our family history – as well as the history of the wider community – and we want to do what we can to preserve it and ensure it is well maintained,” says Charles. The Adamson homestead once sat on 400 acres of land. Charles’ parents, Gerard and Freda, gifted part of their land to local iwi Ngāti Kahu in the 1970s and 1980s, and in years since parts of the original farm have been sold, subdivided and even transferred to Council as Reserve. The family cemetery is about a kilometre from the original Adamson homestead. Charles and his Australian-based brother Robert have taken steps to ensure that the family will continue to have access to the cemetery. 14
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“With all of our family living overseas, however, it’s likely that Kay and I will be the last two family members to be buried in the Adamson family plot,” says Charles.
A recent example is of a private cemetery in Kaeo where ongoing physical damage, particularly from erosion and flooding, was problematic.
“That has implications for things like the upkeep of headstones and the cemetery itself. Family members will be unable to do this for us so we have to plan now.”
“Two of the large headstone monuments were moving closer to the edge of the terrace and the surrounding boundary fence of the cemetery had already started to collapse on the southern side of the terrace towards State Highway 10.”
The Adamsons have taken a textbook approach to managing their family plot, according to Bill. “Charles and Kay contacted us to get our take on how they should proceed with managing their cemetery, and the sorts of things they may need to consider,” says Bill. “They’ve already succeeded in securing permanent access to the cemetery – which is really important – and so we were able to talk about some of the practicalities of maintenance, which can range from upkeep of fences to keep wandering stock from damaging graves, removal of certain vegetation which in time can also undermine fences and headstones – right through to archaeological considerations. “Often it’s addressing simple things and developing a fit-for-purpose maintenance plan that can prevent small problems becoming big ones. That helps in the long-term survival and preservation of these places.”
In December 2019, the remains of the Spickman and Nisbet settler families were exhumed and subsequently re-interred in Kaeo’s Public Cemetery where there is a memorial to the early Pākehā settlers in the Whangaroa area. “Although the situation was resolved, it highlighted the vulnerability of some private cemeteries to erosion and other natural forces, and the need to plan for the long-term maintenance of these places wherever possible,” says Bill. “There’s no one answer that suits every situation – but there are some broad principles that can contribute to the longterm preservation of these important links to our past." n
Many of the issues that the Adamsons are dealing with are the same for Māori, according to our former Director Kaiwhakahaere Tautiaki Wāhi, Mita Harris. “In many cases urupā are associated with marae, and essentially have much the same status as family plots. Their upkeep is the responsibility of the people who whakapapa back to the marae – not the local council who are responsible for many public cemeteries,” he says. If left unmanaged, family cemeteries can cause significant issues for new land owners, including Government agencies.
Charles and Kay Adamson at the Adamson family cemetery in Taipa. RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
BOOK REVIEW Pictured at the launch, from left Dr Nigel Issacs, Senior Lecturer Victoria University School of Architecture, publication author Geoff Mew, and HNZPT Chief Executive, Andrew Coleman.
Architects at the Apex Architects at the Apex: The top 50 in New Zealand 1840-1940, a new publication on architecture in New Zealand, looks at the architects behind some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best-known buildings. WORDS AND IMAGES: David Watt
There are many books about architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand, but Geoff Mew’s new book, Architects at the Apex, is also about the architects themselves. Fifty of the most well-known architects who made their mark in the first 100 years of European settlement are featured. “This publication has been designed to provide new information relative to New Zealand architectural studies from a different standpoint to those previously published. It combines biographical information with significant pictures of changing architectural styles and practices over an important period of growth of colonial architecture and the transition towards modernism,” says Geoff. Our Chief Executive, Andrew Coleman, was delighted that Antrim House, home to the national office of Heritage New Zealand, was chosen for the launch of the publication. “We are the lead heritage agency for Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is very appropriate that we have the opportunity to support the aims of this research work and the significant new values that it brings to heritage research and the architects who have made their mark in our country.”
Geoff Mew and Adrian Humphries, have given to this work, is as good as it gets.” He said the selection of the top 50 architects will undoubtedly be controversial. “But then architecture has always courted controversy. Yesterday’s ‘concrete monstrosities’ are today’s heritage, evoking memories (not always good) of the times in which they were created.” He observes that these architects brought imagination to the streetscapes of New Zealand, incorporating the latest in international thinking, not just design fads but ideas which created more usable and comfortable buildings. “This is an up-to-date reference text which will remain a valuable source of knowledge,” says Nigel. Published by Ngaio Press, the book is available from the author, at geoffmew@xtra.co.nz for $59.95 plus $6 postage. n
Dr Nigel Isaacs, Senior Lecturer at Victoria University Wellington School of Architecture, who launched the publication, is also warm in his praise. “The attention to detail and scholarship that RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
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CANTERBURY
Montrose Homestead Three years after the Kaikoura earthquake, Montrose Station Homestead is transformed in an award-winning restoration. WORDS: Rosemary Baird
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IMAGES: Wayne Hutchinson
arly morning, on 14 November 2016, Jo and Dave McKenzie and their three children were shaken awake in their upstairs bedrooms by the 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake. Stunned and terrified, the family escaped via the roof, rather than risk the broken, brick-strewn, stairway. Their home, the 100-year-old Montrose Station Homestead, seemed damaged beyond repair. The Category 2 homestead, designed by Cecil Wood has been in Jo’s family since her great-grandfather built it in 1913. The house has seen its share of family weddings and memories. But straight after the earthquake, the family didn't want to return. “It’s a pretty special place and I wanted to save it, but I wasn’t sure it could be safe enough for us as a family to live in,” says Jo. “It was a process of a number of people’s input that helped us believe it possible to make it safe enough”. Chris Wilson from Wilson & Hill Architects was one of the first to offer advice. From his experience in repairing earthquake damaged homes in Christchurch, Chris felt confident that a repair was possible. “Montrose Station is timber framed, and those houses are the ones that survive. I
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thought that if we could pull weight out of the building and put in steel frames, we could get it up to building code.” From his first visit, Chris could see the quality of the house. “You could see Cecil Wood’s design skills in the grand open spaces and detailing of the timber panelling and nooks. This was a house that was well built and finished. It was worth saving.” For Jo, making the house safe was the top priority. Engineer, Grant Coombes, of Engenium Engineers came up with a design to remove tons of bricks from the 12 chimneys. All the lathe and plaster was pulled out. Steel framing went in around the windows at the front of the house. Most importantly, one of the stairways was swivelled and rebuilt so it provided a safe exit from the top floor directly to the exterior of the building. Another important goal was to modernise the house. The back third of the house had been built as servants’ quarters, including the main kitchen. The new design moved the kitchen and living space into the northwest side of the home. The servants’ quarters were too badly damaged for repair, so a new addition was
built to the same footprint, containing a connected garage, mudroom and guest suite. This new addition reused all the old doors and windows. “There’s a sense of authenticity as you move between the new and old sections of the house,” says Chris. “You’d never be able to source this beautiful wood joinery today." The building process turned out to be an experience for the whole family. The team from Mark Prosser Builders stayed between the farm and a house in Culverden during the week. Jo cooked lunch and dinner for up to 12 builders daily. “We really enjoyed the boys. They became part of the family. They were out playing cricket with my son in the evening,” says Jo. “It was a pretty cool process for the kids to go through, and that helped them feel comfortable moving back into the house." The restored Montrose Station Homestead is stunning. The original wood features glow with renewed life. “We’ve given this house at least another 100 years, by bringing it into the 21st century,” says Chris Wilson. RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
“We’ve given this house at least another 100 years, by bringing it into the 21st century”
Director Southern Region, Sheila Watson, is thrilled with the outcome. “It was so satisfying to do what we could to support Jo and Dave in their dilemma. Their fantastic team came together to restore this magnificent home, and they have made it better than before. It was a brave move and has paid dividends. This project is a great example of how a team of owners, architects, builders and engineers who respect and understand heritage can accomplish great things together.” The restoration was recognised in June 2021 when the homestead was a joint winner of the Domestic Saved and Restored category at the Box 112 Canterbury Heritage Awards. The McKenzie family is now enjoying life back in their home. “It’s still got that neat feel of just a big old family home,” says Jo, “but now I’ve got a sunny kitchen in the centre of the house too!” n
LEFT: Montrose Station Homestead. TOP RIGHT: The living room, showing of the stunning wooden panelling and staircase. CENTRE RIGHT: A damaged fireplace in the homestead. BOTTOM RIGHT: The new family kitchen. RAUMATI • SUMMER 2021
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TOHU WHENUA
Rākaumangamanga – Cape Brett: Story behind the image This summer Tohu Whenua is encouraging all New Zealanders to include a heritage experience in their summer travel itineraries. One such site is Rākaumangamanga Cape Brett. WORDS: Claudia Babirat
IMAGES: Chris Pegman
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hoosing the right feature image for the Tohu Whenua summer campaign was challenging. Many of our most treasured heritage places just happen to be located in jaw-dropping locations. But there was one photo that simply wowed us: a sunset capture of the lighthouse at Rākaumangamanga – Cape Brett located at the entrance to Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands. The image was captured by photographer, Chris Pegman, while he was scouting locations to photograph people competing in Te Tai Tokerau Northland’s gruelling Cape Brett Challenge. “I spent a whole evening out [at Cape Brett],” says Chris. “I just couldn't be drawn to sleep, there was so much beautiful emotion and atmosphere to photograph, such a clear night too.” With its spectacular headland, views onto Motukokako Island, sightings of dolphins and resident seals, Cape Brett is indeed a paradise for anyone who likes to use their camera. What makes being there even more poignant is that it’s also a place deeply steeped in history.
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The Cape has a 1,000-year heritage of signalling sailors arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was the landing point of the first seven waka that travelled from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa, whose occupants followed the dawn light reflecting off the peninsula’s crystalline rocks. The seven distinctive peaks that mark Cape Brett's spine represent those first seven waka, and to this day the region remains an area of spiritual and traditional importance to Te Tai Tokerau Māori. In 1906, Cape Brett became the site of a lighthouse that continued to help provide a safe passage for new arrivals. The 14-metre beacon protected seafarers from the rugged coast for over 70 years. It was looked after by up to three families at a time – over 100 keepers in its lifetime who also acted as postmasters, weathermen, butchers, gardeners, carpenters, painters and anything else that needed doing in this remote location. In 1978, a smaller automated light was installed which spelt the end of the settlement. One lighthouse
keeper’s cottage remains, now a bookable Department of Conservation hut. There are several ways you can get to Cape Brett, including a challenging full-day hike from Rāwhiti or a scenic 35-minute boat trip from Paihia. Chris recommends a third option: catching a water taxi into Deep Water Cove followed by a 2.5 hour walk to Cape Brett via native bush and spectacular viewpoints. For Chris, Cape Brett will forever have a special place in his heart. Partly for the profound experience he had, but also because the images he took that night launched a “somewhat successful” journey of panoramic landscape and astrophotography. Look out for Chris’s beautiful image featured in the media, visit a Tohu Whenua heritage site this summer... and don’t forget your camera! n
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Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is a partner in Tohu Whenua, a visitor programme that connects New Zealanders with our unique heritage.
Other Tohu Whenua you might enjoy visiting in Te Tai Tokerau Northland: • Rangihoua Heritage Park: Visit the site of Aotearoa New Zealand's first planned European The team of Delta arborists whosettlement, worked on a Riddell’s Farm forwhere ArbourMāori Day 2021. place and Europeans learned to live side by side. • Ruapekapeka Pā: Walk the maunga where Māori chiefs defied British violations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by making their final stand of the Northern Wars. • Kororipo Heritage Park: Immerse yourself in multiple experiences at the heart of Kerikeri Basin where some of the most important early meetings between Māori and Europeans took place.
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Nau mai, haere mai
Waitangi Day 2022
Sunday 6 February
Visit our heritage properties this Waitangi Day
visitheritage.co.nz
