COMMISSIONER MACKAY.

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18409, 1 August 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

COMMISSIONER MACKAY.

HOW THE FIELD WAS OPENED.

Mr Mitckay writes : The reason I reft r

to these episodes of the war, is because I wish you k>' know why I w;.6 shifted to BaurcJii; it'is not Related in oider to boast about my own acts.

FIRST REPORTS OF GOLD

I was informed there was gold at Hauraki, and I had many conversations with Te Hoterene Taipari and his son Wirope Hoterene. Taipari about it. Buti at that time the Hauhau natives showed a very threatening attitude towards the Ng.tnnaru ;,nd myself. Hikutaia, Ohinemuri, tind Piako were full of them (Die tribes who had retreated there trum Widkfjto). They canie to dig gum, at the same time stating they would forcibly take possession; of £he whole' ll;uirr.ki district, because it had been handed over to Potaiua, when he was elected to bo King of New Zealand. It wns only by the conjoint knowledge and careful proceedings of the old chiefs of Hauraki and myself, that we saved this district as it now is. The smoke of the guns of the ■■Haahaus ccwered Tauranjp, Opotiki, Ntiigkr, i-nd T.iujjo, also other places Of this island; butx Hauraki al-

ways showod v deair sky. Hence the proverb "The Per.cc of Hauraki," whioh has been upkcld from then to> the pre-

sent time,

When we were finally clear of the Hanhau difficulties, then Wirope "Hot. erene Taipari and myself (he had been appointed to be a Native Assessor) ro. veried to our previous thoughts about the gold. Notwithstanding the obstinacy of the Ngatlmaru tribe, w© succeeded in throwing open the lands' of Ngaitaraulao (Taipari's h;tpu) for proepeoting for goCd.

but the actual piece was small. It was confined to the block between the Hape and Kforaka streams. I then, brought two Europeans, Williamson and Smallman, to prospect for gold on that piecio. but being unsuccessful they returned to Auckland for good.

Some considerable tfnv? afterwards Te Paratene Whakautu and H-emiora U>

Nanii came here ? they had some previous experience of gold digging in the South Island. Afler prospecting for ;tbout> two months they found gold. The place they got it ait was in the face of tho' hill, where the present road turns round to go up the Kaxaka strealn. At tha,t timo Judge Rog.in was holding W* Native Inlaid Courb at Ka.uaeran.gu. 'now Shontlancf), that was the first sff ting he'd there. Judge Rogan, Mr C. ■>. Davis, and W. H. Taipaii went to Auckland. On arriving there, Taipari culled at my office .and showed me tlie gold. At -that time the Governor a,nd Government had removed from Auckland to Wellington. Dr. Pollen -was residing at Auckland and he had the administration of tho Government business there. 1 had eea?ed to b'j tho Civil Com miesioner of tho Hauraki only, and had been appointed to> be Civil Ciiinniissioner for New Zealand.

HOW THE FIELD WAS OPENED

W. H. Taipari accompanied me to see Dr. Pollen' and we showed him ths gold. Wo discussed the matter, aaid it ended in our arranging to go to Hauraki. Dr. Pollen and myse'.f were greatly pleased nib this discovery of*- gold, because there was no money in Auckland at that. time. Men woro hinging 'About out of work, short of food, and living in poverty. Tho Government expenditure a,t Auckland had ceused when they removed to Wellington, fiid the troops had also returned to Engand. I then went to see if 1 could find a, few diggers who had worked on other goldfiolcis. I selected ten. Wu went in the cutler "Cornstalk' 1 to the Thames. When wo funded wo proceeded to tho Kantka and Waiotahi stream, and found gold there. Wo merely looked for alluvial gold in the soil, or in the gravel in the beds of the streams. We were then, ignorant about working reefs.

On the 27th July, 1867, the first, document was made throwing open land for gold mining at Hauraki. I wae the only otne of the party who knew anything about tho laws, relating to goldfields, "because I hi:d been appointed tobe a Warden in 1858 and acted as sui;h in tho South' Island until 1.863.

Tho boundaries of the piece given for mining, commencing cm the sea eoa'jt at tho mouth of tlio river Kauacraingn,

thence by that river to the junofiion of the Kakaramata stream, thence by that stream to its source on the ridge of the: h'lls, thene© along the said ridge to the sources of the Hape, Karaka, Waiotdhi, MGcn'.;taiariyand Kuranui streams, turning th.'iice down the Kuranui stream to the sea const, thence by the sea const to the nunith of the MoMiaitaiari stream, thvucc inland xa the base of the uills, then-, a crossing ihe .Wiuotnhi strenin, and by ■ Ihe base of the hiils .to- I'the Pr,raT'3k<i. .'spur, thsnee 'ascending the »-..id' -Sfjur to Wai-o-whatiki th-snve down thaib stror..m.-to the :©ea.,, ihenoe by the sea coast to the poini of commenoem'ent at the mouth of ihe Kauaera.jiga rive?

Wiiiiotivhi was thus entirely excluded from that agreement. Dr. Pollen,, I, and vho other Europeans returned- to Auck. land, md as we were leaving I informed W. H. Taipari I would return with a largo party^of Europeans in a steamer on the Ist August.

SW, you young }>eople ) understan-1 thv..t your elders Avere the first to cede land to tTie Queen for gold mining purposes at Hauraki. Their mines are Te Holer, n? Ti-ipari, Wirope Hoterene Taipari, Rap: no, Maunganoa, Te Meremana Konui, and Raika Whakarongotai.

MR MACKAY'S ARRIVAL.

We" Mima on the s'.eoMer "Enterprise No. 2.' There were about sixty (60) of us, <Mid Me camped at Ka,uaier-,n»a (■Shor kind). We had been there a month or thereabouts ■when a disturbance took place between a European and two, of Apen h Miir.. te Reiroa's stuns. They were nil arrested and fined, but the Maori young men had no* mor»?y, neither had their parents aaiy, and they were about bsing sent to"-prison at Auckland. Then Aperahama te Reiroa agreed to cede Waiotahi for gold, mining purposes, and for it to be included in the goldJTield, and I made him an advance on account of Miners Rights to pay the fines with.

On the 12th August, 1867, the first reef was discovered at Kuranui 3 by Messrs Hunt, Cobley, Cktrkson, and

Whit©.

After being about a week ait thp.

Thames I found persons were commenc-

mg to ereot buiMings promiscuously, so one morning 1 and Mr C F. "Mitchell

lined out Pollen Street, Shortland, and

laid off tlie first block of, allotments.