HOKIANGA DISTRICT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 13

HOKIANGA DISTRICT.

LAND OF PROMISE.

DOWN THE "VALLEY OF TIME."

100 YEARS AGO AND TO-DAY,

(Specially Written for the ,l Star.") No. I.) Over 114 years ago this month it is recorded that the first white men landed on the shores of the great and beautiful Hokianga Harbour. These were the masters of vessels who purchased kauri spars from the natives by barter, and who were content to allow their vessels to he there for months while loading. The largest of these was the full-rigged ship Roslvn Caetle. one of whose crew was drowned in "the river," and his remains interred in the Mangungu Cemetery. The date on one of the headstones in this cemetery' is 1812. Then' Hokianga was a wilderness of bush-covered land, peopled by large numbers of natives of the famous Ngapuhi tribe. To-day it promises to be one of the greatest producing areas in the whole of the wealthy and fertile Auckland province. It is only during the-last 25 or 30 years that the land has been made to produce agricultural requirements. And it is just a short 16 years since the Government opened up the 20,000-acre holding known as the Te Karae Block. This land is all under occupation and in a state of productivity. To-day sees 7000 cows supplying the Hokianga Dairy Co.'s butter factory alone with butterfat, whereas a few years ago there 'was hardly a cow in the whole of the 933 square miles of country occupied by the county.

Three years ago a motor car was unknown in the district. Now they are becoming almost as common as they are in Queen Street, Auckland.

The changes which have come down the "valley of time" in so short a space have been phenomenal. Looking over this beautiful land, one realises its value, its worth, and its coming prosperity. These things have only been accomplished by extremely hard labour and application. Many a man —and woman, too—has gone under in the struggle of J the march of progress. But they have gone down with colours flying, leaving a heritage behind of which each and every one of us should be proud. And the end is not yet. The great work of development and production is being carried on by stout-hearted men and women, who are putting up as good a fight as the pioneers ever did. Sometimes the writer hae thought that dwellers in the city and towns do not realise or appreciate what the man on | the land is doing for the Dominion. It can be said that, as far as New Zealand is concerned, if it were not for the farmer—the backbone of the country— the towns would not exist. Some Early Historical Facts. According to Maori tradition Hokianga was the landing place of those who came to Ao-tea-roa (New Zealand) in the canoe Maniari from Hawaiki. The chief Nukutawhiti, who came in this canoe, first landed near North Cape. Here he fell in with Kupe, a chief who had come over during the previous migration. Kupe had visited Hokianga on a previous occasion, and thus gave it its name, which means a returning place. Nukutawhiti and his followers settled down on the shores of the waters of the Hokianga to form the nucleus of the Ngapuhi tribe. The first Wctdeyan mission B tation to be established in Hokianga was at Mangungu, almost opposite Kohukohu, in lo2b\ Messrs. Maning (the author of "Old New Zealand," and later Chief Justice of New Zealand), Russell, Marriner, and Captain McDouell were amongst some of the early traders, and about 1835 Hokianga bade fair to be well populated with arrivals from Sydney in the brig Vision, which made several regular trips to and fro. Judge Munro's family settled there in 1830, and the St. Clairs, Spofforths, Hunts, and many up land. All of them left, or were driven away, however, by the scare of Heke's war. About this time the brig-o'-war Osprey visited "the river," being the first warship to do so. Other Interesting Happenings.

After Mr. Russell, Mr. John Webster settled at Kohukohu, but prior to that Count de Thierry laid claim to a large part of the county. In the end the latter secured a small portion. Meanwhile, Captain Herd had founded a settlement at Herd's Point, now known as Rawene, the capital of the county.

In 1869 Nuku was shot at Whirinaki by the Kaitutai tribe through a land dispute, and Heremaia Te Wake was accused as a principal and induced to give himself up to the authorities. He was confined in the Mount Eden gaol, but made a sensational escape, and lived for several years, protected by his people, at his home. Later the Minister of Native Affaire (Mr. McLean, later Sir Donald) secured him a free pardon for an offence which it is questionable if. he committed, and which, if committed, was the fortune of war.

Up to 1870 no roads of any sort had been made in the county, except at Omanaia, where Wi Katene, the native member of Parliament, secured a small grant for making a few chains of formation.

In that year the first county election took place, when Messrs. Andrewes, Bryers, Hardiman, Yarborough, Hapakuku, Rai Pungare, and Wharerau were elected councillors. Mr. Yarborough was appointed chairman and . Mr. H. W. Bishop, at one time senior magistrate in the Dominion, was appointed clerk and treasurer.

From that time onward progressed but slowly, retarded W the native occupation of the county; but, on the whole, peacefully, subject to pome minor native disturbances, until to-day. Now this great and fertile district, containing 700,000 acres of some of the finest land in the whole Dominion, is entering upon a permanent progress, due in a measure to the settlement of the lands (which is coming about all too slowly), in lieu of a temporary prosperity, on a much smaller scale, derived from the timber industry in the past. May Lead the Dominion. It was said of this wonderful county, right at Auckland city's back door, in 1923: "If the country and stock are well looked to, there is no reason why Hoki-

anga, with its wonderful climate, should not lead the Dominion in mutton, lamb, wool, butter and cheese." The climate is a priceless asset. Clear as South Africa, pure as California, and sunny as the Riviera, it is described by the Government Meteorologist as "almost subtropical, but in summer balmy easterly breezes prevail, and are responsible for delightful conditions." The same encompassing sea and ocean winds that temper the heat of summer mellow tbe cold of winter. Frosts are • seldom and mild. There ie already a yield of pasture all the year round, but with lime and topdressing the increases would be enormous in every direction. Winter pays its wet blustering visits to Hokianga, as elsewhere, but without its Arctic mantle. Opportunity beckons the new settler, and health, adventure and radiant beauty of sea and landscape invite the tourist and traveller. Hokianga county is indeed a land of rich surprise and singular promise.

(To be Continued.)