"TE KEREHI."

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 12, 15 January 1934, Page 6

"TE KEREHI."

The late Mr. Lawrence M. Grace, oi Wellington, the oldest surviving white settler of the South Taupo country, was a man who towered over his fellows physically, and his carecr and experience of adventurous pioneer life were as unusual as his commanding figure. The Maoris admire a big man, and Lawrencc Grace, son of the pioneer missionary at Pukawa, filled the native eye admirably, for he stood six inehfcs over six feet, and was powerfully built in proportion, and lie had a natural giflt of leadership. The people of South Taupo looked to him for guidance And advice even more than to their own hereditary chiefs. Moreover, he was a son of the tribe, for his wife, Te Kahui, handsome and stalwart like himself, was a daughter of the paramount chieftain, Te Heuheu Tukino, and sister of the late Te Heuheu, who had occupied a seat in the Legislative Council.

None of the old missionary families of New Zealand identified themselves so closely with their Maori friends as the Graces did. Three of the sons of the Rev. Thomas Samuel Grace married Maori women of rangatira rank; one of tlieni was Mr. John Grace, Lawrence's twin brother, who lived all his .life in South Taupo and died there last year. They saw much of wild life in the heart of the island at a period long before pakelia law prevailed in those parts. When wars were being waged in .the outside districts peace ruled at Taupo—for a time. The "Kerehi" family had been adopted by the people as their own. The great meeting at which the tribes selected Potatau To Wherowhero as Maori King was lield at Pukawa, close to the mission station; and the Rev. Thomas Grace indeed regarded the proceedings with an approving/eye, for in its beginning the King movement was peaceful, and the missionary saw in it a means whereby some system of government could be carried out in native districts, something more adequate at any rate than that of the pakeha Government, which had failed to prevent intertribal wars or to provide anything satisfactory to replace the rule of the chiefs which it had done its best to destroy. Had the Government been guided by the suggestions and experience of such men as the missionary of Taupo, the King Maoris would not have been antagonised.

But war came at last, and with great sorrow the Graces had to bid farewell to Taupo, at the end of 1563, and it was not until peace returned, at the end of the Hauhau campaigns, that the sons went back to the old place at Pukawa, and Lawrence and John embarked 011 sheep farming on the South Taupo Plains.

Lawrence Grace had memories of many notable men in New Zealand's history. As a small boy at Pukawa lie saw Dr. Hochstetter and his party arrive from Auckland by way of Waikato and West Taupo; Hoehstetter was the guest of the Graces while he explored Lake Taupo and its surroundings. In later times he knew such figures as Judge Mailing and Sir George Grey intimately. Naturally, with his upbringing and his long life of association with his adopted tribe and other clans his mind was full of Maori lore. "Te Iverehi" (the Maori version of Grace) was in flact the chief authority in his district oil tribal connections and land titles, and lie came to regard the ancient traditions, genealogies and religion of the Maori with quite the native mind.

The present writer more than once suggested to him that ho should record some of his great .store or knowledge in book form. But he had an objection to publicity in that direction; and, moreover, lie said—just as an old-time tohunga would 'have said —that much of it was tapu and should never be published. However, lie was desirous of seeing that the pioneer history of his olden home should be set on record; and this has been done to some considerable extent in the book on the Tongariro National Park, published by the Park 'Board :of Control, which gives the full story of the manner in which the sa-cred peaks became the property of the Crown, as a gift from Te Ileuheu, and also the narrative of the first surveys of the mountain and early sheep farming enterprise in the upland regions now within the National Park boundaries. Lawrence Grace took a leading hand in assisting the pioneer surveyors in South Taupo; He planted the"first trigometrical station on Ngaurulioe himself, and but for him the surveyors would not have been able to circumvent the Hauliau opposition, then so strong in the heart of the island. —J.C.