OLD MAORI TRACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 139, 15 June 1939, Page 16

OLD MAORI TRACK.

JEAN BATTEN PLACE.

LINK WITH EARLY AUCKLAND

"Your local referring to the right-of-way across the contemplated Jean Batten Place," writes Mr. George Graham, "reminds me of the pioneer memories of early Auckland, which linger around this locality. At this spot (then the beach foreshore), the original settlers formed their camps in 1840 and here also was built the Government store, the first boarded building of the infant settlement. An old sketch of the camps, showing the Government store and settlers' tents, may be found reproduced in Brett's "Early History of New Zealand" (page 546), which shows also the old Maori track leading from the beach front, past the camps and inland in the direction along the line of what is now practically High Street. At the rear of the camps the track junctioned with another leading from the Wailiorotiu Creek, where Queen Street now runs, and passing up the slope along what is now Shortland Street.

"It is interesting to know that on this site of Jean Batten Place also camped the last Maori Xgapuhi war party to these parts, under the chief Pomare, in 1826. On the track was fought a battle when Pomare attacked and assaulted a pallisaded Xgati-Paoa fort on the Britoinart headland. On the capture of the fort many of its occupants threw themselves over the cliff front endeavouring to escape from their foes. This was the incident mentioned by Manning New Zealaind," page 182. The pa stood near the site of old St. Paul's Church and where the Churton monument now stands.

"For maaiy years in early Auckland these old Maori tracks were still used ■by the settfers and thus became in time, generally speaking, the recognised line of many of to-day's leading thoroughfares, being adapted as such in Felton Matthew's original survey of 1840. For some reason, however, he ignored this particular track past the Government store —and in course of time the old post office and adjoining buildings covered the whole area. "Therefore, if that ancient right-of-way is again available for public use it will be reviving once more that ancient track —already ancient long before Pomare no doubt passed along it in 1826."