A FAMOUS SPOT NEGLECTED

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22662, 17 March 1939, Page 10

A FAMOUS SPOT NEGLECTED

Sovereignty Over South Island CONDITION OF AKAROA MEMORIAL The spot at Akaroa on which effective sovereignty of the South Island was first established has been allowed to fall into an unkempt state. The memorial erected 41 years ago to mark the historic raising of the British flag is weather-worn and parts of the concrete base are disintegrating, while no effort has been made to keep the fenced-in plot in order. The neglected condition of the memorial, marking a famous piece of land in the history of not only New Zealand but of the British Empire, surprised the Hon. W. E. Parry (Minister for Internal Affairs) when on Tuesday he visited Akaroa to discuss arrangements for the Centennial celebrations with the Akaroa committee. Through the efforts of Mr W. H. Montgomery, of Little River, who was at that time member for the district, a sum of £SO was given by the Government as its contribution in 1898 toward the erection of the monument, designed for the jubilee of Queen Victoria. It was built on the headland known as Green Point, where on August 11, 1840, Captain Stanley, R.N., from H.M.S. Brit9mart, forestalled the arrival of, a French ship with settlers, hoisted the British flag and asserted British sovereignty by the holding of a court. Some years ago 12 perches of land on the point were purchased for £SO. The famous spot is Crown land; but is not vested in a local trust, which could be held responsible for keeping the monument and the land in order worthy of their historic importance. A stumbling block to the Akaroa Borough Council accepting the trust has been its attitude over a period of years that the vesting must be accompanied by an annual payment of £lO. So the monument has been uncared for until now it is in a bad condition. The track leading from the foreshore to Green Point is rough, the fence has long lost its paint and the railing carries many names, carved and written. Some of the lettering on the monument is difficult to read, parts of the stone have opened up, and sections of the concrete base are' crumbling. Marks on the harbour side of the obelisk suggest that it has been used as a target by shooters. While some of the disrepair of the monument may be attributed to the ravages of the years, no excuse can be advanced for the neglected condition of the plot. The grass is unmown and thistles were growing—on Tuesday they were pulled out by their roots by an indignant official of the Internal Affairs Department. “I think you will agree that the memorial should be looked after,” said Mr Parry at a subsequent conference with the Borough Council. The necessary steps would be taken to vest the area in the Borough Council. He would have liked to have seen, the memorial

and the grounds kept in order similar to that of the soldiers’ memorial in the borough. However, they would see what could be done in the future, and he also reminded the people of the district that it was in their interests that the historic site should be well cared for.