The ‘Mackie’ Who Bought The Coast

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31262, 7 January 1967, Page 5

The ‘Mackie ’ Who Bought The Coast

(Specially written for “The Press" by P. J. TAYLOR.) T’HE main business thoroughfare of Greymouth is, as all West Coasters know, Mackay street. But how is it, or should it be, pronounced. Greymouth people refer to it as "Mackie,” visitors as “McKay.” The confusion could therefore be understood when a young Wellington hitch-hiker asked: “Could you tell me the name of this street?” "Mackay,” she was told, with the pronunciation “Mackie.” “Oh, I must have taken a wrong turning somewhere. Could you please direct me to McKay street?” The matter was soon resolved, but lingering doubts grew after her departure. Perhaps the locals were wrong? Mackay street was named after the pioneer James Mackay, who purchased the whole of the West Coast from the Maoris in 1860 for 300 sovereigns on behalf of the Government. Mackay was assistant Native Secretary at the time, but noone today knows how he pronounced his name. The West Coast public reta-

tions officer (Mr P. B. Nailer), though Coast-born, admitted that on his return two months ago he had accidentally slipped into saying “McKay,” but had been readily corrected. Before Scotsmen become embroiled in the argument, a West Coast historian, and a member of the regional centre of the National Historic Places Trust, Mr O. H. Jackson, came to the rescue. Definite Armour Asked for his opinion, he said bluntly that the pronunciation was “Mackie.” Some years ago, he had been confronted with the same problem, and had consulted Mrs A. Pring, then a nonagenarian. Mrs Pring had worked in her young days in the home of James Mackay. She had told him, said Mr Jackson, that the Mackays had referred to themselves as “Mackie.” "Mrs Pring assured me that it was always Mackie, and that any reference to McKay would make Mackay turn in his grave,” he said. That undoubtedly solves the question. Mackay came with his parents to New Zealand at the age of 13, in the Slains Castle, arriving at Nelson in January, 1845.

As a young man, he began farming at Whakapuaka, with his father, but they encountered difficulties with the Ngati-Tama Maoris, who disputed the sale of their land. Undaunted, Mackay started a run of his own at Cape Farewell in 1852, and he also purchased 1500 acres of freehold land fronting Golden Bay. In a series of important explorations—the first was in 1856 to the headwaters of the Aorere and Takaka rivers—he learned to speak fluent Maori.

Early in 1857, with some Maori companions, he walked from Cape Farewell to the Mawhera (Grey) river, which they followed for 50 miles with Chief Tarapuhi. In the meantime, the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner, Donald McLean, had been urged to settle the vexed question of resident land titles on the West Coast. Earlier efforts had failed when certain sections of Maoris had sold land to which they were not fully entitled, and had not shared money received with other owners. McLean decided that Mackay was the man to do the job. He told him to settle both the West Coast claim and another outstanding one as well—the Kaikoura district. —Mackay set out with £3oo—-

intended as £l5O for each claim —but in reaching agreement on the Kaikoura purchase in February, 1859, was forced to pay over the whole £3OO.

Mackay then set out for the West Coast With his cousin, Alexander, he travelled over the Hurunui Saddle, along with the pioneer surveyor, John Rochfort, whom they had met at Taylor’s sheep station. Negotiations were difficult. The Maoris were reluctant to part with the country from which they derived their valuable greenstone. They would have accepted £2OO, they told Mackay, but they wanted the whole area between the Hokitika and Grey rivers excluded. Fresh Orders

Back went Mackay to Nelson. He tried to reach Nelson by way of the Inangahua Saddle. He was forced to return to Greymouth from where he walked to Buller, and embarked on the cutter Supply to Nelson. In Nelson he was given fresh instructions, and with 400 gold sovereigns he left once more for the West Coast. He reached Mawhera pa, sited near Greymouth’s present railway station, seven weeks later. The party from Nelson included Mackay, his cousin,

Alexander, Frank Flowers and three Maoris. Sir Julius von Haast accompanied them to Tiraumea, where he waited for provisions. As food was scarce, Alexander Mackay and Flowers returned to Nelson. James Mackay and the Maoris pushed on. The Maoris soon lost heart, and being, to them, in foreign country, wanted to turn back. Mackay, suffering from a poisoned knee which he had to lance for relief, urged them to continue. At Mawhera pa, he found Samuel Meggitt Mackley, from Nelson, who was seeking land in the area for farming. Mackley became the West Coast’s first farmer, and the property he established, now known as Waipuna Station, celebrated its centennial late last year. Mackley, who had studied medicine, treated Mackay’s knee. Food was short at the pa, and the white men were almost starving when, on March 5, 1860, the schooner Gipsy arrived with supplies. Two weeks later, von Haast and James Burnett arrived in a poor state. After recuperating from the journey, Mackay opened negotiations with Chief Tarapuhi, and it was agreed that the tribes should meet at O’ Tito. Mackay, Mackley, and . urnett set off for the meeting with ijt’arapuhi. The whole

tribe went, too, travelling on foot along the coastline as far as possible. Maoris at Taramakau, Arahura, and Hokitika joined the trekkers, and, on arrival, a feast was held, which lasted, according to history, for several days. Then, down to business. Mackay addressed the assembly, and, although he had 400 sovereigns with him, he was a canny Scot and a good public servant He offered, for a start, £3OO. The Maoris accepted. Back at Mawhera pa, a deed of sale, in Maori and English, Deed Signed was drawn up, and signed by both parties, “under the shining sun of this day, May 21, 1860.” Westland dates its history from this historic event. On the return to Nelson, Mackay’s canoe was upset while crossing the Grey river. Desperately, he elung on to his dispatch case, containing the deed of sale, and the additional £IOO, as he swam for shore. For his pains, he later received a hostile letter from a Government official, complaining about the dirty, water-stained condition of the document. That is the story of James Mackay pronounced “Mackie,”, , '