ISOLATED IRORAKI LOST WHALERS AND CREW

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 14

ISOLATED IRORAKI LOST WHALERS AND CREW

Ten years before the First Four Ships arrived at. Lyttelton. Iroraki Bay, nn the southwest coast of Banks Peninsula, xs as already busy as a whaling station. \\ . J. HARRIS describes how this beach had its share of early wrecks, one of which still has some of its skeleton poking out of the sand. The view across the beach, ahoxc, shows tlie stone -Vflvexard enclosure believed to have been built in the 184415.

The British flag was raised in 1840 at Ikoraki and at the neighbouring whaling stations, Peraki and Oarshore, on the south-west of Banks Peninsula.

That year Joseph Price had started whaling with equipment bought from George Hempieman, of Peraki.

James Robinson Clough was headsman for Price who on most seasons, employed about 30 men, including Jimmy Walker and Thomas White. Clough, who had an orchard and garden near the gum trees planted by Price, sold

vegetables to the whaling stations.

Two brigs, the Transfer of 173 tons and the Speculator of 97 tons, were blown ashore in August, 1841, and wrecked. Two seamen from the Speculator were drowned with six men from the shore partyattempting to rescue them. The Jewess, another brig of 204 tons, was blown ashore the next month without loss of life and the cargo was saved. Survivors from the three vessels were taken to Port Nicholson (Wellington) in Bishop Pompailier’s brigatine Santa Maria and the schooner. Looker-in.

Later the barque Magnet returned to Port Nicholson with a cargo of while oil and rigging from the Speculator. The sloop Royal William reported two months after the survivors’ return that there was no hope of re-floating the Jewess.

On the hillside behind Price's house an unknown number of unidentified graves were enclosed by a stone wall. In 1844 the Magnet was wrecked on the rocky point between Ikoraki and Magnet Bay, one seaman , being drowned. Salvaged materials were used to build a

large storeshed beside Price’s house.

An unidentified wreck, having a keel of 90 feet, from which Australian hardwood timber has been sawn, is anchored by a long chain to rocks on the bay’s western side. There has been considerable shoreline erosion and the remains are visible only after movement of sand by southerlystorms.

Hugh Buchanan purchased the whaling station section in 1852 to provide an easier outlet for shipping wool from his Kinlock property. The family moved from

Okuti Valley to the enlarged Ikoraki house and a woolshed was built on the flat below the graveyard. Whaling facilities were leased and operated by Maoris to a limited extent till 1877. Here, earlier, had been the prosperous Maori settlement of Ka-te-raki. Several Buchanan children were born here.

A shepherd named Macdonald, who was Mrs Mary Buchanan’s brother, next occupied the Ikoraki house with his wife.

During the 1890 s" Alex Lazarette, an Italian, with a Greek companion, lived in the whalers’ huts and netted fish, the catch

being taken by' packhorses, via Oarshore Bay, to the Birdlings Flat railway station and loaded on the morning train to Christchurch. When 13,000 acres of the Kin lock estate was subdivided by the Government in 1906, George Waugh, an Australian, obtained the Ikoraki block including buildings erected by Price and Buchanan. Waugh, as head shepherd. had been an employee of G. H. Moore at Glehmark.

He was in Christchurch in 1906 when he heard of a large fire at Ikoraki. He immediately set out for the bay on foot.

This fire, on the coastal headlands east of Lake Forsyth, destroyed all the Ikoraki buildings, including the whalers’ huts in which Waugh had been living. Magnet Bay, on the eastern boundary, with a better stream and closer road access, had been chosen as the homestead site. Here a woolshed and yards had already been erected. Although fire travelled under the new building, the hardwood construction saved it from destruction.

Before roads were put in settlers depended on shipping for bulk supplies

and movement of wool. Stock troubles were frequent through shortage of fencing materials. These were shipped from Lyttelton to Akaroa, where there were delays awaiting vessels for the south-west bays. Timber and bricks for the Magnet Bay house were unloaded on the Ikoraki beach and caught by an incoming tide. The timber was salvaged but the bricks abandoned.

Bullock waggons from Little River brought other materials to complete the building. George Waugh died while visiting Australia in 1911. “Joe” Cant, also a

bachelor, then took over the property. Basil Henning of Akaroa removed the Ikoraki whaling try pots by launch in 1913. A large pot was presented by A. E. G. Rhodes to Rangi Ruru school and the two smaller pots placed in the Akaroa playground. In 1915 James W. Wright, of Pyne and Co., bought Ikoraki, on which his son A. J. was employed. The latter went overseas in World War I. While in Egypt he bought the neighbouring property at Magnet Bay, where he is farming today with his son. Alexander Anson Hut-

chinsctn, a grandson of Hugh Buchanan bought Ikoraki in 1924. Transport was then by buggy and pair which took three hours over the Mt Bossu Road to reach Little River railway station. Education was bv Correspondence School, fhe New Zealand system being initiated in 1921 bv William P. Byar, who lived in nearby Robin Herod Ba . Electricity did not reach the area till 1956. Ikoraki is now the >niy part of the original 15,000acre Kinlock holding remaining in ownership of Hugh Buchanan's descendants.