Museum may restore Onawe pa earthworks

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 14

Museum may restore Onawe pa earthworks

Maori earthworks of a former pa on Onawe Peninsula in Akaroa Harbour may be restored.

Some of the earthworks had been damaged by grazing stock, which had prompted the Canterbury Museum and the Lands and Survey Department to begin excavations, said the museum’s director, Mr Michael Trotter.

“We are going to try to find out more about the pa, including how old it was and where and how high it stood,” he said. “The work, planned to extend over about three years, will begin with a week of excavations on February 8 with the help of volunteers.

“Before undertaking this work we have gained the approval of the local Maori people, mainly in Little River and Akaroa, Provided we learn enough about the former pa and the remaining earthworks some repair work will probably be done by the department to make them more of a reserve feature.”

Postholes, charcoal remains of posts and musket balls were among the features that the excavation team would look for, Mr Trotter said. “From the excavation findings we will draw up a detailed plan of the former pa and remaining earthworks. Hopefully we can find out how old the pa was either by carbon dating or earth build-up.” The excavation work will be of particular interest to the museum’s liaison officer, Mrs Beverley McCulloch, who is researching the notorious raids by the Maori chief, Te Rauparaha, on South Island Maoris early in the last century.

Te Rauparaha, of the Ngati Toa tribe on Kapiti Island, made several sorties to the South Island in the late 1820 s followed by three big raids. Mrs McCulloch said. “Kaikoura fell victim to his first major raid, followed by Akaroa, and his third was on the Kaiapohia pa at Wood,end and Onawe,” she said. Te Rauparaha wanted

to acquire greenstone and. avenge the killing of one of his men at Kaiapohia. “During our excavations of the Kaikoura site we found a musket ball and evidence of a gateway modified to withstand musket fire. There may be similar evidence of defence against Te Rauparaha’s raid uncovered during our excavations on Onawe Peninsula.”