PORIRUA COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 6

PORIRUA COLLEGE.

•• FIRST PORTION COMPLETED. TO RAUPARAHA'S GIFT. The first portion of the Native College and Hostel at Otakr in Connection with the Anglican Church has now been completed by Mr. Jas. Craig, at a total cost of £5500, under the direction of Mr. E,, W. G. Coleridge, F.N.Z.1.A., who -is architect for the buildings. When the wholo design has been earned out the college will,.of course, bo a much larger and more striking building than that shown-in the photograph. Accommodation is provided for about -100. students, and it contains an assembly 'hall 45 x ,30, two. large class-rooms, etc. , The photograph also shows , the boardwghousc m connection with the college, m which* accommodation is provided for 20 boarders, and the necessary

-'t ;.r' : -''- THE NEW NATIVE COLLEGE AND HOSTEL AT OTAKI.v ~ The top* photograph.'gives a view of the first portion of the new Maori College at Otaki,'to be opened nest month The completed college , will be a much:larger/building.. *>. ~t v; f) ,. The lower photograph shows the boardinghouse/ m -connection ..with. the college, whish 'provides .accommodation for the staff and 20 boarders. .

Isfeff.'iifVth'e' ''.This buMng: haa ■been; desigaed Jn such a ,way. ;that ac.commodatioh:. caJi ' be disturbing '.the .inmates .in''any.;way.,;,vThe . building Iwas tt'o :W' origirlally., erected on. a i.nne,: com,-; ■manding: si't6'- at: the back of-:-the , cemetery, i,but ; .while -Excavating fortKeV- foundations, skelefens' of L human-. bodies:', were nv^ complete skeletons' .being un£arthed v ywmg to the feeling: of' Maoris m connection with burial "'grounds', ' it: decided' to abandon the . hill site,' .'and Hhe: .building-.has.;np,w : been' erected .on the, flat'close' to old eollege^building^stood;',' '.Maoris state,;that.-they were . totally, •unaware,. that : had . ever, been-.-used ( as a burial place It has never been used since tho days of Te Rauparaha, ;and evidently 'musi'have-'lxidit'iii- use; before '.Tejßauparalia conquered? .portion- ponunion., It is expected that : work will ; bo'commenced i at ' th^-'collete''niid , er ip.rincipal.i'the: Rev.J. A. M'Nickle, MA, on October I,'and 'arrangements: 'are- 'beitig -made.._for : . a;,,forinal •opening ceremony at an early, date. ■- : yThe college ; endowments ot./certain Otakf akl:the:Ponrp^ latter', has a . .tery» : interesting history, it consists : of 500 .acres ! of.; rough ■ undulating groundv .situated' at '.Witireiar which is tho north extremity of a slip of land forming the west arm. of ,Porn ua Hrirbour. Here stood, -in 1848, the principal,, pah 'W the Ngatitoa .tribe, which at,that*.timo numbered nearly 1000 persons,'most-of-whom ,were set-; tied in .this district..' 1 Two ■ young, chiefs ;of the tri^, ; .Mat'ene' -To Te , R'a'\ipaTaha,. ; ''had'Vstudied.:at -St. : John s .05llegeJ'vAucklatt'd,,.whcre.';'in''aOTordance with the : oharter. English;" and)Maoris..,wfere ■ educated togetfier; : Desiring that-. a. simjlar inistitutioh. .-' should : be 1 , established' I near, • their own"home, which should'rsefve as .a centre of education for■ the: southern, part '.of;:the island, they and 1 other" .chiefs -made a proiposal 'tp. BishopVSelwyn: i ,.They.;offe_red, and :hb accepted,'a piece of'land'as a site for_a, "'College- for '.the Eriglish;.>nd, .to. bo brought /up,.together-' in '.the new principles'.of obedience to'the Queen, and faith in' our ■ Lord' .fcsus ? Christ. ' .In1848, : .they; wrote:.as.:follows to;.the;Goyernor. of.-New Zealand:—, V. 'v ' ' • : "Otaki,; August. 16, 1848.. ' "Friend;. Governor Groy,.. ■, - "Greetmg. : ' 'It is a perfect consenting on our' part that Witireia shall b6 given.; up ■to the' bishop' for a college.: We ■' give'.it' hp,' not merely as i^place-for,'the. bishop for the time being, : but in continuation; . for - those bishops who shall follow and Wlup his jplace,to tho'end that religion or faith in; Christ may grow, - and J that it ■ be,. fts.. it' were, a/ shelter uncertain storms—that is, ■ against.'the. evils, of this: world. ; This ' is: the 'full'and final 'giving.up' of that place as a college for the'bishops 1 'of; the Church of.Englarid." '.' ■ -•

(Signed by Te Banparaha, .Tamihana To llauparaha; Matone Te Whiwi, and five • others.) -

1- :Vrittißn i-j-t'-''-': ;V;..-: .:"■.'..'■";."■':. '..'■.■>;?' ■' ''■;"■.■'-'• r 'i i 'V'Ackiic-wledge'- this, and .say,; thai' I-shall h have'mucn/plea'sufe.'nrsanctioning',this;givir' ing up a portion of/.their/'reserves at Porirua P -foW.the'. benevolent; and;; useful purpose, of. y 1 founding a •college,' '■;.-'com--6 rflunicate^their'otfer. ; to: the librd■•Bishop.;, 'h •:, : ,'fSuoh laudable and' generpjis?oonduoi...will. V Wmade/known 'in England.; and'cannot fail - of-' insuring the" commendation of .all; good d - menj and -the Queen-will /rejoice"-, in : . seeing :e . her'ilabri. subjects'.'setting/so good"an'exfl •ample to the Europeans.'/.'-^":-V>;.';-;■-•'-.■ >■■ " "When" they, wish,; I will ■:.send,-.,out :.a. sur- '/' veyor-that'" they may indicate the;,quanjrity ?•' and boundaries -of,the'/land "they" wish to, if .transfer'to'.th'e'.bishop,",that:. a- plan" may be r > made, -.aridVthe' : arrangement' completed. ■ • £' . .'>i;";':::-S:r^--r^;r.: <, E.iEYEE;.:. " : "Octeber 7. :: •■• ? .Lieut.-Gpvernor.", .- 10 \- ~i .i.e.-.-..•.-■■■ ?'('.' - ;;/ ■,". .--v • ■ to'' Two years 1 later'a [grant',,from, the Crown. is was issued to: the' Lord Bishop l of/New. Zea- .,'. land.:; It/Tecited.:pV, ;•,*;:,;: v : V;;,?-: ,'■/ .■'■;'< ''•Whereas a school is /about j to?be estab- "-'■"' lish'ed' at Porirua 'under ; the/ superintendence of - the Right Reverend • George /-Augustus, Lord Bishop' of Zealand,; ipr/-the; education: of phiidren- of: oiir 'subjects'of /all, races, and of children; of' other'/popr/Zand.destitute persons,'being- inhabitants, of..islands in the Pacific Ocean.. -And whereas iit would promote'the bbjects/'of; the, said'institution to sot apart a certain' piece: or/parcel of land in'the';, neighbourhood'/thereof, 'for use aud towards the. maintenance.'and, .support of the. same,; which; piece or/ parcel of land has by 'a Deed from the/Natives, been.'ceded, for;..the/'support, of the samp and expressed ,the Trust as .follows;'■—.-•-:' .' ■■." ;'To hold ,untb : the said. George.Augustus, Lord Bishop of New Zealand/; and'his 'sup-' cessors,"; in trust -nevertheless .'.to/ arid for the .use and' towards the maintenance of the said school, so long' as religious education, industrial/ training, and instruction in ;the English language/snail be.given.tp.the youth' educated therein or maintained thereat.". In the course of time,' it was ; found impracticable,- for. various reasons, /to/ build the college/at. Poriruaj:,arid authority, was,given by: Act ;of Parliament, about .two years ago to combine the Porirua.'endowment'With: the old' Church . Missionary Society's ./"land ; at Otalti, and to bcato the Luatitutiou at the >/