AN HISTORIC CHURCH BURNT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 14

AN HISTORIC CHURCH BURNT.

.;.,-'./-;' ]. at whakato. : -'-. .'■ -By .'the fire (previously announced) that destroyed tto: historic Native Church of Whakato on Friday an irreparable .loss has been sustained to. Native, art as well as; an historic landmark.'.of tho Dominion. ' ; The- art that-, was. so beautifully portrayed on the huge .slabs of totara that graced • the', walls of ■ the - sacred edifice lias, to a/large "extent,' been lost to the Maori people,- and we (saya the Poverty Bay "Herald") fear that so-fine' an example of Native craftsmanship 'will never be replaced.- -Many connoisseurs or Maori''art have 'visited-'tho' Maori Church at Whakato and admired' : the' wonderful epirals'.' 'and'' unique - designs that had- been so. skilfully and 'accurately' and- with infinite patience, carved with rude .implements, into the massive, timbers .' ■■; .'..•'..-' '

-Built about the year-1840, the original church stood for, many years; as. a. centra of civilising influence' and missionary enterprise in this district. It was the home for. some time of Bishop Williams, the first Bishop 'of Waiapu,; grandfather: of Archdeacon Williams, and the bell that has ..called many, generations; of Natives to. worship ; was-.presented by the bishop to the, church. ... . '■'

-In the: early, years:.- of,, the .church's . history the . district surrounding.. Wha•kato was-closely;settled,: and 'its rich lands, produced immense crops of grain and; grass seed, that were exported from the; district, by trading schooners, which entered the Big River''to-receive,'their freights. 'The-bush at. Pipiwhakao,.between Te Arai and town, from which the timbers,', tha"t : ;formed .part . of. 'the : iold building. .were", probably drawn,, was "a ; 'magnincent.'lforest,' stretohirig. away across the, Waipaoa.River.. and:':through ;Makauri. '.The river -was .'at that time used largely'for'the transport of goods'to 'the' inland ; , .district, and was probably the chief. means of communication between Whakato and. the, mission • station.' subsequently established at Waerenga-a-hika, around. which; in- November,' 1865, was' fought'one of the : most nbtable'engagements of the -Maori disturbances oh 'the East Coast. The' Whakato- Church, like that at 'Matawhero, was. spared: fromvthe; subsequent.:depredations,; of ,Te .Kodti's' J> a .ng', • and. the ; carved : .'timbers . sow- de-"' str'oyed" formed- one- of the:, few'historio relics of'pre-Massacre.days that were leftto the district. Apart; from its historicalassociation, the building, on account, of its. priceless.carvings, -was; 'perhaps'.';the most attractive . show -. placei'."'. the. 1 .possessed,..and '-being withiriv easy>'drive' from town,' thousands -of -visitors'--have" been '-taken-'thither.'-, to admire -what-' was undoubtedly one of the-most picturesque of New .Zealand, ohurches. -.-'.■■'.•