Neglect of Historical Sites

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 298, 13 September 1937, Page 10

Neglect of Historical Sites

Sir, —The report in your Saturday's issue of a pilgrimage of Auckland’s citizens to the graveside of New Zealand s first Governor, Captain William Hobson, on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of his death, prompts me to suggest that the people of this country could show a greater interest in such historical anniversaries and sites. Even if, as Dr. Beaglehole _ writes, “not enough men have died in this land,” some of these men have been worth remembering. Yet the only comparable annual celebrations of significance I can recall are those held at tlie Cook Memorial, Gisborne, and by the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Otago Early Settlers’ 'Associations. In this city I know of no memorial to the founder of New Zealand colonisation, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and no annual pilgrimage to his obscure grave (and even more neglected house iu Murphy Street). In any other country such would be well marked and preserved, and the object of national interest. I admit that good work in marking, reserving, and to some extent preserving certain historical sites, more particularly of famous fighting pas, and engagements in the Maori Wars, has been carried out iu the past by some few automobile associations, historical associations, and kindred citizen bodies. But many others are unmarked, uncared for, and with the passage of time will become unrecognisable; such are, for example, Ruapekapeka 'i’a, the scene of the last decisive engagement of the “War in the North” (1846). and Ngatapa Pa, where Te Kooti received bis most serious reverse in 1869 both so located as to be well ’worth visiting for their scenery alone, yet known only to a few. Other historical buildings are under private ownership, such as the oldest stone building in the country, at Kerikeri, iu whose upper rooms the “kewpies’ and chinaware of a country store hardly harmonise with the shades of Bishop Selwyn. Others again suffer from vandalism, such as the Orakau monument. I suggest the time has come in New Zealand for the establishment of a national trust on the lines of that of Great Britain, for the organisation, renovation (which is urgently required), marking and preservation for the benefit of the people, of sites’, buildings, and relics, of historical significance, such to be financed by the State as well as by voluntary donation. Although at present the recently constituted National Historical Committee and its sub-committees' seem chiefly concerned with verifying written historical material, they should be well fitted to at least inaugurate such a scheme as suggested.—l a^ g^’ OMO Wellington September 11-