HISTORIC TREE FALLS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 104, 13 April 1933, Page 6

HISTORIC TREE FALLS

NEARLY 300 YEARS OLD. MAORI WARFARE RECALLED. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 11. An ancient and historic titoki tree at Okoke Pa, in tho Urenni-Waitoitoi district, has yielded to tho ravages of time and fallen. The tree was estimated to be nearly '3OO years old, and with its destruction passes one of Taranaki’s most historic links with the migration of To Rauparaha and his Ngati-Toa tribe from Kawhia to tho Horo.whenua district. Mr W. H. Skinner, the well-known historian of early Taranaki, said that in the twenties of last century confederated tribes of the Waikato, under To Whero Whero, who was later Potatau. the first Maori king, made a great raid from the Waikato into Taranaki to relievo a number of their tribesmen besieged in Pukerangiora Pa. Their way lay through the district being cultivated bv To Rauparaha’s tribe in preparation for the continuance of his march southward. In tho face of a common foe the tribes of North Taranaki decided to band themselves together under To Rauparaha,. A plan of campaign was drawn up and after a battle on a plain near Okoke Pa, the oncoming war party was conipletelv repulsed. The bodies of the slain raiders were brought to Okoke Pa. While ovens were being heated and preparations were being made for a feast to celethe victory, the bodies of the Waikato natives were hung on the branches of the same titoki tree which has just fallen. At the time of the battle the tree must have been full-grown, placing its age at 200 years in 1820.