TARAWERA DISASTER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 149, 9 June 1936, Page 6

TARAWERA DISASTER

Eruption 50 Years Ago To-day TWO NOTABLE SURVIVORS To-day is the 50th anniversary of the Tarawera eruption on June 9, 1886, when 147 Maoris and six European* lost their lives. The disaster occurred at about midnight, and destroyed the famous pink and white terraces besides laying waste, with ashes and dust, a great stretch of the surrounding country. In one dreadful moment Mount Tarawera, which was believed to be quite extinct, was split asunder by volcanic forces, and a little later Rotomahana was blown up as the result of the creation of an earthquake rift ciglU miles in extent. To-day villages then existing on the shores of Lake Tarawera lie under 40 or 50 feet of volcanic mud and ash, buried for ever. Two notable surviving eye-witnesses of the disaster are Mr Alfred Warhrick, of Auckland, for many years Chief Government Guide in the Tara-wera-Rotomahana-Waimangii area, and Mr Harry Lundius, of Wellington, retired surveyor and Crown Lands ranger. Mr Warbrick has given a splendid description of the disaster in his book “Adventures in Geyserland.” Mount Tarawera still retains some of the thermal activity that brought it so disastrously to life 50 years ago to* night, and the locality, though it is now covered again with luxuriant vegetation, has never been reoccupied by its former tribe, the Tuhourangi. One or two individual members have gone back there, but lo the others it remains tapu.