AN HISTORIC BUILDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14327, 24 March 1910, Page 6

AN HISTORIC BUILDING.

-The quaint old Maori Church at Otaki, which has just been restored, lias weathered the West Coast storms almost since the introduction of Christianity among the natives of that district. It was in 1846 that the project of building it was mooted. Christian work amopg the West Coast natives was then under the control of the revered Bishop Hadfield, a man of undoubted resource as an instructor of the natives in those wild early days, and one who' earned respect even from thoye who were not "mihanere," by daring to speak plainly to To Rauparaha, then holding sway on. the coast. His good influence prevented more than one combat between the warring tribes. Te Rauparaha. himself, .. converted to Christianity when his ambitious schemes had been completed, was one of the chief promoters of the Maori church. The architects were Bishop Hadfield and Archdeacon Williams, the latter being also clerk of works, contractor, and director of operations. There was no dearth of labour,' provided by Maoris lately turned "mihanere" from cannibalistic ways. In 1847 the three giant totaras which form the main supports of the roof were cut on the banks of the Ohau. They were floated down 'stream to the sea, and thon up the Otaki River. The last stage of the 12-mile journey was by skids over the ground, the huge logs being pulled by 50 natives to the church site. • It was no mean engineering feat to raise the ridgepole, 87ft long, composed of a single "stick" of totara. < The heavy beam was laboriously pushed, step by step, up a series of , sloping planks, and finally put exactly into place, so accurately were the calculations made beforehand. After 50 years' service the well-built structure began to show signs of decay "between wind and water," and the roof took a concave shape. Heavy repairs were necessary. and these have been carried out without ' spoiling the original features of the building. About £600 has been expended, the money being voluntarily subscribed by Maoris and Europeans.