EARLY OTAKOU

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27161, 17 August 1949, Page 2

EARLY OTAKOU

MEMORIAL TABLET UNVEILED THE HARWOODS HONOURED A memorial tablet in memory of Mr and Mrs O. Harwood, who were among the earliest residents of Otakou Heads, was unveiled at a service in the Otakou Memorial Church on Sunday. The service was conducted by. the Rev. T. A. Pybus and Miss L. Harwood, a granddaughter of the pioneers, unveiled the tablet. Octavious Harwood was born at Stepney Green, London, on May 22, 1816, and sailed from England on board the City of Edinburgh for Port Jackson when he was 21. He arrived at Otakou in May, 1837, but stayed only a short time before returning to Sydney. He was later engaged by Weller Brothers, who owned a whaling station at Otakou Heads, as secretary and shore manager of the firm. He arrived to take up this position in April, 1838. The engagement of Mr Harwood was of importance to Otakou in many respects, for he was a man of education and was called upon to draw up agreements for Europeans and Maoris. He also acted as witness for marriages, and although not a medical practitioner, he had an elementary knowledge of medicine with which he was able to give much relief to people in the district. Before the arrival of the Rev. J. Watkin in 1840, he conducted burial services, and when the missionary could not cross from Waikouaiti because of bad weather. Mr Harwood officiated. He also conducted burial services on the hill-cone, Te-Atua-o-tiahu. In these and many other ways Mr Harwood served his day and generation. The Harwood papers reveal that Mr Watkin conducted his first religious services in Weller's store, a few yards from the present Memorial Church. That store was later owned by Mr Harwood, and served as a place of worship until a native church was erected at Ruatitiko, near Harrington Point. In 1841 Mr Harwood took over Weller Brothers’ store and business, including their vessel Lucy Ann. He joined in partnership with C. W. Schultze, Weller's brother-in-law, in trading ventures at Otakou Heads, under the name of Harwood and Co. Mr Schultze was the Wellington partner.

In 1848 Octavious Harwood was married to Miss Janet Robertson, a passenger on the Philip Laing, and they had three daughters and seven sons. In the seventies they moved to Lower Portobello and bought a small farm. Mr Harwood. retired in 1883. Mrs Harwood died oft May 27, 1896, when 67, and her husband died on May 24, 1900, at the age of 84. Mr Pybus concluded his remarks by saying that Mr and Mrs Harwood’s daughters, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Dick, were present at the Ruatitiko Church when the Chief Taiaroa was baptised by the Rev. G. Stannard, and on the same day in the same building, the chief was married to Karorina, daughter of the great chief Ngata.