PLACE NAMES OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND

Southland Times, Issue 17424, 16 August 1913, Page 9

PLACE NAMES OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND

EARLY HISTORY OF OTAGO AND OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION. By W. H. SHERWOOD ROBERTS. (Written Specially for the Southland Times.) I All Rights Reserved.) IX. A LARGE WHALING STATION. In IS4O the European population at and near Port Otakou was about -oO The Maori kalka inside the heads on the> eas shore of the harbour was n f; med (the place of red ochre), the ochre . obtained from a yellowish red ear^th b> burning, and used as paint. la December. 1817. co n « un «f huntoed very fine houses, neatly finished. The name of the chief was Karaka (which is also the name of the tree CorynocarpusOIn revenge for the murder of his tnree boatmen and damage to his vessel, the Sophia, Captain James Kelly burnt every house in the kaika. and cut up all their canoes. 40 in number, and took them on board for firewood. The first whaling ■ration was alongside the kalka. and the •whalers employed the Maoris in their boats, paving them with tobacco and oil, or clothes. The station was started m 1833 by G. and E. Weller, a firm of bydnev merchants, with four boats, afteiwards increased to eight, and in 1805 to 12. “This whaling station was for a ■hort time the most successful and important of any on the coast. In 18J the whales caught yielded 310 tuns of oil (a tun is 252 gallons), besides 'whalebone. and for several years there were from 75 to 80 Europeans constantly employed in addition to the Maoris, who were excellent boatmen. In 1840 the ol obtained having fallen to U tons, t llsherv was abandoned early in lot . In 1543 the numerous buildings had fallen to decay."— (Shortland, Southern Dis trlcts. p. 11). One of the Wellers said to have been Thomas, died at and his body was put into a cask of rum, and sent to Maidstone. Kent, England, to k *Early tell of a whaling Nation at Hobartown Beach, then k nown as Measly Beach, so named because a num ter of Maoris died there of A cliff near by was known as Tarewai s Leap, because a brave chief named Taretral who lived at Taiaroa Head, when ho Was being chased by two of ,his enemies, ■rang up the cliff, where his less active toes could not follow him. Tarewai s leap was destroyed by the quarry where the ■tone was taken from to build the defence works on Taiaroa Head. In 1817 the Otakou Harbour was known as Port Daniel, and in 1833 the whalers’ township was called Musselburgh . A BIG LAND TRANSFER.

The Rev. Charles Creed, stationed at ■Waihouaitl. mentioned having held service at a Maori kaika named Ta-whi-roko <r«t>babiy meaning "Food for the deity Kongo”), north-east of Kaputai. now Port Chalmers, bat he does not give the distance or exact locality, probably in Tayler's Bay. The northern point of Deborah Bay was Otahate. This bay ■was named after the brigantine Deborah, ■which brought Mr Frederick Tuckett to Port Otakou in 1844. Port Chalmers, named after the Presbyterian divine, was the Maori Kopu-tai (’high, or full tide.’’) Mr Wakefleld misspelt it Hoputai, which would mean "to catch the tide.") Wakefield stated that “It was midway between the entrance to the harbour and its head, a small bay near the islands.” It was there that Colonel W. Wakefield, assisted by Mr George Clarke. Sub-pro-tector of Aborigines, on July 31st. 1844, paid the assembled Maoris in cash for the 400.000 acres of land purchased fbr the Otago Settlement. The money paid was £2400. according to an agreement made by John Jermyn Symonds, Frederick Tuckett, and George Clarke, junr.. with the Maori chiefs Tu-hawa-lki, Karetal, Taiaroa, and others, signed June 20th, 1844. for themselves and the other 22 chiefs of the Ngai-tahu Iwi. The deed of sale was signed by 25 chiefs of the 2Cgal Pahu tribe. The following is the translation of the deed:—"Know all men bv this document, we. the chiefs and men of the Ngai Tahu tribe in New Zealand, whose names are undersigned, consent on this thirty-first day of July In the year of our Lord 1844. to give up, sell, and abandon altogether, to William Wakefield, principal agent of the New Zealand Company of Condon, on behalf of the said Company, all our claims and title to the lands comprised within the undermentioned boundaries. The names of the said lands are Otakou. Kaikarae. Taieri, Mataau. and Te Karoro. These are the boundaries: The northern boundary line commences at Pu-rehu-rehu, runs along the sea shore, crossing the entrance to Otakou Harbour to Otupa. thence along the coast to Poatiri; the eastern boundary is the ocean from Poatiri to Tokata iNuggets Point): thence the southern boundary runs along the summit of Tau-kohu to Pohuaroa: it then runs along the summit of the Kaihiku range and across the Mataau (Molyneuxt River; thence along the summit of the Maunga Aiua range to Wakari; along the summit of Wakari to Mihiwaka and Otu-wararoa. and thence descends to Pu-rehurehu on the coast. We also give up all the islands. Kamautaorua, Kakiriri. Okaiha. Moturata, Paparoa, Maioketoke. Hakinikini. and Aonul. excepting the following places which we have reserved for ourselves and our children, that is to say, a certain portion of land on the eastern side of Otakou. called Ornate, the boundary line commences at Moepuku, crosses over to Poatiri, thence along the coast to Waiwakaheke. then crosses to Pukekura, and runs along the side of the harbour to Moepuku. Also a certain portion of land of Pukekura, the boundaries of which are marked by posts, containing one acre, more or less. Also a portion of land at Taieri. the boundary of which commences at Onumia (a kaika at the Taieri mouth in olden times sometimes spelt I'numia), and runs across in a straight line to Maitapapa; the Taieri River forms the other boundary. Also a portion of land at Kararo; *n the south bounded by the Kararo River, on the east by the ocean; the ►northern boundary includes the kainga of that place, and.extends inland about one • mile: which said reserved places we ►agree neither to sell nor let to any party rwhatsoever. without the sanction of his Excellency the Governor of New Zealand. We have received as payment for the above mentioned lands the sum of two thousand four hundred pounds in money on this day.” Then follow the signatures of John Tuhav.'aiki. Karilai. Taiaroa, and 22 other chiefs. It was also signed on behalf of the Company by John Jermyn Symonds. P.M., Frederick Tuckett, George Clarke, and David Scott, who was a resident at Otakou.

The death is recorded at Hobart of the Rev. George Clarke in his ninetieth year. He was (says the Argus) born at Parramatta, his father being one of the earliest missionaries to New Zealand. He was brought up at his father’s mission station at the Bay of Islands, and In IS4I entered the Native Department of the just-created New Zealand civil service. He came into prominence as an Interpreter for Maori witnesses, and travelled all over New Zealand in connection with various land matters. In 1846, being of opinion that the policy of the Government of Sir George Grey towards the Maoris was not straightforward nor •wise, he resigned to study for the church. For 52 years from 1852 he was minister of the Davey Street Congregational Church. He took a prominent part in the foundation of the Tasmanian University, and was chancellor for many years.—February', 1313. The land purchased from the Maoris ■was estimated to contain 400,000 acres exclusive of reserves. and wa.s Crown granted to the New Zealand Company on April 13th. 1846. by Sir George Grey. Governor and Commander-in-Chief. The Crown grant described the boundaries more minutely, and reserved 120 acres at the western head. 250 acres at tne eastern head of Otakou Harbour, and the Islands of Raka-riri. or as Edward Shortland calls it Kangiriri. the small quarantine island, and the large quarantine island which divioe the upper from the lower harbour for the Crown. And Ornate or Omata Che places of the whitebait fish, or the Point) la ( P‘ l - s> situate on the eastern shore of the Otakou Harbour. Titere-moana. also named Pudding Island, is situated m Otago Harbour a few chains from the manland on the west side of Portohello. Its area is a little more than two acres in extent, a lovely little knoll covered with native shrubs, flax. etc. Also land at the Taieri. bounded on the north by a line drawn from the seashore in a worst north-west direction till it strikes the Taieri River at Maita-Papa; on the west and south by the Taieri River, and on the east by the seashore. And at Kararo, Moiyneuz Bay, including the Kaika, for

the natives. Georg© Green alleged that he purchased the large quarantine island under the name of Ahamataroa, in Otago Harbour, from the Maoris in 1 840, and paid them £lO for it. His claim was disallowed by the Commissioners. Aha-mata-roa may mean "What a long face,” but mala has several meanings. The £2400 was thus divided—Tuhawaiki £9OO, together .with £3OO for division among his Taieri and Molyneux friends and connections; Taiaroa, £300; Karetai £3OO. Tiie remaining £6OO was divided among Uie oilier chiefs and Otakou Maoris. Colonel Wakefield, in describing the Maori reserve at Otakou, said: I We marked out the Government reserve at Taiaroa Head for • a pilot and signal station; also the district reserved by the

natives, and not included in the purchase. It embraces about four miles frontage on the eastern side of the harbour, the boundary line running across to the sea, to the north of Cape Saunders, and comprises at a rough calculation ten thousand acres of land of various descriptions. well wooded, but broken by ranges of high hills. It contains the residences and cultivations of all the natives of the district of Otakou. amounting to not more than 50 or 60 souls." Of the 400,000 acres the first sales included only 144,600 acres, divided into 2400 distinct properties. Each property comprised town, suburban, and rural land, 60 acres in all, the price being £l2O 10s, the priority of choice being decided by ballot. Of these, properties 2000 were assigned to private purchasers; 100 as a municipal estate; 100 as a religious and educational endowment: 200 to the New Zealand Company. The New Zealand Company broke up towards the end of 1850. Two kaika, in the ancient days, between Moc-puku and Portobello were Te Panohomia and To Ana-waewac (the foot mark cave, or the divided cave or bay). •• There was plenty of life in the longslip now known as the sand hills, before any portion of sand had been blown on to Harrington Point, as the' following mentioned kaika, each some distance apart, were there; — Pukc-tura and Te Bua-a-titiko (Chief Potiki); Te Ranone (Chief Kai-koa-rare, generally known as "Big Fellow”); Tahakopa (Chief Koroko); Ornate and Te Wai-pepeke (Chief Te Raid). Each chief had his own small following (L. Langlande). THE LESSER ISLANDS. Of the other islands mentioned in the deed —Okaiha is Green Island, a small island off the mouth of the Kalkorai Stream; Motu-rafa, the island at the mouth of the Taieri River; Paparoa, Matoketoke, and Hakiniklui are rocky Islets, not far from the coast, between the Taieri and Tokomairiro . Rivers Moe-puku is spelt Moepuka in the Crown grant by a clerical error, and the start-ing-point, Pu-rehurehu, a basaltic rock on the sea coast, and a headland, is stated to be half-a-rnile north of the western head of the Harbour of Otago, instead of about two miles. Otakou translated is O “the place of.” takou "red ochre.” oxide of iron, or red earth, which was used as a pigment, and valued very much. Europeans have corrupted the name into Otago. They.might have retained the "k” In place of "g.” When Europeans arrived. Otakou was a settlement of the Ngaitahu tribe, which had destroyed the former occupants, the Ngati Mamoe. The hill above Taiaroa Head or Otupa was Puke-kura (the red hill). The Maori chief Taiaroa’s residence near there was Otahe-lti (the place of the little calabash) "a vessel made of a dried gourd shell.”) The Government has schools both at Otakou and Taiaroa Head. A landing place south of Taiaroa’s Head is Pori-a-haumia (vassals of the fern root). A low place in the hill between it and the east coast was Te Apiti (The Gorge). On May ISth, 1858, there was a sitting of the Native Lands Court held in Dunedin, before Chief Justice Fenton and Henare Puku-Atua. Native Assessor, to decide on a claim by the Maoris to the Taiaroa. Taiaroa lighthouse reserve, on the application of Te Atl-korei, Taiaroa Korako. Karetai, Turumaka and others, to have the. matters relating to the Puke-kura Reserve investigated. Maxwell was interpreter, Mackay Native Commissioner. Macasscy solicitor for the native claimants. Turton solicitor for the Crown, Haggitt for the Provincial Government, A. R. C. Strode Protector of Aborigines. The Crown grant was produced, which had been issued to the New Zealand Company. Mr Turton pleaded “that the title of the Crown was a deed of sale, made In July, 1844, by the chiefs and men of the Ngai Tahu tribe, by which they sold to William Wakefield, as agent for the New Zealand Company, certain lands, reserving to themselves particular portions of it. The claim of the Government would only be for about 25 acres.” The original deed was produced. It was signed by Taiaroa, Karetai and 23 others. William Henry Cutton, Commissioner of Crown Lands, produced a Crown grant of certain lands in Otago to the New Zealand Company, dated July 13th, 1846, signed by Sir George Grey. It takes in the limits of the Otago Block. A plan on the hack showed that the lighthouse site is not within the boundary of the Crown grant, but retained as Crown lands. The land reserved for the natives is marked yellow on the plan, and the lighthouse reserve is exempted from that, as well as from the grant to the Company. The Crown has not divested itself from it. The land is about 200 acres. There was about one acre reserved and marked off by posts. This reserve was not marked on the provincial maps. Tli ere is a record in writing. The land Is a bold headland, very high. Cutten produced a lease for a piece of land at the beach, signed by Korako White and others, which is included in the piece of ground claimed by the Maoris. The name "Pukekura.", represented a particular portion of the block, although it was given as the name of the whole block. Pdchard Diver "had been pilot at the heads for i-- years. He put up the fence to keep sits cattle in. The Maoris made no objection. There was a piece of land under tapu. upon which the Maoris would not allow us to build. Diver's fence excluded the landing place. It was supposed that about 25 or 26 acres belonged to the native reserve. The land round the house was good.” (To be Continued.)