THE HISTORY OF URENUI

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1930, Page 9

THE HISTORY OF URENUI

ARRIVAL OF FIRST MAORIS CENTRE OF FIERCE TRIBAL WARS. LURID DAYS OF 19TH CENTURY. The story of the colonisation of the Urenui district by the great waves of Polynesian navigators, the lurid days when the Maoris armed with muskets swept southward in their fierce tribal wars- of the early I'Jth century, and finally the evacuation of a land swept by invading war parties, was dealt with by Mr. W. H. Skinner in an interesting address on the early history of the district at Urenui last night. The lecture was delivered to about 40 members of the Farmers’ Union presided over by Mr. J. F. Phillips.

Mr. Skinner described his own first visit to Urenui in the early ’seventies.It had been mooted at one time that Urenui might be a suitable spot for a main settlement, he continued. The surveyor for the New Plymouth Company, Mr. F. Carrington, thought that perhaps a more suitable spot than New Plymouth could be found for the settlement. An expedition was sent to Urenui and reported favourably on the soil. The river could be made navigable at a less expense than the Waitara for vessels of 100 tons burthen. Unfortunately, state the report, the plans for the town lots in New Plymouth were out. “You see what a near thing it was,” continued the lecturer. “You might have been the capital of Taranaki.” He asked them to convey his respects, as a member of an old pioneer family, to Mrs. Telfar, who 89 years previously had arrived at New Plymouth. She would be one of the oldest residents of Taranaki. POPULATED BEFORE MAORIS. The Urenui district was a very historic centre of the early Maori people. Until a few years ago it was thought that New Zealand was first populated by the people who arrived with the great migrations of 1350. It was now regarded as certain that when these people arrived the country had been inhabited long before. Unfortunately, the new people of central Polynesia who came to New Zealand ignored the original people. Tradition said that the tangata-whenua (men of the land) were blown away and reached land first at Paritutu. They then went north to Urenui, where they occupied two pas, the Pohokura and Okoke, which were supposed to be named after two of their canoes.

Urenui then was very interesting as it illustrated the whole period of the occupation of the country by the Maori people. About 200 or 250 years (nine generations) prior to the great migration a navigator Toi, who had set out in search of his son, made for Tongaporutu, which in the early times was recognised in the Pacific as a safe haven for canoes. Toi found the country inhabited and to ensure future friendliness he took a number of wives.

In tlie great migration from Tahiti and Rarotonga some of the canoes made for the coasts of this district. The anchor of the Tainui had lain for many centuries at the Mokau Heads. The anchor of the Tokomaru had been left at the Mohakatino. Both the Aotea and the Kurahanpo visited the coast. Manaiay of the Tokomaru named Urenui. It appeared from Sir George Grey’s book that Urenui had an earlier nanyi. In the district between the Moliakatino and Rau-o-te-Huia (Waiau) there dwelt two tribes, the northernmost being the Ngati Tama and those to the south being the Ngati Mutunga, with Onaero to the Mimi as boundaries. These people were largely composed of the original people, but this stock was later mixed with the settlers from the great fleet. GREAT FIGHTING PAS. Mr. Skinner then spoke of the great fighting pas. There was one remarkable pa on the right hand side of the road to Mokau about a half a mile past Mohakatino. This pa rose 800 feet in eight terraces. Then there was the island pa of Kawau, the famous stronghold of the Ngati Tama, where they held the northern tribes At bay for years. It was the key to the south country and it was not until the Waikatos became more fully armed that the pa was taken. Whakarewa, near Mr. C. A. Wilkinson’s house, Puke Miro, the home of the ancestors of Sir Maui Pomare, Omahu, Patangata, Katikatiaka, Pqkearuhe, Qtumatua and Pihanga were some of the chief pas in the district. He concluded with the great pa inland from Mr. Halcombe’s, called Tikorarigi. Strangely enough, this was not now in the district named after it. The main tracks converging on the Urenui district from inland were described by Mr. Skinner. The Ngati Tama tribe had a forest track that started from Tihi Manuka and wound over the hill-tops to Koiro on the Wanganui. This was known as the Taumata-Malioe. From the Ngati Mutunga country there was one that commenced at Pukewakaniaru (on the Kohangamoa Road) and also from Kaipikari. This passed on to Purangi through the tangled forests to Whangamomona and Wanganui. The Whakarewa pa on Wai-ite beach was famous for the tale of the fishing fleet that was blown out to sea by a fierce gale. On the fourth day the stormtossed canoes reached Rangitoto, or D’Urville. As the place was abounding with fish the men returned for their wives and families and there they eventually settled. With the advent of the musket war started in the north and swept south. The Bay of Islands natives first obtained firearms and pressed on the tribes around Thames, Rotorua and the Waikato. These in turn obtained muskets and continued the excursions south into Taranaki. Previously the Taranaki coast had been held in . peace the prowess of the bull er tribe, the Ngati Tama. In 1810 the trouble started when Hokianga came down to Taranaki and took back hundreds of slaves. In 1816 Rauparaha made a raid from Kawhia. EXODUS TO THE SOUTH. A great exodus south was made in 1821 by Rauparaha, who was forced to leave Kawhia. He left the women and children at Maro-Kopa and the men went on to feel the way. They crossed the Mokau with difficulty, but once across were in the friendly territory of the Ngati Tama. Continuing on into the Ngati Mutunga country, Rauparaha at first did not find the tribesmen friendly disposed. However, his followers were allowed to camp at Te Kaweka, near Okoke. It was there arranged that they should stay over the winter'and prepare ground for growing food for the long journey before them the following year. Rauparaha then returned with a picked body of 20 men, fully armed, to Maro-Kopa for the women and children. Leaving there with the enemy awaiting their opportunity they reached Hakarere (Awakino bend) on the third night, where they were attacked by Ngati Maniapoto but managed with some loss to beat them off. Next day after a long wait owing to

a high tide they crossed Mokau at the heads without further harm and the following day joined those already at Te Kaweka.

In the meanwhile a great expedition of 600 warriors from Kaipara, Waikato, Upper Mokau, Thames and Rotorua set out for the south, travelling by way of Rotorua, Hawke’s. Bay and. Wairarapa to the Cook Straits and Port Nicholson. The inhabitants in fear fled into the great fastnesses of the forests and put out in their canoes to Kapiti. There was little booty and the heke turned north and arrived at Waitara. An ambuscade at Rahotu frustrated their attempts and they retreated to Ngapuketurua and eventally to Pukerangiora, where they -were offered protection. The siege lasted seven months but eventually, after six messengers had perished, one got through to the Waikato. A great force answered the call under Te Wherowhero, but Rauparaha inviegled it into a trap and at the battle of Motonui the Waikatos suffered a terrible defeat.

Tlien followed the great second exodus of July, 1824, when tlie heke of about 500 from Waitara to Wliite Cliffs went south to Port Nicholson. They were fearful for the revenge of the Waikatos for Motonui.

The culminating event was the practical abandonment of the whole country from Mokau to Patea, with the exception of a remnant of the Taranaki tribo near Opunake and an equally small party of Ati-Awa around the Sugar Loaves. A great army estimated at 3000 to 4000 warriors gathered from the Manukau to Mokau, invaded Ngrth Taranaki seeking revenge for their losses at Motonui. Assembling finally at Arapawa Nui pa, at the mouth of the Mimi, they marched forward on Pukerangiora, whence the people of the Ngati Tama had fled for safety. The enemy advanced in a vast wave that desolated the country. Darkness lit only by the fires of the invading hosts seemed to fall on Taranaki. Pukerangiora eventually fell with terrible slaughter. The enemy pressed on to Ngamotu (Sugar Loaves) and they were there defeated with the aid of the whalers. The invaders, suffering heavy losses, were driven backwards into their own country, leaving a war-swept land. The aana of the Atiawa had fallen.