THE THREE KINGS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1931, Page 9

THE THREE KINGS

HISTORY OF OCCUPATION. SCENE OF TRIBAL WARFARE;. An examination of the Maori remains of the Three Kings, Mount Roskill, was the object of an interesting- held day held by the Anthropology and Maori Race Section of the Auckland Museum on Saturday afternoon. The party was conducted over the hill by Mr. E. H. Nepia, who pointed out the existing remains, and delivered an instructive address on the History of the three states the New Zealand Herald. The Maori name for the Three Kings

was Te Tatua, Mr. Nepia stated, the full name being Te Tatua-o-Ruikiuta, or Ruikiuta’s Girdle. Ruikiuta was 7* chieftain of Arawa descent. Little detail was known about the ancient history of the hill, and the actual nomens clature of the three crests had been lost.

It was known, however, that the hills were occupied as forts by the Morions, the so-called. “Moa-hunters,” who arrived in New Zealand subsequent t© Kupe’s’ discovery of the islands in 950 A.D. Some years before the Norman Conquest, these people settled extensively over the Tamaki district, where they were known as Ngariki, or “small people,” a name probably bestowed upon them by later arrivals. In the year 1200 a' migration of the Kawerau tribe from the Bay of Plenty reached Tamaki, and the newcomers ■were allotted lands, including Te Tatua and Waitakere Hills, where their descendants still dwell. Fifty years later another Bay of Plenty chief, Te Kauea, invaded Tamaki and besieged Te Tatua, which passed into his possession. .. In the 14th and loth centuries the isthmus passed into the hands of warlike Arawa tribes, who also occupied most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf and the greater portion of the Coromandel Peninsula.

In' the 17th century an extraordinary incident occurred, when the Tamaki people slew the sea-monster Ureia. a tribal pet of the Hauraki Maoris. The animal came to Manukau on a visit by invitation of the Waiohua people, anti was slain at Puponga by the Mount Eden and Three Kings people. Tinlatter were said to have woven the trap in which Ureia was caught and killed. y Then followed the murder of some Hauraki chiefs while they were on a visit to Mount Eden, this prompting a revengeful .attack on Mount Eden by a Hauraki war .party. .In the encounter the Mount Eden .'pa was.' destroyed’ and never again occupied, ’many ■ of-'the refugee? fleeing for safety to‘ Te' ■ In the 18th century Te Tatua’-was the scene of constant strife, and ih 1760 a great battle occurred at. Titirangij when the Tamaki people were - routedby an invading, armysfrom Kaipara ?led by the chief Kiwi. After 'the battle the .p 0 of Te Tatua were' destroyed, and most of the inhabitants were slain, enslaved or driven away to the Waikato. . - Continuing, Mr. Nepia said that only the Maori earthworks, kitchen and remains of ancient dead in the neighbouring caverns survived as evidence of the historic past of Te Tatua. Of the earthworks, the terracing and pit-dwellings were typical of many such hill forts, but the stone walls were not so frequent elsewhere,'or so unique as those found on Te Tatua.

It was possible that owing to the very ; rocky nature of the local lava outcrop, the erection of stone parapets was necessary for defence against hostile attack. This would indicate a very dense local population crowded into the hili forts - for mutual protection. , In 1847 the land, including Te Tatua, was given to the Wesleyan .Church for educational purposes under a Crown grant, and a college for Maori education was established. Later it was transferred to Paerata. . In disposing of the area for building purposes the church vested the “Big King” as public park, so that some of its history might be preserved for future gener* tions.