OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1935, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

BIRTH OF LIBRARY

(By

S. C. Allen).

No. n. Not only financial difficulties, but the growing disaffection of the natives began seriously to affect the prospects of the settlement of New Plymouth a year or two after its foundation in 1841. On November 13, 1844, Governor Fitzroy committed his glaring indiscretion. Commissioner Spain had made his award in 1842. In a letter written direct to Mr. Wicksteed, Fitzroy used the expression, “in view of the defective title of the New Zealand Company to land,” and authorised Wicksteed to remove settlers to the contracted area which he had made in upsetting Spain’s award. He also authorised him to exchange an acre within the block which he had made for an acre outside which had been included in Spain’s award. He further authorised, for hte purposes of facilitating the exchange, the taking of the Town Belt, and many other unspecified reserves, reserves which made so splendid a feature of Carrington’s plan of New Plymouth published in lithograph edition by Smith, Elder and Co., London, in 1842. It is clear that everybody, except Fitzroy and the “missionary clique” (who dominated Fitzroy’s action), accepted the award as a wise and just settlement. A general consensus would agree with the opinion expressed by Mr. W. E. Gladstone as Secretary of State, in a dispatch to Sir George Grey in 1848, when he “disapproves of Governor Fitzroy’s interference, and hopes that the first award will be acted upon.” Col. Wakefield was incensed that Fitzroy had written direct to Wicksteed instead of himself, protested against not having been consulted, and strongly resented the term “defective title” as applied to land acquired by the Plymouth or New Zealand Company. However, the “apple cart” had been upset. The Maoris who had been causing trouble before now had strong official support for their claims, and became increasingly menacing. So much so, that in 1847 Captain King received instructions to fqrm a small body of armed constabulary. This force was placed under the command of Mr. Donald McLean (afterwards Sir Donald). He had previously held an official position as “protector of the aborigines.” His tact and fairness, his knowledge of and influence with the Maoris well qualified him for his task which was, in consultation with Captain King, to protect survey parties while engaged in their work. In August, 1847, Mr. F. D. Bell, formerly London agent of the New Zealand Company, succeeded Mr. Wicksteed as resident agent in New Plymouth. In 1848, Sir George Grey, the governor of New Zealand, came to New Plymouth, and resided in the town for some months in a residence on Mount Eliot. He.flew his official flag on a staff, the position of which may still be identified by a square iron peg with an X on its upper surface at the comer of Egmont and St. Aubyn Streets, on the new library site. Mr. Follett Carrington, son of Mr. Octavius Carrington, who still resides in New Plymouth, informs me that while he was in the Government Survey Department he was instructed to place this peg in position. The peg also marks the signal mast for Port Eliot on the estuary of the Huatoki. The first signal man was Richard Cock, the father of Mr. Richard Cock, whose first unwilling appearance in New Plymouth occurred in 1841, when the “Regina” was wrecked and he was literally cast ashore. He must ■have found the place attractive, for he stayed and entered the service of the port authority. He remained on the signal station at Port Eliot until the site of the harbour was moved to Moturoa, and he then became coxswain to the

surf boats which were used to tranship passengers arriving at or departing from New Plymouth.

This is a fitting opportunity to recall the fact that Richard Cock senr. was assisting at the operation on the 4-pounder from the “Regina” which resulted in the retirement of Captain Liardet. Four seats salvaged from the wreck are still serving a useful function in front of the Taranaki Club overlooking the cenotapn. They bear the inscription, “Richard Cock, Regina, 1841.” They have been kept painted and repaired by the generosity of Mr. Cock to the present day. It is difficult to visualise Mount Eliot, and a reference to the map of Carrington in 1842 will make it easier. It must be remembered that the Huatoki discharged into the sea by a considerable estuary whifch is now occupied by Newton King’s garage and warehouse and the railway good sheds. The east bank of the estuary was a cliff which was subject to erosion by westerly gales, and very early it became necessary to protect the east bank by a sea wall. The Huatoki was a tidal river, and it was possible to go up the river in a flat bottom boat almost as high as Pukekura Park. King’s Building, at the corner of Devon and Brougham Streets, is built on the junction of the Huatoki and the Mangaotuku streams. When Carrington completed and published his survey in 1842 his map showed Mount Eliot unsurveyed and occupied as a Maori pa. It was known as Pukeariki (“the hill of the chief’). Roughly the whole area, bounded on the north by King Street, on the west by Queen Street, on the east by the Huatoki and on the south by the sea, was occupied by Mt. Eliot. The difficulty that Carrington experienced in geting straight survey lines for streets, owing to the obstruction of Mount Eliot, is still manifest in all the streets, except Brougham Street. Queen Street does not follow a straight line from Devon Street to the sea. It will be observed that starting on the right all the buildings from and including the premises of the Taranaki Brewery are set at an angle to the main street line, which projected in a straight line would almost touch the cenotaph, and on the left from the Ridd Company building onwards past the Taranaki Club the street bears to the west out of a straight line. King Street shows two angles. The first at the back of Hooker’s Building brings the rest of the street gently inclining toward Devon Street. The second angle is apparent at the boundary of the Carnegie Library and the old Provincial Council Chambers. Every effort was made at the time to preserve the line of the street at this point, as is evidenced from the story of its placement told me by Mr. Moverley, of the Lands and Survey Department. It appears that for many days the surveyor whose duty it was to place the peg struggled with a burly Maori warrior in the pa, foot against foot, the one endeavouring to encroach on, and the other trying to prevent any encroachment on the area. We can assume that but for his efforts this part of King Street would be even more out of line. Tne curious curve of St. Aubyn Street from Brougham Street to the cenotaph represents with some degree of accuracy the estuary of the Huatoki, and the foothills of Mount Eliot as it faced the sea coast. (To be continued.)