Pipitea Pa.

A mixed force of Ngapuhi. Ngati-Whatua, Ngati-Toa and others, under Tuwhare, Te Rauparaha and others, raided the West Coast, came down to Port Nicholson, camped at Pipitea, Te Aro and the Hutt. Many of the Ngati-Ira were slain: captives were killed daily to provide food for the raiders. The invaders later marched on to Wairarapa. (Elsdon Best's “Miramar,” p. 787).

Angas, in his writings (1845), states:—“On the morning of my landing, I visited Pipitea Pa. Several canoes were drawn up along the beach. Some of them were beautifully decorated with kokowai, and red ochre. At this place I met Ngatata, Chief of Pipitea, and Kumutoto. who stood to me for his portrait. Ngatata was the father of E. Tako (Wi Tako), Chief of Te Aro Pa. He has six toes on his left foot. So have Rauparaha and several other chiefs.”

Pipitea Point is named Belsize Point on Chaffer's map, 1840. The name was derived from Belsize Park, Hampstead, the residence of John Wright Esq., a friend of Dr. Evans.

Pipitea Stream, Thorndon. Botanical Gardens, below Glenmore Street, flows from Baker's Hill into the Swan Pond, down Tinakori Road, crossing at Harriet, Hawkestone, Molesworth, Murphy and Hobson Streets, through the old market reserve, at “Pah Pipitea” Point. (Brees' Map, 6/6/1843).

Pipitea Street, Thorndon. off Mulgrave and Molesworth Streets via. tram, and Moore Street via. Thorndon Quay, derives its name from the Pipis abounding in the locality.

Pipitea Street Hospital.—A letter from the Rev. John Macfarlane, appealing for support, and the prospectus for a Wellington Hospital, appeared in the “New Zealand Gazette” of the 24th June, 1841. A move was not made in the direction of erecting one until 1847, when the building, shown on another page, as being damaged by the 1848 earthquake, was erected.

The Gazette (24/11/1847) mentions that an operation was performed at the Colonial Hospital, Pipitea Street (site of Girls' High School) by Dr. Fitzgerald, who removed a large tumor from the back of a native chief of Waikanae. The “N.Z. Journal,” 1/7/1848, mentions that influenza was prevalent in Wellington—about three-fourths of the population were affected, and scarcely a family had escaped.

On March 6th, 1848, Dr. Fitzgerald, in his hospital report, gives the names of natives to constitute a Board of Visitors. They are as follows:—Pito-one Pa—Ko te page 286 Puni, Ko Nga-Paki, Ko Henere; Wai-Whetu—Ko Ehanga, Ko Rihia, Ko Mataiwi; Nga-Uranga—Ko te Mamihere, Ko te Watene; Kaiwharawhara—Ko kuri, Ko te Tura; Pipitea—Ko Purutu, Ko te Ropiha, Ko Wairarapa; Kumutoto—Ko Wi Tako; Te Aro—Ko Hemi, Ko Mohi, Ko Tamata Wiremu, Ko Pukuwahi, Ko Puihi, Ko Hekaria. (“N.Z. Journal,” 18/11/1848).

Earl Grey presented a very fine framed engraving of Her Majesty Queen Victoria to the Colonial Hospital, Pipitea Street, as a testimonial of the efficient manner in which Dr. Fitzgerald had conducted that institution. Following on that event an entertainment to native chiefs was given in April, 1849, by Dr. Fitzgerald for the purpose of doing honour to the portrait of the Queen, which had been presented by Earl Grey to the Colonial Hospital at Wellington (corner Pipitea and Moturoa Streets). The room was tastefully decorated with flowers, and the fronds of the tree fern. At the end of the room was suspended the portrait of Her Majesty, being a proof impression from the celebrated mezzo-tint engraving of Cousins, after Hayter's picture, representing the Queen in her robes of State, and calculated from the accessories introduced into the picture to impress the natives with some idea of the pomp and circumstance attendant on majesty. Among those present were:—Te Puni and Henere, Petone; Matahiwi and Te Kepa, Waiwetu; E. Tako Manihera and Te Watene, Ngauranga; Henare te Keha, Queens Charlotte Sound; E. Kuri, Kaiwharawhara; Moturoa and Porutu, Ihaia; E. Ingo, Pipitea; Mohi, Te Retimoana, Hemi, Te Aro; Kaparatehau, Hutt; Kirikaramu, Ohariu; Watarauhu, Rawiri Puaha and Mohi, Porirua; Ropata, Wainui; Arama Karaka, Whareroa and Toheroa (of Urahi); Tuainai, Riwai Te Ahu, Waikanae; Te Matiu, Te Puke, Te Rauparaha, Te Ahu, Hakaria, Tamehana, Matene, Otaki; Watanui, Ohau; Taratoa, Manawatu; and many Europeans, including the Rev. Archdeacon Hadfield, H. St. Hill Esq. (R.M.), G. J. Thomas, H. Tracy Kemp (native secretary), Dr. Monteith, T. Fitzgerald, W. Mantell, and J. Deighton. Mr. St. Hill acted as chairman. Wi Tako proposed a toast to the success of the Hospital and the health of their friend and benefactor, Rev. O. Hadfield, whom they welcomed once more among them with every demonstration of respect and affection. (“N.Z. Spectator,” April 21, 1849).

Bishop Selwyn, in his diary, published in the “N.Z. Journal” at this time, from which an extract is taken (21st April, 1849), mentions the Hospital at Thorndon. He writes: “The duties of the day began with English and native services in the hospital, where patients of both races lie side by side, with the same attention and relief administered to all alike. I think I have already mentioned in former letters that one of the chief men of Porirua, Te Hiko-o-te-Rangi, son of the great Chief Te Pehi (Tippahee), who visited England, insisted upon being allowed to die in the hospital, among the friends who had been kind to him. This was done, in opposition to all native custom and at the solicitations of his friends.”

The Australian and New Zealand “Gazette” of the 14th June, 1851, announced: “A Colonial Hospital is to be erected on the site of the former one at Thorndon (Pipitea Street).

The “N.Z. Journal,” 20/5/1848, copying extracts from the local paper, states: “Through the kindness of Dr. Fitzgerald, we have had an opportunity of inspecting the new Hospital on Thorndon Flat, which has been some time completed and is now open for receipt of patients. On the ground floor there is a large surgery, opposite to a sick ward, and convenient offices. On the first story is a large ward the length of the build- page 287 ing. Two wings will be added later.” The earthquake of 1848 damaged this building badly.

The residents in Pipitea Street in 1865 and 1866 were: Messrs. McDowell, T. Cooper (ginger-beer manufacturer), C. Deihl, W. Eves and W. Gawith. The stocks were erected at the corner of Mulgrave and Pipitea Street (sec. 543), north side of St. Paul's Church. Articles by Dr. Macdonald Wilson appeared in the “Evening Post,” 22nd January and 5th February, 1927, descriptive of the Hospital in Pipitea Street.

Pirie Street, Te Aro, off Kent Terrace, extending to the Kilbirnie Tunnel and track over the hill and quarry on the town belt, near Mt. Alfred, is named after Alderman (then Sir John) Pirie, a director of the Company. The Presbyterian Church, for many years conducted by the Rev. Kennedy Elliot, is on section 300.

Pito-one (Petone), meaning end of the sand, is 7 miles from Wellington by road.

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“I had formed one of several shooting parties and fishing excursions,” states E. J. Wakefield in his “Adventure in N.Z.,” p. 67. “The former were generally conducted in the different creeks into which the river divides from a kind of tidal lagoon inside the sand bar, and we fell in with numerous pigeons and wild ducks while exploring their courses as high as our boat could proceed. The grandeur of the forest which overshadowed these clear creeks, and the luxuriance and entanglement of the underwood, and the apparent richness of the soil, could nowhere be exceeded. We longed to see the time when the benefit of the latter should be reaped by industrious English yeomen.”

Pito-one, then called “Britannia,” was soon populated by English folk from the early ships, who intermingled harmoniously with the natives residing there. Two by-ways through the bush were called respectively, Clyde Terrace and Cornish Row. The Rev. J. Macfarlane lived in the former locality. The houses in Cornish Row (about fourteen of them) were destroyed by the fire in 1840. The conflagration caused the Maoris to turn out and dance with glee at the sight.

Brees, in his “Pictorial N.Z.,” p. 34, states: “Upon the arrival of the first settlers at Port Nicholson, they pitched their tents along the beach near E. Puni's (Te Puni's) Pa, or Pitone. Some of the large roofed warris (whares) were built for the settlers by the natives and occupied by them until their removal to Wellington, the town having been originally laid out at this part, but subsequently removed to Pipitea”… “The large wooden building shown to the left of the view (Brees' illustration of Pito-one Pa) is the native chapel, and the hills beyond form the east side of the district of the Hutt.” An illustration of the Pito-one beach and bush was made by Mr. Brees.

The late Mr. W. G. Mantell showed the writer some sketches drawn by his father, the late Hon. W. D. B. Mantell, depicting the Hutt river in flood in 1840. One showed Mr. Mantell astride the family bureau, which was floating down the river. He was waving an accordeon in the air to the time and tune of “Home Sweet Home.” Another picture depicted him in the water, hanging on to a snag with one hand, and holding the accordeon high in the air with the other, while the bureau floated merrily with the tide. The bureau, a handsome piece of polished mahogany, looked none the worse for its immersion when the writer saw it in 1926. Mr. Mantell whimsically remarked that of the accordeon, “there was nothing left but the wind,” for collectors had absorbed the fragments.

The bank safe was “rafted” from Pito-one to Thorndon when the change of the site of the town was effected.

Fourteen years after, an account appeared in a newspaper, of the Founders' Festival, held at Pito-one on the 31st February, 1854. The suggestion came from Mr. E. Gibbon Wakefield. A long Maori whare, 240ft by 30ft wide, was erected by Mr. Hayward for the occasion. Three hundred guests sat down to dinner, at which Mr. St. Hill presided. Mesdames Fitzherbert, Ludlam, Bell; Miss St. Hill; Messrs. Clifford, Bell, Fitzherbert, Ludlam, E. G., E. J., and D. Wakefield, Moore, Hart, Alzdorf, R. Stokes, J. J. Taine, R. Hart, the Hon. H. Petre, and others. The usual toasts and songs of the day were honoured.

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The little cemetery is the only visible sign of the pa; the principal monument therein is Te Puni's, on which is inscribed: “To the memory of Honiana Te Puni, a Chief of Ngatiawa, who died on the 5th December, 1870. This Monument is erected by the New Zealand Government in consideration of the unbroken friendship between him and the Pakeha.”

Plimmer's Steps, City, off Lambton Quay, by the Athenaeum and Exchange Building and Boulcott Street, commemorates the name and residence of Mr. John Plimmer, who arrived in the ship “Gertrude” in 1841. Mr. Plimmer's house, with the dove emblem above the door, was an old landmark until demolished to make way for the “Dominion” printing office. Mr. Plimmer had a penchant for quaintly worded inscriptions, evidence of which may be seen on the Boulcott Street side of the Old Identities' and the Queen's Hotels. The inscription over the door lintel of his house in Plimmer's Steps was worded thus:

“That Noah's ark existed
There is nothing left to prove,
But here is mine attested
By the presence of the Dove.”

The lines were adorned by the figure of a dove, which now rests above Mr. J. A. Plimmer's doorway, connected with a summer-house, in his garden at Khandallah.

Point Dorset, Seatoun, off the Marine Parade, S.E. of the Military Reserve, was named after Dr. John Dorset, who arrived in the “Tory,” 1839. A beacon, composed of casks painted white and placed on top of each other, stood on the ridge between Palmer Head and Point Dorset, near Tettcott's Farm. (Mr. Best's Wellington Year Book, 1919).

Point Halswell, Military Reserve, Watts Peninsula, was named after Judge Halswell, and marks the site of the Hon. Mr. Massey's tomb, comprising a gun pit, with a temporary Cenotaph above it. The Auckland “Weekly News” shows illustrations of the funeral proceedings, and the cenotaph heaped with floral tributes (31st May, 1925). The Point Halswell Road, declared a public road in 1927, is the foreshore road from a point on the southern side of Shelly Bay to the southern end of Scorching Bay. It was closed during the war, 1914. (“Dominion,” 19/2/1927).

Point Jerningham (Oamaru-Kai-Kuru), off Oriental Parade and Evans Bay Road, was named after Edward Jerningham Wake-field, the son of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a founder of the settlement. Edward Jerningham Wakefield was author of “Adventure in N.Z.,” etc.

Post Office Square.

City, off Grey and Panama Streets and Jervois Quay, was reclaimed land in the early sixties. A view of the vacant sections in this locality, the Post Office and time ball, Queen's wharf and bond, the Oddfellows' hall, and the site of the Pier Hotel is shown in Fig. 87.

An interesting ceremony took place here on the 22nd April, 1905, when the Queen Victoria statue, erected in front of the wharf, was unveiled (see Fig. 89). A committee, comprising J. G. Aitken Esq. (Mayor), Rev. T. H. Sprott, Rev. H. V. Van Staveren; Messrs. A. R. Atkinson, J. Duncan, W. Booth, A. D. Riley, A. H. Miles and C. Collins, took in hand the arrangements for collecting a sum of money for this object. Mr. Alfred Drury, R.A., was the sculptor, and the cost was £2030. After a few years it was removed to its present site in Kent Terrace, nearly opposite Edge Hill, and received a coating of black varnish (vide “Dominion,” 1/8/1925). The “N.Z. Mail,” 1907, shows the statue in the square, facing north.

Queen's Wharf.

City, is off Post Office Square, Jervois and Customhouse Quays. The shortest route from Lambton Quays is Grey Street. The first pile for the Queen's Wharf was driven on April 28th, 1862, when the superintendent assisted in driving it. The first inter-provincial steamer to berth was the “Airedale” (286 tons), which berthed at the inner side of the first tee on the 11th March, 1863. The local steamers “Wonga Wonga” and “Stormbird” had berthed previously. For some years it was known as the “deep water wharf,” or “Government Wharf,” and probably the name “Queen's Wharf” grew from the “Queen's Bond” or warehouse, which was built in 1862–63 on a reclaimed site where Bannatyne's and Co's, (now Young's) offices stand.

Mr. H. Baillie, in his “Early Reclamations,” from which the above was extracted, on p. 715 gives a detailed account of the progress and extensions. In September, 1867, one of the Panama steamers ran into the wharf, which was damaged to the extent of £5000. Repairs costing £2000 were page 294 effected, the Company paying half the cost. In some historical notes written by Mr. Elsdon Best for the Year Book, Wellington Harbour Board, 1919, will be found a plan of the old Queen's Wharf, showing extensions and dates of construction and original wharf, built in 1862, of totara. The first extension was built in 1865. Others followed in 1878, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1889, 1894, 1898 and 1910. Some of the old timber that was exposed when the wharf was concreted in 1926 attracted the attention of a great number of onlookers. Views of the wharf in 1895 may be seen on p.p. 306 and 310 “Cyclopaedia N.Z.,” vol. 1. And the “Weekly Press,” 4th April, 1900, shows wharf scenes when the 5th Contingent took their departure for service in South Africa. The Auckland “Weekly News” shows the scene re-enacted, when the first troops to leave New Zealand, on the s.s. “Monowai,” departed on August 15, 1914. An amusing-incident which happened during the seamen's strike is depicted in the Auckland “Weekly News,” 23rd Nov., 1922 (S. C. Smith photo) where a crowd is gathered on the Queen's Wharf to watch a diver go down to the depths of the sea for a sea of false teeth, lost overboard in the excitement.

A miniature sea chest, which holds the scroll of welcome presented to the Duke and Duchess of York on the 7th March, 1927, from the chairman and members of the Harbour Board, was made of totara from one of the piles of the original Queen's Wharf, built in 1862, and clad in Muntz metal sheathing. The casket was made in the Harbour Board workshop. The reproduction from a photo is shown in the “Post” of that date. The Queen's Wharf was built by the Wellington Provincial Council and managed by that body for a few years, Mr. Wm. Spinks being first wharfinger. In 1871 the Wellington City Council acquired it and leased to Mr. W. Tonks, Messrs. Jackson and Graham, 1872–1875; Mr. W. V. Jackson, 9/2/1876, when the Corporation resumed control. Wharfingers in 1881–1884 were W. F. Kennedy; 1885–1905, Wm. Prince; 1905–1906, H. G. Claridge; 1906, A. V. Hale Munro. A traffic control officer is stationed at the Queen's Wharf gates. (“Dominion,” 22/12/1927).

Railway Stations.

Lambton is at the junction of Featherston Street, Lambton and Thorndon Quays, and the Thorndon Station (once called the Manawatu Station) is off Davis Street and Thorndon Quay.

The late Hon. R. Stokes, M.L.C., when editor of “The Spectator,” advocated the formation of a railway over the Rimutaka in 1858. His views were looked upon as wild and Utopian. As the Wairarapa district rapidly advanced in wealth and population a quicker mode of transit was required for the produce and timber than by drays and waggons. In 1867, a meeting was convened in Wellington for this object, and a committee was formed, and Mr. J. Howard Wallace was appointed secretary. Messrs. Chas. O'Neill, C.E., and Thos. Kempton explored the country, but no further action was taken until Sir Julius Vogel promulgated his great Public Works Policy in 1870.

Seven hundred odd miles were constructed, and eighty-four miles in the Wellington-Manawatu district by 1877–79.

On the 1st September, 1880, the morning train from Wairarapa to Wellington was ascending the hill when, on reaching a place termed “Siberia,” the wind blew with such force that several of the passenger carriages were blown off the rails and toppled over into the adjoining gully. Four of the passengers were killed outright, and several others were injured. Precautions were then taken, and a breakwind was erected between two of page 295 the tunnels. To ensure further safety, two Fell locomotives, one in front and the other behind, were connected with the train, and no cause for apprehension has resulted since.

Rhodes Street, Newtown, off Daniell and Riddiford Streets, was named after W. B. Rhodes, Esq.

Riddiford Street, Newtown, extends from John Street to Mansfield Street, off Adelaide Road; is named after D. Riddiford Esq., who arrived in 1840. The northern portion, from John Street to Rintoul Street, was named after Samuel Revans Esq., a great friend of Mr. Justice H. S. Chapman, between whom much correspondence ensued.

The residents in Revans Street (Riddiford) in 1866 were:—R. Carswell and R. Emmett. Mr. Henry Dobson, storekeeper, resided in another portion of Riddiford Street in 1875. (“Cyclopedia N.Z.,” vol. 1, p. 745).

The first portion of the hospital in Riddiford Street was opened on the 12th July, 1882. The bricks were made on the ground and the building erected by prison labour. Four wards were made, and the addition of the Allen and Fraser wards were made in 1894.

Rintoul Street, Newtown, extends from Riddiford Street to Lavaud Street and the Town Belt, and is named after R. S. Rintoul Esq., editor of the “Spectator” until his departure to New Zealand, 1852. He was a warm supporter of E. G. Wakefield's colonization scheme. The Athletic Park, South Wellington School and Baptist Church are approached from here.

Roseneath, approached by Oriental Parade and Evans Bay Road. At one time Sir George Grey contemplated using this site for a Governor's residence, but considered it too exposed. The property belonged to Mr. W. G. Brown, of the Union Bank, who went to Tasmania, and was manager of the bank at Van Dieman's Land. The property was cut up by Mr. T. Ward, surveyor, into sections 1 to 56. Sections 1 to 108 were surveyed by W. O. Beere on plan dated 3/12/1902 (Plans 14 and 15 Harbour Board Office). Baker Bros, were the auctioneers. Mr. Baillie, in his “Reclamations,” p. 714, mentions that the spoil for the Te Aro Reclamation came from Fitzgerald Point and the Roseneath Hill.

Roxburgh Street, Mt. Victoria Slopes, off off Marjoribanks and Hawker Streets, is named after the ship “Duke of Roxburgh.” Access to Clyde Quay School (sec. 367) is obtained.

Sage's Lane, Te Aro, off Tory Street, was named after Mr. G. C. Sage, who started a Sunday School in the seventies, in Tory-Street, which was taken over by St. John's Church and continued in the Mt. Cook School.

Seatoun.

About six miles from Lambton Station. The name originated from a place in Forfarshire that belonged to the Crawford family.

This place was the temporary abiding place of the heroic old-time Polynesian voyagers, who sailed their open canoes for 2000 miles from Tahiti to discover these isles, and also it was the site of the first permanent settlement in the district. The first Maori settlers erected a pa on the heights from timber procured from the Hutt Valley. In 1873, a cave-dwelling family of Maoris, six or seven of them, used a cave as a summer residence. This cave is said to be less than a mile from the pilot station. (Best's “Miramar,” p.p. 780–790). In 1878, a hundred acres, described as being three miles from the Newtown Hotel—part of the Crawford Estate—was auctioned by R. J. Duncan.

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Seatoun, in 1897, was described in the “Cyclopaedia N.Z.,” vol. 1, p. 805, as being laid off on a little flat to the south of the inner signal station at the entrance to the harbour. There were not more than about a dozen settlers altogether, among whom were the signalmen employed at the station. It was a Road Board district, and the first meeting was held 3/11/1880. The members in 1895 were: Messrs. C. E. Zohrab, H. D. and A. D. Crawford, and E. H. Beere. The Heights Road is off Tiotio Street, off Broadway and Awa Street, via. Marine Parade.

Seatoun Road, Kilbirnie, off Childers Terrace and Watford Street, at present the nearest road parallel to the southern beach and Kemp Point. The map of 1926 shows the authorised limit of reclamation, marked by a dotted line, from Aberdeen Quay to Evans Bay Road.

Somes Island (Matiu).

Was named after Joseph Somes, Esq., Deputy-Governor to the New Zealand Company.

In 1864 the Chamber of Commerce urged that a light be placed on Point Gordon, but the president of the Marine Board pointed out that Somes Island would be a better position; therefore it had been decided to erect a lighthouse there. It was erected and maintained by the Provincial Council until the abolition of the Provinces in 1875, when the Marine Department took over the responsibility and expense until a few years ago, when they were passed on to the Harbour Board. The light was first shown on the 17th February, 1866. It was manufactured by Messrs. Chance Bros. and Co. Keepers' dwellings were erected in October, 1865, at a cost of £695. Mr. W. Lyell, transferred from Pencarrow, was the first keeper, with D. Susans as assistant. (Baillie's “Early Reclamations,” p. 709).

The “Cyclopaedia N.Z.,” vol. 1, p. 553, states that when the “Halcione” made her second trip to New Zealand, three hundred and fifty passengers were quarantined on Somes Island; the cooking for them was done by an arrangement of trenches connected with a centre pit, over which a rough chimney was constructed. An illustration of the lighthouse and keepers' quarters appeared in the “New Zealand Mail,” 12/6/1907. During the war of 1914–18 the Island was used as an interment camp.

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St. John Street, Te Aro, is off Abel Smith and Aro Streets. An uncovered portion of Te Aro stream flowed under a little footbridge that gave access to the hill above Mr. Seed's old home in this vicinity. The stream now flows through a concrete drain made in 1926, that carries it under the existing foot-bridge and through the school ground near by.

St. Mary Street, Thorndon, off Tinakori Street and Grant Road, was named in Bishop Viard's time, after the Convent in Hill Street. A track from here leads to the wireless station and a beautiful plantation of gums.

Stout Street, City, on reclaimed land, off Lambton Quay and Featherston Street, was named after Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G., and late Chief Justice of New Zealand. The north end of Stout Street was, until recently, covered by the old Telephone Exchange and other buildings. The first exhibition held in New Zealand under State control was held here in 1885. This Industrial Exhibition building covered an area of about 83,000 superficial feet fronting Stout and Whitmore Streets. Further details are contained in Cowan's “New Zealand Exhibition,” published 1910. The “Dominion,” 25/1/1927, mentions that Stout Street, from Lambton Quay to Bunny Street, received a baptism of hot mix, in view of the approaching visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. The principal buildings are the Public Trust, Bank, Government Buildings, Seaman's Memorial Missions Hall and Telephone Exchange.

Sturdee Street, Te Aro, off Dixon and Ghuznee Streets (secs. 117–172), named after Admiral Sturdee, was Quin Street or Maori Row, but evidently called Sutton Row before the earthquake of 1848, the report of which states that the patients at the Military Hospital at Sutton Row were removed to the wooden barracks at Mt. Cook, and the prisoners were taken from the goal and placed in the custody of the soldiery. Mr. Gerard's clay house, and Mr. Quin's villas were damaged more or less. The writer was informed by Mrs. Sinclair, who came out on the “Arab,” that a portion of the Military Hospital still stands in Sturdee Street. The Almanac of 1852 mentions J. W. Brown's brewery, and Michael Quin's farrier's establishment.

Residents in Quin Street, named after Michael Quin (now Sturdee Street) in 1863 were:—On the west side: H. Love, J. Mee, W. Parris, Mrs. Nicoll, G. Stratford, Mrs. A. Cooper, R. Johnson, A. Herd, R. J. Sedcole and T. Howell. On the east side were: M. Murphy, C. Payton, J. Richards, G. Gwynne, J. Noble, Mrs. Crow, H. Teppien, Mrs. Parker and F. A. Birch. Some old land marks still exist, and it is worth one's while to walk through this street to see the stables, reminiscent of Dickens, and one of two of the old-time houses hiding behind modern structures. The brewery is there, and St. Peter's Hall, now Caledonian Hall.

Sussex Street, Te Aro, off Rugby and Buckle Streets, bounds the west side of the Basin Reserve, is named after the Duke of Sussex, whose chief connection with the settlement was his patronage and presence when four of the emigrant ships sailed from New Plymouth. The maps of 1841, etc., show Sussex Square bounding the Reserve.

When the new portion of the buildings were commenced in 1912, the central portion of Sydney Street was closed up, and the grounds metamorphosed, but the dips and general contour of the paths indicate the approximate locality of the streams and pools. An illustration of the work in progress, the foundations and the general transformation of Sydney Street Central appeared in the Auckland “Weekly News,” 17/7/1912, and a clever reproduction by Mr. Robson is shown on figures 154 and 155.

This locality was known as Honeyman's Gully in the early days, and was the scene of the Brewer-Ross duel, which resulted in the death of the former.

Mr. Brees' map of 1843 shows the Waipirau stream emerging from the Botanical Gardens down the gully, through the Government Domain (Parliamentary Grounds) into the sea, a little to the north of the Bowen Street entrance.

Taitville.

Approached from Aro Street and Raroa Road, is named after the late Mr. Robert Tait, property owner there and a lover of Scott's works. Mr. Tait named some of the streets after personages in Sir Walter Scott's novels.

Tapu-te-Ranga.

The place name of the Pacific voyagers homeland; probably meaning: Tapu—sacred, te—the, Ranga—immovable, Island Bay, is the Maori name for the Island Recreation Reserve.

Taranaki Street, Te Aro, extends from the Taranaki Street Wharf to Hankey Street, and is named after the N.Z. Company's settlement of that name. On the left of Captain Mein Smith's sketch of Port Nicholson in 1841 the schooner “Portenia” and the barque “Lady Nugent” are shown in front of the “Pa Turanake.” The plan of 1841 shows Taranaki Street ending at Courtenay Place, and a public wharf reserve extending from Manners Street to the beach (Old Customhouse Street). The Almanac of 1863 gives the names of the residents on the east side, viz.: L. Hook, D. Bell, Lieut. Furneaux(14th Regt.), R. Rose (dairyman), J. Barrett (dairyman), and on the west side were E. H. Grigg (printer), J. F. Flowerday (Capt.), H. W. Jones, R. Woodgate, G. Tandy, E. Thirkill, J. Bull (printer), G. Gray, T. Jones, W. H. Barnard, R. Reid, R. Mitchell. Additional names for 1866 were W. Barber, — Beaglehole, Black, J. Blundell, T. Collins, W. Clements, Dalton, Masters, T. Stevenson, Capt. W. Thompson, E. D. Toomath, M. Toomey, W. Whiting, Mrs. Yates, and H. W. Estall.

Tasman Street, Te Aro, extends from Tory and Buckle Streets to John Street. The north portion, from Buckle Street to Rugby Street was first named Banks Terrace, after Sir Joseph Banks, associated with Captain Cook on his first voyage. Tasman Street was named after the explorer Tasman (1642).

Hutt and the Taita.

Taita is approached by the Hutt-Wairarapa Road. A tragedy occurred here in 1847. Mr. George Drake, a sawyer, was burned to death in a house belonging to Samuel Burnet, about a mile and a half from Hughes' public house, at the Taita. Dr. Taylor was on the scene shortly after the fatality occurred. (“Spectator,” 29/12/47.)

Mr. Geo. Buck, of the “Travellers Rest” Inn, informed the public in 1852 that all necessary information would be given to newly arrived immigrants and others desirous of settling in the country districts; single and double bedded rooms and good stables kept. Some residents living in the Hutt and Taita locality in 1852 were (according to the “A. and N.Z. Gazette,” 12/6/52): Messrs. Shirley and Sons, Duncan, Harcus, Cole, Copeland, Russell (3), Western, Peck, Lavington and Vennell.

Mention was made of Mr. Fitzherbert's large mansion in erection on a seven-acre lot; of the Hon. H. W. Petrie's and LudlaMcs gardens. Also that Whitewood's roadside inn (The Rose of the Valley), near the bridge, was nearly completed.

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Daily mails were despatched from and after the 1st January, 1852, leaving Wellington at 3 p.m. and the Hutt at 9 a.m. Mr. W. Cleland established a store in 1861, and the school was erected prior to 1864. The roll for 1897 contained 107 names.

Te Aro (Huri-whenua).

A sitting of the Land Claims Court was held on February 23, 1844, before Commissioner Spain, superintendent of the Southern Division, Protector Clarke, junr., Mr. Forsaith, Colonel Wm. Wakefield, and natives of Te Aro Pa.

The “N.Z. Journal,” in its issue of the 14th September, 1844, gives a full account, from which an extract is given: “The natives of Te Aro, Kumutoto and Jakawai have signified their intention of accepting the payment which has been awarded them… The committee sat this day (February 23rd, 1844) at 2 o'clock p.m. Present: Messrs. Clarke, Forsaith, and Yates (secretary to the Commissioner), Fitzgerald (assistant surveyor), Rev. Ironside (Wesleyan Minister residing near the Pah Te Aro), and Mr. A. T. Holroyd (barrister at law)… The Te Aro deed was signed by the following natives:—Te Awitu, Mohi Ngapongo, Parai, Puihi, Taira, Pukahu and Pomare. The witnesses were Messrs. Wm. Spain, Geo. Clarke, S. Ironside, A. T. Holroyd, and T. Fitzgerald. £300 sterling in English shillings, was then paid to the natives of Te Aro; £200 for Kumutoto, and £30 for Jakawai, also in English shillings.”

Te Aro, 1845.

Mr. George French Angas, who visited Wellington in 1845, writes of Te Aro Pa thus: “Te Aro Pa is larger than Pipitea Pa. The houses or huts are mostly of reeds, sheeted with bark. Some old chiefs were on a visit from Queen Charlotte Sound. They were elaborately tattooed and adorned with the topuni, or war mat, which is made of dog's hair and interwoven with fine flax, and resembles a cloak of fine fur. A whale had been driven ashore in a gale, and the natives were engaged in collecting the oil. Having no bottles, they obtained a number of the large pods of species of seaweed that grows on the rocks in Evans Bay, filled them with oil, and then tied them up at the mouth with flax. Each pod held upwards of a quart.

“The Maori slave woman washed the potatoes in a two-handled kit. She goes into a stream and puts one foot into the kit with the potatoes, takes hold of the handles, and commences shaking them furiously, using her foot as a scrubbing brush, thus cleansing them in a few minutes.

“Not long since, during a heavy gale, a large boat was picked up by the wind off the beach, and carried along for some distance, killing a woman.”

Mr. Angas continues: “My last afternoon at Te Aro was quite a gala day with the natives. Kutia, the wife of Rauparaha, and his son Ko Katu, were on a visit to Port Nicholson. Ko Katu wore his native costume for me to paint his portrait, but half an hour later visited me in an English dress suit, as he was going to dine with one of Wellington's settlers.

“Rauparaha's wife was an exceedingly stout woman, and wore her hair, which was very stiff and wiry, combed up into an erect mass upon her head, about a foot high, which, combined with her size, gave her a remarkable appearance.”

The European residents in Te Aro in the early days were: Messrs. J. Bell, Berwick, J. Boulcott, M. Evans, W. A. Cooper, Jas. Ford, J. Wade, R. Waitt, W. E. Wallace, J. Ward, G. Waters, G. White, J. and M. Yule, and Masters.

Again writing from Wellington on the 24th July, 1849, Miss Taylor states: “Dear Charlotte,—About a month since, I have received and read ‘Jane Eyre.’ It seemed to me incredible that you had actually written a book. Such events did not happen while I was in England. After I had read it I went on to the top of Mount Victoria and looked for a ship to carry a letter to you. There was a little thing with one mast, and also H.M.S. “Fly” and nothing else. If a cattle vessel came from Sydney she would take a mail, but we had east wind for a month and nothing can come in. Aug. 1st: The Harlequin has just come from Otago.… Your novel surprised me by being so perfect as a work of art.…”

In 1853 Te Aro swamp burst through the narrow bank which separated it from the sea. The bursting caused a loud noise, which was heard from a considerable distance, and flooded the town acres in the waterfront.

Te Aro flat was merely flax bushes, fern and streams, where inungas and eels could with very little skill be easily captured, and where cattle that had been pushed overboard in batches from the ships near the waterfront of Bethune and Hunter's and other places on the beach, sometimes took charge of the town and defied the efforts of the bullock punchers in charge to pen them in the yards provided for them in the vicinity of Manners Street. Numbers got bogged in the swamp, where those that could not be rescued by horsepower were left to perish.

In 1855 the earthquake referred to elsewhere disintegrated the swamp, and small islands of flax and toi-toi were floating about the harbour and interfering with the passage of small coasters in the vicinity. At the same time the whole area was raised. (See Earthquake, 1855.)

There were natives residing at the Pa in 1866, when a subdivisional plan was made by George Swainson on the 28th June, 1866, and signed by Mr. A. Sinclair, acting-Chief Surveyor, on 9th November, 1866. The following names were pencilled on the subdivisions (ranging from 3 perches to 27) as under:—1, Kini Parae; 2, Whare; 3 and 4, Te Waka Houtipu; 5, Henei Parae; 6, Henei Te Munu; 7 and 8, blank; 9, Henei Parae and Te Munu; 10, Te Teira Whakatore; 11, Mohi Ngaponga; 12, Tiaki Te Wera; 13, chapel; 14, Hakaraia; 15, Ihikiera Te Waikapiariki; 16 and 17, Taretahua; 18, blank; 19, Keta Marurua; 20, Henare Pumipi Te Ranginui; 21, Teretui Paora; 22, Nakoro Areti; 23, Mata Pekaimu; 24, Ahipaue Morangau; 25 and 26, blank; 27, Te Kene te Rangi; 28, Henare Pumipi.

Mr. Plimmer also mentions that Te Aro flat was covered with fern and flax, except that portion of it extending from Courtenay Place to the Basin Reserve, which was one impassable bog.

A friend told the writer that in 1859 he would walk out of the back door of the house in Courtenay Place—shown in figures 71 and 72—walk a few paces, then jump up and down and watch the jelly like movement of the ground for a considerable distance around.

Te Aro Flat.

An illustration by Brees, taken near Captain Sharp's house, on The Terrace (site of Sir Robert Stout's house), shows the first mass of houses on the left, comprising the Star Inn, the Meat Company's premises, billiard room, and Edward Taylor's store. Fuller's Hotel and the Theatre are on the right, next are Waitt and Tyser's stores, with Fitzherbert's store behind; on the left of the road are Ridgway's, Guyton and Hickson's stores. (Fig. 157.)

Te Aro Gaol.

Many people will recall the days when the prisoners emerged from the Terrace gaol, now partly replaced by the new Te Aro School, and marched to the Barracks site at Mt. Cook and other locations. As late as 1877, prisoners went to work in leg-irons, ponderous, clanking impediments, a pair of which, now in the Dominion Museum, weighs 8lb., being made of 1¼in. iron. These came from Port Arthur.

Te Puni Street, Polhill District, off Aro Street was named after Te Puni, the paramount chief of the Pito-one tribe, but whose surname was Te Whiti. The Ohiro Home is on Secs. 32–36.

Thorndon Esplanade.

The Esplanade at Thorndon was situated between the sea and the Manawatu railway station (now Thorndon station). It was a sunny spot, but, like the Botanical Gardens, was not adequately appreciated. Parts of it were at various times planted with trees by the citizens, led by Mr. Woodward, who, to his infinite credit, managed to infuse into the otherwise careless Wellingtonians a mild enthusiasm which has occasionally lasted several hours. In 1890–91, at Mr. Woodward's suggestion, a day was set apart for the planting of trees in the reserve, and the first shrub was planted by Mrs. C. J. Johnston, who was Mayoress of that time. After that “Arbor Day” was an institution, and the Esplanade was beautified in that way.

Many seats were presented, and a Band Rotunda was erected, with shields bearing the names of those at whose expense and through whose efforts the rotunda was provided. The trees did not grow rapidly, but the Esplanade provided an excellent promenade by the sea wall for many years.

Thorndon Flat.

Thorndon was the site chosen by Colonel Wakefield prior to leaving Port Nicholson in 1839. But Captain Mein Smith commenced surveying Pito-one, and the colonists settled there for a time, as referred to elsewhere.

Thorndon Flat was once covered with potato cultivations belonging to the natives. These for a time exhausted the fertility of the soil, but the careful cultivation by many of the present inhabitants (1848), of numerous spots, had brought their gardens to produce very satisfactory crops.

Several streams from the Western Range afforded a constant supply of the purest water, of which vessels took in a stock with great ease, as they lay at anchor in three fathoms of water so near the beach (Lambton Quay) as to have their long boats backward and forward along a line stretched from the ship to the shore. The same measures were also frequently adopted for discharging cargo. (“N.Z. Journal,” 10/3/1849.)

Brees refers to Thorndon as the Court end of the town, being in the neighbourhood of Government House, Church, Law Courts, Police Court, N.Z. Company Survey Offices.

Thorndon Quay, 1863.

Residents on Thorndon Quay in 1863 were: J. Walden, Mrs. Campbell, J. Bright, B. Eglinton, W. Johnson, E. Gieson, J. Clapham, H. Pitt, and Geo. Allen (boat builder).

Tinakori Road extends from Thorndon Quay to Glenmore Road, by the main entrance to the Botanical Gardens. The story of the origin of the name is founded on the time when the road was being formed by Europeans and Maoris. The lunch hour was nigh, and the signal given for dinner. But the overseer of the works suggested that as only a small portion of the road remained unfinished, the men work on into the dinner hour. “O! Tin a kore,” ejaculated the Maoris, meaning dinnerless or unsatisfied.

Sir F. Revans Chapman, of Golders Hill, remembers staying the night with his brother Martin, at Colonel McCleverty's house on the eve of his father's departure from New Zealand, in March, 1852. They had left their home at Karori, rested at McCleverty's, and the following morning they tramped over Golders Hill, got into a boat at Brandon's Corner (now known as Smith's), and were conveyed to a brig anchored where the Missions to Seamen building now stands.

Following on from Johnstones, the names quoted in the Almanac of 1863, were W. Bragge; F. Atchison, Police Inspector; G. Pickett; G. H. Vennell, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Buxton, F. Bills; G. Bolton; R. Collins; J. G. Holdsworth, Inspector of Roads; D. Lewis, Clerk; T. George, and D. Williamson.

The residents on the south-east side were: N. Curtis; C. B. Borlase, solicitor; — Light, C. H. Gillespie, J. Cattell, D. Rivers, Mrs. Redding, G. Dixon (Karori Hotel), and J. Spiers, Crier of Supreme Court.

Tory Street, Te Aro, extends from the old Te Aro railway station in Wakefield Street, to Buckle Street, is named after the Pioneer ship “Tory,” which anchored off Somes Island, with Colonel Wakefield's party, on the 16th August, 1839.

Mr. H. Baillie, in his Early Reclamations, mentions that in February, 1863, Mr. John T. Platt offered to repeat signals from Mt. Albert, for ships arrivals, etc., on a flagstaff that he had erected at the foot of Tory Street. The staff was erected on his premises, known as “Brick House.” The change to Mt. Victoria rendered any repeating within the town unnecessary.

The residents, in 1863, on the west side of Tory Street were: J. Simmons, W. Edwards, R. Edwards, J. Holmes, J. Trask (store), H. Smith, Mrs. Kennedy (hotel), Mrs. C. Cooper, J. Edge, W. G. F. Moody, Mrs. France, Mrs. Parsonage, — McCarthy. While on the east side were: W. B. Robinson, J. Ramsay, W. Scott, J. Hastings, J. Murray, Ensign Curtis 14th Regt., J. Tompkins (store), R. Wakelin (printer and journalist), C. Meadows, J. Milner.

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Town Belt Reserves.

Are on the Ahu-mai-rangi Heights. For some time persons resided on these reserves, the last to quit being a family residing about where the new Winter Show grounds are being prepared for occupancy, near John Street. The Almanac for 1866 contains the names, as resident, viz.: W. Bird, J. Brown, E. Cahill, J. Carswell, J. Chance, J. Collins, G. Curtis, M. Donaldson, W. J. Ellis, and — Gough.

Vivian Street, Te Aro, extends from Wellington Terrace to Cambridge Terrace, and is named after Lord Vivian, a member of the N.Z. Company and House of Commons. He took part in raising a New Zealand emigrant fund.

When this street was surveyed, in 1841, it was given two names, viz., Ingestre Street, from the Terrace to Cuba Street. The residents living on the south side were Brevet-Major Lepper 14th Regt., G. E. Nathan, W. Bishop (chemist), W. F. Jones (organ builder); Capt. Buck 14th Regt., A. Thompson, G. Crawford (merchant), F. Renner, and J. Pudney. On the north side were J. Love, R. Mudgway, M. Smith, E. H. McElwain, P. Jenkins, Ed. Bull. Residents from Cuba Street in 1863 were: J. Croucher, — Coleman, G. Richardson (clerk), F. Meier, (clerk) and W. Bannister (clerk). Those of 1866 were: J. Baillie, W. Baird, D. Barry, W. Black, R. Carswell, T. Crumpton, T. Evans, A. Feast, T. Fraser, M. Gandy, J. Martin, — Wingate, R. Borthwick, J. Bragge and J. Brown.

The National Bank has a branch at the corner of Cuba Street, and the Church is represented by five edifices.

Vogeltown.

This suburb lies among the hills south from Brooklyn and west from Newtown, is reached from Brooklyn, etc. Named after Sir Julius Vogel.

Wadestown.

Is approached by tram from Brandon's or Smith's corner, or from Karori by Wilton and Blackbridge Roads via Chaytor and Karori Road.

The suburb of Wadestown is set in the N.W. direction from the Government Buildings, and about twenty minutes walk from there. Ascending the hill from Grant Road, from the upper end of Molesworth Street, the traveller having ascended the road, his eye is regaled with a scene of almost unrivalled beauty. In the foreground the magnificent harbour, with its numerous bays, is seen to advantage, and the ever changing hues of the hills beyond are incomparable. To the left the Hutt and Petone townships, glittering with the beams of the sun by day and the twinkling lights by night, that, contrasted with the writhing coloured reflections of the harbour lights in the water, mingling at times with the rays of the moon, should satisfy the most captious artist seeking for inspiration.

In 1841, some land acquired by Messrs. Watt and Wade was divided into one acre and two acre lots. The proprietors constructed a dray road up the steep side of the hill, facing the harbour, which gave access to the sunny nooks and terracing flats on the N.W. slopes. “Johnny” Wade was already well known as the George Robins of the colony, and sold off many lots at the rate of £20 per acre. The purchasers were chiefly working men, who worked at their patches of ground after the day's toil was over. And Wade's Town soon boasted a population of 200 persons, whose near cottages and smiling cultivations peeped from every nook among the picturesque hills. The “N.Z. Journal,” 25/12/1841, mentions that a plan of the harbour was on sale at their London office, price 2/6. It was lithographed by Messrs. Jones and Bluett, who also lithographed page 313 “Wade's” settlement. The same Journal, 13/10/'42, states: “Messrs. Wade had a very fine schooner, of about 53 tons burden, on the stocks at ‘Wade's Town’ (Kaiwharawhara). She was expected to be launched in a few weeks time.” Mention was also made that they had sold by auction considerable portions of the first sections out of town, called Wade's Town, in small, suitable quantities. The names of residents appearing in the Almanac for 1866 were: Mrs. Maxwell,—Beard (carpenter), R. Conlan, J. Hooper, A. (? Arthur) Knowles (clerk), J. McLeod, T. Meagher, T. Oliver, C. Rossiter, Mrs. Retter, S. Woodward (farmer-milkman), J. Wilton (sheepfarmer), C. J. Harrison.

Bishop's Almanac for 1883 states: “A few minutes walk from the city takes the traveller to the Grange. This was the residence of the Hon. W. B. Rhodes, M.L.C. Near the hill-top stood “Fairlight,” the charming property of Mr. E. W. Lowe. The Kaukau or Tarikaka Range, clad in all its primeval grandeur and beauty, is seen in the background. During the land mania of 1877 properties were cut up and sold, in some instances at the rate of £500 per acre.”

The Cyclopaedia, Vol. I., p. 807, mentions that the P. and T. Bureau was at Mr. H. M. McCarthy's store, and the public buildings were the Church of England and the school. The latter, a wooden building of three rooms, was opened in 1884. The average attendance in 1895 was about 90. Mr. W. F. Ford, the master, was assisted by the Misses Reith and Cook.

The present main road to Wadestown is not the original road, the latter was a much steeper grade.

Wainui-o-mata.

Is about 14 miles, via Hutt Road. The residents in 1866 were: J. and D. Dick, R. Sinclair, R. Neale, W. Wakeham, T. Crowther, C. Collins, G. Woods, B. Michael, R. and W. Prouse, and J. Grace. The majority were farmers.

Waiwhetu.

Approached by the Hutt-Petone Roads, was named after the stream (Star River) which flows under the eastern hills. There were, according to Grimstone, 90 page 314 natives, under Wiremu Pukakawe (Te Puwhakaawe), at Waiwhetu in the 'forties. Most of whom are now lying in the little hill cemetery on a small island, nearby, and accessible by a small footbridge. Te Kepa, a Waiwhetu chief, was a guest at Dr. Fitzgerald's entertainment to the Native Chiefs to do honour to the newly arrived portrait of Queen Victoria, presented by Earl Grey to the Colonial Hospital, in 1849.

Settlers on the south side in 1866 were: Messrs. Stightime (a pedlar), D. Riddiford, A. Ludlam, W. Mason, H. Bolton, — Cook, — West, T. Freethy, W. Knight, W. Sykes, A. Braithwaite, J. Death, W. King, W. Lansdale, W. Judd, G. Allen, J. Cole, — Copeland, — Wilcox. And on the north side were: W. Tucker, G. White, R. Ralph, — Townsend, J. Kelham, — Budden, and — Eades.

In the Upper Waiwhetu were Messrs. J. Jackson, H. B. Ellerm, J. Sellars, J. Clements, W. Rowe, J. England, and F. Smith.

Wakefield Street, Te Aro Reclamation, 1886, extends from Mercer Street to Oriental Parade. The name commemorates the founder and the first Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company. Tronson's map, 1888, shows the proposed railway line from Lambton Station and the Te Aro Railway Station, in Wakefield Street. The station, still standing (1929), was built in 1893, and was closed after a few years use.

The “Dominion,” 3/2/1928, states: “In levelling the section opposite the Public Library (Farish and Wakefield Street corner), a row of about a dozen stout old totara piles has been revealed this week. The piles define a line seaward in a northeasterly direction, and are said to be the remainder of Mills' Wharf, which was about 100 yards to the westward of Bethune and Hunter's wharf. This wharf is shown in pictures of Wellington of 1858.”

Ward Island (Makaro).

Is named after John Ward, secretary to the New Zealand Company. The “Hope” vessel, bringing live stock from Sydney, got aground off Ward Island—a small yellow-coloured cliff island, lying on the eastern side of the channel, 2½ miles from Dorset Point. 200 native trees were planted on the island by the Scenic Board on the 15th August, 1926.

Waring Taylor Street, City, off Lambton and Customhouse Quay, by the State Fire Office and Police Headquarters back entrance, is named after W. Waring Taylor, a Speaker of the Provincial Council. This street was for twenty years the rendezvous of the Wellesley Club.

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Watts Peninsula.

Lieut. John Wood, author of “Twelve Months in Wellington,” arrived in the “Mandarin” on the 21st December, 1841, and a strong favourable wind soon carried them inside the heads of Port Nicholson. As the vessel shot up the harbour, a few cattle browsing on the lower slopes of a fern-clad hill were hailed as a favourable omen, and their hearts gladdened as they counted them over to each other. “These were evidently the cattle on Watts Peninsula,” he writes, “belonging to Mr. James Watt. At length, on rounding Point Halswell, the settlement came into view, and its picturesque appearance prolonged the cheerful impression which the last sight imparted.” (See Miramar).

Webb Street, Te Aro, off Willis and Taranaki Streets, was named after Sir Henry Webb, a director of the New Zealand Company. The 1863 residents were:—On the north side, 29/5/1845: Messrs. G. Hawkins, C. Seager, B. Youman, S. Twist. On the south side were: John Knowles, J. J. Mordin, D. Nevin, P. N. Cole and F. H. Logan. The Catholic Apostolic Church, comprising the major portion of old St. Peter's Church, was on sec. 99. One could see, from Tonks Avenue behind (off Cuba Street) the first resting place of the town clock, referred to against Washington Avenue. The remains of the old Mt. Cook School stand on sec. 89, at the east end, in Taranaki Street.

Wellington Terrace, Thorndon, extends from Bowen and Museum Streets to Abel Smith Street. Usually known as “The Terrace,” it received its name from its formation on the ridge of the hills above Lambton Quay.

Lieut. John Wood (“Twelve Months in Wellington,” 1841) mentions that he and a party of friends arrived 21st December, and went to live on a high ridge of land at the back of the harbour called Wellington Terrace. They pitched their tents there. Mr. Wood's tent was a failure, and stood only one night. The best tent was owned by Captain Sharp and Mr. Robinson. Next day he purchased a small wooden house upon the beach, and by the aid of a cradle and a train of bullocks, pulled it up to the top of the terrace. The first night they slept in it, it blew a gale from the south, and about midnight they were awakened by its rocking to and fro. Fearful of being precipitated down the hill, they were not slow in ballasting the house with heavy tree trunks.

Fitzgerald's map, 1843, shows the Kumutoto stream emerging from above the Victoria College site to Mount Street and flowing through the Terrace sections to the Kumutoto Pa, and from thence to the sea, at the corner of what is now Woodward Street.

Woolcombe Street, the southern portion of what is now known as Wellington Terrace, was named Woolcombe Street, after a staunch supporter and a director of the New Zealand Company.

The name is wrongly spelt on the New Zealand Company's “True Copy of Plan attached to Crown Grants,” 27/1/1848, for it is written “Woodcombe” Street.

This plan shows the original sections and reserves, which are referred to on another page, and is signed by A. Domett, Colonial Secretary; W. Wakefield, principal agent to the N.Z. Company; W. A. McCleverty, Lieut-Colonel, etc., and Deputy Quartermaster-General; and T. H. Fitzgerald, surveyor.

The original purchasers and subsequent owners or claimants were as follows:—No. 109, Native Reserve, Te Ropira Moturoa, 1862; 110, John Watson; 135, J. P. Hawtrey; 136, Samuel Revans, subdivisions to W. Mein Smith, T. W. McKenzie, G. Fellingham, W. P. Loxley and S. Revans; 161, John Reay (then R. Stokes, Charles Ward resident in 1866); 162, H. F. Young; 431, G. S. Evans; 432, the Hon. F. J. Tollemache; 433, B. C. Cator; 434, the Hon. L. Maria Tollemache (later the Marchioness of Ailesbury); 435, Thos. Burrows; 436, G. S. Evans; 437, T. F. Everingham; No. 438, Wm. Dorset; 439, Daniel Riddiford; 440, Robert Roger Strang; 441, R. Stokes (then R. Stokes and J. Melbourne, now Sir R. D. Douglas McLean, St. Ruadhan); 442, D. Ramsay; page 319 443, Vincent Eyre; 444, F. Boucher (then V. G. Hine; 445, Vincent Eyre; 446, Vincent Eyre.

Dalmuir Hill and St. Ruadhan. A glance at the panoramic view of Te Aro, taken from near Captain Sharp's residence (The Terrace), and shown on Brees' “Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand,” published in 1847, reveals, at the extreme right, and in the foreground of the picture, two of the oldest houses in Wellington, and described by Brees, on page 36 of his book, as the residences of Messrs. R. R. Strang and R. Stokes. These two houses, named respectively Dalmuir and St. Ruadhan are still standing, and are kept in their original state, except for a few necessary repairs, by their owner, Sir R. D. Douglas Maclean, who was born at Dalmuir in 1852.

Surrounded by an area of two acres of native bush, palm and fern trees, intermingled with trees grown from seeds brought out in the ship “Bengal Merchant” in 1840, and supplemented from time to time by flowering shrubs and trees, these old identities have bravely resisted the ravages of time and weather, and from their exalted position on the Terrace at the west end of Ghuznee Street, have watched the disintegration and final demolition of the contemporaneous buildings shown in Brees' picture. Great tree trunks, some partly covered by ivy and gorgeous creepers, standing in various parts of the garden, serve to act as monuments to Mr. Strang's attention and loving care.

Romance and history are associated with the house. Sir Donald Maclean (Sir Douglas' father), when a young man, travelled on foot from Taranaki to Wellington, about 1845. While at Wellington he made the acquaintance of Mr. Strang, and subsequently married the daughter of that gentleman. Sir Donald was a history maker as Commissioner for purchase of native lands, Member of the Legislative Council, Native Minister, and Minister for Defence, and was created K.C.M.G. in 1873. Two reproductions of photographs showing the houses are shown elsewhere in the book.

The walls of Dalmuir are (1929) adorned with rare china, old silver, samplers, and portraits of the Maclean clan. The rooms, though small, were large enough for hospitable entertainment.

Some of the handsome old furniture, including a spinet made by Tomkinson, and which—like everything else—came out in the early ships, may still be seen, and are in keeping with the old-time surroundings.

St. Ruadhan, originally owned by Mr. Robert Stokes, but (1928) owned by Sir Douglas Maclean, who, with Lady Maclean, occupies it when staying in Wellington, contains within its rooms souvenirs of the past, curios from many lands, rare antique furniture and the finest china. Its walls are covered with early New Zealand relics and pictures.

Seated in the depths of an easy chair, before a blazing log fire in the open fireplace in the study, one may see evidences of the discomfort of early days hanging on the walls. A large hurricane lantern that was carried by a lady (one of the Canterbury Pilgrims) over the Lyttelton bridle path to Christchurch in 1850, hangs side by side with a pair of rusty leg irons used by the convicts in Australia, and native spears of every description. Some notable historical pictures and early maps of Wellington have found a place there to enhance the valuable collection.

The houses stand back far enough from the road to ensure privacy and a quiet retreat from the ever-increasing noise of the traffic, and with their luxurious surroundings, constitute a great asset to Wellington, and a striking tribute to the owner's sentiment of patriotism.

Mr. Robert Park's sectional plan of the Wellington Terrace in 1861 (Fig. 170, p. 315), showing the cuttings and fillings, gives the names of the residents and owners, viz., reading from Kumutoto Street (Bowen Street) :—Hamley, Carter (Bolton Street), Foundry (Mills' J. Burne, Moore, Warburton, McLaggan, Toomath (school). The brick bridge over the Kumutoto stream (Woodward Street), Moffitt, Warburton, Samuel, King, Boddington, seven houses not named; then Haydon, Hoggard, Hewitt, Kirton, Smith (Boulcott Street), Carkeek, Barraud, Lyon, Wallace, W. Holmes, Roe, Croft, Minifie, Sharp, Bethune; Margaret Street (Mount Street), Stokes and Strang, Ghuznee Street. Additional names, reading from Bowen Street, and on the west side were: Mrs. Hales, Moffitt, W. Clark, Mrs. Wright, Cap, Halliday, C. Sievers, Mrs. Weaver, J. Green, L. Gooding, Mrs. Rankin, Mrs. Ludwell, D. Hogan, J. Watkin, J. and J. H. Chappell, C. J. Hall, J. Membury, J. F. Carruthers, H. Chappell, W. Brewer senr., J. Shaw, —Milner, and J. J. Taine. On the east side from Bowen Street were: Messrs. G. Mace, McLaggan, C. Mills and J. F. Hoggard (postmaster). A few landmarks remain on the central portion of the Terrace. About page 321 two doors from the Synagogue, to the south, there is a little cottage of the 1840–50 type, and No. 144 Rosina Terrace, with its two eyes gazing towards the harbour. Two or three more names were added to the 1866 Almanac, viz., Messrs. Boardman, Dr. L. Boor, L. Brown, J. B. C. Carr, — Chance, Cherritt, F. Eberlett, Brann's School, Wm. Gisborne. The Wellington Club, the Congregational and St. Andrews Churches, and the Synagogue, Soldiers' and Sailors' Hostel, the Y.M.C.A. and G.F.S. hostels, and the remnant of the Terrace Gaol are located here. The Terrace is fast developing into an attractive business area, and the northern end has now some tall buildings under construction. The Masonic Hall was completed in 1926.

Wharepouri Street (See Fig. 174), New-town, extends from Russell Terrace to the Town Belt, and is named after the fighting Chief of Nga-Uranga. The name is wrongly spelt on Brees' map of 1843, “Warra Pori”; on map 1848, Waripori,” while the map of 1888 it is spelt “Waripourie.”

Whitaker Street, Te Aro, off Ghuznee Street, sec. 165, near The Terrace, was named after Sir George Whitaker. This street was once named Little Guznee Street and appears as such on the earlier maps. Names of residents of 1866 appear against this name in the Almanac. They were:—W. Story, J. Pike, W. Prince, J. Fuller, J. Gaffney, T. Edmund, T. Carr, A. Forgie, D. Calman, — Dixon, Mrs. Crowe, — Doran, — Craig.

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An interesting plan of the Government Buildings Reserve, drawn by E. V. Briscoe, surveyor 20/5/1882, is lodged as G134 in the Survey Dept., Government Buildings. This plan, besides showing the position of the proposed Sir William Molesworth Monument, at the corner of Whitmore and Featherston Streets, shows the garden portion of the street, on which now stands the War Records Office, 1914–18, and known as the “tomato house.” Great improvements have been effected in this quarter. The remaining portion of the street, extending from the Quay to Stout Street, has been enclosed by a continuation of the concrete wall, railings and hedge (1924), gardens made in July, 1925, and the six o'clock closing gates erected by January, 1926. A reference to the exhibition held in this locality in 1885 will be found against Stout Street. The chief attraction in Whitmore Street is the Art Gallery. Amongst the fine collection of pictures there are some water colours of Chevalier, of 1868, depicting Wellington from Wadestown Hill, the entrance gates of the Pito-one Pa, and numerous New Zealand scenes.

Mr. Wm. Swainson's sketches of scenes on the Hutt river, between 1841–1849, including Neury (Molesworth Farm), Fort Richmond and Compton's Farm, and an oil painting of Mr. C. D. Barraud, are also housed here.

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Willis Street, City and Te Aro, extends from Willeston Street corner (Bank N.Z.) to Webb Street and Nairn Street, and is named after Mr. Arthur Willis, a director of the Company, by whose recommendation many of the emigrants obtained passages in the “Aurora” and other ships.

In the early days a bush track had to be cut along Upper Willis Street, through the bush, where it is stated in Macmorran's Book on Schools, a young man was out pigeon-shooting not far from the Roman Catholic Cemetery, and, staying out till it was dark, was “bushed,” and spent the night in a gully. On the map of 1841, Willis Street commenced at sec. 205, the foreshore at the corner of old Customhouse Quay. The Almanac of 1863 contains the names of four businesses on the east side, and commences on the west side with the Union Bank (Albert Hotel).

The panoramic map of 1841 shows Wallace and Co's, and France's Stores, the Customhouse Quay, the Boulcott Street corner and The Terrace behind. Section 205 was the third choice allotted to the selector by ballot in England, and it fell to John Heath. The opposite corner (now Bronson's) was about the 50th choice, and Fitzgerald's (Stewart Dawson) was the 85th and the 122nd. Grace's Wellington Academy was opened at the corner of Willis and Manners Streets on the 11th October, 1847, the hours of attendance being from 9 to 12 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. The fees for reading were 1/-per week, reading and writing ⅙ per week, and the three “r's” (reading, writing and arithmetic) 2/-; English, grammar, history and geography at 2/6 per week, and classics or mathematics at £2 per quarter.

Two views of the site of the Old Identities' Hotel (Albert) 1851, once the Union Bank, with its lawn and the blue-gums at the corner of Boulcott and Manners Street, are shown in Figs. 159 and 161.

The residents in 1863 of the east side were: Messrs. E. W. Crease, “Advertiser” office, J. E. Evans, Bannantyne and Co., and a vacant section (Manners Street intersects), C. Croft, P. Port, Mrs. Houghton, Pickett and Co., J. Duck, G. S. Phillips, A. Ramsay, H. Williams, J. Houghton, Mrs. E. West, Te Aro Hotel (Dixon Street intersects), Mrs. Hutchens, W. Scott, Mrs. Flyger, J. Ruck, Mrs. Farmer, — Watkin, Mrs. Edwards, St. Peter's Church (Ghuznee Street intersects), Mrs. Cornell, H. Richardson, G. H. Luxford, S. Cobham, J. Meers, J. Dransfield, and J. W. Bragge. On the west side were (from Manners Street): Union Bank of Australia, W. Tustin, H. Kells, J. Otten, J. Brown, W. Finnimore, D. Anderson, J. H. Williams (bellman), W. Mason (dairyman), J. Davison, R. Sutcliffe, — Stewart (Dixon Street, intersects), the Scotch Church, Spinks' store, E. Hall, H. Wouldom, C. Estall, T. Waters, A. Houghton, Dr. Bennett, 14th Regiment; Marshall, W. B. Richardson, T. Richardson, Miss Fletcher (school), and the Hon. A. G. Tollemache, settler (Abel Smith St.). The Albert Hotel, built by John Plimmer to commemorate the old settlers, was called the Old Identities' Hotel, and figure heads representing some of the more prominent ones, adorn the upper portion of the building. E. G. Wakefield towers above them all. These heads, the majority depicted in the hirsute style of adornment on their faces affected in those days, should be preserved for all time when the Old Identities' Hotel, built by John Plimmer in 1877, falls under the demolisher's powerful blows. A part of the old Union Bank, with Mr. Plimmer's likeness above the side door entrance, is still seen from Boulcott Street. Barber's butchery and slaughter yards (site of Shortt's picture theatre and “Dominion” printing office), Crease's, J. S. Evans, W. M. Bannatyne's and Old Criterion Theatre—named Duke of Edinburgh in 1869, in honour of the Duke's visit—are on sec. 205, and the vacant section, with loose timber where Bronson's corner shop stands, and a comparison view of Willis Street in 1884, showing the street from the Byko corner, which was widened some years afterwards, are shown in Fig. 161. An article in the “Post,” contributed by Mr. Baillie, on the 10th September, 1927, gives further explanations of the Willis Street gap.

Wilton Bush, Otari scenic reserve, formerly land owned by Messrs. Wilton and the late Mr. Martin Chapman, consists of about 130 acres of primeval forest. Mr. Norwood, then Mayor, declared the Wellington Native Plant Museum—the first of the kind in the world—officially open in 1926. The Mayoress planted the first of the new trees (a young kauri) just inside the Wilton Road boundary. An illustration appeared in the local papers of the day. (“Dominion,” 26/1/1928).

The Kumutoto stream took its rise behind Victoria College and flowed through the sections on the Terrace. Glimpses of the verdant foliage of the native shrubs, tree ferns and willow trees may be seen near Kelburn Park from South Salamanca Road and the intersecting lanes from The Terrace.

The stream emerged from where the Club stands, and flowed into the sea by the Druids' Chambers site. Two friends of the writer—Messrs. A. B. Fitchett and J. A. Plimmer—well remember leaping over the stream when they were pupils of Mr. Toomath, whose school stood by the Aurora Terrace corner. Another school near the top of Woodward Street and on the Terrace was near the site of the late Captain Holliday's late dwelling. This school was conducted in a little cottage in 1845–46 by Mrs. George, who soon afterwards married Mr. Alfred Domett. Her bigger boys, bare footed, caught eels in numbers in the Kumutoto at mid-day, and attempted sometimes to trace the classic rivulet to its distant source in the Kelburn Uplands.

Grace's School stood the fire of 1842, but not the earthquake of 1848. The following description of Grace's School appeared in the report of a land case, Scott v. Grace, held before Mr. Justice H. S. Chapman, and published in the “N.Z. Journal,” 18/3/1846:—“Grace's premises were between high water mark and the west boundary between Kumutoto Creek and the next creek to the northward, and was within 200ft from high-water mark, and 400ft from Kumutoto Creek, measuring north. Wilson proved the value of the premises to be £25 per annum.” Mr. Hanson conducted the case for the plaintiff, and Mr. Brandon for the defendant. The witnesses were: Robert Park, surveyor; H. J. Cridland, architect, and Jas. Wilson, builder.

Business places in the locality during the sixties were: Messrs. C. B. Izard, J. W. Tagg, J. Castle and J. Martin.

Wordsworth Street, See Aro Street, Mr. J. Fitchett, smith and wheelwright, established a business here in the early sixties.

Worser Bay Road is approached by Karaka Bay Road and Marine Parade, via. Seatoun; named after Mr. James Hebberley, pilot in 1840 to the New Zealand Company, who was known as “Old Worser.” It appears that “worser” weather was predicted by Mr. Hebberley, in response to an inquiry by Mr. Justice Chapman in the early days.

Tara, Tautoki and Whatonga erected a fortified village on the ridge above the spring of Tara. An interesting account of this spring appears in a lecture by Mr. Hector page 328 McLeod, published on April 16th, 1924. Worser Bay is the first bay after entering the Port Nicholson Heads, before passing Fort Ballance (“Cyclopaedia,” vol 1, p. 806). Messrs. R. A. Hearn and S. Williams acquired five acres of the best land in this bay, fronting the beach. They built three four-roomed houses, and nine more were to be built for the 1896 season. Surveys had been made for a wharf so that ferry steamers could run daily. The “Cyclopaedia,” Vol. I., p. 232, shows the old pilot station on the beach, and an early photo by Mr. Halse shows the two-storied pilot station and signal on the adjacent hill side.

Wright Street, Newtown, off Hargreaves Street and Westland Road, via Wallace Street, is named after J. Evelyn Wright, who cut up the property, and also named Evelyn Terrace. Here lived for many years the Rev. John Crewes, founder of the Zoological Society, and first president in 1909. The writer recalls with pleasure some of his Sunday afternoon lectures, held in the Y.M.C.A. Buildings in Christchurch in the early eighties. For further reference regarding Mr. Crewes see “Post,” 30/12/25.

Young's Avenue, Te Aro, off Abel Smith Street; Section 111 is named after Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G. The Lister Hospital is on Sec. 113.

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