October 20, 2023 Kerikeri (Day 22)
Today the weather finally arrived, off and on rain squalls and lots of wind. We stayed home, warm and dry and caught up on bookwork and webwork! I’ll take you back a few days to our walk along the Kerikeri river and give you some history of the area. Yesterday’s blog about the first mission in New Zealand is joined with today’s about the second mission established in New Zealand, again by Samuel Marsden. This mission was allowed and even requested by Hongi Hika, another Maori chief and uncle of Ruatara. He was the war chief of the Kororipo Pa (fortified hill village) that controlled the Kerikeri inlet nearby the Te Puna inlet controlled by his nephew.
A recreation symbolizing the wooden post fortifications that protected the pa, The terraced hilltop is seen in the background.
The inlet overlooked and was protected by Kororipo pa. Hongi Hika extended that protection to the mission established in 1822. The Stone Store was built between 1832 to 1836 and has been in continuous use since.
An impressive building!
The Kemp House was built to house the missionary John Butler and family. They arrived in 1822, but left the next year after a falling out with Samuel Marsden. Later, missionary James Kemp and his wife & family moved in, eventually buying the property which stayed in the family until 1974 when it was gifted by the family to the NZ Historic Places Trust along with the gardens, orchards and the Stone Store. The house is the oldest surviving building in New Zealand!
We concluded that these benches between the Stone Store and the Kemp House are the oldest surviving benches in New Zealand!
October 26th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Interesting that a mission was requested by a Maori chief.
October 27th, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Another pā! I think you’re right about the benches.
October 28th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
I think mostly that the Maori saw the benefits of the European technology and how they could use it for their own mana or power. They were blindsided by the different world view.