"Matthews Of Kaitaia"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

"Matthews Of Kaitaia"

Books In Review

North Auckland's Church Pioneers THE pleasant country of the 1 . Mangonui coast, the valleys and forested hills that ringed in Kaitaia, and the narrowing peninsula, thence to the North Cape, was the scene of missionary labours probably less known than any x>ther in the history of Christian enterprise»in 'this island. It is timely therefore that the story of the Rev.''Joseph Matthews and the other stout-hearted English- men and women who changed a primitive region and people for the better should be given out in this, memoir by A. H. and A. W. Reed, who have published so many historical works, especially missionary chronicles, in this Centennial year. The narrative of a life of devotion to a. great ideal is compiled from manuscript records, church mission reports, and reminiscences from the Matthews and Puckey families and other pioneers of the North whose associations with North New Zealand date back, over a century. Joseph Matthews, the cWf figure, was born in Oxfordshire in 1808 and came to New Zealand in 1831. The story of the selection of Kaitaia as the scene of the most northern outpost of the Church

in New Zealand is full of adventure and triumph over difficulties. The missionary in those days had to do a great deal besides sowing the Gospel seed. He had to he -i\' fanner, carpenter, blacksmith, road maker, bridge builder, doctor, nurse, diplomatic intermediary between tribes, schoolmaster—in fact to work in every department of labour that helped'to redeem a wild and savage "land. As one .man seldom combined all those accomplishments, vigorous-helpers were needed and the venerated name of Puckey is as conspicuous almost, as Matthews in thesSe annals of the North. With vast labour the Kaitaia station and the adjacent Maori country became a garden and a farm. The first ploughing was done in 1840 with bullocks, but years before that the Maori adherents of the mission dug over the newly broken in country with spiades. Matthews and his' helpers introduced wheat, and besides that staple, oats, maize, potatoes and kumflra were grown in quantity, supplying the wants of the mission families and their Maori people, . the schools, the aged and the sick. In 1841 Dieffenbach; the scientist,; described the place as resembling an English village, so well advanced were the cultivations, gardens and orchards, with the church jtnd the various timber. buildings. The Matthews and Puckey families were fortunate in having, through all the rougl and often perilous pioneer years, th< firm friendship of the Chief Pana Kareao, a great figure in Rarawa anc Ao-pouri history. *