HILLCREST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 83, 22 June 1943, Page 6

HILLCREST

WHAKATANE'S GROWING

SUBURB

LINK WITH HISTORIC PAST By P. Kecgan Could anyone enjoy a better view of sea and sky and rolling- fertile country than Hiilerest has to offer. Looking at the picture on sunny day when the air is like, the Klixor of Life one could gaze and dream and enjoy a perfect existence to the full. Does anyone who visits Hillerest ever dream and give his thoughts a free rein, or docs lie just look at the beautiful scene that is his, and enjoy the sun, the view, the balmy air, and perhaps, the qpic.t lapping of the sea that Avill colour ills dream. Jjf so he will look to the future and to the past and he must find food for thought. Hillerest and Whakatane lias a future as well as a past. The dreamer will see many changes ahead. The dairying land of the country Avill be subdivided into oO cow farms before lie wakes and a large population will spring up while lie sleeps. Will he see. a giant air port, on the sandhills -with, huge air liners arriving from all parts of the world. Air travel will alter the centre of gravity for population. The centre will not be so when the railways link up the country with harbours. They will still, deal with, produce but the dreamer will sec air travel alter all passenger traffic and Whakatane must cope with some of it. Whakatane has a wonderful- future and perhaps a more wonderful past. The. hills above Whakatane must have carried a large population of brave brown men of the stone age, with their laws, and customs which were strictly enforced. A population perhaps equal to the present day.

Many acres to kumara plantations had to be. tended. One can almost see hundreds, of men, Avomen and children toiling from such time to harvest knowing full well that the slacker -would go hungry.

One can almost hear the voices of little children and follow them in their play and hear words of advice and the stern rebuke of their elders when necessary. They must nave had songs and games and seats of essential learning as Ave have had. The fortified pahs took time and patience to build and repair with their primtivc tools. The Hill-crest fortifications were an inspiring sight to friend and foe. Although the Maori led a fairly peaceful life there Avere times Avhen the ground trembled Avith the Avar dance and sounds of battle drowned all else. The people of settled pahs were at times called upon to defend their plantations and fishing rights and their homes. What a pity it is that, most of the history of the old fortifications has been lost. Some of our Maori friends maj r have preserved some of it. What a pity it could not be written and published. The Hillercst Maori had free access to the sea as avcll as fishing rights on the Rangitaiki which were respected, by his neighbours. Taken these the Maori fought fiercely for his rights. At times a trivial incident Avould provoke a fine battle and bitterenmity. A Maori on Hillcrest found that his eel baskets on the. Rangitaiki Plains had been interfered with and his fish taken. It was his place to find the marauder and bring him to book and establish his right to his eel pool with his strong anil. It was. his own affair, so hi; wen ton his own out in the grey of the morning and hid in a flax bush by the pool. His waiting was soon ended. Two young men from Rewatu Pah came along and took his fish. Packing their catch into kits the eel basket was thrown back into the pool. Strapping the baskets to their backs they laughed and. joked at the owner's expense. The joke cost them their lives.

Tliey found it a serious joke to get betwen a hungry man and his dinner. A fierce warrior sprang i'roni a lax bush brindishing- a ilong' handled tomahawk. With the kits strapped to their backs they could neither light nor run. Two swift strokes and they paid the penalty. Willing hands carried them home where they were put in the hangi with the an] a feast ay as celebrated at the expense of the enemy, but the a lair Avas not endedA neighbourly visit Avas expected.

The visitors said, "Two of our people have wandered. Have you seen them?" "Us," came the reply, "we have not only seen them hut we have tasted them. They made a good dish with the eels. And if anymore of your people wander in the same direction they will he. very Aveleome." This was a declaration of. Avar. To> have killed k couple of their neighbours might be overlooked when caught where they had. no right to be, but, to degrade them by cooking in a hangi with the tuna was an insult that must be reckoned Avith. An armed party Avas soon on the move. To storm the Hillerest Pah was an impossibility but blood had to How out of loyalty to those Avlio hail been degraded. The pa offering the insult manned its defences. The people in the surrounding Pas looked on. It was none of their affair. It Avas a quarrel between neighbours. They could only come into it if their friends were getting too hard pressed. The. attackers led a forlorn hope when Ave re. killed and wounded on both sides. They only drew oil and retired- when enough killing had been done to avenge the insult to their people. Many had been sent to accompany them to To lleinga. is it any Avonder that the descendants of these people fight as fearlessly in battle to defend their ancient rights and traditions. Death is nothing to them. The parting is 1 felt keenly by their people. but in spite of a 101.1 years of orthodox, they know they will all ueet in Te Reinga with no further qualifications than the loyalty and 'oa'c and good felloAvship which after all is the true foundation of Maori character.