LOSS OF HISTORIC HOME BY FIRE

Chronicle (Levin), 21 September 1946, Page 2

LOSS OF HISTORIC HOME BY FIRE

MAORI CURIOS DESTROYED | "Manaaki," the eight-roomed home of Mrs. Webber, which was j destroyed by fire at Waioru, at the j northern end of Kapiti Island, was j known to many stranded yachts- j men and- fishermen who have I enjoyed the hospitality over the! years of tlie owner and her late , husband, Mr. Hona Webber. The! fire, unfortunately, destroyed many valuable family relics, such as Maori curios, pictures and carvings. The late Mr. Webber was known as oue of the most expert carvers on the West Coast, and examples of J his work were known to have been m the house. . i Though countless travellers have passed within sight of the island, ; both by rail and road, compara- : tively few have had the opportunity , of visitlng it. For many years ' Kapiti has3 been a bird sanctuary. Both Mrs. Webber and her late husband were associated intimately with the island from childhood. Mr. Webber was a lover of nr-ture: both the forest and the bird-life that it contained appealed Lo him particularly. There is a small stream in the vicinity of -Manaaki," which he dammed, and .Jtie countless wild ducks thai assembled there became so tame aiat they would feed out of his hand. The grounds surrounding the house have always been admired by visitors. The puriri and pohutukawa trees that he planted make a wonderful show when in fiower. The white-headcd canary, and the numerous tuis, also parroquets, now rarely seen on the mainland, were all his friends. Indeed the tuis were so tame that they would take sugar from his lips.

Eventi'ul History Kapiti has a long and eventful history.- In the early whaling period there were several stations •011 the island, and at one time it had more Europeans settled there than Wellington could boast. For many years it was the home of the Rangi-tane and Ngati-Apa tribes, who were oiisted by Te Peehi Kupe, ■ one of the first warriors from that coast to visit England. From then on it was the property of tho Ngati-Tca and associated tribes. Te , Rauparaha and his nephew, Te I Rangihaeta, made lengthy stays j there. The small lake near the ! home of Mrs. Webber is said to I contain many Maori bones, and j not a few valuables. Kapiti i became the burial place of Te ' Rauparaha, though much speculafcion exists to-day as to the actual whereabouts of his body. The. secret has probably gone with aii older generation. Mrs. Webber is a direct descend- ! ant of Te Peehi. Her father was !the late Wi Parata (also known as | Waipunahau and Kakakura ) one n uie mosi prominent chiefs of his 1 day. Wi Parata, who was born j about 1837, and died in 1906, came I of Ngati-Toa and At-Arwa noble Rock. In ssociation with the Hon. iwi Tako, M.L.C., he had much to idi with the early history of the j Maori King movement. In 1871 he ! was elected to represent the Westj 'jin Maori seat in Parliament, and |he represented the Maori race in 1 ?everal ministries until 1876. During their long association with Kapiti, Mr. and Mrs. Webber sn ,crt ained many distinguished visitors, and their hospitality was i unbounded. Lady Alice Ferguson jwas only one of many Viceregal i visitors, who delighted in the ! unspoilt natural surroundings of j -Manaaki." Years before an earlier | Gr.vrrnor, Sir George Grey. endeavoured to purchase Kapiti for an j island home. IIe was unsuccessful i both tli-re, and in his negotiations ' I'.-ir M ikoia, in Lake Rotorua, and I finolly obtaincd Kawau Island, north of An.ckland.