AN HISTORICAL SITE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1820, 5 August 1913, Page 5

AN HISTORICAL SITE.

AN EARLY i WELLINGTON REMINISCENCE.

"As one enters tho grounds of ilio new Parliamentary Buildings in Wellington from the corner of Bowen Street and Lambton Quay," writes a correspondent, "there aro preserved two trees (elms,' I •think). They stand not far apart on the left side of the walk as one approaches the site of the new buildings. It may not bo known to 'tho present generation, or to those who aro engaged in tho work of improving the grounds, that wlioro those, two trees aro growing is tho site of the lwmo of the first white man who lived in Wellington, or Wa-a-nga-nui-a-te-m, as the harbour was named by the Natives at that time. ■ Here, in a nian.uka_ wha.ro, with a roof thratched with toitoi, lived ona Richard Barret, or 'Dicky' Barrett as ho was familiarly known at t'lie time. Ho was a whaler, who was living there in his whore on Novembar 20, 1839, when a party consisting of tho late James Coutts Crawford, of Miramar, tho late Hugh Sinclair, of Wainiui-o-mata,' and their guido and intorpiretcT, Tom Wilson, from IGapiti, made their first visit to the place on the above date. ~ They had reached this spot from Kapifci by Mama, and on to tho mainland at Korohiwa, just souith of Titahi Bay, thcnico round to Pareanata (as it is now named) on the Porirua Harbour. From there by a Native (track over tlie hills to the Korakoro,. thonoo round the liiarbofur from Petone, Ngahmiranga, Kai-wliara-whaia, Te-aka-wai, Pirpitea, and on to To Are, returning to Mana by the same route.

"Such .an historical site might well be marked by a marble rfab, or other monument of a. lasting nature, suitably inscribed, and possibly by the figure of a whaler in tho act of throwing the h'axpoaa. Something like the following wxulidi be an appropriate inscription to record the fact:—

" Tiichard Barrett, a whaler, was the first white man who lived in Wellington. His house was on this spot. Ho was visited on the 20th November, 1839, by James Cautts Crawford, late of Minamor, Hugh Sinclair, late of WaiwuVc-niata, with their, guide and interpreter (Tom Wilson), of Kapiti. This harbour waa named by the Natives at tho time Wtwi-nga-nui-a-to-ra/ "