Where Governor Hobson Read His Proclamation

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 182, 22 October 1927, Page 24 (Supplement)

Where Governor Hobson Read His Proclamation

(Written for THE SUN by

F. B. MABIN)

■ i |ip m -lERE is very little authentic information available r about the old and historical church in Russell which was built as far back as the year 1836, and which stands to-day as a monument to the good old pioneers. The church has passed through many vicissitudes, but the graves in the church-yard to-day are kept in-perfect order. No visitor to Russell finds his stay complete without paying at least one visit to this memorable place. It was in 1834 that some residents of Ivororareka (as Russell was formerly called) decided to take the necessary steps to raise funds to ei’ect a church, but the actual date when the building was ready for worship is not certain. In the year 1534 the Church Missionary Society sent out a Mr. Charles Nesbit to construct churches and the first he built was the one at Russell, the erection of which was supervised by Mr. Charles Baker. Strange to relate, this church was built facing north and south instead of the usual east and west. In the year 1838 the society at Home sent out bells for the churches at Paihia, Waimate (North), and Kaitaia. The church at Russell possessed a bell —it was hung inside the churchyard gate—but unfortunately one day while the bell was being rung it was str by a stone and cracked. The bell was taken down and had to be sent back to England, to be recast. This would be in about the year 1863. The bell arrived back in New Zealand safely, but to this day it has not reached its proper destination. For a long time inquiries were instituted with a view to having the bell restored to its proiier place. Rumour hath it, that the Ivororareka bell found a home away down near the Waikato heads and that it still rings out clearly, in a country church, to announce the services. Even to this day, there are Russell residents who hanker to see the bell restored to the tower over the church in Russel.

Bishop Broughton ■who was the first j Anglican Bishop of Australia, preached i in the church on December 23, 1838,' and consecrated the graveyard on January 24, 1839. The church had previously been visited by the Rev. Samuel Marsden in the year 1537. It is interesting to note among the original subscribers to the church fund the name of Charles Darwin, the great naturalist. He was a visitor to the Bay of Islands on the H.M.S. Beagle in the year 1835. In 1840 Captain William Hobson arrived in the H.M.S. Herald, and read in the church the Crown Proclamation, and liis Commission as Lieut.-Gover-nor. This, it is understood, was the first official act that had taken place on shore in New Zealand. In 1845 the terrible war with the natives began, and the township was practically destroyed, but it must be said of the Maoris that neither the church nor other building that was devoted to religious purposes was in any way touched.| The church, however, was hit in a number of places by bullets, and also by a shot from the Hazard. Recently the historic old building underwent repairing operations, but to this day some of the holes may he observed in the walls. Captain Robertson who had been acting in command of the Hazard at the time of the attack landed from his ship during the heavy fighting. He was cut off from his meii and had to fight single-handed, with his hack to a post where the south-west corner of the church fence now stands. He was wounded no fewer than five times before he was rescued. The fame of his great fight spread far and wide among the natives, even as far as Rotorua. In recent years the Government has shown some interest in the historical graves of the Dominion, and it is pleasing to-day to see that everything in this sacred spot is so neat and tidy. It is to the late Mr. J. W. Martin, at one time a Judge of the Supreme Court, and a resident of Russell for many years, to whom the credit must be given for compiling a record of the first church built in the Dominion.