Maori Hill Forts

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 408, 17 July 1928, Page 1

Maori Hill Forts

\ CAREFUL SURVEYS OF j ANCIENT FORTIFICA- j j TIONS SHOULD BE MADE. [ I 1 DESTRUCTION OF CONES DEPLORED A plea for the accurate mapping of the best preserved of the many Maori pa sites on the Auckland isthmus was entered by Mr. R. A. Falla in an interesting address last evening before the Maori race section of the Auckland Institute. Mr. Falla also strongly deprecated the destruction of several of the old Auckland fortifications to supply scoria requirements for the city and suburbs. “It would be quite impossible now in certain instances,” he remarked, “to make a careful record of the significant features of several of those old forts. This information has been entirely lost. It is good to know, therefore, that there are several notable examples still available for examination." jParticular reference was made to Three Kings, Mount Albert, Mount Wellington, and Mount Smart —all of which have suffered at the hands of the scoria searcher. PA 600 YEARS OLD In view of a suggestion last year that some of this work might be undertaken by members of the Maori race section, Mr. Falla gave some interesting information regarding records carefully made concerning the Korekore Pa, the ancient home of the Kawerau people, on the West Coast, in the vicinity of Murlwai. This hill was probably first fortified about 1250 A.D., as those people were pre-Toi. It withstood many seiges and attacks during the 400 or 500 years in which it was occupied. The present growth of well established forest on the site suggested that the pa had not been occupied for at least 200 years. A detailed description of these earthworks had also been made by Dr. R. W. Firth, from which the speaker freely drew. Mr. George Graham, who presided, agreed with Mr. Falla regarding the period that Korekore had remained unoccupied. The Kawerau people, he explained, had originally come from the Bay of Plenty district. In later years they suffered csonsiderably at the hands of the Northern Maori.-. There were still remnants of the Kawerau people living in the district, but they had considerably intermarried during the years with other Maoris, and there was iittle to remind observers of their associations of centuries ago. Mr. Graham also supported Mr. Falla’s remarks concerning the necessity of recording the characteristics of these hill fortifications in the vicinity of Auckland before it was too late. Ic was essential, however, he emphasised, that the services of a qualified surveyor should be obtained.