TAUPO'S EARLY MAIL SERVICES

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 6, 20 February 1952, Page 2

TAUPO'S EARLY MAIL SERVICES

Historic Pioneeriog

[By

Albert H.

Reid]

OHAUPO, by reason of its situation, was an important centre in the early Maori systems of pre-European communication routes. The Waikato, Rangitikei and Wanganui rivers offorded natural channels to and from the centre of the island. Over the comparativeiy low passes north of the Ruahine Ranges and south of the Kaimanawas, communication with Hawkes' Bay was possible. The Rev. Mr Colenso, noted explorer of these central areas in the early forties, tracked from the Ruahines to Taupo, and thence south-east to Hawkes' Bay. He later made further trips through the area and was well aware of the geographical advantage of Taupo as an important link in central-island communication. It became apparent that commercial relations between Auckland and Hawkes* Bay had become of such importance by 1856 as to make desirable the establishment of some more regular means of communication than that afforded by chance trading vessels sailing at irregular intervals. This led to the despatch from Auckland of an expeditionary mail carried by a Mr A. Simpson, who arrived in Napier on the 6th of May, 1856. The main purpose of the trip was exploratory and the route taken was via Taupo. The first overland mail serviee between Auckland and Napier, established in 1857 passed through Taupo. A fortnightly serviee from Auckland overland to Otawhao, about a miie from the present town of Te Aramutu, was already in existence, and it was decided to extend this to Napier. The negotiations between the Government and the native owners oi land through which the mail was to be carried were protracted, and it was due largeiy to the energy and tact of the Rev. John Morgan, of the Native Missions School at Otawhao, and Mr Alexander, of Napier, that the difficulties weri* overcome. The country between Otawhao and Napier was in many places difficult even for foot travellers and quite impassable for horses, so that the first requisite for establishing a postal serviee was to improve the road. The fears entertained by the Maoris that any outlay by the Government in undertaking the necessary works would in' some way or other affect their title to the land entered upon necessifcated the utmost diseretion in carrying on the negotiations and it was arranged eventually that the work should be done exclusively by natives of the district, and that they should also have the contract for the conveyance of the mail. So completely were the doubts of the Maoris dispelled that frequent applications were made later for a further extension of the serviee into the native districts. First Mail Contracts Two separate contracts were taken by the natives for the perfomance of the serviee, one betwwen Auckland and Taupo and the other between Taupo and Napier. Before the completion of a proper track on the NapierTaupo section the mailman waited 11 1 days at Taupo for the return bag | from Napier. The total cost of the through serviee | from Auckland to Napier was about £250 per annum. The original contract time for the whole distance was eleven days — seven days from Auckland to Taupo and four days from Taupo to Napier. In 1863 the serviee was discontinued ! owing to dissatisfaction in the native districts through which it passed. The mail from Auckland to Taupo had been practically for one family only, the household of the Rev. Mr Grace, who about 1852 established at Pukawa on the Western Bay of the Lake, the first mission station and school in the Taupo district. The mail left Otawhao in charge of a Waikato carrier and was met about halfway by a carrier fronr Taupo. The bag was, of course, properly sealed, and when the carrier came into the mission station there was great curiosity among the Maoris to see the "Sacred Seal" of the bag cut. The bag is said to have contained a gold coin which it

was the Rev. Mr Grace's duty to hand over to the mailman for his trip of ninety odd miles from Te Awamutu over the Poukani track to Pukawa up the western side of the Lake. Mr Grace then made up the return mail for Auckland and handed it over to the mailman. It is reported that on several occasions the mail bag for Pukawa contained silver coins from £3 to £4 worth all of which was delivered without a single coin missing, a testimony to the honesty of the Maori carriers. The mail bag from Auckland to Napier was handed over by the Waikato carrier to the Taupo-Napier carrier at Oruanui, where a Mr Law, assistant teacher at Pukawa School, was stationed in 1862-63. Mr Law who was the only European stationed there at the time, attended to mail matters as far as the north end of the Lake was concerned. When the Taupo Maoris joined the Waikato tribes in the outbreak of hostilities in 1863, they arranged for forty men and women to take Mr Grace safely to the coast at Matata, which was reached at the end of November, the journey taking over a month. The large mission buildings at Taupo were all destroyed during the war by the followers of Te Kooti, not by the Taupo Maoris. In the year 1869, a party of 14 troopers was engaged carrying despatches from Napier to Taupo. While at breakfast at Opepe the party was surprised by Te Kooti and followers, and 9 were killed. Detachment of armed constabulary were then despatched to various places along the road to Napier. Redoubts were formed at Taupo, Opepe, Te Haroto, Runanga and Tarawera. The full force comprised about 300 men. The constabulary remained in Taupo for about 15 years, when they were disbanded. In 1871 a fortnightly mail . serviee was established between Napier and Tauranga, via Taupo, and in 1872 the frequency of the Napier-Taupo section was increased to twice weekly with a coach serviee. In 1873 the serviee between Tauranga - Taupo was carried by coach twice weekly. Taupo Post Office Opened On January 1st, 1871 a post office was opened at Taupo under the name of Tapuaeharuru, the first postmaster being Mr G. M. Park, who is reported to have made the first* successful liberations of brown fry into the lake in 1894, the ova being obtained from the Masterton hatcheries. Some years later the rainbow species which is now predominant was introduced. The names of the postmasters since Mr Park and the years in which they were appointed are as follows: — G. Crossman, 1874; A. J. Percival, 1881; G. Blake, 1881; C. J. Norton, 1882; G. M. Park (second time) 1890; J. W. Salmon, 1896; G. F. Day, 1900; J. Coutts, 1901; A. E. Snaith, 1909; A. B. Card, 1915; T. Skinner, 1916; J. T. Redmond, 1916; F. G. King, 1917; T. M. Crawford, 1919; H. O. Baker, 1922; A. L. H. Stott, 1925; A. E. Broad, 1934; W. E. •S'niith, 1940; C. G. Anderson, 1942; B. M. Armstrong (present P.M.), 1946. The construction of the first telegraph line from Napier to Taupo was completed in 1870, in which year also the line between Taupo and Tauranga was completed, providing telegraphic communication between Wellington and Tauranga via Napier in one un- ' broken circuit measuring by wire close on 450 miles. By 1871 the line had been extended to Auckland. A money-order officp and savings \ bank were opened at Taupo in 1875, a telephone exchange established in 1913, and a letter delivery in early 1950. Taupo was originally in the Napier postal district and was transferred to the Auckland district in 1895, and when the Hamilton postal district was created in 1920, it was included in that district. First Motor Mail In 1903, the first motor car to be used for the conveyance of mails in New Zealand was placed in the Roto-rua-Taupo serviee by the contractor, Mr J. H. Jackson. The motor serviee operated during the summer months only, coach conveyances being reverted to in the winter. The old Post Office building was erected in 1911 by Mr J. R. McFar-j

lane, of Rotorua. The present building, eomprising both office accommodation and postmaster's residence was erected in 1940 by Messrs, Boon, Sullivan and Luke, of Whakatane, for the contract price of £5176. The following figures will indicate how the business has grown since 1910:—

Mr B. M. Armstrong, the present post master, has a staff of 12, including 4 on the exchange, all of whom are most efficient and obliging, althougk at times cluring the holiday period they are considerably overworked.

1910 1951 Letters Posted — 19,000 140,000 Letters Delivered — 22,000 200,000 Telegrams sent — 4,000 20,000 Telegrams Received — • (Not available) 12,500