SITE OF HAWERA TOWN.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1921, Page 10

SITE OF HAWERA TOWN.

INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. The statement made by a correspondent in a Wellington paper that there was bus.* ou the site where Hawera now stands has caused old-timers a measure of amusement, not unmixed with contempt that he should so show his ignorance (says the Star).

Chatting with one of the veterans of the Maori War, who went through most of the engagements on this coast, a Star representative learned some interesting history regarding the locality. He said that there undoubtedly had been heavy bush all over at some very early time, because he had when living in Regent Street dug a well and found, 20 feet down, puketea logs with green leaves. These trees never rot in the water. In the late ’sixties, when he was in the district, there was a line of bush about where the Manutahi station now is, and this extended up the coast, striking up to about where the Tawhiti factory now stands, and then back across to near Ohangai factol-y, thence across country to near Okaiawa, and so up towards the mountain. From this line out to the sea there was mainly tutu arid fern, with small patches of bush in the gullies. Talking of the Mountain Road, he. said that many years ago the Maoris had a dray road part of the way, but a Mr. Wilson was the first to attempt a road i on the east of the mountain, and later General Chute with his men cut a track and went through with pack horses in 1866. In that year, he added, he was the site of Haftera, at the Round Bush, composed mainly bf matipo, which they cut down for firewood. Another interesting fact he mentioned was that Titbkowaru was born at' the Waiokino village, near the Manaw'apou Road. A fire burnt this village, and from this fact Hawera got its name, “the burnt—or cleared—place”. He had, he said, never seen kauri about this dstrict. Some four or five years after the first coaches were driven through to New Plymouth by Cobb and Co.—the most famous name in New Zealand coaching history. The journey took two days, going by way of the sea coast. Talking of the fighting of those days, our informant said that there Was heavy btiSh fft Te Ngutu and at Pungarehu, a big native pa, and to get to the former spot the troops had to go through Pungarehu, clearing a way through the bush. In October, 1866, they had a brush with the Maoris, and burnt the Pungarehu village. This place was very strong, being fortified with matai logs notched into one another, and all loop-holed. Some time subsequently Sir George Grey came up with the 18th Royal Irish regiment, in an endeavor to fix up matters with the natives. Titokowaru’s people came in and took the oath of allegiance to Governor Grey. He was in camp with the forces for some time. The Fraser Road natives stood out for some time. The Turuturu-Mokai redoubt was built by the Royal Irish, and was one of the last to be built in New Zealand. An amusing incident was recalled to mind by the veteran when reminiscing over the troops. 'When troops were needed for the East Coast in 1869 one regiment was sent up to Auckland, via Waitara, and when wanted the only men available were the officers. The rest, having had s'ome weeks’ pay allotted, went on the spree in the city, and were only rounded up with considerable difficulty. His own corps, he added, were ordered to the East Coast, but to avoid any such trouble they were at Waitara taken on. board two small steamers, the Sturt, about 150 tons, and the St. Kilda, probably about’ 250 tons, the former acting as tender to the bigger boat. Instead of being landed at Auckland they were taken round the North Cape, and so to the other coast. This finished their work in Taranaki, for after > the East Coast troubles with Te Kooti were over the forces were taken down to Wellington.