Historic Cemetery.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1939, Page 4

Historic Cemetery.

A plea for the preservation of the historic cemetery alongside St James’ l Church at Mangere Bridge, Auckland, has been answered by a decision of the Internal Affairs Department to authorise the extensive renovation of the memorial to Epiha te Tuhi and Kati Takiwaru, two Waikato Maori chiefs famous in the early history of the colony. The churchyard was found to be in a very neglected state and, following the restoration of the memorials, it is hoped that steps will be taken locally to keep the burial

ground in order. St James' Church itself was built in the missionary era and, in a perfect state of preservation, it is still used regularly for services in which Europeans and Maoris join. Efforts have been made recently by Maoris to improve the condition of the burial ground. First Book Printed in New Zealand. The first book printed in New Zealand was a translation into Maori ol* the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Philippians. The Church Missionary Press was landed at the Society's station at Paihia, Bay of Islands on December 30, 1834, and early in 1835, William Colenso finished printing this sixteen page “pukapuka,” the first instalment of the complete 1837 Maori New Testament. The first book printed in English in New Zealanld was a temperance pamphlet. That was in 1836, when drunkenness at Kororareka was cause of such grave anxiety to the respectable white residents that they formed a society to combat it/