EARLY SURVEYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 August 1941, Page 7

EARLY SURVEYS

EXPERIENCES IN TAUPO DISTRICT MANY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. ROTARY CLUB ADDRESS. An interesting account of early survey work carried out in the Taupo district, and some observations on the Maori, were given by Mr A. H. Bogle at the weekly meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club today. The president, Mr P. F. Fagan, presided over a good attendance of members. Mr Bogle, who is a resident of Wanganui, is a member of the Survey Board and an ex-member of the Town Planning Board. Mr Bogie’s remarks on early surveying work in the Taupo district were intermingled with references to the Maori. The Taupo district was one of the few districts of New Zealand which retained a definite native population and some relics of Maoris’ former ways of life. “Since the practice of navigation is based on the same science which provides the foundation of the surveying profession I claim that the first surveyor in New ■ Zealand was Kupe, said Mr Bogle. “Kupe, who came to New Zealand about the time of the Norman Conquest, was assuredly a navigator. He not only found New Zealand, a speck in the ocean, after travelling 2.000 miles, working by the stars and the steady roll of the waves before the trade winds, but piloted his course home again. Several canoes also went back and forth on nothing but his verbal directions, preserved by the tohungas.” Mr Bogle then dealt with the difficulties associated with surveying in the early days in the Taupo district. The first pakeha surveyors came into the Taupo district about 1880. following arrangements having been made to stock the tussock country with sheep, said Mr Bogle. Mr William Cussen, Auckland, was selected for the work. In addition to defining the areas leased for sheep raising the Government was anxious to set up trigonometrical stations on Ruapehu and other prominent peaks to link up with the major triangulation surveys already existing north and south of the Taupo district. The first station set up was on Motu O Apa, the high headland on the western side of the Tokaanu Road. Then followed Karangahape. the high cliff face on the western lake and Kakaramaea, the peak immediately above the native village of Waihi. Except for burning the fern and pulling down flags no pronounced opposition was offered by the natives. The ascent of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe was a different matter. Cussen overcame the difficulties, however. He sent his gear aboard the lake steamer as though he was going back to Taupo. In the meantime Mr L. M. Grace, a son of the early Taupo missionary, commenced to climb Ngauruhoe from the south side while Cussen and two companions rode by different routes around Pihanga where the present road ran. The hostile natives were on guard at the Pononga saddle, near Lake Roto Aira. The first news they learnt of the feat being carried out was the sight of a gleaming biscuit tin set up on a pole. The The Ngauruhoe station was shifted to Tongariro some years later as the old volcano was in a constant state of tremor.

The opposition was primarily because the mountains were sacred to the natives, Tongariro, in particular, as it was regarded as an actual ancestor. said Mr Bogle. Governor Grey was not permitted to ascend it. The tapu was lifted some years ago. The early military settlers in Taranaki’ had their farms surveyed by parties under the constant protection of forest rangers. There were numerous casualties until a ranger exposed Maori prisoners on a high scaffold to keep others from coming near. The favourite tactic was to send old women to pull up-the pegs or sit on .them. Similar trouble was experienced in the King Country.