TE KOOTI - and the story of Matawhero Church

Te Kooti was born approximately 1832, in the Gisborne area of New Zealand. He was a member of the Rongowhakaata tribe from Poverty Bay. Although born of a good family, he was not of chiefly rank. He rose, however, to become the most feared and hated of warriors due not only to his fierce fighting, but also to his powerful personality.

In his childhood Te Kooti attended an Anglican Mission school, the Whakatao School, of the Church Missionary Society. He was baptised with the name of Te Kooti. His ancestral name was Te Turuki, which was taken from his uncle.

As Te Kooti grew, he earned a living by trading with the Poverty Bay area Europeans. He came to know and understand the "pakeha" well. In 1852 he became notorious in the area when he joined forces with a group of other young Māori and began seizing settlers' property, in revenge for grievances.

These actions aroused the wrath not only of the "pakeha" settlers, but also of Te Kooti's own chiefs. A "taua" was led against Te Kooti by the Te Aitanga a Mahaki in 1853, in reprisal for Te Kooti terrorising the area.

The arrival of the Pai Maarire, or Hauhau religion to the Poverty Bay area in 1865 also brought the civil war to the area. Two of the larger tribes, Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki converted to the new faith. Although the large number of converts who joined Pai Maarire did so with the aim of defending their land, they did not see themselves as having turned against either the "pakeha" or the Government.


Te Kooti, who did not join the Pai Maarire movement, fought alongside Government forces and pro-government Māori in the siege of Waeranga-a-Hika, against Pai Maarire Hauhaus. However, he was accused of supplying ammunition to the insiders of the pa at Waerenga a Hika. Te Kooti's brother, Komene, a Pai Maarire adept, was inside the pa at the time.

These suspicions led to Te Kooti being arrested, but he was later released due to lack of evidence. Although Te Kooti had never actually taken up arms against the Government, he was re-arrested in 1866 on spying charges, and deported to the Chatham Islands (off the South Island coast). This was also a time when the Government was endeavouring to carry out large scale land confiscation - yet Te Kooti's enemies were not only European - he had also made bitter enemies among his fellow Māori.

In 1867 during his confinement on the Chathams, Te Kooti founded the Ringatu movement, which was based on Hauhauism. Te Kooti had seen two visions ; a lizard, and a flame which did not burn. The lizard was feared in ancient times, as it was considered to be the vehicle of Whiro, the god who personified all that is evil. In ancient Māori mythology, should the gods wish to kill a person they would invoke a lizard to enter into the person's the body. The lizard would eat away the main body functions, and the person would die. As a counteraction to the lizard, the non-burning flame in Te Kooti's vision was seen as life giving, and therefore transforming.

Ringatu stood for "The Upraised Hand". This referred to Te Kooti and his followers practice of raising their right hands after prayers. Ringatu was also born of a mixture of Old Testament beliefs. The Ringatu followers identified themselves with the Israelites escaping from Pharaoh, and returning to their promised land. Most of Te Kooti's fellow prisoners became converted to the Ringatu cult. Te Kooti was considered to be the spokesman of God.

On 4th July 1868 Te Kooti escaped from the Chathams by an ingenious and well organised plan. On this same day the schooner "Rifleman" laid anchor at the Chathams, to deliver supplies. Te Kooti and his fellow prisoners overcame the Island guards, and captured "The Rifleman", taking the crew completely by surprise. There was reportedly only one European casualty during the take-over.

"The Rifleman", now under Te Kooti's command, left the Chathams with nearly all prisoners aboard and set sail for Whareongaonga, on the east coast, to the south of Turanga. They arrived here on 10th July, whereupon Te Kooti released the crew of "The Rifleman", reportedly without harm. On hearing of Te Kooti's escape, the army officer who had originally deported Te Kooti to the Chathams sent a message ordering Te Kooti and his men to surrender. Te Kooti, who had warned that he would not fight unless attacked himself, declined the offer of surrender. He and his followers were now well armed with ammunition taken from "The Rifleman".

A group of Europeans and pro-government Māori were then gathered with the aim of capturing Te Kooti.

(Great Britain decided to withdraw the British Imperial troops from New Zealand. The last of these troops left in 1870. The British Government had decided that the Governor of New Zealand, Governor Grey, was incapable of quelling the Māori rebellion. The British Government felt that the Wars would simply continue indefinitely, and become too costly for a far off nation to maintain. After the withdrawal of the British troops, colonial militia with pro-government Māori allies made up the fighting force in New Zealand.)

According to the Telegraph Service, which had just opened between Napier and Wellington, 40 military settlers and 80 pro-government Māori made their way on 14th July 1868 to Turanga (Gisborne) where Te Kooti and his followers had settled. While trying to take Te Kooti during a battle at Matawhero, the officer leading the raid, along with a number of European and Māori were killed.

Te Kooti subsequently captured around 300 local Māori during raids which followed around the district. After more raids, and continually on the run, Te Kooti finally remained between the years of 1873 and 1883 at Te Kuiti, in the King Country, where he was protected by the Māori King Tawhiao.

(Tawhiao was declared King on the death of his father, Te Wherowhero. Te Wherowhero is the family name of Māori kings. Tawhiao, full name Matutaera Te Pukepuke Te Paue Te Karato Te-A-Potatau Tawhiao Te Wherowhero, born 1825, fought in battles against the Europeans during the land wars. He died in 1894.

During the 1850's, growing discontent with the continuing sale of land led to the uniting of a group of tribes in the Waikato area, forming a federation. In 1858 a King was elected, Te Wherowhero, who became known as King Potatau. The federation became known as the King Movement, and was based in what became known as the King Country. )

In 1883, the Government formally pardoned Te Kooti, and from this date Te Kooti lived at Otewa, between Kihikihi and Te Kuiti - but he was not happy here. He wanted land that he could claim as his own. In 1891 the Government finally gave Te Kooti an area of land at Wainui, where a marae for the Ringatu church was established after Te Kooti's death at Te Karaka, on 17th April 1893.

Between 1860 - 1861 the Taranaki War took place in this area. The British hoped to break the King movement, seeing it as a threat to British sovereignty. The battle of Puketakauere was a major battle during the Taranaki War.

COOK'S LANDING SITE

Titirangi, Poho o Rawiri, Cook Landing Site

Titirangi was named by the first Maori settlers in remembrance of their mountain in Hawaiki. It was the site of an extensive pa, bearing the same name, whose origins can be traced back for at least twenty-four Maori generations. The hill was also a place of whare wananga - houses of special learning.

Local tradition holds that the Horouta canoe brought the first Maori migrants to this area where they established themselves at Titirangi which proved an ideal site. The summit, at 130m, lent itself admirably to defence against enemies as it gave sentries clear views of the surrounding land and sea, while the precipitous slopes gave protection against invaders. The gullies and sun-warmed terraces below the summit offered arable land and spring water while on the rocks of the seashore were ample supplies of kaimoana.

When Captain James Cook stepped ashore in 1769 at the base of the hill near the Horouta landing place, Titirangi was no longer occupied although small villages were on some of the lower slopes.

Waikahua cottage was built on a lower seaward facing slope in 1865 by the Williams family, when Hauhau unrest put the safety of the inland Waerengaahika Mission Station in jeopardy. It served as refuge for the wounded in the ensuing battle and also in 1868 when Te Kooti raided Matawhero. Archdeacon William Leonard Williams lived at Waikahua with his family whenever they were in Turanga until a new house was built in the township in 1876. The cottage was then shifted across the river to the Te Rau Theological College.

On a slope overlooking the nearby freezing company is a marble memorial, erected after World War 1 by freezing workers in memory of their fallen comrades. Also at this time plantings of varieties of exotic trees began on the northern and western slopes.

Between 1937 and 1942 the RSA established a memorial park over 48.5 ha of the hill, gifts of land being made by a number of prominent Maori and European citizens. The Titirangi Domain Board was formed and took control of the land for public noncommercial use.

The hill assumed a strategic function during World War 11 with the building of a gun emplacement near the summit. A road was formed to the top to service the gunners and the nearby barracks. The construction of the road and the later extension along the ridge in 1969 meant that all chance of careful archaeological investigation of the ancient pa site was virtually destroyed.

Titirangi offers magnificent views of Poverty Bay, Gisborne City and the surrounding rural areas. Place of interest include the plane table, Cook Bi-Centenary Memorial Plaza, gun emplacement and observatory.

Recent native tree plantings, the establishment of fitness stations and the development of extensive walkways with picnic tables and seating areas have created Titirangi Recreational Reserve which is a part of Titirangi Domain.
Poho o rawiri

Poho 0 Rawiri ranks high among the important and historical whare runanga of Tairawhiti.

The first house of this name was built after the death of Rawiri Te Eke in 1852 and by the 1880s the house was becoming uninhabitable. About this time the amo and maihi passed into the hands of Archdeacon H Williams who in 1913 presented them to the Dominion Museum.

The second house was built about the 1890s on the same marae situated in Hirini Street opposite the cemetery and was in use until the site was required for harbour extensions in the late 1920s. The carved ancestral pou tahu came from Poho 0 Mahaki which was built in 1830. These carvings were placed in safe keeping before the Hauhau seige of Waerengaahika in 1865. Today they have a secure home at the present Poho 0 Rawiri.

The present whare runanga, Poho 0 Rawiri, stands imposingly at the foot of Titirangi. When opened it was reputed to be the largest meeting house in New Zealand. The whole structure stands on a concrete foundation with a concrete porch. It was the first meeting house to have a steel ridge pole. With walls of timber, a galvanised iron roof and electric wiring throughout it was indeed a modern structure. The richly decorated interior incorporates many noteworthy features, quite radical for the time, the more unusual being interior alcoves and stage. The stage is framed by carved maihi with a koruru at the apex, making the stage a meeting house within a meeting house. The carving was carried out at the Maori school of art in Rotorua.

The tekoteko, a human figure kneeling on the right knee with the right hand held upwards, represents Rawiri Te Eke Tu A Terangi, the ancestor who challenges those who enter the marae. Inside the venerated ancestor Kahungunu faces the door.

Many notable dignitaries attended the opening celebrations on 11 March 1930. Amongst these were Dr Peter Buck, Sir Apirana Ngata and the Hon G W Forbes, the Deputy Leader of the Government. Since opening, this marae has welcomed Royalty and other dignitaries. It has played an important role for the City of Gisborne.

In an idyllic spot on the side of the hill stands the little church, Toko Toru Tapu, the foundation stone of which was laid by Bishop W H Williams on 10 January 1936. Near the church hangs Whenuanui, the church bell.

Due to the renaissance of interest in Maori culture during the 1980s alterations and additions became necessary to accommodate the increase in the number of people using the marae facilities. The dining hall, Te Poho o Hine i Tuhia o Terangi, has been extended; a covered area, Papa Whariki, has been built; a kokiri centre has been established for meetings and training courses; the Titirangi tennis courts have been extensively upgraded; while a kohanga reo caters for the very young.

Ngati One One have made this a shared place.
Cook landing site national historic reserve

Captain James Cook RN was offered the command of the 'Endeavour' by the Admiraity in 1768 to undertake a voyage of discovery in the Pacific Ocean. After leaving Tahiti he followed, sealed orders' and on 8 October 1769 arrived off the East Coast of New Zealand where Nicholas Young was the first on board to sight the coastal hills.

Local folklore tells that the Maori of the time perceived the 'Endeavour' as an enormous bird with wings of great size and beauty. The longboats they regarded as fledglings while the occupants, Cook and his men, were thought to be atua.

On 9 October 1769 Cook and his party made their historic landing just to the east of the Turanganui River mouth. Cook and some of his men crossed the river and walked along Waikanae Stream leaving gifts near some Maori whare. On hearing gunfire they hurriedly returned to find that a Maori of Aitanga a Hauiti had been killed while warning shots were being fired.

The following day local Rongowhakaata challenged a landing party with a haka and Cook and a Maori leader met with a hongi and exchanged gifts. Warriors and sailors mixed together uneasily and when a sword was snatched a shot was fired and a Maori was fatally wounded.

More unfortunate deaths occurred when canoes, approaching the 'Endeavour', failed to understand the marines' signal volley. However, some Maori were taken on board, fed, given gifts and after a night on board were rowed ashore next morning. Cook and a party including Mr Banks, Dr Solander and Tupaea, a Tahitian interpreter, walked along the sand-hills shooting waterfowl on the way. When they returned to the longboat they met a large party of Maori and further conversation and exchange of goods took place.

Cook weighed anchor on 12 October and the 'Endeavour' sailed from Poverty Bay, named by Cook "...as it afforded us not one thing we wanted".

In 1906 a handsome granite sheathed concrete obelisk and pedestal was erected to mark the site of the landing of Captain James Cook. Money was raised nation-wide with each school child contributing one penny and the monument was unveiled by Sir James Carroll and Bishop Leonard Williams. In 1966 the reserve surrounding the monument was declared an historic reserve. In 1987 the Planning Tribunal granted a 'cone of vision' within which development is restricted so that the open sea and Young Nicks Head can always be viewed from the Cook Monument.

On 9 October 1990 this area was declared a National Historic Reserve, the first on the New Zealand mainland. It is of great national significance as it is close to the place where Maori and European began to learn about each other.

Cook wrote on the 9th his journal entry. He used 'ship time' - measured from noon to noon. The civilians on board called the day the 8th.

GISBORNE BEACHES

Gisborne is a paradise for surfers. There are several beaches to chill out: Midway Beach, Waikanae Beach, Kaiti Beach, Wainui Beach, Makorori Beach and Tatapouri Beach.

GISBORNE SIGHTS

A sightseeing tour around Gisborne city is about 1.5 - 2 hours.
Gisborne has THE MOST historic place in NZ - the Cook's Landing Site, which has written the history of modern NZ.

WINE TOUR

Wineries frequently visited: Milltons, Bushmere Estate, The Works, Wrights Wines, Hihi, Matawhero Wines, KEW, Brunton Road, Stonebridge, TW, Amor Bendell,...

WINE TASTING

Wine Tours usually start noon or 12:30pm and go for about 4-5 hours. We visit 4-5 wineries, some charge a small tasting fee, ($5 or $10, including a cheese platter) which is waned when purchasing a bottle of wine.

Come to the East Coast - where NZ history was written

We offer sightseeing tours around Gisborne, Wine tasting, Stingray feeding, shark cage diving, bushwalking around Lake Waikaremoana, a daytrip to the East Cape, Rivercruises and Steamtrain Rides, Picnic on the beach at Tolaga Bay and Anaura Bay,..... and much more..... come and check us out!