LAST GREAT MAORI WAR CANOE

Newspaper  article reveals  near  destruction 

Stored away in the back of an old  Auckland  building  for  years  was  the  fabulous  war  canoe Te Toki a Tapiri ( The Battle axe of  Tapiri ), nearly 25 metres long , almost  two metres wide,  capable  of  carrying  nearly 100  warriors, which narrowly escaped  being  destroyed  .

 

The hull was   adzed out  from a  single  totara  log  about  1836  for Te Waaka Tarakau , chief of the Ngati  Matawhaiti  sub tribe of  Ngati Kahungunu, at Whakaki  Lagoon , near  Te  Wairoa, Hawkes Bay.

 Then it was  exchanged   for a  "famous cloak"  from the  Rangowhakaata tribe, Poverty Bay. The  new owners then  carried out  intricate carving and weaving  . 

Ownership of the huge canoe  changed  again  when it was    sold     to the  Ngati Teata tribe,  Waiuku, a special shed   built for it  at Rangatira, near Waiuku.  In 1860, following the outbreak of the Waikato War, Te  Toki a Tapiri was "confiscated " by   Government  forces. 

 In a  front page   article , The Manukau Progress  of October 16, l963 , dealing with  demolition of old   buildings in the  district ,  ran the above early photograph   with  interesting  information  about the  canoe .   From   the rear  of   one of  the  two storey  buildings   next  to  the  Auckland Store , owned  by  the "gallant " Captain Thomas Parnall, was  stored  the " famous  Maori  war  canoe ".

As  Company Commander of the  Onehunga  Naval Volunteers,  Captain Parnall  had led the expedition in the Lady Barkly  which in July l863 made a " sudden swoop on various creeks, bays and inlets", to seize Maori canoes  which might be  used  by "insurgent tribes"  in a raid on Auckland .  A  "great fleet " of canoes, including  Te  Toki a Tapiri, had been captured and  towed  to Geddes Basin  at Onehunga  to  await  orders of  Lieutenant-General  Sir  Duncan   Cameron .

He ordered  all of them  destroyed. However, prominent local people strongly urged  the   war  canoe  be saved  , and he reluctantly   relented , but insisted it be placed in  a  safe place and   guarded securely  for the duration of  the war .

Captain Parnall  and the Collector of Customs at Onehunga were made personally responsible  for the safe  keeping  of the canoe . It  was stored   at the rear of   Captain  Parnall's   coal   and  firewood  business.

Online information says the canoe was  repaired and  refloated as the main attraction  in the  l869  regatta  organised for the visit of   the Duke of Edinburgh.   It was reported that  attempts were made to blow it up  on Onehunga beach.  Paora Tuhaere, Ngati Whatua chief , of Orakei, subsequently looked after the canoe  and it was   presented to the Auckland Museum by  the government  in  1885, where it became  part  of a   major  display in the  Auckland  War Memorial  Museum , see  photo at  top  of  this  post . 

MEASLES, MAISIE AND CARNEGIE

A  mixed   package  sent  from   New Zealand  to  a researcher in North Queensland  has  resulted in    interesting   stories   emerging ,  ranging   from  the   Maori Wars  to  the  spread of  American  Carnegie  libraries  in   the  South  Pacific  and  elsewhere .  

The impressive building in this photograph, dated  1932, is  the Carnegie  Library ,  opened  in 1912,   at  Onehunga, Auckland, one  of  18  established  in  New Zealand  between  1908  and  1916  .    The   woman  in  the   photograph , Miss Gertrude Mary "Maisie"  Osborne , is of  particular interest  due  to  the    current   growing  concern  in  America and Australia  at the rising  number of  measles  cases.

Born in 1895  , at the age of   10 months ,  Maisie  caught  measles and   became deaf  as  a result. Over the years , she became  adept  at  lip reading , wrote   children's stories  for The  Manukau  Chronicle  and  Auckland  Provincial  Times , worked in  the library, her  father, Charles Alfred Osborne,  a  seaman,  shopkeeper  and   prominent   fireman , mentioned recently   in  Little Darwin . 

Included in the package  were  photographs of her  father in fireman's uniform with  many medals  and a  folded  typescript   outlining the history of  the Onehunga Fire Brigade from 1887 to 1946  for its diamond jubilee , a   real photo postcard of a mill fire  and  an  early 20th century "Vagrant Verse"  by  Shaun O'Sullivan   , of  Invercargill ,  dedicated to a fireman  , which  appeared in the  Southland Times.
 

Newspaper  clippings   and  handwritten  notes  helped  flesh out Miss Osborne's   life. While  modern newspapers  battle  plunging  hard  copy  circulation , she had been taking  the New Zealand Herald   for  79 years  , at the same address  , avidly  doing  the crossword with the help of a dictionary , surrounded by a Royal Doulton  collection . On reading  that she  had been  taking  the paper for so long, a  newsagent gave her a free subscription for  a  period. 
 

She  was  quoted  in newspaper  articles   and  claimed    her grandfather ,William J. Wernham,  had  planted  the  solitary  tree  on    Auckland's   One Tree    Hill.    

The above cabinet photograph of the Victoria Hotel  , at the corner of Victoria and  Grey Streets, Onehunga, is  thought  to include  uniformed  firemen   posing   at  the  front  of  the  building , which  opened  in  1862  and  closed  in  1906. Her father , who  joined the  brigade  in  1902 , was the first secretary of the Orphans Club , a borough councillor and secretary of the Onehunga Chamber of Commerce  for  10 years .

  

 Maisie was  invited  along with her parents to attend  the  April  15 ,1921   citizens  farewell  at the  Auckland Town Hall  for  Prime Minister   W.F. Massey
 and Mrs Massey on the eve of their departure to  the Imperial Conference in London .
   

Her father was invited to attend  the official opening of The British Isles Club  by the patron  , the  NZ  Governor- General , Viscount  Jellicoe  .

 

 Maisie's  mother ,Mary Ann Osborne,  greatly involved in community organisations , described  as  one of  the most esteemed  residents of  Onehunga , died in   l932 , aged  58.    

Second from the left, Maisie , in   l952  "Betty's wedding"  group  .
 

In recent  years ,  the  Carnegie Library building    at  Onehunga  was turned into  a  café,  some  others had closed   . Part of  a  Carnegie Library  was  installed in the police station   at  Borroloola  in Australia's   Northern Territory  Gulf country, its contents   read  by  Charters  Towers born  author Bill  Harney while  he  was  jousting  with  the  law . Scottish-American philanthropist  Andrew   Carnegie  donated large amounts  of money to set up  thousands   of  libraries   around  the  world , including the USA,  to enable  the  masses to be  exposed  to  literature  and further   their   education.
 

UPCOMING :   Maori canoes  and  other nautical matters .

ARGO A-GO-GO

 

Vallis  photos .

REDS IN AND UNDER THE BED

British workers were  warned  about the seductive allure of  Communism  in this great postcard  from  a superb North Queensland    collection  dealing with politics  and  trade unions .   

GRIM SITUATION REVEALED IN NEWSPAPER RUN BY ''LUNATICS "

At  the  back of  Teddy Ashton's Lancashire Annual for December  1925, edited by  activist  journalist  Allen Clarke, mentioned  recently in  this blog ,  was a  story entitled  A  Paper Run by Lunatics    at   the    Prestwich Asylum . It commences with a  lighthearted  opening  by  saying  many people  are  of  the opinion that  most  papers  are  run by "lunatics",  or kept going by the  contributions  of  such  individuals .

 

In  the case  of Lancashire's   Prestwich Asylum , said to be the largest in  Europe , with 3135  patients   by  l903, some of  the inmates , it continued,   "amused  themselves  by running  a little journal of  their  own ", a   weekly . It cited the  week ending   May 5, l906  edition of    The Preswich Gazette and Chronicle . Not run off on a printing press , it consisted of  a manuscript  handwritten  in copperplate across   four pages. The editor and  staff, not named for obvious reasons,  appeared to have been    concentrated  in  one man , there being  sundry  embellishments  in  red  ink .

 

Contents were varied , with plenty of verse, in one  mention was made  of the "Baroness"   and  " Princess  Victoria"  These were names   some  deluded  patients  gave themselves.  Clarke, under the byline , Capanbells ,wrote  he had met  people in mental hospitals who thought themselves royalties, or  dukes  and duchesses , indicating a desire  for titles  and  pedestals one of the traits of  an unbalanced mind . This  led one to wonder if people outside  were much saner than  those  in  asylums . 

 

The "lunatic  editor " of the paper  he examined showed  no trace of mental affliction in the  copy .  Bedtime and   feeding procedures were  the  subject of a lucid  poem .

 

Then followed  an item  that pointed  to " one of the  evils-or rather opportunities   of   evil   to  unscrupulous  attendants -  in  asylums ." 

      

A  paragraph read as  follows : " We regret  to hear, through one of our staff, that a certain male  attendant   has not  been behaving  himself as he should do, and if all we hear is true his conduct has been both mean and contemptible , and we trust he will take our advice and warning . For we learn several  ladies connected with the laundry have formed themselves into a Brush and Broom Brigade  for the purpose of defending one of  their fair  comrades and punishing the attendant  who so far forgot  his manhood and instead  of affording protection to an unprotected  female, almost a stranger  amongst us, behaved  in a manner  just the reverse."

 

The editor  of the paper  then  broke into  'indignant  rhyme",  about the episode.

 

 She was far from home and parents,

And she had not been here long,

Yet with deliberate intention,

You planned to do her wrong.

Had you no thought of  pity,

For a maiden all  alone?

Have you no Mother living,

or  Sisters of  your own?

 

Dealing with criticism of the paper and complaints , the editor  said  he was sorry if he unintentionally  hurt anybody, but the persons  complaining were not telling the truth . If any of the  articles had  touched  the conscience of some , and the cap fitted,  they were  welcome to wear it .   Reverting to  rhyme  , he continued .

 

We mean you no harm,

So you've no need to fret ,

For  it's all meant   as  fun

In the  Prestwich Gazette .      

A few  years  ago, the  London Daily  Mail  ran an  illustrated  report with  "haunting portraits " of   patients   at   the  Prestwich Asylum . The  article included a gallery of  photographs , more than  100 years  old,  which   showed pitiful  patients, in shabby  clothing , with details of their  afflictions , their delusions .  Started in   mid Victorian times, the asylum  grew in size   until it  was   described as  being the   largest  in  Europe .  Many  people were  forced into it because of poverty , illness, overwork ,violent  behaviour   and  some were  unmarried mothers . One man  claimed to be the  chief  king of the world, another said  he  bought  his  wife  for  four  shillings  and  sixpence.   

 

Medical Humbug  was the title of a book Allen Clarke  published  , which he described as an indictment  based on  his experience and  cases   he  had known , of medical humbug , ignorance , callousness  and operations carried out in public hospitals   without  the  consent  of  the patient  or  nearest relative .       

SCOOP : DEEP POLITICAL UNREST IN QUEENSLAND AFTER ELECTION

Exclusive  from London   Daily  Beast  correspondent , William  Boot

 The   Australian  dreadnought HMAS  Canberra   is  secretly unloading  aid  in Townsville   in  a bid to prevent   Queensland  breaking away  from the commonwealth  and  or  falling into  the  hands  of  foreign  or  home grown dark forces.  The  massive  aid  consists of  much   sought   after  beads  and  axes , gift wrapped packs of    albino coal,  heaps of   dolls  eyes  and  mothballs for the kiddies  to  swallow .

 

It is understood the aid   will  be  distributed   with  handbills  carrying a  personal message  from  illusionist,  Captain  Softsoap : " I luv yous  all  !" 

On  nearby  Magnetic Island  there  is growing apprehension  as  an obvious CIA   van  registered in Victoria   drives   about  the  network  of  bombed  out   roads   preaching  WORLD PEACE  !!!Hard to sell peace  after an election in which  each  and   every  part  of  the ALP's  policy  platform  was  weaponised  and napalmed .  

  

Boot, who is also   a respected  Pommie nature writer , says  the  scruffy  Dodo colony in the Townsville Bulletin  building   is   still   moulting , and   his  bird  loving mother, pictured  here,  believed to be related to Deb "The Duchess"   Frecklington  of  the  Queensland LNP ,  is not amused by the situation  , she  plans  to  reprimand Rupert Murdoch  and  call  in  the  RSPCA.   

TEDDY ASHTON'S UNIQUE LANCASHIRE JOURNAL SAGA

From a dazzling,  eclectic  North Queensland  collection , the story   of  activist  Allen Clarke  who fought  for  textile  workers , captured  their  colourful  way  of   life  and   speech  in  an  extensive series  of  postcards  and  in  his  distinctive  publications , one  of  which   sold   like    proverbial    hot   cakes ,Teddy Ashton's Annual .



At the age of  13 , Allen Clarke , born  in   Bolton , one of  the early  textile centres in  Lancashire ,  worked  in a  mill   and  drank  in the scene. Through part time study, he became  a pupil-teacher  and after some years landed  a " mundane " job with   the Bolton Evening  News.

 

The  engineers' strike in 1887 inspired him to become politically involved  and he  joined the Social Democrat  Foundation (SDF), the same year as Tom Mann started  a branch.   Mann,  unionist  and  labour activist ,  deeply  involved in  Australia   and  New  Zealand , became a Communist .


 In 1890 Clarke  started his own newspaper, Labour Light ,on which he employed  James Haslam , another important working class reporter and writer ,  in his  first journalistic  position . The two of  them tried  unsuccessfully  to   form  a  trade union  for Lancashire  cotton  workers .

Clarke kicked off  another paper, The Bolton Trotter , a weekly which  ran  until  l893 together   with  the  Trotter  Christmas Annual .  In 1896 he launched  Teddy Ashton's Journal, with a Christmas annual , as a  continuation   of  the  Trotter. 

In the l900 UK general election, standing as the Labor  Representation     Committee  candidate  for  Rochdale , supported by the   SDF   and  the  Independent  Labour Party , he  received  901 votes, came third . In Bolton he became editor of  the  Northern Weekly ,  moved to Blackpool , wrote for other newspapers and  penned  novels. His younger  brother , Tom,    became  editor of the Daily News and News Chronicle .

 

INSIDE  TEDDY ASHTON'S  LANCASHIRE  ANNUAL

Ex libris  the Bolton Evening News , l955,   the  rollicking  content in the above   December   1925  issue,  viewed  by Little Darwin  , has  128pp, with adverts  , poetry, short stories , artwork, most seemingly    written by  Clarke  under many noms de plume. It   clearly  shows  why  he and the publication  , which ran for  14 years , were  so  popular, with avid  readers in Australia and  New Zealand .

 

 

There is an hilarious  story , in  Lancashire dialect  , about  what transpired when  one of  the  regulars  mentioned in the  stories  was  asked to look  after a  shop run by a    bachelor   newsagent  who  has to  go away for a short time .    There was some kind of a scene  when  a lady came in and asked  for  a  Baby , presumably the name of a magazine . Not knowing  this, the stand in for the newsagent   told  her  to  try  the  Co-Op.  

 

There is more  great humour in an account of the  Tum Fowt Debatin' Club  -patriotic, pint-pot  philosophers and hen -pecked heroes  - who gather in an  old inn, when the question was asked ,  what is wrong with  the  country  by the same  man  who  stood  in  for  the newsagent.  The  meeting takes place in the Dog and Kennel, near the cemetery , the  only place in the world  at present where business  is  steady and  there  are  no  complaints . Based on a  fishy story, residents of  Darwen  were  nicknamed  "Darren Salmon", a family presented as such  in a Teddy Ashton  postcard .  

A l919 biographical sketch  praising  Allen Clarke, novelist, poet, sociologist , dialect writer  , in glowing terms. His Teddy Ashton's Weekly had   sales of  35,000 . All his writings , whether  humorous sketches, or arresting essay  were  characterised by  a strong sympathy  with the downtrodden , a hatred of humbug , a love of  fair play , and an unfailing   faith  in the ultimate  triumph of the  principles of  world-wide fellowship.

Another postcard was  based on the fanciful story that the natives of  Oldham and  Rochdale  became  known as "moonrakers " after some "masculine" residents coming  away from the  Boar's Head  after  heavy  drinking tried to  fish the reflection of the moon out of a  pond under  the impression  it was a great cheese   that  had  fallen  into the water .