Coromandel

Coromandel Peninsula is a rugged and deeply indented finger of land running more or less northward from the main body of the North Island. At the time of Captain Cook's visit to the Firth of Thames in 1769, Maori villages could be seen along the shores. Cook recorded "immense woods of as stout lofty timber as is to be found in any part of the world." However he missed seeing the entrance to the Coromandel Harbour.

By the turn of the century the harbour was well known. Ships from New South Wales and all around the world called there for spars and kauri timber. In 1820 the British Admiralty sent the storeship "Coromandel" to New Zealand for timber and spars for the Royal Navy. (From this ship the harbour received its name.) On board were Horeta Te Taniwha of Ngati Whahaunga and the Rev Samuel Marsden from New South Wales. Marsden assisted in the purchase of timber. Marsden took the opportunity to explore the area and visited many Maori villages.

Traders were soon on the scene. During the 1830's, an American Bill Webster ("Wepiha, the King of Waiau") established a trading station in the Coromandel Harbour. His base was at Herekino Bay ("Woolshed Bay") on what is now known as Whanganui Island, where there was safe anchorage and a good spring of fresh water. The island lies across the entrance of Coromandel Harbour. Small ships were built on the beach at Woolshed Bay.

Webster was agent for a Sydney trading firm before setting up shop for himself. His merchandise included axes, blankets, muskets, tobacco, pigs and timber. He was held in great regard by local Maori. Visiting ships' captains sought his advice. Webster purchased large tracts of land for himself and engaged in land dealing between Maori and European interests.

His wife was a relative of Horeta Te Taniwha, the local paramount chief.

Te Taniwha's Coromandel kainga [village] was a short distance across the harbour from Webster's establishment, at the Tiki creek near the base of the peninsula, later known as Preece's Point. [This has been disputed.] Te Taniwha had other kainga along the coast.

Webster's village comprised a collection of weatherboard cottages, log cabins and whares. He ran an accommodation house of sorts. In 1840 his guests included the young John Logan Campbell and William Brown. Webster conveyed Campbell and friends across the Waitemata Harbour to look for land in the vicinity of a proposed "southern" capital.

When the Preeces arrived in Thames the area in 1833, to set up the first mission station, a few European traders and speculators were living among the Maori. The settlement in Coromandel Harbour was then an important port, second in New Zealand only to the Bay of Islands. The British Crown had not yet claimed sovereignty over islands of New Zealand. There was no Rule of Law. No Treaty of Waitangi. Auckland did not exist.

James Preece and his fellow missionaries made regular visits (mostly by whaleboat) to villages up and down the coast, holding schools for Maori teachers and regular services. After he was transferred to the Urewera and Whakatane areas, mission services were continued by the Reverends Dudley and Lanfear.



THE WAIAU SIDE OF THE COROMANDEL HARBOUR, SEEN FROM PREECE'S POINT. TIKI LANDING IS HIDDEN BY A STAND OF TREES EXTREME LEFT OF THE PICTURE.

During the 1830's the Preeces purchased land (much of it hilly) on the shores of the Coromandel Harbour.

It is fashionable to question missionaries' land purchases. The following paragraphs will shed some light on the situation.

Throughout the long struggle by the men and women of the CMS to establish Christianity in New Zealand, a great deal of worry was occasioned by the fact that there was no occupation in New Zealand by which the rising generation of Mission children could support themselves. While mission societies in other parts of the world sent their missionaries and their families "home" upon retirement, this was not the case for the New Zealand Mission.

A solution presented itself - missionaries could provide for their children's future by purchasing land for agricultural purposes. It should be remembered that apart from relatively small areas of garden cultivation undertaken by Maori for their own needs, the very great part New Zealand remained covered in tall timber or low scrub and fern. Neither timber nor fern was productive without an immense input of money and labour.

The missions continued to rely on food imported from New South Wales.

Most missionaries purchased land. Most paid the equivalent of high prices for their farms. However a speculative land grab had begun from New South Wales. Many incoming speculators were not pleased. It should not be forgotten that these purchases were made well before 1840.

James and Mary Ann Preece arranged in about 1836 (recorded in 1839) to purchased two pieces of land on the Waihou side of the Coromandel Harbour, named the Kauri Block and the Tiki Block. A review of original sale is recorded in H H Turtons's "Maori Deeds of Old Land Purchases in New Zealand" (1882).

The Preeces paid the equivalent of more than three hundred and sixty pounds in trade goods. It was a fair price, and the contract stood up to the scrutiny by later commissions of investigation.

James Preece noted in a letter to the CMS committee that he had chosen land in a situation which had not previously been in use by the Maori - the whole area being uncleared and uncultivated. In his opinion there was not more than four hundred acres of arable land for the future support of his family. Much of the purchase consisted of mangrove flats and areas prone to flooding. The eastern boundary ran along the crest of very steep hills which were covered in woods.

They named their home "Stapleton". It stood on "The Mound" or "The Knoll" (Puke Iti) which was a few hundred yards from Horeta Te Taniwha's kainga near the Tiki Landing.


TIKI LANDING AT THE ENTRANCE TO TIKI CREEK.
PREECE LAND INCLUDED THE FOOTHILLS.

However all was not well. Bishop Selwyn arrived in New Zealand in 1842. It was the Bishop's policy that no missionary should live near or be involved in the administration of his land. Accordingly, of those who resisted this edict, some were dismissed and others were coerced into, or chose to leave the mission. Selwyn's policy caused great hardship to the Preeces and many other families. They were not able to develop the land for farming (upon which they had expended all their resources) and consequently when the time came for them to leave the mission, the land was not able to support them or their children.

To back-track a little. From 1833 the Preeces spent twelve years in the area on mission stations at Puriri and Parawai, near the present town of Thames. James Preece knew the area well. He made frequent visits all along the coast and also visited villages on the Mercury Bay side of the peninsula. He was known and loved by the people.

When in 1840 Major Bunbury called in at Coromandel Harbour in search of signatures for the Treaty of Waitangi, James Preece, on one of his mission circuits, unexpectedly arrived in the middle of proceedings. Some chiefs had already signed, but in spite of Preece's persuasion his old adversary Taraia and also Te Hira refused to do so. After a few days at anchor, the "Herald" left the harbour en route the Bay of Plenty.

In November 1846, prior to leaving for the Urewera mission, the Preeces gave ten acres (part of the Kauri block) as a "gift for charitable purposes" to Bishop Selwyn. As well just over twelve acres were sold to the Bishop at the tip of Preece's point. [This has recently been sold.]


LOOKING WEST FROM BRICKWORKS BAY, PREECE'S POINT.

By the time James Preece went to live permanently at Coromandel, he had severed his ties with the Church Missionary Society.

To the best of my knowledge during the Preece's time at Coromandel (1856 to 1870) there was no CMS mission station east of the Tiki Road, unless it referred to the land and buildings which the Preeces had given to the Bishop. There seems to have been a "native church" and meeting place on the Preece property, or perhaps nearby at Te Horeta's kainga. Perhaps there was a "native teacher" living there; Wi Hau-taruke is said to have followed the Preeces into retirement from the Waikaremoana area. Many Maori villages, some of which were visited by missionaries, had their own chapel and teacher.

Possibly it has been assumed that the Preece land, farm and homestead on "Puke Iti" were officially part of a CMS mission.

THE PREECE FIRST HOME AT "THE TIKI" COROMANDEL WAS BUILT ON "THE MOUND" [PUKE ITI] TO THE SOUTH OF MCQUOIS'S ROAD, OPPOSITE PREECES POINT.

They continued to serve unofficially in a missionary capacity. When visiting missionaries came to Coromandel they stayed with the Preeces. Bishop Selwyn was a frequent visitor. Preece children and grand-children continued to serve the Church.

James Preece held church services at Coromandel, sometimes at the Maori Church on the beach where Christ Church Kapanga now stands. He conducted services in the Maori language.

The Preece family continued to supported the Maori cause in representations to the government.

During the 1850's James Preece informed Donald McLean (then Native Commissioner) of the need to provide "Native Schools" for the people of Coromandel. He applied to the Governor for funds to establish a trial planting of flax and cotton. During 1857 he negotiated, on chief Maihi's behalf, for a loan of two hundred and fifty pounds to purchase a mill, plus draft horses for ploughing. He interceded on Maori behalf for several other projects including the purchase of trading vessels for Maori owners.

During the time of tension leading up to the "Waikato Wars" James Preece endeavoured to prevent the conflict, locally and on a national scale. He questioned the translation into Maori of Government documents. Many were misleading. When fighting began, the Preeces remained at Coromandel, although the greater part of the Euporean population moved to Auckland.

Memoirs which place Archdeacon Maunsell translating the gospel at "Puke Iti" are most likely erroneous. Archdeacon Maunsell served in the Waikato area. The house (which burnt down in 1843 with all his translations) was at Waikato Heads. The Archdeacon's son the Rev George Maunsell later served as priest and native Missioner in the Thames area.

James Preece and his family worked very hard to establish their farm. In spite of James's enthusiasm for the task, the Preece farm was never a profitable venture. Initial stock numbers were low. Sheep were killed by native dogs. The younger Preece men found employment away from the farm.

Several Preece sons were involved in the timber trade. Because they were all fluent speakers of Maori, some became Licensed Interpreters. Wathen Preece became a Land Purchase Agent.

James Preece was appointed to several government positions: Justice of the Peace, Coroner, Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages, and Sub-commissioner to Charles Heaphy, the Land Purchase Commissioner for the area. In this role, Preece negotiated between Maori and the Crown for much of the land in the vicinity of Coromandel.

By the time James Preece left the mission in 1856 to live at Stapleton the first of the boom and bust gold rushes had passed. Gold mining continued for the most part with the establishment of large companies using ore crushing machinery. Some of the Preece sons became involved in the gold mining industry.

Coromandel village today retains the elements of a frontier town. Many structures from the days of gold remain. The Preeces would recognise some of these buildings in the main street.

In a letter to Donald McLean written in 1865, James Preece outlined the situation in Coromandel. There were 1,500 inhabitants. Many were working gold claims. There were eight sawmills "in full work" and more were planned. Preece had leased out his land in four blocks and hoped for a good return.

During the 1860's part of the Preece land at the Tiki, named "Kingstone" was surveyed onto small allotments and sold at auction. A reminder of this episode in Coromandel history is the name "Kingstone Street". For many years the Preeces owned a two storied accommodation house on the corner of Kingstone Street and Tiki Road.

The chief Pita Taurua of Coromandel was James Preece's special friend and supporter. He gave the land on which the present the present church is built and also the adjacent graveyard. The "Old Church" was built in 1873, of sawn timber.

During the 1850's and 60's, Harriett the Preece's eldest daughter, plus her Husband Archie Spicer and their children were frequent visitors to "Stapleton". Archie kept an diary which together with his letters to his mother, give some interesting insights into early days in Coromandel. Archie records the names of many pioneers of the district.

Over the years James Preece became increasingly incapacitated with heart problems and by the onset of pain and paralysis which began in his right hand. He was forced to learn to write with his left hand.

James Preece became increasingly frail, although his will to serve remained strong. However towards the end of 1870, it seemed that his time had come. He longed to see George, his soldier son, one last time. George was serving in the Bay of Plenty. It was not to be. George was not granted leave in time. James Preece died in Coromandel on December the 25th, 1870. Virtually the whole district attended his funeral. He was well known, loved and and respected by all.

The following are extracts from the "Thames Advertiser and Miners' News":

Mr James Preece, one of the early missionaries to New Zealand died at Coromandel on Christmas Day ....

In 1856, his health having become affected by the hardship and fatigue he had endured, he retired from the active life of a missionary, and took up his residence at Coromandel, where he continued to reside until his death, attending to the natives as much as possible. He was made a Justice of the Peace, and was engaged by the Government occasionally in transacting business relating to the district. The funeral took place at Kapanga, at eleven o'clock on Tuesday, and was attended by about 300 persons, Europeans and Maoris, the burial service being read by Mr Scott. Deceased was interred at Kapanga at the special request of the natives, who wished him to be laid near the chiefs whom he had instructed so many years ago.

Today James Preece's grave and headstone can be seen at the Church of England graveyard on Tiki Road, close to grave and family plot of of Pita Taurua.

LOOKING FROM THE NORTH-WEST. CASTLE ROCK CAN BE JUST SEEN OVER THE RANGES.

Mary Ann stayed on at Coromandel with her daughter "Polly" and sons Marsden and Harry. Eventually she moved to Auckland to live with her daughter Eliza Kenderdine. Mary Ann died on the 10th of November 1879. Two of her adult children, Wathan and Mary Ann "Polly" had died before her. She was buried in Symonds Street Cemetery. Her old friend Archdeacon Maunsell conducted the funeral service. Unfortunately the Preece graves were moved during the 1960's during the construction of the motorway.

Mary Ann Preece was a small woman with an infinite capacity for helping and caring. Her children and grand-children loved her. Her legacy of faith and courage lives on in her story.

Look at other parts of the Preece story by following the links to the Index page.