Hard at work
Newsletter August 2023
Here is the winter newsletter. Enjoy!
Newsletter May 2022
The Karaka Historical Society Inc.
Karaka Museum
Newsletter for our Members
May 2022 Issue No.30
AUTUMN EDITION
Spanning the Generations......
Karaka Museum has bounced back from a quiet few months over the
summer- while in Covid -19 red setting -with a recent visit of 65-70 juniors
(aged 5 to 7) from Karaka School. Accompanied by their enthusiastic teachers
and parent helpers they had a great experience - supporting their learning
theme of Past, Present and Future in the Local Area.
The kids arrived bubbling with energy and a great little booklet the teachers
had prepared for them - guiding them to find and draw particular items in
the themed areas of the museum. This was a great way of capturing their
interest and they were fascinated by some of the exhibits. Museum
Committee members were on hand to explain and demonstrate how some of
these familiar but different items worked.
There are some great interactive experiences in the museum - always a great
way to learn and remember things. The children were keen to give them a go
and there was some very enthusiastic participation - hand-milking in the
cowshed, shucking and grinding corn, pushing the hand lawn mower, trying
out a typewriter (where's the delete key?), jamming on some musical
instruments and climbing aboard the WW2 Jeep - that's always a hit.
These young students had some insightful comments and questions at the
end of their visit, relating the exhibits to their own grandparents and wider
families and making other connections. They had a wide variety of favourite
things - from the WW2 Jeep and the vintage motorbike to a model ship and
the kids' tricycles.
Our thanks to Karaka School for visiting and for later presenting us with their
learning folder, "Karaka Past Present and Future." The folder is on display in
the Museum for them to enjoy and learn from.
Just prior to Christmas we welcomed Joyce Hill (nee Bycroft) a member and
great supporter of the Karaka Museum on a special visit for her 100th
Birthday. Joyce grew up in Karaka on her family farm at Bycroft Road and
walked across the paddocks to Karaka School in the 1920's and 30's.
Joyce and her family enjoyed a ride with committee member Hugh Ross in his
1923 Ford - the car was just 2 years younger than Joyce.
She showed that it's always fun trying things out as
she popped outside to have a go at hand-milking the cow!
Both of these visits underline what the Karaka Museum is all about. It's a link
to the past for those who have experienced life - a way of sharing memories
and stories with their families and communities. For younger generations it
creates a spark of interest into their history and helps them to understand
the pace and variety of change that can happen in a lifetime.
Karaka Museum welcomes school, club, family and group visits.
Email us at karakahistoricalsociety@gmail.com to arrange a visit.
Membership Status 2022
AGM Report 2021 from the KHS Membership Coordinator
2021 /2022 saw the on-going curtailing of activity due to COVID19
There have been no promotional activities to encourage an increase in membership and the future activities will depend on health outcomes over the next 12 months.
Our membership number based on subscriptions paid as well as associate members from council and other historic societies is at 124.
Receipted subscriptions amounted to $1177 and donations $903 (the later amount included some donation box collections).
Judith and Carol are producing quality newsletters for our members and our open days are being well managed by the committee allowing local residence and members the opportunity to come and view our museum.
Our web platform provider DOMAINZ is being automatically renewed and paid via Fraser. Our web site design page by Square Space has been paid and will be handed across from me to Judith and Carol.
The web page is a great way to promote our museum activities.
Statistics from the Analysis section of Square Space show that we have had;
480 visits - up 83% year on year
973 page views - up 73% year on year
433 unique views - up 75% year on year.
Stewart Madgwick
Membership Coordinator
President's Report 2022
My Apologies for not being present tonight.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Karaka Historical Society members and visitors. Welcome to the AGM of the KHS. Well another year like no other ruled by COVID with only 3 committee meetings held during the year. However we did make some progress , the ladies always cataloguing and updating information and displaying new additions to our collection. The men have also been busy hanging a variety of objects on the walls where we are told they should be! A new cover in now protecting the cows from the weather, but getting the milking machine to run nicely in a work in progress! Two old wall phones donated by Fraser Mansell are being restored and we hope to have them wired up so children on school visits can use them. General housekeeping saw water blasting and painting of the front entrance and a Karaka Museum sign added. Mrs. J Clark presented us with a book - “History of the Clark family.” I believe we should encourage other families in the area who have not done this yet to put it at the top of their list. (yours truly - guilty). Tim McMaster is working on a plan to cover the outside area at a reasonable price, I hope that is possible. A market was held in the Hall and we opened the museum at the same time it worked well but COVID has not helped. Joyce Hill (nee Bycroft) celebrated her 100th birthday with some family by looking through the museum. She also enjoyed a ride in the Model T car but it was only 98 years old! Also the Karaka Primary School visited with about 70 pupils. All went smoothly they enjoyed it (and were well behaved I thought) and well organised by their teachers. It kept 7 or 8 of us on our toes - quite tiring! Members who have passed away this year - Alan and Dawn Stitchbury, Ian and Maureen Laing, Laura Moore, Myrtle Thomas and Lewis Moody. Our condolences to all the families. Finally I would like to thank all the committee members they are an excellent group to work with, working bees are productive and enjoyable. Special thanks to Lois, Fraser Treasurer, Carol and Judith, Archives and Newsletter and Stewart - membership. I would like to move that my report be accepted. Hugh Ross.
Newsletter December 2020
The Summer Edition
Greetings Everyone
The festive season is here after the long and unpredictable year we’ve had in 2020. The Committee wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New year in 2021. After the events of 2020 with COVID 19 dominating the news we’re looking forward to 2021 as a time to broaden our horizons again and to welcome whatever excitement it brings!
Our activities at the Karaka Museum have been a bit curtailed this year as we have focused on maintenance and keeping things ticking over. We have started planning for 2021 with our first Open Day scheduled for mid-March (date to be confirmed) so we’re looking forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Earlier this year we received two emails requesting the origin of the name Karaka. Carol Eggleton researched the following.
Origin of the name Karaka
Nona Morris discusses the origin of the name Karaka in "Early Days in Franklin", published 1965, chapter 5, pages 64 and 65.
She notes that the deed of settlement for the Pukekohe Block was signed on 7 December 1843. It included the area from the Karaka foreshore of the Manukau Harbour to the Waikato River.
She writes that there are a number of theories about the name.
"It has been said that the Karaka Parish, which was the northern part of this purchase received its name from the George Clarke who signed the first deed — Karaka being the Maori version of Clarke.
Another theory is that it was named after the Clark family who settled along the foreshore of Waiau Pa and Karaka, but these people came some years afterwards.
A more likely explanation is that the name originated with the chief Karaka Te Aua, who lived in the neighbourhood and also from the Te Karaka Maori reserve. This reserve was mentioned in the Deed of 1843 and is situated today on land owned by the Urquhart family." (a footnote on Karaka Te Aua referenced F.D Fenton, "Maori Land Court" for the location of his pa.)
The area owned by the Urquhart family is on Urquhart Road in Karaka - on the shore of the Manukau Harbour.
Morris also notes that this part of Karaka Parish was stunted scrub country so we do not know if there were Karaka trees in the area but as far as we know there are no photographs of the land at this time.
Extracts from Grassing the Karaka Country. The full article can be found at
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18991201.2.58?query=grassing+the+karaka&snippet=true
New Zealand Herald, volume XXXVI, issue 11234 1st of December 1899
6000 acres cleared, and 5000 acres ploughed in 10 months Mr T C Williams Richmond Park Estate.
(By our Agricultural Reporter)
The purchase by Mr TC Williams of 10,000 acres of land in the Karaka district about 12
months ago attracted considerable attention. The land was supposed to be so utterly useless for agricultural purposes that it was not conceived how any good use could be made of it, but it is understood in a general sort of way that Mr Williams intended to sow gorse on the place for sheep feed. Considering that in the ordinary course of things it's utilisation even in this way would have been vastly better than allowing it to remain idle, it comes as a pleasant surprise to learn that instead of gorse it is grass that is to be sown and besides grass, turnips and still more surprising to those who have got into the habit of calling the scrub land about the Manukau utterly barren and hopeless is the fact that the grass already sown by Mr Williams is thriving amazingly and promises to make good sheep country.
The estate which Mr Williams purchased lies between the railway line and the Manukau harbour immediately west of Drury. Much of it until recently was owned by Mr W Atkin and was known as Richmond Park another portion of it was purchased from Mrs Chamberlain, and one or two small lots from other individuals. The whole property purchased by Mr Williams is now known as Richmond Park, and covers, as has been stated 10,000 acres. The price given for the block is not definitely known but it’s understood that the average was about £l per acre.
Topographically, Richmond Park makes an ideal estate. It consists of gently undulating country, nearly every inch of it which is ploughable. It is watered by numerous running streams and springs. It is bounded on one side by the railway, and on three sides by the Manukau Harbour, or by the tidal arms of this great inland sea. It is within a little more than 20 miles from Auckland by road or rail and it has good water communications with Onehunga.
The tidal arms, the Hingaia, the Karaka and the Whangamaire besides giving water communication to the greater part of the estate, form natural boundaries which will save miles of fencing and give a charm to the place which those, who enjoy boating, bathing and fishing can easily appreciate.
This locality plan on a Karaka Land Company map shows an area bounded by the railway, the streams and the Manukau Harbour. (Karaka Museum Archives)
Karaka Museum
Newsletter for our Members The Karaka Historical Society Inc. Dec 2020 - Issue No.26
Within six months after taking possession of the estate 220 acres were in grass, and stocked with four sheep per acre. On one portion there were four breeding ewes and their lambs to the acre. The ground was cleared, ploughed once, disc harrowed twice, and a mixture of Italian and perennial rye, cocksfoot, and clovers, at a rate of 451b to the acre, was sown with 2 1/2 cwt of bone dust. The grass looks remarkably well as may be guessed by carrying 4 sheep to the acre from August to November, even in a favourable spring. I saw a paddock of 80 acres which had been stocked for two months and then sown down for seed. It had been sown down only five weeks when I saw it, and it looks remarkably well. It would yield I would say 20 bushes of Rye seed per acre and there was springing up among it a fine growth of white clover and the later grasses.
The work of clearing scrub is still going on. This is done where ever the scrub is not too heavy by means of a Hercules mower and costs an average of two shillings per acre. I saw this machine working and could not help admiring the thorough manner in which it felled the manuka and heather. Mr Flannigan informed me that when first obtained the machine was too slow in that action. He had by altering the pinion and the driving crank increased the speed up 100% and at the time he had the knife bar shortened by 1 foot. Now it will go through scrub just as a lighter machine goes through standing oats. The scrub soon dries, and is then burnt, when the ground is ready for ploughing. Ploughing is mostly done by contract and cost seven shillings per acre.
Even if Mr Williams intends to grow gorse he could not get the land into better condition for the purpose than by ploughing, grassing and turniping. Under any circumstance, the enterprise Mr Williams is showing should win our heartiest approval. He has been bold enough to attempt making useful, land which might have lain idle for years.
There are said to be 200,000 acres of similar land fringing the Manukau, and if Mr Williams makes Richmond Park a success other people will be found to follow his lead. One thing I noticed which is on the question of permanency of pasture there was the fact that a fairly large area sown down by Mr William Atkin, something like 16 years ago, shows a good sward although heather and scrub have nearly overgrown it. I think this evidence and the show of grass and the new paddocks go to prove the Karaka lands only require a fair amount of cultivation, such as would be given by turnips, rape, or oats to replace all the fern and scrub with healthy pasture.
Ploughman on McLaughlin’s farm, Wiri, ca 1890
Photograph reproduced by courtesy of Howick Historical Society Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Footprints 01440
Karaka Museum
Newsletter for our Members The Karaka Historical Society Inc. Dec 2020 - Issue No.26
We wish to acknowledge the passing of Juliette (Urquhart) Kemp on 7 August 2020. Juliette was an enthusiastic supporter of the Museum with a keen interest in the history of the area. We have valued her contribution as a member of the Karaka Historical Society.
Museum Visits
We welcome group bookings. The Museum is conveniently located near cafes so plan your group's Museum and Lunch trip today. Apart from our regular opening times we are
happy to open by arrangement for group visits.
Karaka Museum Opening Times
Open: 2nd Sunday of the month; 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4th Wednesday of the month 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
The Museum can also open outside these hours by appointment.
Groups are very welcome.
Contact: Fraser: 0221228738 Hugh: 0211668955 Judith: karakahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
www.karakamuseum.org.nz
Best wishes for Christmas & The New Year Carol and Judith
Newsletter December 2019
The Summer Edition
Hello Everyone,
And welcome to the summer edition of the KHS Newsletter. The Committee wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2020!
The highlight since the last newsletter was the gathering held at the Kidd Elliott Reserve, Te Hihi, to remember the 100 year passing of World War 1 and the planting shortly after of the Peace Trees.
Ø Armistice Day – 11 November 2019
Ø The Peace Trees
Peace Trees
Ø Karaka Peace Trees
On a cold and gusty Monday morning under the Peace Trees at Te Hihi there was a reflective atmosphere among the group of residents, descendants, war veterans, Franklin Local Board representatives and school students who had gathered to commemorate Armistice Day. The day also marked the 100th anniversary of these majestic trees – planted as a living memorial to those who served and gave their lives in the First World War.
The service began with the National Anthem led by the young students from Te Hihi School who had streamed across the road to be part of the day.
The trees were planted by Ernest Yates and Joseph Batty on the 11 November 1919, so it was fitting that the families of these men were part of the commemoration. David Yates (great grandson of Ernest) spoke movingly of the sacrifice of life and the call for peace that the trees represented to those affected by the war.
The names from the Karaka Roll of Honour were acknowledged and this was followed by a blessing and a tribute to all service men and women from Brett Codlin (great grandson of Joseph Batty).
Noeline Codlin (granddaughter of Joseph Batty) and Jesse Yates and Nathan Thomson (descendants of Ernest Yates) laid floral tributes at the memorial plaque under the trees. This was followed by the spine-tingling “Last Post”, played for us by Thomas Tilsley from ACG Strathallan, and a time for reflection.
The Ode was recited by Capt. Paul Couch (Retd) and Capt. David Robertson (Retd) added to the atmosphere with the haunting notes of the bagpipes, both are retired servicemen from 3rd Auckland and Northland Battalion, Royal NZ Infantry Regiment.
The rousing notes of the “Reveille” marked the end of the service.
Thanks to all those who joined us for this special day of remembrance.
Carol Eggleton
Karaka Historical Society
KARAKA PEACE TREES
Speech given by David Yates – 11/11/2019
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls
We come together today to remember those servicemen and women who died in World War
Today, throughout New Zealand people are remembering the sacrifice made by so many of our servicemen and women in that terrible war, which ended one hundred and one years ago. At 11 o’clock on the 11th November 1918 the guns stopped firing. The battles ceased, and our troops were able to think of returning to their distant homes and families after four years of the most terrible war ever known.
As part of the British Empire, our nation went to war in 1914, ill prepared for a major war with an enemy that had been preparing for many years. Our troops, with the Australians formed the Australia and N.Z. Army Corps or ANZAC’s and landed at Gallipoli in 1915, along with the British, French and Indian troops to try and wrest control of the sea route through the Dardanelles from Turkish control. Our troops were ill equipped and poorly supported and suffered terrible casualties against impossible odds. From there they were moved to the gentle fields of France in an attempt to stem the relentless tide of the German army.
These fields proved to be far from gentle, and the Somme campaign lasted 5 months with casualties of over one million lives. Fighting was bitter and conditions unbelievably horrible as the troops fought against the much more advanced equipment of the enemy. Our troops were pounded by the German howitzers and their machine guns and when the wind was from the right direction they used poison gas. Against all this our men held on even though they were hungry, thirsty, tired and often knee deep in mud. At the battle of Messines they had a much needed victory, but then at Passchendaele in October 1917 they suffered 2,400 casualties in less than 4 hours. The war rolled on with ever mounting casualties on both sides.
At last in 1918 the tide started to turn. The equipment issued to our troops became as good as or better than the enemy’s. And the United States entered the war with fresh forces and arms. In June and July at the Battle of Amiens, the British troops, with tanks, artillery and aircraft, rolled back the German lines, signaling the approaching end of this terrible war.
At 11am on the 11th November 1918, the Germans surrendered. Those of our brave men and women who survived were able to return to their distant homes and families, leaving 18,000 of their friends buried in foreign lands, with another 42,000 wounded. Over 100,000 of our men and 550 women had served overseas.
My grandfather’s experience was of only being old enough to enlist in the last years of the war and then being laid low by influenza that was picked up in West Africa when the troop ship stopped to pick up coal. There were troops that died from this bug and he was hospitalized in England before being sent home.
On the first anniversary of Armistice Day the 11 November 1919 the residents of our district assembled here to plant two small oak trees in memory of those men and women who gave their lives in this war. They wished to have a living memorial to them. They named the trees “The Peace Trees.”
Today is the centenary of when these trees were planted. As we stand here beneath these mighty oaks, you may be a descendant of those who died, you may be a descendant of those who were present on that day, and we once more give thanks to those men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.
Take time to look at these magnificent oak trees and remember not only those who gave their lives for peace, but also those who fought and returned to their homeland and loved ones, carrying the scares of war.
Thee men and women went to war with great sacrifice to themselves and their families who struggled to keep the home front going. They did so because they wanted their descendants to be able to live in peace. For their sacrifice our generation should be forever grateful.
David Yates 11/11/2019.
The Yates Family
